Best Published Setting for "Sandbox" Campaign?

[crazy_monkey1956]

First, I'm not terribly concerned with what edition the setting was or is published for, game mechanics are something of a secondary concern (though it should preferably be something published for any edition of D&D or Pathfinder).

What published setting is best for just dumping the PCs into and letting them meander at their own pace and direction?

I'm also looking for a setting that either a) doesn't have much published for it beyond the core material and/or b) doesn't require much more than the core material to play in.

 

[howandwhy99]

I'm partial to the '80 World of Greyhawk folio or the '83 World of Greyhawk box set.

Gygax's Dangerous Journey's system had The Epic of Aerth.

SSS's Scarred Lands had a couple good setting books. Ghelspad & Termana

Arcanis by Paradigm Concepts is very well done and broad and indescript enough to be a campaign setting.

I would avoid licensed stuff or novelized campaign settings, if only because the players can then claim authority over what is published about the world instead of learning through play. A canon lawyer so to speak. I've seen this happen quite a bit in Star Wars games.

 

[Crothian]

Necromancer's Game Wilderlands box set.

 

[havard]

Blackmoor! Get the D20 Dave Arneson's Blackmoor Sourcebook, the 4E version, or good old DA1 as starting point and you are pretty much set. Good if you want a bit of weirdness thrown in, even if you can easily ignore that aspect of Blackmoor too.

-Havard

 

[Argyle King]

Banestorm is pretty good. There's opportunity for a wide variety of styles. Also, part of the theme is that it's possible to literally be 'dumped into' the setting.

GURPS Banestorm

The book isn't very mechanics heavy, so it would be pretty easily to pull the material into a different game system if that's what you want.



I also have fond memories of the Greyhawk Gazetteer and Ptolus.

 

[mattcolville]

First, I'm not terribly concerned with what edition the setting was or is published for, game mechanics are something of a secondary concern (though it should preferably be something published for any edition of D&D or Pathfinder).

What published setting is best for just dumping the PCs into and letting them meander at their own pace and direction?

I'm also looking for a setting that either a) doesn't have much published for it beyond the core material and/or b) doesn't require much more than the core material to play in.

I know this may seem counter-intuitive, but I think something like Temple of Elemental Evil is your best bet.

You've got Hommlet, which has lots of detail, and a nice map of the surrounding area. Come up with a selection of adventures to dot the llandscape with, some secrets, some bad guys with motivations. Give the players some rumors, some accurate some not, and drop them in town.

There are a couple of adventures that work well for this, Against the Cult of the Reptile God is another one that has a nicely detailed town and local environs.

A campaign setting is overkill, I think. Are your players starting at high level? Can they get to all these different places? Probably not. Focus on what they know, and the immediate world beyond.

 

[Argyle King]

I'll add to what I've previously said by saying you need not even use the whole book of Banestorm. It would be completely possible to pick out one of the many places detailed and build what you want around it. Caithness could easily be carved from the map and placed into just about any setting by simply changing a few small details.

 

[The Shaman]

Wilderlands of High Fantasy (JG or NG versions are both great) for D&D or TFT.

The Third Imperium for Traveller.

And my own for Flashing Blades.

 

[olshanski]

Not actually a setting, but the two somewhat larger adventures, "Lost City of Barakus" and "Vault of Larin Karr" are both really good sandbox adventures, and by placing the two adjacent to each other, you'll end up with an awesome sandbox.

 

[darjr]

The Star Ship Warden from Metamorphosis Alpha. A giant generation ship with different levels that are like small worlds unto themselves.