Which Campaign Setting has the best fluff? Why?

[Dragonhelm]

There's anything besides Dragonlance?

(Thought you'd get a kick out of that, Kai Lord. lol)

* Dragonlance, as it stems from a series of novels, was fairly consistent and self-contained.

Dragonlance was a gaming world before it was a novel world. It's just that the novels have been more successful than the gaming side has, although I'd say that Sovereign Press has done extremely well since they got the license. Of course, I'm biased.


Seriously, though, Dragonlance is my #1 choice for a fluff-filled campaign setting. There's lots of depth to the characters, and many of the races are far from generic. Themes such as the Balance are a bit refreshing when you first get into DL. Most fantasy stories end up with good defeating evil. Dragonlance ends with them being on even grounds, and neither side truly winning or losing.


Another one I really like is Legend of the Five Rings. This is a highly role-playing based setting, and one that will throw you at first since honor and saving face often come in as more important than doing the right thing. It's got good flavor, and I love the magic system.


I liked Dark Sun's flavor as well, although I didn't get to play it much.


Spelljammer was a fun setting, and one that has a lot of potential. I think it needs to be a setting in and of itself, rather than one that ties other settings together. It should still have that potential (although not necessary). However, I don't think that should be the focus.

 

[Eosin the Red]

This is an easy one for me -- What settings do I pick up material for that I don't run nor will likely ever run. I just love reading the stuff.

1. Birthright
2. Midnight
3. 7th Sea

The runner-up list would include...
The World of Darkness
Harn
Iron Kingdoms

 

[A'koss]

For published settings, Planescape, particularly the early stuff, has always stood head and shoulders above the rest for me. Sigil is by far the most interesting city I've seen in a D&D game. The factions, the enigmatic Lady of Pain and the plethora of interesting NPCs just bring such a life to the setting. There were many very cool adventures as well - just ignore the events in Faction War...

Greyhawk is the second closest to my heart as far as published settings go - most of my all-time favorite characters came from that settting. It had just the right mix of magic, cool NPCs, interesting locales, subplots and a rather... interesting pantheon. Greyhawk never tries to throw in too much into the setting and doesn't have that super-saturated feel like some others do.

Of course, my own homebrews are what I play. Simply put - there are no compromises. It started with a single idea - creating a lower magic, but still high-adventure campaign in a post-Ragnarok setting (with a twist...). It quickly expanded from there and slowing took on a whole new feel. First it was simply about exploration beyond the devastation that isolated so many regions around the world and now all these cultures are finding they have neighbours they never knew about and PCs are often thrust into the role of diplomats... with swords... and dubious hygiene.

Cheers!

 

[Sholari]

#1 Iron Kingdoms
#2 Midnight
#3 Ebberron

 

[Thanee]

Shadowrun

Bye
Thanee

 

[Zappo]

1) Planescape.
2) The original World of Darkness.

Everything else I've tried can only come a distant third.

 

[Ravellion]

Dragonlance. The campaign setting with both the best mage guild and the best organizaton of knights, from a description and internal logic view.

Rav

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Iron Kingdoms, Glorantha, Scarred Lands, Eberron, and Thea.

Scarred Lands was choppy, with highs and lows, but Calastia was a decent bunch of Villains who were decidedy not two dimensional. Hollowfaust was probably the high point for the series.

Neither Grehawk nor Forgotten Realms goes on my personal list.

The Auld Grump

 

[Geron Raveneye]

For D&D/d20 games:
-Iron Kingdoms
- Midnight (just got the book...hmmmmmmmm...)

For non-d20:
- Shadowrun
- L5R (even if the weird metaplot can get in the way something fierce, and the d10/d20 confusion can be a pain to filter )

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

#1 Iron Kingdoms
#2 Midnight
#3 Ebberron

I think you and I are gaming soul mates.