homebrew vs. printed worlds

[Afrodyte]

I tend to buy published game worlds to use as a model for my homebrew world ideas. There are bits and pieces in them all that I enjoy, mostly the cruncy bits that add flavor and substance to the rules presented in the core books.

 

[Kilmore]

I do not buy a lot of gaming books. My budget simply will not allow it. But I can think of all kinds of things that I would like to buy if I had the money. I recently did shell out a wad of cash for AEG's Swashbuckling Adventures, because it was something that may be useful in my campaign setting.

As far as Elmie and Drizzt dropping in... nope. Hasn't happened. Probably won't. But if they wanted to, I'm sure they'd find a way. I mean, they ARE epic and all.

 

[Arnwyn]

My campaign: 65% published, 35% homebrew.

1) Consider yourself lucky. Many FR modules have elminster or other major characters as catalysts, patrons, or involved in some other important way.

I don't think you can back this up - name three (of the many) FR modules that have some of the major characters "involved in some... important way". Off-hand, I can only count two - and both of those were higher level adventures that dealt specifically with scenarios that reasonably affected said characters.

 

[LGodamus]

Full tilt homebrew here...

 

[AngelTears]

I hate to say it, but I have often flipped through world books at the local RPG store, noticed a few interesting facts, put the book back and write my own world. I have somewhere my several thousand page notes on a Mage campaign set in Paris around here somewhere...

If necessary I'll start going over reference books on cultures devising important facets of the world.

But this crosses over into games I play as well. So, if I was playing Al-Qadim, i would throw away the book (nicely) pick up Arabian nights and run through the library looking for books on medieval Arabia to get things like names right as well as customs right.

But I will buy books I find interesting as settings, like Hellboy and Judge Dredd.

I guess I am simply a *freak*

-Angel Tears

 

[mroberon1972]

Actually, I guess I'm special then...

I build HomeBrew only, but use anything that isn't nailed down, dead, or fighting back to hard to hold onto.

So far, for the game I'm running, Were using "Four Color to Fantasy: Superhero Toolkit", "Requiem of the Gods", "Tournaments, Fairs & Taverns", and even the new "The Elements of Magic". This just names a few, but the funny thing is: nothing clashes!

I also use modules from differing places and fix them in the world with little more than a slight rewrite to make them 'special'.

Of course I make custom parts too, but only where the wheel has not been invented yet. I mean, why build a mega dungeion when Descent Undermountain or Dragon Mountain already exist. Just flesh them out, put in the storyline you have been working toward, and let the players tear apart THEIR work.

Not only do the players get fresh material constantly, but I don't burn myself out!

Remember, gamemastering is supposed to be FUN!


Mr. Oberon
"No, Really! I'm only using the MAP from the Temple of Elemental Evil! Don't leave!"

 

[seasong]

In GMing, I combine three great pleasures: world-building, roleplaying, and sadism. Like three pillars, these support my decadence as one might an altar. Without one, the others tumble.

Oh, er, homebrew. You know. The world-building thing.

 

[Skade]

In GMing, I combine three great pleasures: world-building, roleplaying, and sadism. Like three pillars, these support my decadence as one might an altar. Without one, the others tumble.

seasong, you are truly my hero.

Since 1989 I have been running a series of campaigns in the same homebrewed game setting. For the most part its locales, characters. creatures, non-core rule spells and the like are all homebrew. I do however let my players use any book in mine, or thier posession so long as I have approved the added rule, and possibly modified it to fit my game. I do the same, if there is an Oni from the Rokugan setting I like, I adjust setting specific things like Taint, and toss it in.

I try to keep it fluid from campaign to campaign. It has gone through a lot of changes in the rules used, not just in which DnD edition (all of them at one time or another, and sometimes at the same time) but even occassionally in different, very odd systems (for instance I once attempted to allow the players to play demigod like powers with the Amber Diceles RP System as a base).


When I do run published settings I tend to keep to the books pretty well. I rcently ran a Hollowfaust game in the Scarred Lands and loved it. I took what existed and extrapolated on what I thought a few years might do to the stated setting (in case my players read too much). I allowed all my SS books, the WotC class books, some homebrewed feats of mine, and some ravenloft feats.


-Skade

 

[Shallown]

Does any one use Homebrews for the same reason I do. I can't remember Half the stuff I need to from a published world. I have a very p[oor memory so I find it easier to make it up and produce things from my own head which I tend to remember slightly better. Though I do try to keep notes. But I also put it on to my players to make notes. If they don't then they don't remember either. Makes my job easier.

Later

 

[nopantsyet]

So do you 'Homebrew' guys actually ever buy any D&D/D20 product past the core rules?

I also don't understand how not using 'homebrew' say using the Forgotten Realms setting and published adventures means Drizzt and Elminster are bound to show up at the drop of a hat, we've been playing in the FR setting for 7 years off and on and none of my characters have seen or heard of him.

Yes. I have a nice collection that I intentionally avoid computing the total cost of. Somewhere around two dozen d20 books...I'm running a homebrew now. And while I don't directly use any of the source material for other settings, I think that just like good writers read alot, not to steal from other authors, but to keep their mind in that mode. So I read alot, both source material and supplementary material, and I will get ideas unrelated to what I am reading just by virtue of my mind being there.

I used to run Forgotten Realms with lots of my own additions to the canon, and avoiding encounters beyond rumor with any of the canonized NPCs. And there's plenty of real estate in the Realms where people would never have even heard of any of them.