Commercial Settings with little popularity

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I certainly wouldn't put Scarred Lands into the "vanilla" category. There are a lot of non-standard assumptions of how the world works that prevent it from being "plug and play" for most D&D adventures.

You're reading the OP's post closer than most people do on these threads. We're going to see every non-vanilla setting, commercially successful or otherwise, thrown at the OP by the time it's over.

I like the Kalamar suggestion myself. DCC World is a little trendy among online players right now, although I don't think it's so "known" as to be an issue for most folks. But lordy, look at all the Kalamar stuff just sitting there, waiting to be used. The only non-standard element of the setting, really, is hobgoblins having a high profile, but that's still a pretty basic kind of tweak.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

Kyngdoms got a 5 rating from Joe G Kushner, so supposedly it's very good.

More obscure, Turakian Age from Hero Games is a very, very good D&D-like setting, which is mostly fluff.

Later,

 

[Voadam]

You're reading the OP's post closer than most people do on these threads. We're going to see every non-vanilla setting, commercially successful or otherwise, thrown at the OP by the time it's over.

I like the Kalamar suggestion myself. DCC World is a little trendy among online players right now, although I don't think it's so "known" as to be an issue for most folks. But lordy, look at all the Kalamar stuff just sitting there, waiting to be used. The only non-standard element of the setting, really, is hobgoblins having a high profile, but that's still a pretty basic kind of tweak.

I would call both Scarred Lands and Arcanis suitable for vanilla generic D&D. And I believe I did above.

IMO I don't consider either of them less appropriate for generic D&D use than say the Forgotten Realms.

The rules and allowable classes don't change the way they can in Oathbound, Ravenloft, Midnight, Cthulhu, Wheel of Time, Black Company, etc. do.

I do consider them, along with Kalamar, not obscure though as far as 3rd party settings go.

 

[Nightfall]

Yes we aren't obscure, but we are far from "vanillia" too. I mean our druids aren't nature clerics, nor are all sorcerers "dragon touched". I admit it might seem that way now Voady, but I assure you, there can and often are class and races changes that are much similiar to say, Dragonlance or even Dark Sun than to FR.

 

[Kafkonia]

Yes we aren't obscure, but we are far from "vanillia" too. I mean our druids aren't nature clerics, nor are all sorcerers "dragon touched". I admit it might seem that way now Voady, but I assure you, there can and often are class and races changes that are much similiar to say, Dragonlance or even Dark Sun than to FR.

Nightfall, are you running a fever? Normally you recommend Scarred Lands regardless of what the OP is looking for!

 

[Nightfall]

Kaf,

I'm having an off day. Sue me.

 

[Treebore]

It was put out by Mystic Eye Games Early on in d20, I don't know if they are still around for copies to be had.

They are still around. I recently did a review for them on a pdf product. I liked it more than I expected too. Meaning I thought it was pretty darn good.

 

[Nightfall]

Tree,

I'm pretty sure you're right but I'm not sure if it's still under the Mystic Eye publisher IE if you look for it under Mystic Eye, it's there or not...

 

[Voadam]

Yes we aren't obscure, but we are far from "vanillia" too. I mean our druids aren't nature clerics, nor are all sorcerers "dragon touched". I admit it might seem that way now Voady, but I assure you, there can and often are class and races changes that are much similiar to say, Dragonlance or even Dark Sun than to FR.

Druids worship the mother nature neutral titan instead of merely revering nature (or they worship an evil overthrown titan). That is similar enough to vanilla core for me.

The big rule difference is (as described in relics and rituals) arcane magic causes body heat so albadian sorceresses get some cold resistance and have a mechanical reason to go around topless.

There is ritual magic and tattoo magic, but those are minor add on systems IMO that fit in fine with vanilla D&D.

Lots of wierd monsters, but also plenty of orcs and goblins.

A few variant subraces as described in Creature Collection Revised and I don't remember any gnomes in Ghelspad but you can play humans and half orcs and halflings, etc. no problem and most people you meet will likely be humans.

 

[Voadam]

Another campaign setting is Living Imagination's Twin Crowns, it has its own ritual magics, some gunpowder, and divine bonuses which take them away from vanilla a little bit, but mostly wide open for lots of vanilla D&D play.

I had a campaign in the setting and used B1 In search of Adventure, Return to Keep on the Borderlands, and Cloudland all updated for 3.5 with no problem.