What campaign settings are in print and what is good about them?

[Garnfellow]

Based on what I can gather about your tastes (somewhat old school) and the casual nature of the game you're describing, I think Wilderlands might be a good fit. It's almost the perfect setting for a pickup game -- very broad and very shallow, easy to just plunk down in front of players and run; no detailed histories or deep cultural immersion to worry about, just lots and lots of places to go explore, kill things, and take their stuff. My guys were fascinated just by the maps, which have plenty of evocative names.

The only caveat about Wilderlands is the old school nature that is so appealing to some can be downright appalling to others. The setting contains several science fantasy elements, which can drive many people bonkers. It also has many punning and jokey names, which can also be kryptonite to some folks. Both of these aspects can be easily ignored, but if they don't give you pause then Wilderlands might be just the thing for you.

 

[Azgulor]

Hyboria - the world of Conan the barbarian. A swords-n-sorcery canvas that can handle just about any low-mid magic campaign style, including Pulp-style adventures (Indianna Jones, Doc Savage, etc). Detailed in the Road of Kings supplement by Mongoose Publishing. Regional sourcebooks have been coming out as well. Additional pros: no demi-human races, cultures that are simultaneously familar yet foreign, and corrupting magic.

Kingdoms of Kalamar - traditional D&D world but with rich, detailed cultures, and an eye toward realistic detail (i.e. languages, resources, cultural details, etc.) by Kenzer & Co. Often described as "Greyhawk done right". Crunch supplements setting, it doesn't drive it. Campaign fluff info is 1st rate. Ability to scale the level of magic to suit your needs. NPCs are in supporting roles, they don't impact the setting the way FR NPCs can (and often will do if the DM isn't careful).

Iron Kingdoms - Late medieval merges with industrial revolution. Steampunk-ish setting. Excellent cultures, familiar yet unique takes on races, excellent religious background, and more conflicts than you'll know what to do with. Pros: excellent twist on standard D&D. Reminiscent of the Thief series of computer games. Easily accepts Warhammer concepts into the setting. Cons: I think they went way too far with the steam aspects, driven largely by Privateer Press' successful War Machine line.

Licensed settings such as Game of Thrones and Thieves' World .

Azgulor

 

[Stormborn]

While I think the IK setting is great the mechanics can be a little iffy and not, i believe, in keeping with what the OP wants. Similarlly I think Midnight is a good setting, if you are interested in those kinds of games. Given that you are just now into 3e and only just got the core books stay away from the excelent but alternative PHB Conan, Game of Thrones, World of Warcraft, and Black Company books. Freeport is a great setting if you want to start a pirate/urban/lovecraftian themed game.

Given what you have stated about your game prefrences I am going to echo the Dungeon Crawl Classics setting and adventures. However, you might also consider looking into one of the Adventure Paths from Dungeon (which I believe may technically be in Greyhawk) or Red Hand of Doom (FR I think). Once you read through RHoD its easy to come up with/find a starting adventure or two to get the PCs up to the level they need to be using that as a setting.

How big a setting do you want? A world or region or a kingdom (I already know you don't want just a city)? While I don't play FR its really not that difficult to take one of their region books and simply say "not the Realms" and change whatever you might need by way of names, etc. and not fall into alot of the things that people say they don't like about FR.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Based on what I can gather about your tastes (somewhat old school) and the casual nature of the game you're describing, I think Wilderlands might be a good fit. It's almost the perfect setting for a pickup game -- very broad and very shallow, easy to just plunk down in front of players and run; no detailed histories or deep cultural immersion to worry about, just lots and lots of places to go explore, kill things, and take their stuff. My guys were fascinated just by the maps, which have plenty of evocative names.

The only caveat about Wilderlands is the old school nature that is so appealing to some can be downright appalling to others. The setting contains several science fantasy elements, which can drive many people bonkers. It also has many punning and jokey names, which can also be kryptonite to some folks. Both of these aspects can be easily ignored, but if they don't give you pause then Wilderlands might be just the thing for you.

Sounds interesting. That is a boxed set right? Is that they only way it was released? I see it for 44.09 on Amazon in that format.

Hyboria - the world of Conan the barbarian. A swords-n-sorcery canvas that can handle just about any low-mid magic campaign style, including Pulp-style adventures (Indianna Jones, Doc Savage, etc). Detailed in the Road of Kings supplement by Mongoose Publishing. Regional sourcebooks have been coming out as well. Additional pros: no demi-human races, cultures that are simultaneously familar yet foreign, and corrupting magic.

Kingdoms of Kalamar - traditional D&D world but with rich, detailed cultures, and an eye toward realistic detail (i.e. languages, resources, cultural details, etc.) by Kenzer & Co. Often described as "Greyhawk done right". Crunch supplements setting, it doesn't drive it. Campaign fluff info is 1st rate. Ability to scale the level of magic to suit your needs. NPCs are in supporting roles, they don't impact the setting the way FR NPCs can (and often will do if the DM isn't careful).

Azgulor

Hyboria is cool but I'm looking for something more core to D&D. Kalamar is intersting but it seems too close to Greyhawk but I'll look into it. It is still in print? How is the core book?

