What third-party d20 settings should I investigate?
Allandaros
Explorer
Nightfall said:*insert these two words into Allandaros' brain*
Scarred Lands!
AAAIEEE my brain!
My apologies for not articulating my request better in the initial post. I'm looking for settings combined with rules variants (which, as I understand it, removes the WotC settings).
I'm looking for settings with something of a "dark epic" feel to them - it's possible to be a hero, but life is grim, battles are deadly, and that sort of thing. I'm not too concerned with premade adventures being available (I'm trying not to spend too much on RPGs, which is why I'm asking for guidance rather than buying everything
). A few other things I'm trying to find are a setting with undeveloped areas (not unsettled, but places not covered in great depth - room for GM expansion), and the possibility for multiple playstyles (hack'n'slash, political, military, etc.)Crunch-wise, I guess I'm looking for things which make the setting FEEL grim and dangerous. Things like making magic dangerous to the caster in the Black Company setting, or the reduction of hitpoints like in Babylon 5.
And above all, I'm looking for Things Which Are Cool. And I figure you guys will know those.
Psion
Adventurer
Other than Black Company, Midnight sounds the closest... for developed setting/systems.
And then there's Grim Tales. As the name implies, it's all about the grim feel. Magic damages you and is hard to learn. It's very flexible -- at various places in the rules, it gives you rules options with 1, 2, or 3 skulls so you get to decide how grim you want it to be.
It's made to accommodate different time periods and there are 3 different sample settings. There's also a full sized setting/adventure in a mars-esque setting, Slavelords of Cydonia, but I understand that's pretty hard to come by.
And then there's Grim Tales. As the name implies, it's all about the grim feel. Magic damages you and is hard to learn. It's very flexible -- at various places in the rules, it gives you rules options with 1, 2, or 3 skulls so you get to decide how grim you want it to be.
It's made to accommodate different time periods and there are 3 different sample settings. There's also a full sized setting/adventure in a mars-esque setting, Slavelords of Cydonia, but I understand that's pretty hard to come by.
Philotomy Jurament
First Post
I'd go with Black Company -- sounds like it's everything you want.
Twowolves
Explorer
Scarred Lands has enough different about it rules-wise, and the right tone I think you are looking for. Thebig war is over, and it's time to reclaim the wilderness and hunt down the last of the enemy's minions (and keep the enemy from coming back, since you can't really off them).
Both Kingdoms of Kalamar and Aerth (Dungeon Crawl Classics setting) are pretty stock settings, with world flavor but very little in the way of rules changes.
Midnight and the Black Company both have grim, gritty settings with the necessary rules tweaks to make it distinct from stock 3.5 ed.
Freeport is perfect for the nautical/pirate/lovecraftian elder evil style of play.
Bard's Gate is essentially the campaign setting for the Necromancer Games world, with not much in the way of rules changes, but it's centered with the great pair of adventures Rappan Athuk and the Lost Tomb of Abysthor. A base city, two big dungeons, and lots of room for cutomization (or running the excellent Necromancer Games adventures).
These are my choices, take that for what it's worth.
Both Kingdoms of Kalamar and Aerth (Dungeon Crawl Classics setting) are pretty stock settings, with world flavor but very little in the way of rules changes.
Midnight and the Black Company both have grim, gritty settings with the necessary rules tweaks to make it distinct from stock 3.5 ed.
Freeport is perfect for the nautical/pirate/lovecraftian elder evil style of play.
Bard's Gate is essentially the campaign setting for the Necromancer Games world, with not much in the way of rules changes, but it's centered with the great pair of adventures Rappan Athuk and the Lost Tomb of Abysthor. A base city, two big dungeons, and lots of room for cutomization (or running the excellent Necromancer Games adventures).
These are my choices, take that for what it's worth.
Ghostwind
First Post
Allandaros said:I'm looking for settings with something of a "dark epic" feel to them - it's possible to be a hero, but life is grim, battles are deadly, and that sort of thing. I'm not too concerned with premade adventures being available (I'm trying not to spend too much on RPGs, which is why I'm asking for guidance rather than buying everything
Crunch-wise, I guess I'm looking for things which make the setting FEEL grim and dangerous. Things like making magic dangerous to the caster in the Black Company setting, or the reduction of hitpoints like in Babylon 5.
And above all, I'm looking for Things Which Are Cool. And I figure you guys will know those.
Seriously, take a look at Oathbound. I think you will like what it offers.
Thorin Stoutfoot
First Post
+1 on the Black Company
It's an amazingly well done campaign setting. If only there was a prebuilt campaign for it --- I'd be running it by now.
It's an amazingly well done campaign setting. If only there was a prebuilt campaign for it --- I'd be running it by now.
