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Message: <blockquote data-quote="wingsandsword" data-source="post: 1948906" data-attributes="member: 14159">Before 3rd Edition, Kingdoms of Kalamar was a generic, system-free fantasy setting from KenzerCo, it was advertised in old Knights of the Dinner Table issues well before it's current incarnation as this system-free setting.When 3rd Edition came out, KenzerCo bought the license to use the D&D trademark instead of just the d20 licence for the name recognition for their game setting.  I remember being at a KenzerCo seminar at Gen Con 2003 when someone asked why they bought a D&D license instead of d20.  Their answer was simple.  "How many of your mothers have ever heard of d20?  (almost nobody raises their hand)  "How many of your mothers have ever heard of D&D"? (just about everybody raises their hand).  So they paid a small fortune for the D&D name recognition.  From what I have seen, and looked at it at my FLGS, the Kingdoms of Kalamar core book looks like the exact same system-free rulebook it originally was, with the D&D name added to the cover.  There are virtually no game mechanics or game rules anywhere in the core book, not even things as fundamental as domains and favored weapons for the deities (I think they released that as a web enhancement after fan outcry).  They later released a "Players Guide" which had world-specific game material.  It looks pretty dull and flavorless, to be honest, like they made a generic fantasy world but didn't have a specific angle to put on it.  Kingdoms of Kalamar appears to be just another European-themed fantasy setting, like Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms or Birthright.  It looks a little grittier and lower-magic than some, but doesn't seem to have any big quirks that make it feel less like D&D like Eberron does (some people may like it, but sentient golem PC's and a city of skyscrapers are just the start of the stuff that turns me off of it).</blockquote>

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