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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kenjib" data-source="post: 266292" data-attributes="member: 530">The Kalamar Campaign Setting book is just that -- a campaign setting book.  There are almost no rules in the entire book so really it's compatible with most fantasy RPGs.  In fact, Kalamar was originally designed as a generic, system independent, game world before 3e came out.  I think it's easier to use than pretty much any other d20 campaign setting in this regard.  An additional benefit is that this means that the Kalamar setting is very highly detailed since just about all of the page count goes directly into describing the setting itself.I also find that it is a good fit for DM's who like to homebrew but don't have the time.  The world is very diverse, with six very diverse human cultural groups alongside the demi-humans.  You can run many different styles of campaign depending on where you choose to place it and what kind of spin you put on the cultures, including medieval chivalric, imperial roman, guerilla war for freedom, fighting evil slavers, epic wars against the humanoid menace (hobgoblins primarily), greek city state, african, meso-american, plains indian, egyptian, desert nomad, swashbuckling pirates and privateers, nordic barbarians, and more.  Unlike in FR though, the way they are stitched together is very believable and consistent and the cultures feel very much alive.Rather than a big over-arcing meta-plot, like Scarred Lands has, Kalamar seems designed to provide a great set of tools for the DM to find any style of campaign he wants amid a believable backdrop.  This might sound like a contradiction, but it even has a big overarching metaplot (involving a ruthless, power hungry, emperor and a mythical heir to the lost true line of emperors) that you can choose to use or ignore at your leisure but has the potential of being truly epic in scope.It's a very flexible setting, which I find to be one of it's greatest assets.  This might not be what you're looking for though.  I just wanted to point it out.  A couple of caveats that might make you not like the setting:1.  Humanocentric:  This is a world run by and for humans.  The demi-humans are mostly backed into corners in parts of the world and under a lot of pressure.  Demi-humans get significantly less coverage in the campaign setting book.2.  Lower magic:  The greatest events that shape the world are wars, trade, and migrations, not archmagi (although that's not to say that there aren't some dangerous evil high priests and wizards and the like around and in very powerful positions -- they just aren't as ubiquitous as in most other d20 settings).  It is possible to add more magic to the setting though (easier than removing it IMO).  Like I said, it's very flexible, but if you like super high fantasy then Kalamar might not be for you.3.  Dry read:  Some people say that the setting book is a dry read.  I did not find this to be the case myself but it's definitely a factor judging from general consensus.  I find that Kalamar tends to subtly suggest the most exciting ideas -- it seems to be the intentional design approach for the setting.  This ultimately gives the DM the most flexibility but also requires that he work with the material creatively.  There are TONS of exciting plot hooks and campaign ideas on every page, but they don't hit you over the head.It sounds like you really want to homebrew though so I think you should go for it and wing it!  Otherwise, I think that Kalamar is a good choice for people who want to homebrew deep down inside but want some of the work already done for them.</blockquote>

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