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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jackdaw McGraw" data-source="post: 8237568" data-attributes="member: 7021534">When trying to differentiate between fantasy campaign settings I like to do a mental exercise called 'Inn, Barn, Prisoner'. It's the encapsulated framework for an introductory story that makes you think about the on-the-ground details that give hints at the larger world. It's akin to introducing Middle Earth first through The Shire and the Prancing Pony rather than starting with dramatic flyover imagery, world maps and (sorry/not sorry) grognard politics. Here's how it goes:...It's night, cold, your steed is tired and you're terribly hungry. The only lodging is a small roadside in with a few outbuildings nestled around it, starkly lit by the heavenly bodies. You'd rather not stay here but you have little choice. You sigh, dismount and find yourself in front of the door. Before you head inside though, you hide an item or piece of clothing that you visibly wear on the road. Questions:1) What hangs in the night sky that tells you you're in X campaign setting? Is it ominous, neutral or a good portent?2) Why would you rather not go in this inn? What about its features - specific to X campaign setting - gives you pause?3) What item do you hide, and why do you hide it? What allegiance are you wary of showing to the patrons of the inn - specific to X campaign setting - that you show openly on the road?4) Look at your steed. What about its physicality, barding or demeanor is specific to X campaign setting.The inn is warm, stiflingly so. But it's still better than the cold night. There are six patrons, all men, fieldhands and laborers , and an old woman tending a long bar of a singular make, a whimsical piece of (natural?) history reshaped into furniture. The men glance at you nervously, then back to their cups. They look like they've been in a scuffle, a few fresh bruises and scrapes among them. One is not like the others, exotic, surprising. The woman gestures for you to take a seat, wordlessly. She bears a faded mark on her arm, a token of punishment that hasn't been used in decades. There's no ordering here, it's obvious, you're are served what's cooking in the pot and what's fermenting behind the counter. Questions:1) What is the bar made of - a material or repurposed item that is specific to X campaign setting?2) What race are most of the farmhands, and what race is the exotic (specific to X campaign setting) one?3) What is the mark on the woman's arm and what punishment does it represent - specific to X campaign setting?4) The pot and the fermented drink, each includes a mundane ingredient that is specific to X campaign setting. What are they?The men begin to whisper, looking back at you. One, the eldest stands and asks if you're looking for coin, an adventurer for hire. You are. He explains they have a "problem" that requires a steady hand and mind. It's out back in the barn. You're curious, agree to follow them. You're wary that there are six of them but they seem sensible, know that they would be fools to attack you. Your kind has a deadly reputation. The barn is in better shape than the inn, there's a symbol above the door that indicates it also doubles as a place of worship, a church or temple. They unlock the doors nervously. Only the elder will follow you inside, a lantern raised high. You regret agreeing to help them the moment you lay eyes on the prisoner. Your life has been complicated one-hundredfold. This prisoner's fate is entwined with yours. The fate of guilds, mercenary companies, possibly kingdoms, is in the mix. It's related to the item you chose to hide before you entered the inn. You understand now why they've been locked in a holy place. Questions:1) What do the men recognize about, in your features, clothing, or demeanor, that's deadly - specific to X campaign?2) What symbol hangs above the barn?3) Who/what is the prisoner? How do they relate to you and that item? Why can you not simply dispatch this prisoner without attracting dire consequences? Of course, specific to X campaign?...If I can sell myself first on a scene and dilemma that is unique to the campaign world, then I can sell it to my players. If the differentiating elements between fantasy settings are all bird's-eye (ie: related more to maps, ancient histories, lost civilizations) than the in-game, ground level, vibe, then I don't bother trying a new setting.All this said, I haven't see an evidence of a big vibe difference between Forgotten Realms and Greyhawk. For the DMs? Sure. For the players? No.</blockquote>

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