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Message: <blockquote data-quote="grimwell" data-source="post: 3163607" data-attributes="member: 3694">Ahhh, sweet, sweet Cerilia. To say that I am fond of this setting would be false. IMO it's the best TSR/WoTC published setting to date. For many of the reasons listed above. The details of the setting are deeply meshed together. Things have a reason. There is a defined need for heroes to rise up, as the NPC's aren't going to be the heroes of the setting. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Culture matters. Nations matter. Organizations matter.The number of hooks provided by the setting far exceeds any other setting. You can have characters with national pride in the campaign. Where you come from matters far more than your class as you travel. Politics and intrigue abound!I think the biggest failure of the marketing of this setting was the entire regency/rulership factor. While those rules were an awesome setup forward in the 2E environment, the fact that Birthright presented a totally awesome setting for normal adventures was not played upon very well by the marketing. I think that, had more people understood that you could do more than wargame the setting, Birthright could have done better in it's limited time, or remained as a live setting.I ran a few campaigns, and played in one or two as well. I can tell you from personal experience that the roleplay opportunities found in the political environment are unmatched (by the very nature of the setting). Nothing like having to travel through the nation of Ghoere, and being 'found' and made a 'welcome guest' of the Baron. Did I mention I was trying to move across the nation with armies to help a friend (not exactly easy to hide that). The Baron didn't want me to get there on time so he delayed me politically. "Why yes, you can travel across my lands in your noble cause... but you wouldn't want to offend my wife by not allowing her to throw a festival to celebrate your visit would you? It shouldn't take more than a week or two..."Birthright offered many things you just couldn't find at the time. The human races were distinct, with clear cultures that seeped into your characters. The non-humans felt non-human and alien. Their culture had motives far from human motives and playing those characters also provided a deep mesh to build a character within. It's the only setting that I bought and used as a setting instead of as inspiration for a world of my own design. I highly recommend letting it influence your own settings, or running it for straight adventures...Just to ensure that I don't sound like a totally frothing fanboi, the rules for mass combat were horrible and never felt good to me. Considering Wizard's miniatures favored ideas these days, it would almost make sense for them to bring Birthright back and tie it to a better combat system that embraces the use of all these nifty miniatures they have produced.</blockquote>

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