Looking For A Campaign Setting

[Drowbane]

*is glad to see the hailing for Orcus*

We didn't take the druids away!

Firstly druids don't have to worship a god to cast spells. While it's generally a conceit of Forgotten Realms, it has wormed its way into other settings. Scarred Lands druids have no such problem. This also means they can have metal weapons since some (if for say they pay homage to Thulkas, the Iron Lord) can use that since it's a believeable way for them to "honor" their patron. And even with "Denev" in charge of the world, some can (at the expense of a wild shape) find a way to channel the power of their patron to make them more like the "cult" leaders they once were.

Even those that don't believe in titans can follow spirits instead. Admittedly I'd prefer for a shaman class to do that, but druids will fit that bill for now.

That explain that one to you Drowsbane?

I find your ideas intriguing, and would like to subscribe to your newsletter!

 

[Nightfall]

Sorry I don't own one.

Tree's right, AE might have the default D&D magic, but it's far from D&D. It's Monte Cook's idea of D&D. While I like it and enjoy AE, I don't think this is what the poster has in mind.

Mist,

Doubt it. I made my statement. I'm done.

 

[GrimJesta]

And to clarify one point I'm trying to save money I do not want umpteen source books that you really just have to get. I'd much prefer 1 or 2 source books that don't change the rules too much and some adventures, or module series to go with it.

Go with Kalamar then. Everything you really need is in one book: the core book> Everything else is just extra stuff you can take or leave. If you can afford a few sourcebooks go with the Player's Primer (as opposed to the Player's Guide), Strength and Honor (the Hobgoblin book, a race that is rully realized and playable), and the Equipment book (Ugh, the name escapes me).

What you're describing is Kalamar. And yea, you're also describing other settings as well, but Kalamar is my favorite of the bunch.

Personally, I find an excess of information and material to be a drawback. I prefer a setting that gives me a good overall framework, but lets me fill in the details as I like.

This is why I recommended the Wilderlands, and why GG's Known Realms looks interesting.

YMMV of course.

I haven't seen anything as far as information overload for Kalamar. The core book is all one needs, and most of the sourcebooks home in on a very small geographical area. Just my to coppers. The only crazy information overload is the languages section, but that part of the setting I see as a strength. Plus you can take it or leave it in many regards.

-=Grim=-

 

[Mistwell]

Changes "some" core rules? OK, technically, your right, maybe. But with all the changed spells and different classes you may as well play another game system that is OGL. Don't get me wrong, I like AE, but I think you are seriously understating how different it is from standard core D&D. It was simpler for me to learn C&C than it has been for me to keep track of AE's differences.

Sorry I don't own one.

Tree's right, AE might have the default D&D magic, but it's far from D&D. It's Monte Cook's idea of D&D. While I like it and enjoy AE, I don't think this is what the poster has in mind.

Given THE major difference between AE and standard D&D is that it does NOT use the default D&D magic, are you sure we are talking about the same book?

As for it being so different that it's difficult to keep track of, I guess we have to agree to disagree. It's not very different at all if you play a non-spell-caster (the different core classes all have very direct parallels to regular core classes, and use the same mechanics, and fill the same niches for the most part). IF you are playing a spellcaster, the only real differences are that every spell has a low power, medium power, and high power version, and all spellcasters CAN cast all spells, if built to do so, or instead they can focus on just some spells. That's it. Not too complicated really, and I have never heard (in 5 years) a single person over at Monte's board say "wow this is so complicated I might as well play a non-D&D game".

It's surely not for everyone, and I am not pimping it as my personal end all and be all of game settings. But anyone who actually read the setting and claims it is DRASTICALLY different from standard D&D so as to be nearly a different game entirely from D&D is either fibbing or has forgotten what they read. It's actually in many ways a simplier version of D&D, not more complex. And since the OP seemed to be interested in a system that furthers the thinking of players over the use of magic and abilities to power through things, I thought that setting might interest him as it does in fact focus on those concepts more than most settings do.

 

[Mistwell]

Mist,

Doubt it. I made my statement. I'm done.

That's a shame. A lot of people took the time to respond to you in a thoughtful way (and some in a not thoughtful way as well). And, you managed to get a lot of Positive Rep points from your post (which means you have a lot of private comments waiting for you).

 

[reanjr]

'...but it sounded too much like Detroit on drugs'

I find that to be a redundant statement. 'Detroit' is sufficient.

 

[reanjr]

Kalamar: an expensive endeavor (lots of books), but a solid, realistic setting. Customizable, but not works out of the box. I've heard the quality of supplements varies (great to meh).

Nothing is necessary for Kalamar beyond the campaign setting.

 

[Taraxia]

Yeah, I have to join in with the people saying the OP has a totally skewed idea of Eberron. The "high-powered" things mentioned are almost all things *you can't get* as a player character. Sure, there's a train powered by magic, and there are streetlights powered by magic, and so on. Big deal. It's still a setting where a 15th-level character has achieved a degree of power unheard of for generations, where the spell _resurrection_ is likely to be seen as a bizarre, dangerous, ancient secret, and where half the recommended adventure hooks involve wandering around a city solving murders as a detective or somesuch (and the biggest bad guys are organizations that make it impossible to march into someone's office and slice their head off).

FR-on-PCP is the *opposite* of the stereotypical view of Eberron. Stereotypical Eberron fans hate FR because FR is too high-power, has too many powerful spellcaster NPCs running around and seems more geared for epic than low-level play. Eberron is supposed to be the opposite of that.

Saying Eberron is a high-power setting is like saying d20 Modern is a high-power setting because it exists in a world where Abrams tanks, nuclear weapons and anthrax exist, regardless of the fact that the average d20 Modern character is an ordinary twentysomething guy with an apartment, a car and a pistol.

 

[reanjr]

Personally, I find an excess of information and material to be a drawback. I prefer a setting that gives me a good overall framework, but lets me fill in the details as I like.

That description actually fits Kalamar very well. There's alot of info because they detail the framework extensively. Astronomy, holidays, languages, descriptions of religious texts for each of the 40-something religions, etc. are all framework, but also alot of information. And nothing beyond the setting is needed. Just bonus.

 

[reanjr]

...and the Equipment book (Ugh, the name escapes me).

Goods and Gear. It's not actually published under the Kalamar name as it's useful for any setting, but it does use Kalamar references and has additional info for Kalamar players in it. It's also the best equipment book I've seen for D&D.