Help me pick out a setting book to purchase

[Morpheus]

Lots of good replies so far...
Dawnforge -I ran a game in Dawnfoge and everyone agreed that it was a fairly unique setting (what with the heroes being the first true heroes of the setting) and we had a lot of fun...PCs are more powerful the RAW...
Midnight -Atmosphere galore, but players have a tendency to be turned off by some of the inherent "twists" that make it more gritty than your average setting. From a DM's perspective, you'll enjoy it...PCs are more powerful the RAW...
Ptolus -All of the flavor of a campaign, but you never leave the city. The best city supplement/campaign...bar none.

If money is tight, try buying the PDFs at first, then buy the hard copies of the ones you really enjoy...

Now, speaking of enjoyment, back to Dark Heresy...

 

[Mercurius]

I would love to get Ptolus at some point, but am not prepared to shell out $120 (and that is assuming Malhavoc/White Wolf still has copies). And, for the record, I will never shell out $60 for a PDF! Ouch (I did buy the PDF of the World of Praemal, though). The same goes for Arduin: I am very curious about the book, but don't want to risk $70 on something I haven't browsed.

I did own the 1ed of Midnight and liked it, but didn't love it. Dawnforge has always intrigued me, but I own (and am ambivalent about) Morningstar, and one of the aspects of RPG settings that I most enjoy is the detailed histories, which it seems Dawnforge wouldn't have. So I'll probably pass on those two.

Here's an update on what I have decided on. I ordered a copy of Valus and am thinking of ordering the Blue Rose rpg's World of Aldea. My local game shop--well, 15 minutes away in Arvada CO--has cheap copies of the Scarred Lands Gazetteer for about $4, so I'll probably pick up a copy when I'm next there.


I'm looking at--but undecided about--Aventuria, The Turakian and Valdorian Ages. I'm also curious about two GURPS settings: Myth and Yrth, but don't know much about them (I believe one is now "GURPS: Banestorm").

 

[Turjan]

I did own the 1ed of Midnight and liked it, but didn't love it. Dawnforge has always intrigued me, but I own (and am ambivalent about) Morningstar, and one of the aspects of RPG settings that I most enjoy is the detailed histories, which it seems Dawnforge wouldn't have. So I'll probably pass on those two.

Just a note: Dawnforge is nothing like Morningstar. There isn't even any remote resemblance. Dawnforge is more like a "best of your favorite campaign settings" thing. Doesn't help you with the history aspect, though.

My local game shop--well, 15 minutes away in Arvada CO--has cheap copies of the Scarred Lands Gazetteer for about $4, so I'll probably pick up a copy when I'm next there.

There are several Scarred Lands Gazetteers, and they are only short introductions, not the real campaign settings. I recommend the "Scarred Lands Campaign Setting: Ghelspad". That's the main campaign book.