What do YOU look for in a Campaign World

[mythusmage]

Opportunity.

 

[Umbran]

I've never used a D&D campaign world in it's entirety. I always mine them for ideas for use elsewhere. So, I'm not looking for a one gimmick world. I want lots of smaller, modular good ideas that I can move around.

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

I want a normal amount of magic and spellcasters.
Low-magic worlds are one of the most irking things to me.

Normal amount of magic? No such thing mate! Normal compared to what? The real world? Then normal = none.
Glorantha? Then normal = always and everyone!

Low-magic? What's that? Not many mages? Or, only low level spells but lots of folk can use them! There's nothing wrong with low or no magic IMO. It can make worlds more logical and sensible.

GOM

 

[Psion]

General thought gathered from the foregoing:

"I want something that's different"

And yet, Mindshadows is the weakest selling of GR's settings.

(Shame really, but it goes to show that those who want something different are either too far in the minority, too specific in their demands, or don't want something different enough to spend money on it...)

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

Well I can tell you what I don' want in a setting. I don't want a setting that just looks like some's house rules. Eberron falls into this category IMO. It looks like Greyhawk or FR with constructs and shapechangers as races and some tattoo/dragonmark thing.

I certainly see your point. Taking Eberron for example (I am not overly familiar with it - only having read reviews and seen discussion) but assuming that it IS someone else's house rules, don't discard the fact that someone else's house rules could actually be fun.

But like I said, I do see where you are getting at but my point is that I would hardly discredit a system that looked like someone else's house rules just out of principle.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Steampunk, airships, firearms, signature monsters and a secret technological gibberish explanation for magic.

And moogles.

It's all about the moogles, kupo.

But if you're not looking to buy a very expensive license, I'd settle for a really good "bright" (as opposed to gritty, like the Iron Kingdoms) steam-fantasy. It's (probably) not one I'd actually run a campaign in, but I'd certainly look into nabbing bits for a homebrew.

 

[VirgilCaine]

Normal amount of magic? No such thing mate! Normal compared to what? The real world? Then normal = none.
Glorantha? Then normal = always and everyone!

Low-magic? What's that? Not many mages? Or, only low level spells but lots of folk can use them! There's nothing wrong with low or no magic IMO. It can make worlds more logical and sensible.

GOM

Okay, smarty-pants, normal compared to the amount implied in the Core Rules. Got it now?

Low-Magic? I don't see the point of it. I just hate it.

I LIKE to have POWER! Just the usual amount, not really any more or less.
Both as a Player and a DM.

Magic makes things easier to do. I'm sure there are lots of evil conspiracies that would be impossible without magic.

I like for spellcasters to be able to DO THINGS that can change the world, the environment, that kind of thing.

 

[GlassJaw]

assuming that it IS someone else's house rules, don't discard the fact that someone else's house rules could actually be fun.

Ok, let me clarify a bit.

I'm certainly not saying it might not be fun, I just don't need them. I have enough already. When I look at a campaign setting, I don't want more rules, I want ideas to leap off the page at me. I want the flavor and the mood of the campaign to be immediately evident. I want a campaign setting to be clear as to where, how, and why the character's go adventuring. I want specific ideas for creating adventures in the setting.

Just throwing some rules down on paper doesn't accomplish this. I don't want half of the campaign book to be devoted to crunchy stuff. I always look to some of the older boxed sets: City of Greyhawk, From the Ashes, City of Splendors, etc. Wonderous places and people and adventures just spilled from the maps and books within. They were also extremely rules-light. Even a book like Volo's Guide to the Dalelands is an unbelievable resource. They actually help the DM create adventures.

House rules does not a campaign setting make.

 

[GlassJaw]

Low-Magic? I don't see the point of it. I just hate it.

I LIKE to have POWER! Just the usual amount, not really any more or less.
Both as a Player and a DM.

Magic makes things easier to do. I'm sure there are lots of evil conspiracies that would be impossible without magic.

I like for spellcasters to be able to DO THINGS that can change the world, the environment, that kind of thing.

Ahh, I once thought as you do young grasshopper...

 

[VirgilCaine]

Ahh, I once thought as you do young grasshopper...

And you should have continued thinking that way, IMO.