Help a returning DM pick a setting

[diaglo]

whenever i read threads asking for advice on picking a setting... i think about a quote i heard slightly paraphrased.

asking for advice from the peanut gallery is like picking your nose in public. when you get something, are you prepared for the next step...

the original quote had to do with asking for a diagnostic test performed in a hospital... asking for a diagnostic test is like picking your nose in public. when you get a positive result, are you prepared for the next step...

edit: i can't remember the original author any more but it was from JAMA in 1991.

in other words don't ask questions unless you are prepared for the repreccusions otherwise you may just cloud your mind... why ask to run a test for gc when the patient is admitted for diarh(o)ea. why ask about greyhawk when you are running a fast play sci-fi game. if the gc test comes back positive it still doesn't affect your treatment for the runs. nor does finding out that barrier peaks was set in Greyhawk affect your use of fast play rules....

 

[Beardfoot]

If you want an entire campaign world that you can use as a backdrop for your own material, I highly recommend the World of Khaas: The Legendary Lands of Arduin. No matter what rules system you use or style of campaign you wish to run, it all fits in this world. It is a source of literally thousands of ideas and has been getting great reviews here on ENWORLD, a dedicated website and a fan site with lots of kewl ideas. Almost everyone who has purchased this book agrees that it is cheap at twice the price! Check it out!

Reviews on ENWORLD

World of Khaas web site

Arduin Fan Site

Publisher's Web site

I stopped DMing a few years back and am seriously thinking of jumping behind the screen again.


One of the first things I'd like to do is pick a campaign setting. I want to use a published one because I've never been one for creating worlds. Basically looking for something to help me on my road back.

Here's your chance for pimping your favorite settings.

I would appreciate it if you could give me

• a quick overview of the setting
• the updates/additions the setting makes to the core PHB races and classes
• why you like the setting

Thanks.

Tom

 

[Mystery Man]

I'm enjoying a huge plate of spaghetti right now. Thinking about seconds.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

I just finished having Chicken Chili. I'm trying to brew up a "MOAF" to unload on my coworkers who gave me hell for microwaving some fish for lunch on Monday.

 

[Mystery Man]

I just finished having Chicken Chili. I'm trying to brew up a "MOAF" to unload on my coworkers who gave me hell for microwaving some fish for lunch on Monday.

You're my kinda people.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

You're my kinda people.

Hey, I totally support the philosophy of an overwhelming retributive strike with biological agents.

 

[Asmo]

Our group have always enjoyed Greyhawk.
We find Greyhawk to be a very rich setting with interesting kingdoms, varied cultures and a rich history, filled with memorable villains and great heroes.
You need Living Greyhawk Gazetter if you want to get a closer look and get a feeling for the world of Oerth.
You also want to bookmark www.canonfire.com wich is a great resource for any player or dm who enjoys Greyhawk.

Asmo

 

[Ed Cha]

Can I get more detail on Bluffside and the Hamlet of Thumble?

I have Bluffside and it is great! Very high fantasy stuff. You might want to ask Hal Greenberg about it though. He's on here a lot.

The Hamlet of Thumble is indeed a good introduction to a campaign. It's 72 pages of value-packed information for only $14.99 and you can get it right here at the EN World RPG Shop and help support this site:

http://www.rpgshop.com/product_info.php?products_id=32921&

There's a fully detailed hamlet (all 130 residents are named with 58 adults having complete statistics, including possible dialogue and height, weight, hair/eye color, etc) along with a short basic adventure (burrow crawl), DMing advice, an article on how to encourage better role-playing, and lots of extras like 3 core classes, 56 new spells, 12 new magic items, 12 pre-gens, etc.

It was recently nominated by GameWyrd as "The RPG or Supplement Most Likely to Inspire Good Roleplaying" because the focus is on the characters and personalities and the role-playing tips have been described as very helpful.

More detailed information can be found here:
http://www.openworldpress.com/a.php?p=1a_content

The follow-up is The Village of Oester.

But you really have to decide what kind of campaign (high magic, low magic, high fantasy, low fantasy, etc) you want to play and try to find the most similar. I'd recommend buying several different supplements and picking and choosing what you like. Or just reading them to get inspiration for your own ideas.

By the way, thanks for the mentions, BiggusGeekus and Setanta. Always appreciated!

 

[d20Dwarf]

I have the Midnight Campaign book. I like what I see but I think it's more "advanced" then what I want to start back with.

If you like Midnight, then you should go with Dawnforge, since it was made by basically the same people.

It's like FR where you get to do all the cool stuff, not read about all the cool stuff.

I am a completely neutral party.

 

[Morpheus]

If you like Midnight, then you should go with Dawnforge, since it was made by basically the same people.

It's like FR where you get to do all the cool stuff, not read about all the cool stuff.

I am a completely neutral party.

Yeah, sure you are. I guess that Dawnforge campaign log on www.pathsoflegend.org is from another Wil Upchurch... BTW, he's one of the authors of said book, but don't hold that against him. It really is good...