What do you think is the best campaign setting?

[diaglo]

Well, what does everyone else think? What campaign settings captured your attention and why?

The Original Boxed Set (1974)

cuz it is the only true game.

Known World, Wilderlands, Greyhawk, Blackmoor, Harn, Lankhmar, etc...



but of the newer settings. Kenzer's Kalamar works.
S&S Scarred Lands
and Eberron from WotC.

 

[Arnwyn]

What campaign settings captured your attention and why?

I prefer the Forgotten Realms, because of the amount of detail and variety available and I like Ed Greenwood's design sensibilities.

 

[Zethnar]

Ok to answer a quick question that seems to have been asked a lot. I like games that are epic in scope, where the characters deeds take them from simple farmers or thieves to mighty heros and saviours.

I like having a dark foreboding atmosphere over the game, some kind of looming threat to which the PC's are drawn and must defeat (which is what drew me to midnight, and the tolkein reference was just an impression I got from a brief look at the product). Course most of that can be covered by plot and doesnt have to be written into the system.

So far I've only ever run homebrew stuff, never a published campaign setting (except for once when I ran a 6 month long warcraft campaign). I've never run Eberron and I dont think I ever will, although I might surprise myself one day

One other thing, I like either low magic or a system that doesnt use the standard "spell slots" from the core books. Although thats not as much of an issue as I have the "Advanced Players Guide" by sword and sorcery which has a very nice skill based system in it. BTW if you're in Australia head over to www.milsims.com.au and check the crazy specials page, you can pick that one up for $15 at the moment (well worth the price if you ask me).

Anyway, the reason I left most of this out was cos I wanted some peoples opinions on what their favorites were and why


OOOOO Dawning Star looks VERY interesting, altough it wont be out till next year

http://www.dawningstar.com/ if anyone cares

It'll suck if it uses D20 Future's starship combat system tho (but lets not open up that can of worms).

Ahhhh, well at the moment I am leaning very much towards Midnight, although dawnforge looks interesting. But the fact that I can get all of Dragonstar in one go for $80 australian is also very tempting

 

[Mucknuggle]

Ok to answer a quick question that seems to have been asked a lot. I like games that are epic in scope, where the characters deeds take them from simple farmers or thieves to mighty heros and saviours.

Smells like Dragonlance to me. And with crazy Dragon Overlords warring over territory, you could easily make your campaign have a darker feel to it.

 

[Nightfall]

*sighs* Come on folks! Just cause S&SS isn't going to make any more books for it, doesn't mean you can't DO Scarred Lands!!!

I mean this is a dark, gritty place too!

So while I support Midnight, (my alternate Sageself told me so.) Scarred Lands should be a great option!

 

[Cithindril]

I like having a dark foreboding atmosphere over the game, some kind of looming threat to which the PC's are drawn and must defeat

Despite the announcement of its' official cancellation, I'll make my obligatory plug for the Scarred Lands . I believe it definately captures the dark foreboding atmosphere with the overarching 'looming threat'. If you're not familiar, the world of the Scarred Lands is just recovering from a cataclysmic war between the quasi-hellenistic gods and titans. Although the gods came out on top, the land is blighted, a great power struggle between the surviving nations has ensued, and the threat of one or more of the titans being returned to power overshadows everything the PC's society builds.

The setting consists of five continents (two of which have their own sourcebooks, the other three will be detailed in this month's final release). There are a wealth of products available (approximately 40 total) but you wouldn't need anywhere close to this to run the setting. The good news is that you can find a lot of bargains online (Ebay, etc) or at your FLGS. For a quick, cheap primer you can pick up gazeteers on two of the continents (Ghelspad and Termana) for practically nothing (on my advice a friend of mine got both for $5 on Ebay yesterday). If you're hooked like I think you will be, I'd recommend the following minimums to run a decent campaign: either the Ghelspad setting hardback or Termana setting hardback, Creature Collection Revised (a setting-specific monster manual), and Relics and Rituals 1 (a magic book). You should be able to get all three for about $45 total if you shop around, and much of the material can be ported over to any homebrew as well. Down the road you can add some of the area sourcebooks, players guides, planar manual, adventure trilogy, etc.

If you have any questions you can always find a Scarred Lands fan to help out here on ENWorld (Nightfall in particular has been the self-appointed herald for quite a while now and has connections over at SSS).

Hope the setting search goes well...give the SL a chance and you won't regret it


ROFL! Speak of the devil! Didn't see that Nightfall was, in fact, posting as I was typing this.

 

[Ry]

Based on what you said about your preferences, I've got three recommendations:

If you're looking for a campaign with lots of room for the players to move around, and tons of variety, then go Scarred Lands. Preventing the resurrection of the Titans would be your overarching plot.

If you're looking for something with a little more focused, then go for Midnight. Evil is winning, Good is almost gone... fight Against the Shadow.

Finally, if you're looking for something that's a little less mainstream, but still epic good versus evil, I'd recommend the old 2e Dark Sun (1st printing). It's available on PDF from RPGNOW, and although the original boxed set appears like a static world where evil Sorcerer-Kings rule, the actual adventures let the heroes have a huge impact on the world, changing things for the better.

 

[wizardoftheplains]

Midnight (for epic feel - very dark, very fun)
Scarred Lands (great detail - nice books)

I was a bit tired of Forgotten Realms until Serpent Kingdoms came out. Now it's all new again.

Gary

 

[Teneb]

Ok to answer a quick question that seems to have been asked a lot. I like games that are epic in scope, where the characters deeds take them from simple farmers or thieves to mighty heros and saviours.

I like having a dark foreboding atmosphere over the game, some kind of looming threat to which the PC's are drawn and must defeat (which is what drew me to midnight, and the tolkein reference was just an impression I got from a brief look at the product). Course most of that can be covered by plot and doesnt have to be written into the system.

Another vote for Oathbound by Bastion Press. This is a setting ruled over by 7 demigods (more or less) who each rule their own domain. They pull creatures, buildings, anything they want, into the world to populate it. The people don't really know why they do this, but theories abound. Some of these demigods, known as the Feathered Fowl, are more benevolent than others, but each pushes their people to adapt and grow or die.

Because of this, those on the Forge (the world of Oathbound) can literally evolve into new creatures with Prestige Races. You pay an XP cost and gain new forms and abilities. Its really pretty cool.

As far a dark atmosphere, that's certainly possible. Set your campaign in Eclipse, a place of eternal darkness overrun with vampire lords, liches, other undead, and lycanthropes. If you like adventure on the high seas there's alway the Northern Ocean with its ceptu (sentient jelly-fish) overlords. There's Wildwood, a forest of untamed savagery where survival of the fitest is taken to a whole new level, or Arena where huge armies clash in a perpetual battle over the riches buried beneath the sands.

Oathbound is a dynamic setting where anything you'd like to add could fit in. On the other hand, if there are parts of the setting you don't care for, they can be easily removed. Its very modular that way. Finally, setting support from the publisher is quite good, and you can expect it to get much much better in the coming year. See my sig

 

[greydown]

I'm surprised that Everstone is not mentioned. I think that it stretches into new territory and is as original as they get now days. I don't think it recieved wide spread distribution so you would most likely have to get it off a net store (like Amazon).

There website has a ton of free stuff so you can take a look at the idea. I think the website is www.irongolemgames.com

Of course M&M (mutants and masterminds) is another one that seems original for d20 and is better than SAS d20.