What Makes Your Homebrew Great?

[Sholari]

I've heard a lot of homebrew DMs over the years indicate that they can do a better job than the published adventures out there. I have only had the privilege to play in the game of one homebrew DM who was truly great. I'm really interested in hearing about other homebrew games that are great. Tell me what is compelling about your homebrew game setting or adventure. What are the key things that really make it stand out?

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

There are two key things that homebrewing allows:

1. I devised the story and "modules" so there's never any shuffling through module pages to remember what's in the next room. It's much easier to decide what an NPC does if you're the one who created the NPC.

2. Making it up myself gives me freedom to base the adventures off of elements in the PC's backstories and histories to a much greater degree than you can with a module.

The rest is just details.

 

[Teflon Billy]

Its consistency.

Things happen for a reason, people behave certain ways for recognizable reasons. Politics is a effective way of dealing with political problems.

The cultures of different nations are recognizable and constant.

Magic doesn't trump every single other factor in problem-solving/creating.

It's a pretty good Simulation I think, and since that's what I was hoping it would be (a working model of a society...and alarge one at that) I'm pretty happy with it

 

[Sholari]

The rest is just details.

Let's hear those details. I realize there may be some advantages to homebrewing, just like there may be some advantages with not homebrewing. However, what are some specific examples of how your setting or adventure is better than some of the published setting or adventures out there.

 

[Teflon Billy]

Let's hear those details. I realize there may be some advantages to homebrewing, just like there may be some advantages with not homebrewing. However, what are some specific examples of how your setting or adventure is better than some of the published setting or adventures out there.

i think the point he is making is that the "Details" aren't what makes his setting great. the fact that he knows it intimately and can imporivse the effects of player actions on the setting easily ...that's what makes it great..or at least that would be my answer if you had quoted my post

 

[Teflon Billy]

Which is not to say that my homebrew is the best setting in the hitroy of settings.

It pales in comparison to both Scarred Lands and Dawnforge, IMO...but if those two are Jet Fighters, my setting is a 71 Ford Fairlane.

I can drive a Fairlane and get under the hood of a Fairlane easily and skillfully.

The same can't be said of a Jet Fighter

 

[Nellisir]

Homebrew settings allow a person to play to their strengths and interests, so whether or not they're "better" is subjective.

I like my homebrews. I can integrate all this D&D/d20 material in a way that interests me, and I can remember without having to study & take notes.

My current homebrew is Winterfall, a northern setting with inspiration taken from Norse, Slavic, Finnish, and Celtic mythology, and mechanics from Unearthed Arcana, Rokugan, the Advanced Player's/Gamemaster's Manuals, Morningstar, Dawnforge, a variety of generic FFG books, and some other stuff. I've added new races (hill giant blooded; frost giant blooded; leshii; domovii; troldfolk) and taken out most of the old ones; added new classes (champions, magicians, & scouts), taken out old classes (monks & paladins), and rewritten the rest. It's high magic, high fantasy without teleporting, flight (except via objects), or wind walking. No rapiers. No empires.

Is it better than the Forgotten Realms? Depends. I like FR plenty, but I like this better. Doubt that'd hold true for everyone, though.

Cheers
Nell.

 

[Nellisir]

It pales in comparison to both Scarred Lands and Dawnforge, IMO...but if those two are Jet Fighters, my setting is a 71 Ford Fairlane.

Dawnforge is sooo yummy. I stole good OGC stuff from there. Spent ages trying to think up a name for my campaign, though -- everytime I tried, I ended up with Winterforge. Cool, but a little too close.


Nell.

 

[ender_wiggin]

Which is not to say that my homebrew is the best setting in the hitroy of settings.

It pales in comparison to both Scarred Lands and Dawnforge, IMO...but if those two are Jet Fighters, my setting is a 71 Ford Fairlane.

I can drive a Fairlane and get under the hood of a Fairlane easily and skillfully.

The same can't be said of a Jet Fighter

You put it perfectly. Familiarity. I don't have to read 250 pages of flavor to understand my world's dynamics.

 

[Sholari]

I can drive a Fairlane and get under the hood of a Fairlane easily and skillfully.

Okay, what is the best adventure highlight that your Fairlane produced? Tell me some story of one session that was truly amazing and that you will always remember. I realize there are advantages to a homebrew, but what I'm really curious about is does it produce a better end product.