Required Reading Before DMing in a Published Setting

[Ernir]

I have read a bit about the major published 3.5 settings. Some of it is really cool, and there might come a day when I feel inclined to DM a campaign set in one of them.

But then I run into a problem. There is so much stuff out there. This is particularly true of the Forgotten Realms, which has what, 40+ years of accumulated canon? Running a game in a setting this well established would leave me in constant fear of having misplaced some sacred cow (that the players know and love).

So I ask. Is there a recommended reading list for at least getting the "feel" right for FR/Eberron/Dark Sun/Ravenloft/whateverelsetheremaybe?

[Kuulvheysoon]

Well, besides the published Campaign Setting books?

It all depends on area, I find.

Speaking from a Realms perspective (the one I'm most familiar with), if I was to run a game in say, Mulhorand, I would probably first read Unapproachable East, and maybe Faiths and Pantheons (given how theocratic it is).

I'd also probably brush up on my basic (ancient) Egyptian culture/mythology to help me improvise when the need arises.

Hope this helps.

[Ernir]

Well, besides the published Campaign Setting books?

Thing is, I don't really know what I'm looking for. :smalltongue:

You think one would be OK with just the D&D books, then?



EDIT: I guess this gives me an excuse to play through Baldur's Gate, too. I know a lot of people are familiar with what happens in those games...

[Taelas]

The easiest way to learn lore-stuff is to peruse wikis for the material in question.

forgottenrealms.wikia.com for example, is a great way to look up stuff you need to know. (Be aware that it contains stuff from 4E, though.)

That said, reading the setting-specific D&D books is also a great way to go about it. Best if you combine the two (though that may be going to too much effort).

[Kuulvheysoon]

Honestly?

It's a good idea to at least skim the campaign settings, even if you don't know what you're looking for. It'll give you a feel for the world (and it's areas) better than any one fiction book I could think of.

Easiest way to avoid missing a sacred cow would be to place the campaign in a not-explored area (like the Shaar in FR, or Sarlona in Eberron).

[Palanan]

My first 3.5 group started out in the Realms, and since then I've run my own campaigns there simply because I'm familiar with the world.

But apart from the FRCS and the other sourcebooks, I've never spent much time studying up on the canon. I tried reading one of the novels once, and made it about fifteen pages before the screams of dying brain cells became too loud.

So instead I just use the 3.0/3.5 sourcebooks as a starting point, and then zing off on my own creative tangents. I don't pay the slightest attention to most of the high-level NPCs that are theoretically floating around; it's my game, so they just don't come up. Likewise with the physical terrain and the political landscape: I change it according to my storyline, rather than the other way around.

So, I would say you'll be just fine with the basic sourcebooks. Don't spend time tracking down and reading the novels and whatnot; turn that energy to creating your own take on the campaign world, and design your own subcontinents if you feel like it.

That's what I'm doing right now, and creating my own cultures and landscapes is far more rewarding than plowing through someone else's badly written lore. Just have fun with it.
.

[Madcrafter]

Exactly. If its your game, its your world (and by extension, your cows). Feel free to change what you want (whether deliberately or by accident). Or just create your own content beyond what is canon. I remember the glee I had watching my players' jaws drop to the floor when it was subtly revealed that the head of House Cannith had transformed himself into a warforged (LoB) and by extension, brought about the Mourning. Just make up what you need/want to to make the game fun, and if a player complains, you can either say its your interpretation of the world and live with it, or use the power of the almighty retcon*.

Now you have me wondering about gods slaughtering their own sacred livestock...

*Not recommended. By reading this advice you agree not to take legal action due to any disruptions caused by alterations to time and space.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

I figure that almost anything important enough to be a “sacred cow” would be stated in the current base campaign setting source books.

And if there is anything your player feels strongly about that got altered by a setting update, that player will likely already know about it. You can therefore ask your players if they approve of whatever edition of the setting you are using.

[Grinner]

I hate published settings. The problem with DMing in a published setting is, yes, you run the risk of doing something weird and creating unnecessary conflict when you inevitably misplace the cow. More than that, you also create unwanted player expectations, whether they have fond memories of a previous game or adhere to the setting's lore fanatically.

In fairness, I suspect much of my angst stems from the fact that I don't usually read setting sourcebooks and am naturally unfamiliar with them. :smallsigh:

Loved FR's alternate magic systems though.

[Kuulvheysoon]

*snip*

In fairness, I suspect much of my angst stems from the fact that I don't usually read setting sourcebooks and am naturally unfamiliar with them. :smallsigh:

Loved FR's alternate magic systems though.

Alternate Magic systems? Are we talking Weave/Shadow Weave division here?

[Saintheart]

Alternate Magic systems? Are we talking Weave/Shadow Weave division here?

And Rune Magic. And then there's Spellfire. Well, okay, maybe not Spellfire so much. :smallsmile:

[Grinner]

Well, actually, that statement had been inclusive of Spellfire. And Moonfire. I think there was also some mention of Dead Magic in Magic of Faerun?

