What would it take for you to be interested in a new (not reprint or rehash) setting?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Given the number of settings out there, is there something that a publisher could release that's not a reprint/rehash/recreation/update of a previously available setting that would make you interested in picking it up?

If so, what sort of setting would it be?

 

[Scraht]

Personally... It'd have to stay away from Tolkein-esque overtones. No monster cliches like "All orcs are evil, always." And it would need to be clever. (An example of what I find clever is, in Red Hand of Doom, there is a lich druid! That was very clever! I applaud whoever thought that up.)

I'd also like a nonstandard world. Maybe an actual flat world, and you could really fall off the edge.

But I have to say the biggest selling point would be a DnD world with a Cthulhu presence (Good gods vs. really alien gods). I'd love that.

 

[Crothian]

Well supported and well written. Eberron won me over by doing just that.

 

[Kyuss Knight]

Truthfully, not a whole lot. I am currently in the market for a campaign setting and would pretty much just like something that my players had never seen and don't have an intimate knowledge of.

 

[Mark Hope]

Generally speaking, I'm not in the market for a new setting either - I'm happy with my homebrew and get my published setting fixes through Dark Sun, Wilderlands, Greyhawk and Planescape (these covering sword & sorcery, classic fantasy and Moorcockian fantasy). So there's not a particular style or genre that would grab me in and of itself.

However, that said, I was totally won over by Ptolus and bought into it in a huge way. When i first heard of it, I wasn't interested at all. But Monte's publicity campaign, insights into the setting and sumptuous production values made a convert of me.

So I suppose that any setting that grabbed me would need to equal Ptolus in overall standard. A tall order, I know, but that's what it took last time around and that's what it would take next time around. If I were convinced of its detail and quality, I would give it a look and consider buying in. I'm a bit of a slut in that regard, I suppose...

 

[TerraDave]

But I have such a good one...

ok, ok. I don't know if you would use it (becuase I have such a good one), but it would be interesting to see a setting built from the ground up based on the core rules. Thoughtfully, carefully, thoroughly, and usefully (to the players and DM) using the implications and implicit assumptions of the core rules.

In other words, a world that works like the core rules imply it actually would work and that provides great support to using the core rules.

One caveat: if this broke some other key fantasy assumption (ie following the core rules castles are not very useful), then it may be ok to put something back into to keep that viable (the really defensible castle spell). But this shouldn't happen that much.

Its worth noting that no setting out there really fits this criteria (including my own). Either they where retrofitted to match the core rules (Oerth, the Realms, Krynn, Kalamar...), or desinged to have a bunch of other stuff going on (Eberon and many, many, others).

 

[+5 Keyboard!]

Support is a key part of it. Meaning, supplements that detail the various kingdoms/nations/countries in the setting. A steady flow of adventures for the setting.

Great artwork. That really sells it for me.

Keep it D&D. Meaning, I'm not interested in quasi-technological D&D settings (lightning rail, anybody?)

 

[Nikroecyst]

Best homebrewed campaign I ever played in was Chrystaria. It was sort of Ebberon meets Anchient Egypt. Very well detailed, all the dietys were from egytian mythology, and the world was great for necromancers. As far as originality it thought it was clever the way the DM made everything work without it being hokey or even unbelievable.

 

[Henry]

It would have to buy me dinner and make out with me in the car, at this point. Given the myriad settings from the third-party stuff, to out-of-print options, to WotC's vehemently supported Realms and Eberron, I just have zero need for a new campaign setting.

 

[Lalato]

A setting that included Psionics along with some of the accepted fantasy tropes would be very nice, and I think I might be enticed by that.

--sam