While I think the IK setting is great the mechanics can be a little iffy and not, i believe, in keeping with what the OP wants. Similarlly I think Midnight is a good setting, if you are interested in those kinds of games. Given that you are just now into 3e and only just got the core books stay away from the excelent but alternative PHB Conan, Game of Thrones, World of Warcraft, and Black Company books. Freeport is a great setting if you want to start a pirate/urban/lovecraftian themed game.

Given what you have stated about your game prefrences I am going to echo the Dungeon Crawl Classics setting and adventures. However, you might also consider looking into one of the Adventure Paths from Dungeon (which I believe may technically be in Greyhawk) or Red Hand of Doom (FR I think). Once you read through RHoD its easy to come up with/find a starting adventure or two to get the PCs up to the level they need to be using that as a setting.

How big a setting do you want? A world or region or a kingdom (I already know you don't want just a city)? While I don't play FR its really not that difficult to take one of their region books and simply say "not the Realms" and change whatever you might need by way of names, etc. and not fall into alot of the things that people say they don't like about FR.

I've played 3e, Dm'ed it for a couple of years in fact. I just quit running it a few years back and just now bought the 3.5 books and got an itch to give it another shot. Freeport is tempting, I have the first two of the Freeport modules that I never ran. Did GR put out that sourcebook for it?

I think I'll run a lot of the DCC modules since they are just my style. So I"m going to check out the DCC setting when it hits.

Midnight is interesting, I'll have to read up on it, but I don't know if it fist my DCC style of gaming.

Thanks for the ideas all.

 

[Stormborn]

I've played 3e, Dm'ed it for a couple of years in fact. I just quit running it a few years back and just now bought the 3.5 books and got an itch to give it another shot. Freeport is tempting, I have the first two of the Freeport modules that I never ran. Did GR put out that sourcebook for it?

I think I'll run a lot of the DCC modules since they are just my style. So I"m going to check out the DCC setting when it hits.

Midnight is interesting, I'll have to read up on it, but I don't know if it fist my DCC style of gaming.

I don't think Midnight would work well with DCC adventures, but i could be wrong. GR did indeed print a Freeport source books, along with several others including a book of NPCs (Denizens) and a book of monsters (Creatures) and enough adventurers to take a party to pretty high levels. I even think there is a DCC module for it.

 

[Garnfellow]

[Wilderlands] Sounds interesting. That is a boxed set right? Is that they only way it was released? I see it for 44.09 on Amazon in that format.

The boxed set is what I have, and I also got it through Amazon. It is CRAMMED full of gaming goodness. How Necromancer can make any money on these things, I don't know.

There is a Player's Guide to the Wilderlands, which is a hardcover, and is designed to complement the boxed Campaign Setting. I don't have the guide, but I gather it has more of the game mechanical stuff like new races, classes, and so on. The boxed set has very little mechanical stuff beyond statblocks. (And with that in mind, could probably be easily used for other systems altogether -- C&C, GURPS, etc.)

 

[Odhanan]

Besides the cost I'm not really interested in running a game in one city. And I want to run core D&D so that knocks AE out. I apprecite the post though!

Just to precise: Ptolus is core D&D through and through. Playing it using AE is possible, but that's an option explored only in one of the electronic documents put on the CD you get with the big book. Just thought I could avoid some misunderstandings before it actually happens.

Now, for some other cool 3.5 settings you could indeed go with Wilderlands of High Fantasy if you like old school gaming (I know I do). The amount of information provided is astonishing, really.

There's also the Dungeon Crawl Classics #35 from Goodman Games that will be out ... pretty soon, like others proposed before. It's old school gaming there too, and it looks like it's going to be a blast.

Thieves World is really good too, by the way.

 

[Mark Plemmons]

Kalamar is intersting but it seems too close to Greyhawk but I'll look into it. It is still in print? How is the core book?

Yes, the second printing of the campaign setting sourcebook is still available, as are MANY supplements and adventures. I suggest you check out the main page HERE.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

Sounds interesting. That is a boxed set right? Is that they only way it was released? I see it for 44.09 on Amazon in that format.



Hyboria is cool but I'm looking for something more core to D&D. Kalamar is intersting but it seems too close to Greyhawk but I'll look into it. It is still in print? How is the core book?



I've played 3e, Dm'ed it for a couple of years in fact. I just quit running it a few years back and just now bought the 3.5 books and got an itch to give it another shot. Freeport is tempting, I have the first two of the Freeport modules that I never ran. Did GR put out that sourcebook for it?

I think I'll run a lot of the DCC modules since they are just my style. So I"m going to check out the DCC setting when it hits.

Midnight is interesting, I'll have to read up on it, but I don't know if it fist my DCC style of gaming.

Thanks for the ideas all.

Yes Green Ronin did put out a sourcebook for Freeport. It is called Freeport: City of Adventure and I think it is about 172 pages long (the book is at home, I'm at work). It is 3.0E (and there is no 3.5E version) but it really doesn't affect much since most of the book is background, setting fluff, and plot and adventure hooks. The Freeport Trilogy has been updated to 3.5E and released in one big hardcover. There are also several other 3.5E adventures for it. Well worth a look in my opinion.

The Wilderlands of High Fantasy is available only in a boxed set or in PDF form if you are interested.

Olaf the Stout

 

[der_kluge]

Running the Wilderlands currently. I love it. It's got everything, and every page is just filled with imaginative idea after imaginative idea. There's no reason to run any other setting. Seriously.