Non Conventional Campaign Settings

[Jürgen Hubert]

In the "free for download" section, I'd like to mention my very own Urbis. While the rules are straight D&D, with few additions, the setting has some (in my opinion) interesting takes on the usual sociological assumptions of D&D...

The main difference between Urbis and more "standard" D&D fantasy worlds are the cities. Usually, a city with a population of several tens of thousands of people is considered a metropolis. In Urbis, cities with hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people are the norm.

The setting also examines the effects of magic on the world - such as ressurection, plant growth and area-effect combat spells, and also answers just where all those magical items come from...

 

[Desdichado]

I'm not sure why you and Joshua think that the Scarred Lands isn't a more traditional setting.

It's a question of degree. If you want real differences, you're not really playing D&D at all anymore, but some other game that only vaguely resembles D&D (like my own personal games, for instance! ) My understanding was that he wanted something that was still recognizably D&D yet different. Scarred Lands fits that bill, as do the others I mentioned to greater or lesser degree.

 

[Mystic Eye]

Rise of the Hunt by MEG. I think that's what it is called, it's different and really cool.

Thanks Crothian, It is called The Hunt: Rise of Evil and more info can be found at The official Hunt: Rise of Evil site

 

[The Forsaken One]

Midnight, all the way. Just a plain awsome setting.

 

[Trickstergod]

Being a big fan of the Scarred Lands, and considering it to be my most favorite of settings, I still have to say that it's fairly mainstream as settings go. It's about as different from the Forgotten Realms as Dragonlance is, and is less different from Greyhawk than Ravenloft is. It's unique, to be sure, but even other mainstream settings have it beat in the "out there" department, such as Dark Sun, Planescape, and, loath though I am to include it, Spelljammer.

Iron Kingdoms is certainly different, though I don't believe it has its own campaign setting book out yet (correct me if I'm mistaken). A few other standard settings have their own, unique places detailed - the Nightmare Lands of Ravenloft, for example, which, to my recollection, is like one big dreamscape. 2nd edition, unfortunately, but sometimes the fluff is all that's necessary. While admittedly not owning the books (in two cases, being broke, in the other, it not being out yet), while Midnight, Oriental Adventures and Arcana Unearthed certainly seem different, they also have their own subset of classes and magic going on for them which may not strike ones fancy, if you're only looking for fluff, and not new rules. All depends on just what you want out of a setting; even established ones can work, if you pick up just the right books and adventures that fit the feel of what you're looking for.

 

[Paka]

I fully realize that I am being a total Story Hour whore here (because I am) but I just posted a new Midnight Story Hour at both Enworld and the Midnight fan site, www.againsttheshadows.org

Please check it out and let me know what you think.

On another note, Iron Kingdoms looked like steampunk fun.

 

[Darrin Drader]

Oathbounds is way off the beaten path. It's designed for high level play. There are dozens of races you can choose, plus you can customize your character by literally altering its race via prestige races. Much of what has been released so far focuses on urban adventuring, but you are also free to go into the many wilderness areas surrounding the main city of Penance. As icing on the cake, there is a quite massive over-arching story that is constantly in motion that helps bind this setting together into a cohesive whole.

 

[Tiefling]

In the "free for download" section, I'd like to mention my very own Urbis. While the rules are straight D&D, with few additions, the setting has some (in my opinion) interesting takes on the usual sociological assumptions of D&D...

The main difference between Urbis and more "standard" D&D fantasy worlds are the cities. Usually, a city with a population of several tens of thousands of people is considered a metropolis. In Urbis, cities with hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people are the norm.

Why do so many huge cities exist and how do the inhabitants get enough food?

 

[johnsemlak]

Why do so many huge cities exist and how do the inhabitants get enough food?

He explains that a bit here .

 

[Crothian]

Thanks Crothian, It is called The Hunt: Rise of Evil and more info can be found at The official Hunt: Rise of Evil site

I got hunt and rise part of it correct!! A friend has it and it looks really good, so I'm going to have to actually pick up a copy one of these days. For some reason he won't let me keep his.