What do players want from a homebrew?

[Griffith Dragonlake]

Inspired by the biggest homebrew thread, I am once again attempting to organize my Grymwurld™ material for publication both on the web an in .pdf format.

Speaking from the perspective of a player, what do you look for in a home brew on the web and/or in .pdf files (free or purchase)? I guess I am looking for two answers:

1) What would make you want to play in it?

2) What do you need to know in order to create a character?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Ry]

1) I look for a home brew that I had input into. I'd love to play in a D&D campaign that started out as a Universalis game.
2) I need to know the game's purpose. If we're going to be a group of fantasy characters who work together to defeat threats and solve problems, earning rewards and gaining in power, then I know what to do. Whatever I do I want to do it with the other players and DM present, so we can riff off of each other and create a party that lives in the world, not a bunch of individuals who are visitors to it.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

1) In descending order of importance:

One or more airships.

Pulpy or mildly superheroic power level for player characters.

Absence of Tolkienesque tropes.

Presence of either Howardian/S&S tropes or anime/JRPG tropes. Bonus points for both!

Steampunk and/or scientific romance elements other than airships.


2) In descending order of importance:

Clear presentation of the central "hook" of the campaign, ideally in a one sentence summary (e.g., pulp adventurers discover a pre-human conspiracy - with mecha!, barbarians battle the the sorcerous remnant of an ancient and wicked civilization, steamtech cowboys battle genetically engineered natives and etheric demons on a fantastic frontier, etc.).

Clear presentation of the setting's themes and tropes. I want to either engage with these or deliberately make an exception to them from the outset, not to be halfway through character creation and realize that my character is inappropriate.

Summaries of regions or cultures the PCs can come from. Name, capital city, tech level, magic level, overall 'vibe' (e.g.: expansive mercantile republic, decadent empire in its last days, stolid feudal state, etc.) and any PC-appropriate thing they're known for (e.g.: @@ houses the world's most famous sword school, @@ is known for recognizing analytical engine sapients, @@'s lightning-fast horse archers have conquered much of the region, etc.).
Detailed descriptions of regions the PCs can come from.

Detailed descriptions of regions or cultures the PCs can come from. One to two pages each.

Naming guides for each region and culture.

 

[jdrakeh]

1) What would make you want to play in it?

It must be sufficiently different than published D&D settings. This could mean a "human only" setting, or a setting where Orcs are skilled engineers and masters of modern science. Basically, it's needs to be noticeably different than the bog standard D&D formula used to create settings.

2) What do you need to know in order to create a character?

Oddly, not mechanics (well, unless you're introducing totally new races or classes, in which case mechanics are good). I'm more interested in a detailed overview of individual cultures and occupations, as well as the roles that they play in society. You know, the things that most fantasy settings gloss over completely.

[Edit: I guess I should note why I want these things. It's quite simple. Slavish adherance to formulaic D&D world-building will result in what is, at its core, a clone of an already existent official setting. Which seems like a waste of my time and money.]

 

[DragonLancer]

As a DM I look for the following:

1. It's got to be Tolkein-esqe. Sorry, but I abhor settings like Eberron with its techno-magic or Elric with airships. Give me standard fantasy.

2. Use the RAW. Don't offer me a world that doesn't use D&D mechanics as the base. I do not want a world where humans don't exist...etc.

3. Detail. Give me fluff not crunch.

4. Have decent artwork and cartography.

5. Don't go the route of evil won, or demonic invasions or anything like that. That will kill my interest straight away.

 

[Eltharon]

1) Tolkien-esqe fantasy. My group (and me) can't stand steampunk, pulp magic, airships (though airships could work...somewhat), and especially anything anime or Japanese martial arts film related.

2) Some magic, enough that wizards aren't an unknown thing, but not as much as say, Forgotten Realms.

3) Either
A) At least some historical relevancy. Obviously, orcs and magic make that hard, but no plate armor, no armies of pike armed troops, in a setting that lacks early gunpowder.
OR
B) Don't even try to be accurate. People with puffy sleeves and rapiers face full plate armored orcs with halberds, in a nation where the feudal system isn't in place (but there is a monarchy), but there's no explanation why. And somehow, everyone can feed their gigantic professional armies.
I don't know why its one or the other, but I think I prefer the first, but sometimes need a break from gritty fantasy and need to play in a world where there is a profession in rescuing princess from witches and dragons, and gnomes have conversations with their +2 flaming toilets.

3) Have humans. And call them humans. Not "Earth-Children" or "Gythenians" or something like that. Elves, orcs, and other fantasy staples are not required, but if they exist, thet to must be called elves/dwarves/orcs. Or something similar. I have no problem with a campaign where orcs are called trolls or elves Sidhe. But when Elves are called trolls or "Qu'enlathine", then there's a problem.

4) I hate settings with "darkness and anarchy creep into the civilized lands. Now is the time for Heroes!" anywhere in their description. If I want enroaching evil, I'll take my non-evil land and stage a demonic or orc invasion. Faerun invaded by demons is fine. Midnight is not fine.

5) Maps! Maps and lots of fluff

6) Preferably something that I can use with GURPS, but really thats not a huge issue because converting is so easy.

7) Not a setting with an absurd amount of dungeons and ruined castles and "enemy lands". I want social interaction, traveling, and adventures that have action, high adventure, diplomacy, roleplaying, etc. I hate just killing things and taking their stuff.

 

[Asmor]

2. Use the RAW. Don't offer me a world that doesn't use D&D mechanics as the base. I do not want a world where humans don't exist...etc.

You know, one of Eberron's founding principles, I believe, was "This is what happens if you logically apply the RAW to the development of a world."

I'd have to say that anything tolkeinesque is really going against the RAW, since that is an extremely low magic setting and D&D's by default very high magic.

P.S. no comments from the peanut gallery on my sig

 

[Griffith Dragonlake]

2. Use the RAW. Don't offer me a world that doesn't use D&D mechanics as the base. I do not want a world where humans don't exist...etc.

DragonLancer — Do you mean the homebrew must be d20 (D&D) or is it enough to be OGL (Iron Heroes, Conan, Black Company)?

Also do you expect the core races (dwarves, elves, halflings, etc.)? Or is Human and half-Human enough?

 

[Griffith Dragonlake]

1A) At least some historical relevancy. Obviously, orcs and magic make that hard, but no plate armor, no armies of pike armed troops, in a setting that lacks early gunpowder.

Eltharon — What about the technology in Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory? Full plate armor knights and heavy warhorses, elaborate tournaments, but no gunpowder, printing presses, rapiers, or pikemen?

 

[Eltharon]

It's been known to make me cry.
It's fine, as long as its a "not very realistic" fantasy, the sort where all the bad guys have full plate armor, yet it doesn't actually offer them any protection. But in my standard fantasy world, plate is a non-no (and probably the biggest one, along with minimal greatswords).

Then again, I understand that many people like their full plate, and I'm not saying that those who do are somehow ignorant fools. It's just my preference. I personally think that the knights in the 1250s looked cooler then plate armored knights anyway. (Granted, DnD plate and real plate are very different in look, but whatever)

EDIT: Tourneys are fine, though, as are heavy warhorses (They existed pre 1300, IIRC). Its just that heavy warhorses won't be that heavy, considering that 500 pounds of knight isn't riding them.

EDIT 2: Yes they did. Tourneys existed around 1100-1500-ish. My campaign setting (Erinoth) Is set in what would be about 1250.