[erikun]

So I ask. Is there a recommended reading list for at least getting the "feel" right for FR/Eberron/Dark Sun/Ravenloft/whateverelsetheremaybe?
For Ravenloft, I would recommend Vampire of the Mists, Knight of the Black Rose, and I, Strahd. They give you a very good idea of how Ravenloft works, and the kind of mood you want to be setting.

I don't know of any Planescape novels. The actual AD&D books do a very good job of presenting the setting, though.

[Kol Korran]

i don;t know FR that much, but i do know Eberron reasonably well.
the nice thing about Eberron, is that while they mention major themes, they leave a LOT of unaccounted for mysteries, for the DM to fill in or itnerpert:

- Are the gods real?
- what created the Mournland, what IS the Mournald?
- what do the Daelkyer want?
- Why aren't the dragons ruling the world?
- Do the Valenar seek conflict for it's own sake, or do they have a plan?
- do warforged have souls?
- what is the significance of the dragon marks? pure and aberrant?
and so on and so on...

i started playing with only the basic campaign setting and it was fine. it does however focus mainly on the major continent of Khorvaire. (though you can run multiple campaigns there alone). if you're itnerested in the world, this basic book is great to get the general feeling of it.

i would recommend 3 books however that i found are well written and that can greatly enrich the game:
- races of Eberron: gives much more details about the 4 unique races of the world, as well as some more expansion on the regular races. it brings lots of crunch that can enrich the game.

- the 5 nations: this book gives better understanding of the common origins of the characters and politics, forces, and general life in Khorvaire. very little crunch, but the fluff is quite helpful and good.

- Faiths of Eberron: usually i frown from any fantasy religion books, but this book is simply AMAZING. it makes religion a more prelavent aspect of life in the world (more than the Realms' "i believe in the god who'se portfolio is...). it gives a much deeper understanding of the belief system and religion in the world, enriching the world by a lot. each religion is quite different, addresses the most common issues of a spiritual life, and how they answer "the big questions". moderate crunch, but the stuff about religions is a gem.

there are other books, but they are less important, unless you wish to adventure heaviliy in Sarlona, Xen'dric or Argonnesen. you can pic kup books that interest you if you wish. most are fair and above. (except for the player's guide to Ebrron which i found really really lacking, and the Magic of Eberron which i found overly technical)

[OracleofSilence]

For Faerun, I would say Grand History of the Realms. While it is unbearably dry, it lets you get the epic scope down.

For Eberron, Secrets of Xen'drik and Forge of War. One or the other will be really really useful.

[Palanan]

That's funny, because I just sat down and logged on so I could recommend Grand History of the Realms.

It's not technically a 3.0/3.5 sourcebook, even though it's printed in the same format, because there are no rules or mechanical options. Instead it's a chronological listing of every major event in Realmslore, from the misty creation of Abeir-Toril through the last days of the 3.5 version of Faerun. In essence, it's everything you would have gleaned from a painful, brain-soggening crawl through all the novels and whatnot.

I've actually found it useful for helping to situate a campaign within the larger events of the world, although of course the characters won't know but a small portion of what's going on. It also provides some ready-made historical details which the characters would have grown up hearing about, and which would help them relate to events in their family's or nation's past.

It's not something you read straight through, just something to dip into and skim off useful details. If you're planning a campaign in the Realms, it's definitely worth a look.

[Ernir]

All read, massive cut for volume :smallbiggrin:

Thanks for the answers, people.

For Ravenloft, I would recommend Vampire of the Mists, Knight of the Black Rose, and I, Strahd. They give you a very good idea of how Ravenloft works, and the kind of mood you want to be setting.
Good to know.

i don;t know FR that much, but i do know Eberron reasonably well.
the nice thing about Eberron, is that while they mention major themes, they leave a LOT of unaccounted for mysteries, for the DM to fill in or itnerpert:

- Are the gods real?
- what created the Mournland, what IS the Mournald?
- what do the Daelkyer want?
- Why aren't the dragons ruling the world?
- Do the Valenar seek conflict for it's own sake, or do they have a plan?
- do warforged have souls?
- what is the significance of the dragon marks? pure and aberrant?
and so on and so on...
Hmm, purposefully unanswered questions do sound very useful.

i would recommend 3 books however that i found are well written and that can greatly enrich the game:
- races of Eberron:
- the 5 nations:
- Faiths of Eberron:
Noted. :smallsmile:

For Faerun, I would say Grand History of the Realms. While it is unbearably dry, it lets you get the epic scope down.
That's funny, because I just sat down and logged on so I could recommend [I]Grand History of the Realms.
Sounds like a book I have to get. Really, it's exactly what I was looking for for FR.

[Aidan305]

I don't know of any Planescape novels.
There are, I believe, four. A trilogy and a stand-alone. None of them represent the setting particularly well unfortunately.

A better option when looking for material for Planescape is to play Torment. (Or read this bloody brilliant Let's Play (http://lparchive.org/Planescape-Torment/) of it.)