The Ideal Setting

[Glade Riven]

While I've never got to play it (although I have played in a homebrew campaign where a chunk of fluff and crunch from this setting was allowed), I am a big fan of the Iron Kingdoms/Warmachine/Hoards setting by Privateer Press. Full Metal Fantasy, baby.

I'm not that attacted to Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance, or a dragonlanced Forgotten Realms.

Paizo's Golaron setting is interesting, and Paizo seems to have been more careful in avoiding some of the faults I find with Forgotten Realms with their own setting.

Thematically, I like anything, although "Magitech" settings like Iron Kingdoms appeal to my love of robots and, when done right, merge two things I love: Scifi and Fantasy. To me, it's the Reese's peanutbutter cup of a setting. I'm not really a fan of ripping off of too much Tolkien.

That said, the homebrew I'm working on (Ironbound: Chains of Phaetos) largly has little to do with industrialization (although there are places and elements where industry exist). Most of the major world dynamics have to do with the tidally locked nature of the planet, while trying to incorporate elements of mythology. On the 3.5/Pathfinder scale, minor deities may even be as low a level as 12. I'm trying to make a lot of the elements of a tidally locked world make sense and prevent it from being too gimmicky.

 

[enpeze66]

I like the new 4e cosmology. (the cross planar system) I think it fullfill everything I want from a supernatural world full of gods etc. Why?

-its simple to remember, newbies can grasp the concept of 5 different planes in one second

-every plane is iconic and has a different character

-its in color

Unfortunately WotC didnt release a natural plane description yet (the older settings FR etc. does not count because they have a different lore) I would wish for a similar simple approach than they did for the 4e cosmology. Only one book, only a few lands, but each land iconic with a unique character. Additional one of the lands should be medieval and another one with "arabic" flair. No exotic experiments (like in Eberron where magic is industry) no twists (like in Dark Sun where everything is cruel and dark). That would my ideal setting.

 

[steeldragons]

Was reading over the forums today and the thought has occured to me..What would be , from your POV, the ultimate setting?

• Would it have high amounts of magic?
• High technology..or steampunk?
• Lots of character options

If you could design the best setting in the world(assuming that licence issues were no problems) what would be your top 3(or 5 or whatever)

Well, I've essentially created my perfect setting over the years. hahaha. Orea: World of the Steel Dragons. See the link in my sig.

For the kind of stuff you're looking for:

• High Magic/low to no "tech" beyond early Rennaisance (15th c.?) but no firearms
• Well developed lore and mythology (including a fully fleshed out pantheon of deities/religions)
• Diverse and richly detailed peoples and cultures
• Heroic (or mostly so) characters
• Ample class options (including a few world-specific "special" classes) but not endless options
• Potential for Adventure/plot hooks for anything from rescuing a single village to saving the world with realistically incorporated villains and evil forces

Plan on publishing mine at some point too.

 

[Smoss]

Like some others here, I created my own setting. A world that has actually SIX separate settings. Each separated by a "world ending" apocalypse of sorts.

But I am loving the Sixth Age of my world at the moment. Medieval technology with a few oddities (Golems are partially gearwork, part magic). Relatively little magic (Magic can do some nifty stuff, but you can't really build a castle with it or other major things like in D&D).

But mostly I like the grit of it. Characters feel the danger. And mainly human threats. Monsters are monsters - But few things can surprise a player like the depths another human can sink to.

Feel free to look through some of it on my website for the setting. I really need to work on updating it with even more AWESOME though.
---------------------
Smoss
Doulairen

 

[Alba]

my favorite setting? This one.

the most exhaustively detailed setting for roleplaying games ever. Seriously, there are libraries full of books about the geography, history, and cultures of this one. I can't imagine running out of ideas of what to do with it.

And it's a setting that most players already know, to one degree or another, so the learning curve isn't as steep.

ya i do agree with you and your observation

 

[Alba]

was reading over the forums today and the thought has occured to me..what would be , from your pov, the ultimate setting?

• would it have high amounts of magic?
• high technology..or steampunk?
• lots of character options?

etc

if you could design the best setting in the world(assuming that licence issues were no problems) what would be your top 3(or 5 or whatever)

i'm trying to get a feel of what people really like in a game system(yes i admit i'm working on a system based of d20 myself, but it's a looooong way off). It can be from any game system, any version.

Please be aware i'm not trying to find out what system is "the best", but what people liked about various systems and game worlds, lets keep this positve shall we

to get things started here's mine

1 - the overall setting of planescape
2 - the character options from pathfinder
3 - the lore and background from call of cthulhu

nice piece of information!!

I like the way you express it..!

 

[balam_br]

Ok, for a likeable D&D (or fantasy) setting i need this:

- "Easy way to introduce new places or new things." In Planescape you can always stumble in a exotic and different place. In ravenloft you can always find a exotic and different realm. That´s the idea...

- "Fake Cultures." I really like my fake japan, fake middle east, fake Russia and so on. Dont have interest in Europecentric settings. Diverse "created" Cultures would work, but i find it just simpler to take what we already get in our world.

- "Shades of Gray, multiple factions." Im not interested in settings with a Big war with two Majors players, also Dont want "Evil" races or something like that. Give me 5 or more factions with conflicting interests, but no "Right" people or "Wrong" people and i will be fine...

- "Layers, Factions within factions." Some intrigue between allies is always good. The elves and orcs could be in a war. BUT, the Elven magic academy is trying to steal power from the Elven Noble families, and in the meantime, there is two Noble families using the war to gain more political power, and so on...

- "Different paths for power". I love the 4 ed idea of Power sources. There is training for martial guys, Study for arcane, bargaining with spirits for primal and Divine guys can Pray for the gods... Psionics, infernal pacts, Let the players choose what they are going to do to grow stronger...

- "Reasons for Adventure Hooks". If the game expects dungeon exploration, give me reasons to exist so many old unexplored dungeons with treasures inside. If the game has random encounters. Explain to me why there is monster roaming well travelled roads.