Fluff only campaign settings? (Now with a comprehensive list!)

[kensanata]

Listing the suggested levels would be important to me at least. You could even offer the full stat-blocks of select npcs as a web enhancement, or maybe by fans on your forums. Kinda leaves it open enough for a dm to tinker a bit.

(Assuming we might be talking of Avadnu, here?)

I absolutely prefer fluff-only. I don't need skills, feats, or prestige classes when I'm buying campaign settings or adventures.

I do like stat blocks for NPCs and monsters, if they are important. I don't think NPC stats are important in campaign settings. At least in my games, chances are really slim for my players fighting ruler X or high priest Y. Leave the NPC stats for adventures.

I'm currently using the Kitsunemori Campaign Setting and I liked the fluff; geography, history, clans, gods, etc. The only rules I enjoyed were monster stat blocks (keep using them all the time), NPC stats (those I have never used, however), and some details on how shrines are supposed to work (I'm using a much simplified form). Most of the crunch goes into much more detail than I plan to use in my games. I have not used the new classes, I have not used the new magic system for Kitsune. Too complicated. I just use regular magic instead. All Kitsune are magic users.

Having rules available separately on a few pages or on the web makes sense.

If we're talking Avadnu, and there's a famous monster book out already, then I'd hope for 98% fluff. Two out of a hundred with stats, or a particular example of how to use specific oracles, magic items, or abilities that add spice to the campaign background. Offer more detailed rules, FUDGE rules, etc. on the website, if at all. Or encourage readers to contribute them for your website?

 

[JVisgaitis]

Assuming we might be talking of Avadnu, here?

We are and this is the direction that we are leaning in. Problem that I am worried about is that a fluff only setting for Avadnu might be tough on DMs. I can see sessions going like, "OK, so you want to play a zeidian. I wonder what abilities they would have?" Since our setting is more or less alien, I wonder if that would be a turn off?

If we're talking Avadnu, and there's a famous monster book out already, then I'd hope for 98% fluff.

Famous monster book? I enjoy the sentiment, but it was merely a solid first product. Calling it famous is grossly over stating things. I do appreciate it though!

So if said fluffless world book was released and an additional online PDF was available with all the rules, would that make it have more value for you and make you more likely to purchase it or would you just not care?

 

[Darklone]

Kalamar campaign setting is fluff only except for one or two magic items IIRC.

 

[Sir Elton]

HârnWorld.

http://www.columbiagames.com/cgi-bin/query/cfg/allharnitems.cfg

 

[Voadam]

Scarred Lands Ghelspad Gazetteer

Illustrated Guide to the Wheel of Time

Illustrated Guide to the World of Shanara

Illustrated Encyclopedia to the World of Warhammer

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

The second world book (the Campaign book, IIRC) from Iron Kingdoms was pretty rule-free, IIRC. It was billed as being no-game mechanics.

 

[kensanata]

So if said fluffless world book was released and an additional online PDF was available with all the rules, would that make it have more value for you and make you more likely to purchase it or would you just not care?

If there was a printed book with 200 pages and a decent price, and a review mentions that there's 56 pages of new skills, feats, magic items, and prestige classes, then that turns me off. Too much crunch makes me less likely to buy something, because I expect to be ignoring it anyway.

That is assuming I believe I'm paying for the stuff I'm not using. As a sales strategy, people like me need to believe that they're only paying for what they'll be using. If I get the feeling that I paid for the crunch anyway, except that it's harder to get, then I think it might not work. This in turn depends a lot on the way you market it, or how your reviewers write about it. The crunchy bits need to look very spartan, very functional, or user contributed, or something like that.

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

HârnWorld.

http://www.columbiagames.com/cgi-bin/query/cfg/allharnitems.cfg

To expand on the above.

Anything CGI market as HârnWorld is completely rules free (actually a couple of them may have a couple of HârnMaster stats in them, but thatt’s possibly the contents of one sidebar, no more). There is a huge amount of stuff on guilds, nobles, peasants, political alliances etc. but no rules.

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Also check out www.lythia.com for free fan articles. The latest is Jedes, it should give you a flavour of Hârn.

 

[Garnfellow]

Heirs to Merlin, an Ars Magic supplement covering Britain. A fantastic rules-free book.

Personally, I think this is a great technique. It gives the book appeal obviously to GMs from all sorts of different systems, to GMs using the same system but at different power levels, and to some extent, to players as well.