D&D General Great and not so great setting specific sourebooks/modules

[Mort]

I haven't seen a related thread (if there is one - please point me to it!)

Just want some examples of setting specific sourcebooks or modules that you think fit the thread title.

Sourcebooks/modules that do a great job of representing the setting - making you immediately want to play in that world.

Sourcebooks/modules that do a great job making the gameworld seem like something you could really get your players into - etc.

Conversely - what are some sourcebooks/modules that fall short - they don't do a good job of conveying the setting, have serious problems with execution etc?

Any edition is fine - I'm, not looking for 5e specifically.

 

[SehanineMoonbow]

For the Forgotten Realms setting, regardless of the edition you actually choose to play in, I would say the 3.0 FR Campaign Setting Guide, Demihuman Deities and the companion Faiths & Avatars, Lost Empires of Faerun, and Player's Guide to Faerun.

 

[Voadam]

1e World of Greyhawk Campaign Setting boxed set. Great high level overview of over 40 kingdoms, fantastic full color giant hex map, evocative interesting gods, lots of different campaign components (real world analogues, adventure trope sub areas, campaign specific stuff).

 

[Mort]

For the Forgotten Realms setting, regardless of the edition you actually choose to play in, I would say the 3.0 FR Campaign Setting Guide, Demihuman Deities and the companion Faiths & Avatars, Lost Empires of Faerun, and Player's Guide to Faerun.

Thanks!

Anything that specifically stands out in those supplements?

 

[Voadam]

Thanks!

Anything that specifically stands out in those supplements?

I agree on a lot of these. The 3e Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting provided a great all in one in-depth overview of a ton of realms and groups and gods. A lot.

The 2e God books (Faiths & Avatars, Powers & Pantheons, and Demihuman Deities) provided in-depth information on a sprawling Multi pantheon God cosmology which works great for D&D. Each also has church stuff and stories about stuff the gods have done, particularly in the recent avatar Time of Troubles that really makes them feel like mythological parts of the world.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Some setting products that hooked me.

The Red Steel boxed set, designed around the AD&D 2e kits. The mutations were a bit off putting but easily ignored, I wanted to play in a swashbuckling, age of exploration, with fire arms, dueling, turtles, lupin, rakastas so badly.

The Poor Wizards’ Almanac line for Mystara. Each book covered an entire year, month by month, reporting rumors and events across the Known World. So many adventuring hooks, and it helped solidify that the setting was alive and growing.

The Birthright box, finally a setting that put the idea that PCs would run stronghold at its core, and it focused on game play in the PC levels D&D campaigns mostly were run in, under level 10. The abundance of detail on each realm was a godsend for a DM who needs noodly realm details. However, I know of no one who used the warfare rules beyond their first attempt, just not great.

The AD&D FR1 Waterdeep plus City System box. Those massive Waterdeep maps from City System just blew my mind. I could imagine a full 1st to 20th campaign without ever leaving Waterdeep.

 

[Eltab]

3e Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting is basically The Book of 10,000 Plot Hooks disguised as a gazetteer. +1 more recommendation.

 

[Tyler Do'Urden]

This beast. Accept no substitutes.

 

[Zardnaar]

View attachment 126242

This beast. Accept no substitutes.

I'll second this one. Otherwise another +1 for 3.0 FRCS.

 

[Enrico Poli1]

Mystara: GAZ1 The Grand Duchy of Karameikos; GAZ3 The Principalities of Glantri.
Greyhawk: Gord the Rogue novels.
Dragonlance: Heroes of the Lance novels.
Forgotten Realms: original Gray Box or 3e Sourcebook.
Dark Sun: original Boxed Set.
Ravenloft: original (black) Boxed Set or revised (red) Boxed Set. Or, 5e Curse of Strahd.
Planescape: original Boxed Set.
Spelljammer: original Boxed Set.
Eberron: original 3e Sourcebook.