Using setting books without using the setting

[Stormborn]

OK, I've got a specific question and a general question.

Specifically: Which of the Forgotten Realms region books would be best for using on their own without using the Realms as a whole? IOW which can stand on their own as a mini-setting?

Generally: Do you use setting books w/o using the setting book they are apart of and if so how does it work out? For example do you use Sharn and set it somewhere other than Eberron, Waterdeep w/o the Realms, Ptolus without Pramael, etc?

 

[Nightfall]

Stormy,

To answer your first question:

I'd say probably Power of Faerun (which while it does with power groups DOES offer high level adventurers more ways to incorporate stuff), Underdark (Yeah it's the Faerunian Underdark but so what?) and probably Lost Empires for some of it. Serpent Kingdoms has some options but not sure if I'd consider using it as much as those mentioned before.

Answer to your second question:

Depends on what setting I'm using already.

 

[Voadam]

In my shared campaign tabletop game where I am the current DM Ptolus is set on the ruins of Greyhawk city in postapocalyptic Oerth 10K years later. Lothian is the new god arisen only 1,000 years or so ago, the greyhawk pantheon are the old gods, etc. I also stuck the role aids 1e dwarves book city of Ostohar into the world with no problems for an undermountain dwarven kingdom nearby as well for a dwarf PC and set a big adventure there seamlessly.

I've considered using the Marvel Superheroes Lands of Doom Boxed set as an island cluster in Ravenloft.

Mixing things in is usually not too hard IME.

I can't say for the 3e realms products, I don't have any of the regional ones, just the CS and Magic of Faerun.

I have a bunch of older edition FR books, but I've not used them outside of the FR, though I don't think it would be that tough to integrate any of them into other worlds if you wanted to.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

: Do you use setting books w/o using the setting book they are apart of

I thought most people did this.

and if so how does it work out?

You have to pay attention to balance of course.

There's also NPC motivations to think of. Being immortal in one setting might be neigh-impossible, in another setting it might be a 7th level spell. So if you introduce a book you have to go over the magic items, spells, prestige classes, races, and core classes not just for balance, but for setting integration. Personally, I love reading that kind of stuff, so this is where I get my fun.

 

[Nightfall]

Voady,

Well certainly using Volo's guide to Taverns he's seen helps out a lot.

*prefer not to use Ptolus until he can get some people to actually PLAY there*

Biggie,

Some people aren't as advanced or learned as you, myself and Voady.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

*prefer not to use Ptolus until he can get some people to actually PLAY there*

I'm desperately hoping someone will use the NWN2 engine to port the entire campaign into a CRPG so I stand a chance to play it.

Biggie,

Some people aren't as advanced or learned as you, myself and Voady.

True.

And we're all dead sexy to boot.

 

[SpiderMonkey]

I'm not qualified to answer the first question, but I'd like to throw in my 2cp on the second.

I'm a homebrewer but a horrible, horrible plagiarist when it comes to my campaign setting. The key, I've found, is making sure the elements you steal aren't familiar to the players. To do otherwise is gonna wreak havoc with that precious verisimilitude we DMs strive so hard to create.

My players weren't all that familiar with Waterdeep (changed its name and some other names, yoink!), the Song of Ice and Fire series (changed nobles' names and kept the intrigue dynamics, yoink!), Eberron (a possibly corrupted Silver Flame? yoink!), etc. I cribbed a lot from Monte's Ptolus campaign notes before he took them off the internet as well. Best campaign I ever ran, hands down, and I didn't even get a chance to rip off the Scarred Lands. Maybe next time.

 

[Voadam]

*prefer not to use Ptolus until he can get some people to actually PLAY there*

Banewarrens.

A couple of Necromancer modules are set in cities (Morrick Mansions?)

I'm in a ptolus pbp here using the goodman games module legend of longcoat and it fits in fine (Garn in my sig is my player in that game).

 

[Desdichado]

Do it all the time. It's easy. I do it without thinking. I need some follow-up questions with more detail.

For FR, I'm not terribly familiar, but Unapproachable East, Serpent Kingdoms and Underdark seem slightly less recognizable, and therefore probably easier to port.

 

[Nightfall]

Biggie,

I'm still waiting for them to get the bugs out of NWN II and then see what sets they do IE modules like they've done for NWN I.

*doesn't know about dead sexy but if Biggie wants to think that, it's his right*

Voady,

Well see it's not a matter of that even. I just can't seem to find any players.