I am a homebrew snob

[Chimera]

Twenty Seven years of playing D&D.

Six campaigns run in my homebrew setting.
Zero in any published setting.

Zero published modules used.

OTOH, I've played in Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft and way back when, in another published world that I can't remember the name of. But then, I've also played in any number of other people's homebrew settings.

Right now I'm playing one of each; Ravenloft and Homebrew.

The only potential regret is that I've never played any of the major published modules.

 

[Mystery Man]

They say that confession is good for the soul, so perhaps this will give my karma a needed tune-up.

I am The Shaman, and I am a homebrew snob.

I have no use for published adventures and I don't understand those who do. The idea of running something that some GM (or worse GMs!) is playing/has played makes me itch uncontrollably. The Adventure Path seems like the pre-published road to creative ruin.

I look at books filled with campaign modules and I can't fathom the fascination. Why on earth would I want to play someone else's idea of Earth?!? Lists of pre-gen'd NPCs (or worse, BBEGs!) are a creation of the archdevils themselves.

Hear my cry, oh you GMs! Throw off your Shackled Cities of level 1-20 adventures! Forsake a return to Temples of Elemental Evil! Homebrewers, stand up as one and show the love for a blank sheet of graph paper and a handful of colored pencils!

I am The Shaman, and I am a homebrew snob.

Do you have your homebrew online? Most homebrews suck. I'd like to see how bad yours is.

 

[S'mon]

I like my own campaign world, but I very much like having good published adventures that I can run in it. They provide a framework into which I can insert my own creativity; a level 1-20 mega-module has limited appeal to me unless I can put my own ideas in.

 

[Aaron L]

I enjoy published campaign worlds for consistent shared background for characters between people who havent met before. However, I prefer my homebrew to anything else, of course, and the funnest games I have ever played in, BY FAR, have been homebrew settings. Most homebrews suck?? You must have only played with lousy world builders if thats what you think.

 

[The Shaman]

Some folks apparently missed the Humor tag I attached to the thread - this is meant to be lighthearted stirring-the-pot, so let's not make it a [phallus]-swinging competition (and this includes you ladies out there in Internetland, 'cause that would just be traumatic for us guys... )

My thanks to those who've kept the commentary light, such as...

Do you have your homebrew online? Most homebrews suck. I'd like to see how bad yours is.

My fantasy world is gawd-awful dreck alright, which is probably why I stick to Modern gaming more and more!

 

[AntiStateQuixote]

Some folks apparently missed the Humor tag I attached to the thread - this is meant to be lighthearted stirring-the-pot, so let's not make it a [phallus]-swinging competition (and this includes you ladies out there in Internetland, 'cause that would just be traumatic for us guys... )

I didn't miss the tag, but apparently my attempt at humor was poorly received . . .

Hey, dude. Troll more. Seriously.

It's not like I dont' know what you mean, but damn dude.

Hell, Darkness even edited out part of my post!

Note to self: remember to use smilies when tongue is in cheek.

 

[DonTadow]

My problem isn't that publishers are not writing good stuff, it is the fact that none of it matches up nicely with what I like. I find it less work to build up a setting or adventure than to try and shove a square block through a round hole.

I run a Final Fantasy type game in an Egyptian Setting. I have never opened up a Dungeon or Dragon magazine and found an egyptian adventure or Final Fantasy adventure, But I"ve managed to use a half dozen adventures from them in my campaigns within the year.

I can't see the logic in saying it takes longer to build a house than the renovate a house. With a published adventure, you already got the structure, descriptions, npcs and text. I have a pretty simple and easy method. I read it, note all the npcs and if i can replace them with current game npcs (check). Look at the setting and see where it would be in the world (check). Look at the final treasure and usually replace it with some in game artifact (check). Replace any monsters I don't like or find inappropriate (check). And Im done voila instant input of a premade adventure.

 

[DragonLancer]

I have written and used a homebrew campaign setting but I always find myself going back to one of a couple pre-packaged settings (Dragonlance mainly, but Greyhawk and Scarred Lands are the other two).

I do that because I don't have the time to devote to writing one these days and hell, I actually like what other writers have done (with the exception of the last years worth of SL). As for modules, I love pre-published modules! They are a source of ideas, and I've never had trouble adapting one to whichever setting I am using at the time. Sure, I write my own but theres something to be said for buying and running a good module off the shelf.

 

[beaver1024]

I would if I were any good at it. But it's a lot easier for me to take something that's "pretty close to good" and tweak it than to stare at a blank page and have nothing to work with. Please have pitty on us poor, lame DMs who have no creativity.

Or most importantly time. I don't know about you guys but I have work, family and friends commitments that are just as important to me, if not more so, than DMing. I do agree though that most of the published materials out there are verging on rubbish (although Eberron materials aren't bad) due to little or no playtesting.

 

[Ampolitor]

Whoa,,,,,,,,,nelly

wow I love homebrew myself but I wont knock published adventures either, those who say that they never played a good one,
Have you never faced count strahd in Ravenloft? or in Gryphon hill,
did you never face the slavers? or go against the Giants?
Man there is a treasure trove of old adventures that IMO are just that good and a bag of chips! Its all up to your DM and his skills, its even harder to take someone elses work and weave it into a great story.