What's so special about being special?

[Fifth Element]

I like my settings to be run-of-the-mill, standard, quasi-Euro-medieval-Tolkienish fantasy. My players and I don't have a lot of time to invest in the game, so we like to be able to sit down and get playing. Reading background material and learning non-standard classes and races isn't for us.

Do I need to read 50 pages of setting material to be able to DM the thing? No thanks then. Give me elves and dwarves and wizards and let's go!

 

[Crothian]

I disagree with the orginal premise you have. Being different does not mean special. 50 pages of back ground of a setting does not equal special. What is special about a setting can be that it is simple, standard, and run of the mill.

What really makes a setting, any setting, special is the DM and players.

 

[Fifth Element]

I doubt that my homebrew "yet another medievalish setting, with elves" setting would be called "special" by anyone. But I agree that it's the players that make the game.

No disrespect to fancy settings or anything, they're just not for me.

 

[Doug McCrae]

I like my settings to be run-of-the-mill, standard, quasi-Euro-medieval-Tolkienish fantasy.

Don't you get bored?

I started to read thru this old school Gygaxian dungeon that was published on ENWorld, a version of Castle Greyhawk. And it was 10 ft wide corridors and rectangular rooms and the room descriptions were all stuff like "1. 7 orcs. 30gp and a rusty battleaxe can be found amid the detritus on the floor." And I was thinking - What is the f---ing point in this? Literally anyone could write this crap after 0 seconds thought. A well trained ape could probably write it. It isn't interesting in any way. It provides no new ideas.

 

[Crothian]

I doubt that my homebrew "yet another medievalish setting, with elves" setting would be called "special" by anyone. But I agree that it's the players that make the game.

Every Mom calls their child special so this is probably the same thing. I call my setting special, but i don't expect others to share my opinion.

 

[Fifth Element]

Don't you get bored?

Good lord no! The fun is in the playing, the stories, the joking with the friends, not in the "gee doesn't this setting have some neat conceits"?

Don't get me wrong, in my younger days I liked other settings, but now I really don't have the time for them. I have a business and kids and other interests. I need to be able to sit down and play, and not worry about whether something works differently in this setting. My players are the same way.

 

[fba827]

if everyone is having fun with a standard setting then you don't need one.

if people like each campaign to have a unique setting to help make it different than the last one, then sure, that's how it makes it fun for others.

no right or wrong. just go with what works for you and your group.

 

[Ariosto]

I started to read thru this old school Gygaxian dungeon that was published on ENWorld ...

What was "Gygaxian" about it?

 

[Fifth Element]

And it was 10 ft wide corridors and rectangular rooms and the room descriptions were all stuff like "1. 7 orcs. 30gp and a rusty battleaxe can be found amid the detritus on the floor." And I was thinking - What is the f---ing point in this?

Also, that's not setting, that's adventure design. You could plop down a boring dungeon in almost any setting.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Woo! Special!