What's a good D&D campaign setting for a beginning DM?

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My friend wants to run a D&D campaign. He's looking for a published campaign setting that's not too complex and not too *detached* from generic D&D. The campaign setting CAN'T be Greyhawk (because I'm running that) and it can't be Dragonlance (because you need to read the novels . . . "more hassle" he says; plus it deviates from core D&D a bit too much). The campaign setting must be a currently in-print 3E publication.

At the moment, I know of the following:

Ebberon
A possibility but I'm not too sure how much it deviates from *generic* D&D (coz this is what he's after). He doesn't mind lightning trains and stuff, just not a whole lot of alternate rules. He wants to run *D&D*!

Kalamar
He's a bit leery of this because he wants a *full* map of the globe; not just a portion of the world. (Yes, yes, he's aware you can create your own but he wants this one mystery answered.)

Scarred Lands
He's not keen on this because it doesn't seem to have a *core* campaign setting book like, say, the LGG or FRCS.

Forgotten Realms
He says the FRCS looks too complex. "Too much crunch; why can't it have ZERO crunch like the LGG?", he says.

What other settings are out there that are good for a beginning DM and don't have so many gimmicks that they are no longer *D&D*?

Ebberon looks to be winning at the moment. Is it OK for beginning DMs to run? Or is the core setting book really intimidating to a novice (like the FRCS)?

 

[Nightfall]

Well if you can't convince him of the glory of Scarred Lands. (And honestly it boggles my mind about THAT one...) Midnight is pretty fun for a newbie DM. Mostly because the DM is the one in control most of the time!

Oh yeah it also has a spiffy box set too now out.

 

[MerricB]

I'd advise Eberron.

Despite it having a certain amount of new material (Dragonmarks, new races and classes) and Action Points, it gives your friend a real opportunity to start running a setting from its beginning.

Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, etc. all have a huge amount of previously published material that can trip up the DM. That doesn't exist with Eberron.

And with Wizards supporting Eberron through the RPGA, Dungeon Magazine and their own products (adventures, sourcebooks and miniatures), there will be a lot available to your friend.

Cheers!

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

Eberron and Iron Kingdoms are good but it may be a little much for a beginning DM. I think Scarred Lands or dig up Green Ronin's Freeport material.

 

[Ghostwind]

I'd advise going with Kalamar. It has an extremely rich setting, is fairly generic and can be boiled down to the campaign setting book, the player's book, and the atlas (all of which are good). It's about as close to generic Greyhawk style D&D as you're probably going to get.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

I'd second Ghostwind's comments. I think he was reading my mind while I was typing.

 

[jester47]

Tell him to mark out some territory in the FR. Like pick a river valley. Stick to it.

Get some hex paper and some crayons. Make his own.

Umm... yeah, thats it...

Aaron.

 

[Darrin Drader]

I'll second the Forgotten Realms. It is very much classic D&D, and you can choose to use or disregard much of the crunch built into the setting. More importantly, it is one setting that allows you to move the PCs to a different location on the globe and do something entirely different. Say he wants to run Egyptian style adventures for a while, take the campaign to Mulhorand. Want some pirates and swashbuckling? Try the Sword Coast or the Sea of Fallen Stars. How about Urban adventuring? Waterdeep fits nicely. There's just so much there, an as always, the DM is free to use or disregard anything published for the setting.

 

[jester47]

Wait a sec. If he is willing to do some leg work-

WILDERLANDS

(why am I looking for hex paper in another thread...)

Have him raid the NG site and get thr Rorystone Road supplement. Have him pick up the players guide. Din! you have everything needed to play. Have him get CSIO. Caverns of Thracia. Eventually he will get a big map. Rorystone is small and contained and probably great for DMs starting out.

 

[dead]

Nighfall
Scarred Lands needs an easily accessible core book.
Midnight sounds a little *too* unusual . . . what with the whole planet taken over by evil.

MerricB
Ya, this is exactly what I was thinking. Eberron is new. The products are just coming out and my friend can easily keep track of them. On the other hand, some of those older settings have a plethora of out-of-print products that are annoying to track down.

Keeper of Secrets
Don't know much about Iron Kingdoms. Does it have a complete map of the globe?
Freeport is just a city. He needs a world.

Ghostwind
Yep, the "generic" D&D experience was one selling point for Kalamar. It has no complete world map, however. It should, how long has it been going for now?

Rodrigo Istalindir
See above.

jester47
Pick a valley? He's a lazy GM and wants to do minimal mapping. Besides, he's still gonna have to read that mammoth volume full-o-crunch called the FRCS.

Whisperfoot
Yes, this multicultural aspect (based on the real-world) is a selling point. Easy for him to relate to. However, most of that stuff -- Kara-Tur, Maztica, Zakhara -- is no longer in print. And, no, he won't go seeking out the electonic pdf versions. Nor will WotC be producing any of this fantastic variety of material in the future. They just want to bloat out Faerun.

Thanks for the help, all.

Looks like Eberron might be the way to go. As I understand it, it has a full world map. Does the campaign just focus on a "Known World" portion, or is it a "global" campaign? It's cool if it just focuses on the known world . . . my friend just wants to *see* what the world looks like but, to begin with, will just be running in one portion of the world (until he gets more experience, of course).