Which D&D Campaign World did you enjoy most?

[GrandMasterofFlowers]

I always liked Kingdoms of Kalamar, which is "semi-official" as one of the few non WotC or TSR settings to carry the official D&D logo. It just reminds me more of the games i used to play as a kid.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Eberron, and Birthright.

 

[karlindel]

Eberron is my favorite published setting. It hits just the right level of variety for me. I like the themes that are supported by the setting. I also enjoy the post-war mindset, the goblinoid empires of history (and their current resurgence), halfing dinosaur-riders, the Draconic Prophecy, Xen'drik, the arcano-industrial revolution, the political intrigue, pulp action, and a lot of other things in the setting.

 

[Philosopher]

I like many of them, but if I was forced to pick just one published setting, I'd go with Al-Qadim. I love the character options: elemental mages, sha'irs, holy slayers, etc. I love the various organizations - the Brotherhood of the True Flame being the primary one. I love the variety of styles it accomodates: urban adventures with courtly intrigue and bargaining in the bazaar, treks across the desert, treks through deep jungles, delving through the ruins of ancient cities, sailing the high seas, etc. I love how there are a wide variety of races, but all the usual racial tensions are gone. I love the pantheon - alignment isn't a relevant factor, you can easily make up your own local deities, and all (enlightened) folk pay homage to Fate.

I must say, however, that both Dark Sun and Greyhawk are just about tied at a close second to Al-Qadim, although for different reasons. Greyhawk also allows for a wide variety of play (different than Al-Qadim's variety), but has a grittier feel while still being classic fantasy. And besides, I can always introduce some of the Al-Qadim material into the Baklunish lands. Dark Sun is even grittier than Greyhawk (which seems tame by comparison). I like how many adventures can be just about survival (this is possible in Al-Qadim also, with desert adventures, but Dark Sun is a little more harsh). The concept of defiling magic is just great (and my favourite execution of the idea is the one from Dragon Magazine for 3.5).

Moving away from published settings, I'd have to place my own homebrew at the top. This shouldn't be a surprise, as I shamelessly take ideas that I like from any other setting and put it into my own. Also, my friend's homebrew deserves mention - he's got one of the best cities for urban adventures that I've ever played in.

 

[JustKim]

I think it's a tie between Mystara and Planescape, but since a lot of my love for Mystara comes down to nostalgia, I'm going to say Planescape.

I love that factions are organizations with compelling reasons to exist, whose beliefs can speak to players, and which can add new dimensions to a character. I love that the setting is populated with imaginative and memorable characters. I love that Sigil is one of the most amazing cities yet described, and that it is literally a short walk from innumerable fantastic adventure locations, some of the greatest in D&D's long history. I love the overwhelming milieu of the setting, the details of things like the planar bureaucracy and judicial system, and the great and lasting mysteries.

I've never played Al-Qadim, but it's something I would really like to try.

 

[ferratus]

Dragonlance is the one that really holds my interest. It has the right feel for a Tolkienesque fantasy RPG for me, with an emphasis on warfare, romance, and the struggle of good and evil. Plus riding on dragonback as a PC is the pinnacle of epic awesome for me.

Dragonlance has serious problems though. The comic relief races need to be toned down and reimagined, and the villains of the campaign need to wear less black hats. There has also been a great deal of discontinuity and cataclysm after cataclysm. So a reboot from scratch like Dark Sun would be nice.

Birthright is my second favourite of the D&D settings, but only because I really like the idea of ruling realms and constructing fortresses et all in my D&D. I don't have any particular affection for the world, so if WotC decides to publish Birthright in a Gazetteer and a book of Domain Rules, I'd pick up the latter and not the former.



Dark Sun would be fun for about 10 levels, before you become too powerful and start changing the cool campaign elements. Plus, you start getting tired of the DM screwing you over all the time.

Ravenloft is simply a bad match for heroic fantasy where you gain XP by killing things and taking their stuff. Which is probably why they are making a Ravenloft RPG (that you can use with 4e) rather than a 4e Ravenloft.

Mystara, the Forgotten Realms, and Greyhawk all make the same mistake. They use ethnic and national stereotypes of Earth and then rename them. I hate it. That could be the primary reason I choose DL for my vanilla fantasy. I like Greyhawk's classic adventures, the eponymous city, and I could leave the rest.

Planescape bothers me because I like my angels, demons and so forth to be abstract concepts or alien and terrifying. I find them all chumming about in Sigil trading stuff and hanging out in the same tavern to be... mundane.

Spelljammer doesn't bother me as much as long as it looks and plays like Farscape or Star Wars. Swashbuckling Space Opera fantasy is good, though it needs to borrow more from the "Sword and Planet" genre to be great.

 

[WayneLigon]

I usually think of Eberron as the best D&D setting ever done.

For third-party things, The lands of the Diamond Throne comes a close second from Aecana Unearthed/Evolved. Harn is simply magnificent as far as maps and resources go. The implied 'setting' of 'The City' from the Flying Buffalo city books was pretty cool.

 

[Jacob Marley]

Greyhawk (pre-wars) - The first setting I played in. As someone up thread mentioned "You always remember your first fondly."

Birthright - A close second. Very flavorful.

 

[Stormonu]

It would have to be Ravenloft for me, before the Grand Conjunction/Shadow Rift.

Follow up would be a three-way tie between Al-Qadim, Dark Sun and Dragonlance. Spelljammer would be my choice for a Wahoo! sort of game, I really liked the sort of off-beat vibe it had.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

What I enjoyed most as a player: Forgotten Realms 1e/2e. Most of my characters lived and/or died there.

What I enjoyed most as a DM: Birthright. The setting for my longest-running campaign. Rich history and cultures, iconic monsters, rare but powerful magic.

What I enjoyed most reading, but never got to run: Dark Sun (original box). Awesome and unique flavor, grim and gritty.