D&D General What's your favorite starter sandbox region?

[TwoSix]

Huh. I just realized that most of my games tend to start at higher level and in medias res, so I really don't use starter areas that often. I'd probably say building a starter village in Beyond the Wall is my favorite D&D-adjacent starting area.

 

[DeviousQuail]

If I'm in FR then I usually start in one of the small settlements near Baldur's Gate. With the video games as my entrance into DnD it's just the easiest place for me to start. From there I can send them off in any direction easily enough.

 

[Shiroiken]

First Place: The City of Greyhawk.

What did you think I was going to say?

Second place is Ratik.

Third place? You're fired.


...coffee is for closers only. And closers play in Greyhawk.

The Flanaess has dozens of excellent places; to limit yourself to just these two saddens me. I'm a fan of the Lendor Isles and Saltmarsh regions myself, both with excellent trilogies. The Bandit Kingdoms and Wild Coast both offer a lot of options, especially if close to the Horned Society or Pomarj. What was once the Viceroyalty of Ferrond would be a good choice as well, due to the internal politics and the ongoing threat of Iuz. The Keep on the Borderlands, set against the Crystalmist Mountains in the Yeomany, is yet another excellent choice.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

The Keep on the Borderlands, set against the Crystalmist Mountains in the Yeomany, is yet another excellent choice.

Everybody knows that the Keep is in northern Karameikos.

 

[Shiroiken]

Everybody knows that the Keep is in northern Karameikos.

I suppose it depends on your edition of choice. TBH I think the KotB is extraplanar in nature, appearing in numerous areas across the material planes, each time resetting for its new home. It's the only way to explain how so many characters from so many worlds started their adventuring career there

 

[robus]

Is it weird that I can’t imagine returning to the same starting location? I feel like I don’t have time to explore all the settings I’d like to, but I’m going to try!

 

[Aldarc]

Huh. I just realized that most of my games tend to start at higher level and in medias res, so I really don't use starter areas that often. I'd probably say building a starter village in Beyond the Wall is my favorite D&D-adjacent starting area.

The character and starting location creation for BtW is ingenious.

 

[amethal]

Not sure if it was intended to be a starting area or not, but my old DM always seemed to start off his Golarion games in this one city ruled by this absolute £¥@$# of a queen.

By all the gods of Pathfinder RPG, I hated that place.

EDIT
Just checked online. The city was Korvosa, the queen was Ileosa.

Korvosa seems a bit of an odd choice. We often start our games in Magnimar or Sandpoint, which are not too far away but have more of a traditional heroic vibe.

Maybe you could see if your old DM would be interested in running "Seven days to the Grave" for you.

DM "The city is currently in the grip of a terrible plague."
Players "Some good news at last!"

 

[Bitbrain]

Korvosa seems a bit of an odd choice. We often start our games in Magnimar or Sandpoint, which are not too far away but have more of a traditional heroic vibe.

Maybe you could see if your old DM would be interested in running "Seven days to the Grave" for you.

DM "The city is currently in the grip of a terrible plague."
Players "Some good news at last!"

He moved out of state. Our last game together was maybe three years ago, when our party prevented Tiamat from being summoned to Faerun.

 

[Iry]

Phlan from Pool of Radiance.

I dont run sandbox that often, but when I do they get immediate D&D goodness with the Slums, Sokol Keep, the auction, the library, the graveyard, pyramid island, the kobold cave, and eventually Tyranthraxus himself.

Its just an amazing sandbox.