Here's a list of published settings. Which are good for the PoL style?

[Green Knight]

The Warhammer Fantasy world is the perfect Points of Light setting.

Hell, there's a one page short story in I forget which book which pretty much screams "POINTS OF LIGHT!!!" at the top of its lungs. Hell, when I first read the Points of Light article, I immediately thought of Warhammer and that short story, in which the narrator actually describes the Empire as enshrouded by vast darkness dotted by small pinpricks of candlelight. Candlelights which eventually gutter and die out, leaving even more darkness in their place.

 

[Jack99]

Hmm. I've seen lots of the SL books on EBay and various used book stores. Look around; it shouldn't be too hard.

And if all else fails, the entire line (or at least most of it) is available in PDF format via drivethrurpg.com.

Will check Ebay. But for some reasons, none of the stores in my country have the Scarred Lands Campaign Books, at least not as far as I can see.

Either way, just to make sure. Is it Scarred Lands Campaign Setting: Termana or Scarred Lands Gazetteer: Termana or both? Or something entirely different? There is also something called Ghelspad ?

 

[Klaus]

Man. How did I forget to mention this? Dark Sun is not only one of the greatest campaign settings ever, but yes, it was PoL before PoL was cool.

(I refer, for the record, to the original Dark Sun. As others have implied, the later material was, while not bad, definitely of lesser value, IMO.)

If I could only choose one classic (and official) campaign setting to make a return in 4E, even though there are a few others I like as much (or even better), I'd have to pick Dark Sun for its sheer combination of major cool, high quality, and perfect fit.

And Brom. Can't go wrong with Brom.




Back to the original question:

The World of Karathis (backdrop of Fiery Dragon's adventures) does also fit. You can download the West Wood Barony PDF for free at www.fierydragon.com . And there's a neat adventure path in going NeMoren's Vault -> Quest for Amelia -> Himrak War Party -> The Silver Summoning.

 

[Stormtower]

Another vote here for the World of Aereth, detailed in Goodman's DCC #35. I'm running a PoL hack-and-slay there right now and it's loads of fun! It really reminds me of Mystara from the B/X days.

Plus, the Aereth gazetteers are pretty rules-light, and therefore easy to convert to 4E.

 

[infax]

Scarred Lands

Either way, just to make sure. Is it Scarred Lands Campaign Setting: Termana or Scarred Lands Gazetteer: Termana or both? Or something entirely different? There is also something called Ghelspad ?

The thing with the Scarred Lands setting is that it was an attempt, that seems rather popular in the 3e era, to have an implied setting through more-or-less-generic source books. The setting is implied - if not exactly detailed - in Creature Collection 1 and 2, Relics and Rituals 1 and 2 before being more clearly presented in Scarred Lands Gazetteer: Ghelspad.

Any one of the books can get you started, but I guess the Gazetteer would be easier as a first approach (though you'll miss many of the cool ideas of the setting).

Termana is a second continent in the Scarred Lands. I got it and then mostly stopped acquiring SL books. I don't know if later books give more information on that continent. Anyway, I would suggest you only get Termana once you are already at least slightly acquainted to Gheslpad.

I loved the setting, btw and ran two campaigns there. Good luck with your game!

 

[Grimstaff]

Wilderlands!

(PoL since 1976!)

 

[Nytmare]

Will check Ebay. But for some reasons, none of the stores in my country have the Scarred Lands Campaign Books, at least not as far as I can see.

Either way, just to make sure. Is it Scarred Lands Campaign Setting: Termana or Scarred Lands Gazetteer: Termana or both? Or something entirely different? There is also something called Ghelspad ?

The line was discontinued a couple years back, so I'd guess that most stores have moved away from keeping it on the fresh shelves.

Ghelspad is the continent that got the most attention, there are probably about two dozen books detailing different cities and locations across that continent. The "Gazeteer" books are the "light" versions of the campaign setting books. They tend to be good to have out on the table for the players because they're filled with general world knowledge without any of the big secrets that their hardback brethren contain.

Extra bonus for the Scarred Lands: they already got rid of the gnomes!

 

[Cam Banks]

Man. How did I forget to mention this? Dark Sun is not only one of the greatest campaign settings ever, but yes, it was PoL before PoL was cool.

I still maintain that Dragonlance, circa the War of the Lance Classic modules, is the original Points of Light campaign from TSR. It's a post-apocalyptic western dressed up as a medieval adventure story. The gods are gone, dragons are scary legends, no town knows what the next one is doing, mages are feared by the general population, and magic in general is rarely in the hands of the commonfolk.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Klaus]

I still maintain that Dragonlance, circa the War of the Lance Classic modules, is the original Points of Light campaign from TSR. It's a post-apocalyptic western dressed up as a medieval adventure story. The gods are gone, dragons are scary legends, no town knows what the next one is doing, mages are feared by the general population, and magic in general is rarely in the hands of the commonfolk.

Cheers,
Cam

I just wish Dragonlance remained in the War of the Lance and its aftermath. The later upheavals (not to mention making "Cataclysm" a plural) cheapened the setting, IMHO.

 

[Cadfan]

If you already have a published setting, do you NEED a points of light approach?

"Points of Light" is defined by starting small, dealing with local problems, and leaving the rest of the world as a blank map. Then, as the characters increase in power and prestige, filling in that blank map as is appropriate to the story.

If your world is already mapped, points of light is a lot less relevant. I mean, you can do a "points of light" type approach to the political scene, or to the meta plot, but the basic concept of a world in which things are undefined until they are needed is moot.