D&D General What Kind Of Setting Does Your Group Use?

[Istbor]

Overall, the world was shaped by me. The locations, larger nations, and the flora and fauna (for the most part). After the players encounter it though, they are encouraged to fill in the gaps. Take the bones I have provided and put meat on them. Makes for a shared world that my players find an easier time becoming invested in. And really, that ends up paying off in dividends.

 

[Umbran]

I've used a lot of, "Collaborative homebrew based on published work".

In several campaigns (not D&D), the game was written with an implicit setting, but they were more "adventure seed" settings, rather than the well-developed canon settings that D&D players working with, say, the Forgotten Realms or Eberron are used to.

In one I ran a couple years ago, and another I'm playing in now, the entire campaign has run in a 50 mile radius of its starting point. There is theoretically a larger setting, but it exists only as a frame to lay some assumptions, like "dragonborn exist" and "there is a large city to the north from which trade flows". I am hesitant to really say those are "in a published setting" given how little of the setting actually appears or is even referenced in game.

Basically, this thread brings up the question: What does it mean to "use" a setting?

 

[Marc_C]

Didn't vote.

I'm currently running a Fantasy AGE campaign set in Greyhawk. In which I added the city of Freeport near the Amedio Jungle. Freeport is the main location for the urban campaign. My style is mostly a mix of published material and my home-brew ideas. I never follow canon. Players have input through the actions of their characters.

 

[Oofta]

I established the main outlines of my world long ago in a campaign far, far away so I voted #2. The backstories have to fit into the existing world and players can (and are encouraged to) make minor changes. Adding a small town, a family history and so on is great. Even creating a guild that fits into the campaign that was just never addressed is also fine. So maybe 2.1?

PCs can, and do, have a major impact on the world either through action or inaction. I had a whole region that is now far more peaceful than I had wanted for a future campaign because darn players did some amazing (and fun) things.

 

[prabe]

I run a setting I wrote most of, and which the players have input into--mostly when they're writing up character backstories. I have many blank spaces on the map that exist for just that purpose: I like having a sense of where the characters came from and how and why they came to be adventurers. It's not unusual for me to attach story hooks to characters' backgrounds during the campaign, especially early in the campaign (later, I tend to attach story hooks to things that have happened in the campaign).

 

[Charlaquin]

I voted 2, but I run kind of a blend of all 3. My setting started out as the 4e default setting and has evolved over time into a homebrew setting with heavy Nentir Vale/PoL influences. It’s mostly “DM-exclusive” homebrew, but I do take player input into account. For example, if I had a player who really wanted to play a Tortle or something, I’d think about where Tortles fit into my setting, probably with feedback from the player. But ultimately the setting is my baby and I have final say over it.

 

[ccs]

1.5?

A homebrew setting created by ruthlessly plundering published settings and stitching them together into a Campaign Golem.

I like that description!

 

[ART!]

Forgotten Realms. Back when we started playing D&D 5E, I used a homebrew setting - but with your standard D&D assumptions.

Eventually, though, I realized I wanted to segue into a big pre-written adventure, and went with Tyranny of Dragons. Since the PCs hadn't travelled very far yet, it was easy to just assume we had been in FR the whole time.

We've never looked back - except for one campaign that died a quick death.

 

[David Howery]

haven't been a DM in a long time, but I used Greyhawk (a lot) and the Realms (once)....

 

[overgeeked]

What kind of setting does your group use most often?

1) A professionally created setting published by WotC or a 3rd party.
2) A homebrew setting created exclusively by the GM with little or no input from the players.
3) A homebrew setting created using a collaborative effort by the GM and players where everyone has a large amount of input into what is included in the setting.

4) A mix of all the above. Specifically, a homebrew version of a published fantasy world initially modified by the DM but one that the PCs can modify during play.