Homebrew verse Box Setting

[BvS]

I've always used a homebrew setting when DMing, although I did pick up the Eberron Campaign Setting when it came out and I must say, that is one of the best written and best thought-out game books I have ever read. We played a short campaign in Eberron (with a different DM) and it was great. I think I'll stick to my own setting for my campaign though

Actually just yesterday I started running a published adventure for the first time ever (the World's Largest Dungeon no less!! ). It was an interesting experience to say the least... there's a lot to remember/keep track of when you haven't written it all yourself! But I guess I'll get the hang of it (I have lots of time to practice... )

 

[MaxKaladin]

I ran published settings for most of my DM career but switched to homebrew several years ago. I like doing it, but I don't have the time to develop it the way I want so I've decided to go with a published setting again just to save time. I'm really feeling ambiguous about it at the moment because I always end up fretting over changing things and digging up all the obscure references in the books to whatever it is I'm using so I have every scrap of "canon" information available. Homebrews were rather liberating in that aspect.

 

[Mercule]

I prefer homebrew because it's usually got more flavor. It's also more personal and I'll always know it better than boxed. Plus they're fun to make.

I've got a 20+ year homebrew that's in the midst of probably the best campaign arc I've ever had. That said, I'm really wishing I'd gone with a box. I've got three daughters that I didn't have last time I ran a weekly game. I really hate the amount of time required to maintain my game. It's only magnified by no longer being able to sequester myself and work on my game prep.

 

[DonTadow]

My reason to go homebrew instead of a boxed set stems from a previous group I was in. We played in The Forgotten realms where I would sit through the dm and three other players arguing for an hour over X NPC and Y NPC and what they did then and why they no longer do this and blah blah blah. I don't have time to read all the novels and splat books. I was eager about Eberron up until they started writing novels.

I prefer to take and borrow as I choose. A little Hamanutra here, a little Eberron here with a splash of Blackmoor. The world allows me to write the history and avoid the arguments that plagued that group.

 

[barsoomcore]

I'm an inveterate homebrewer who keeps coming up with campaign concepts. I've been running my homebrew Barsoom for seven years now, and it's finally wrapping up this year. Very satisfying but I'm wondering how to take on my next campaign -- I HAD thought I would either run an Exalted or an Iron Kingdoms game but my brain keeps whispering to me about how much fun setting design is...

So we'll see.

 

[smootrk]

I actually prefer the ease of the published settings.

I used to like to produce my own setting, but that has worn off a bit. I like the ease of plug-n-play, but I prefer the more developed settings like Forgotten Realms.

I have never endeavored to be a writer, and although my creativity is there, my drive to put my ideas on paper is not there. Adult responsibilities overwhelm my gaming interest (Continuing Education, Small Children, other social activities), so my time is better spent on published materials. It has in no way diminished the quality of my gaming.

I think that the individuals who use their own home-brew's have a skewed point of view on published materials (usually negative towards the published materials). IMO this is an understandable extension of their pride from the creative process of making their own game worlds. I would probably be more inclined to my own creative works as well, but those individuals should be a little more aware of the reason(s) why they dislike published material. The reasons are not likely to be poor quality published material; more likely an exagerated favorable opinion on their own materials makes them think the published are not as good (again, normal and expected sensibilities from anyone who authors materials).

 

[TheGM]

I'm a homebrewer - three worlds and counting, the oldest 20 years (or so) old.

With that said, I buy a lot of settings and always have, and I don't take things from them to put into my homebrews, but they do inspire me. I like to see what others have done, how they approached things. I also read a lot of ancient history for the same reasons - some belief systems and governmental forms from history are more wierd than anything "created".

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

I'm about 50/50, myself. I often run quick one-shot or limited-run games in a setting I like to call "D&D Land", which is probably Greyhawk if anything else, but exists no further than the farthest boundary the players have or will see. AKA Wingin' It.

With my busy schedule, I've become a fan of megamodules ... ran Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, and set it in Greyhawk. Will be picking up Shackled City, most likely, and am going to scan out copies of Age of Worms from a friend's Dungeon sub.

I don't often like "campaign settings" though ... Eberron, Forgotten Realms, etc. I've been interested in Wilderlands because of the openness off it ... but to be honest I find "Wilderlands" difficult to say and something as simple as that turns me off a bit.

For quite a while this year I ran a game in a rather involved homebrew setting. That was a blast ... and setting-centric games, for me, go best in home settings.

--fje

 

[EricNoah]

I have used published pretty much every time, though I don't stick with the same one each time. I don't have the time or talent to make my own, but I'm pretty good at taking what someone else has made and tweaking it to my liking. I've run campaigns in GH, FR, Planescape, Diamond Throne, and have played in Eberron. Each one has its issues, but each one also has its charm.

 

[barsoomcore]

Those individuals should be a little more aware of the reason(s) why they dislike published material. The reasons are not likely to be poor quality published material; more likely an exagerated favorable opinion on their own materials makes them think the published are not as good (again, normal and expected sensibilities from anyone who authors materials).

Um, who are you talking to? Is there somebody else at your end who's dissing on published materials? Cause nobody in this thread has done so.

Carry axe, grind axe...