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View Full Version : Favorite Campaign Setting?



NRSASD
2016-03-01, 07:43 PM
We all visit this forum because we like visiting fictional worlds from time to time, and because some of us like playing RPGs. What are some of your favorite campaign settings you've read about or played in and why?

Inevitability
2016-03-02, 11:22 AM
Eberron, for two reasons.

1. It subverts classical D&D clichés. Orcs aren't bloodthirsty barbarians, but shamanistic aberration-fighters. Humans may have actually been created by Eldritch Abominations. Elves worship their ancestors. A paladin can commit horrible murder without Falling.

2. It is diverse. Cosmic horror, exploration, urban intrigue, and 'classical D&D' are all easily possible.

Fable Wright
2016-03-02, 11:33 AM
Eberron.

It's one of those rare settings that has both lots of stuff in it for the DM to play with, and lots of mysteries that are left open for the DM to fill. Unlike the Forgotten Realms, which can be very confining to a DM due to all the known, powerful players in the setting and exhaustively reported cultures there, Eberron has a lot of little players and areas that the setting points out as being strange with little to no explanation. It's fun to play in, fun to DM for, and is incredibly unique as something other than a generic fantasy stew.

Tiktakkat
2016-03-02, 01:09 PM
Greyhawk

Enough space with enough variation and light enough development to customize in enough ways to provide more campaign concepts that I can ever use.

Knaight
2016-03-02, 01:17 PM
Warbirds. It's a dieselpunk game involving the Caribbean islands being relocated to what may or may not be the region around the eye of a gas planet windstorm.

Then there's GURPS, which doesn't have interesting campaign settings so much as extremely well researched historical periods and similar with game support.

Blue Lantern
2016-03-02, 01:45 PM
Planescape, it was one of the first really different settings and I always loved the planar adventures.

A mention to Dragonlance as well, mostly for the novels, those were some of my first fantasy reading.

Silus
2016-03-02, 02:32 PM
Pathfinder, as there's generally enough stuff going on that you always have options. Feel like murdering your way through hordes of demon monkeys? There's a land for that. High seas adventure? There's a land for that. Starting a revolution and steering a Les Miserables plot to a happier conclusion? There's a land for that.

Eberron, for the above stated reasons. I love me some fantasy-trope subversions/aversions.

Azeroth/World of Warcraft (D20). I played WoW back in the day so it's a massive nostalgia trip to tromp around the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor again. That and I remember the general Pre-Cata layout like the back of my hand so there's that.

CovertCobalt
2016-03-02, 03:42 PM
Dark Sun! I love the unusual and compelling depictions of the typical D&D races, plus the setting is asbolutely viciously deadly, which makes for loads of fun in-game.

Moreover, I just can't get enough of those Thri-Kreen! Mantis-Men? Yes please.

Aetis
2016-03-02, 03:47 PM
Iron Kingdoms.

Âmesang
2016-03-02, 07:13 PM
WORLD OF GREYHAWK®. :smallsmile: Granted, a lot of it is due to being the default setting for 3rd Edition so I found it the easiest one to get into (since that's where I started my adventures with D&D). I just have a lot of fun reading the history (both in-game and out) of a setting that's been around for 40 years or so… and yet still has countless lands to explore beyond the Flanaess.

…it also doesn't hurt that a character I created in the unrelated game, SoulCalibur III, is a near-perfect match for the Suel in appearance, personality, and ability. :smalltongue: Extraordinarily uncanny considering I didn't know squat about Greyhawk when I made her a decade ago. That and other coincidences made her a perfect fit for the setting; though it hasn't stopped her from shadow walking to FORGOTTEN REALMS®, EBERRON™, and beyond…

Lord Torath
2016-03-02, 09:07 PM
My favorite has got to be The Known World (aka Mystara), simply because I started there. Mostly the Grand Duchy and the Thangoeth Archipelago.

Aftet that, Dark Sun! I love the Thri-Kreen, and I really enjoy the setting. Pre-Prism Pentad, though. I really loved that, as you played, you were expected to change the Status Quo, either through raising armies or psionic enchantments. No one levels up quietly on Athas.

Spelljammer. Like a swashbucker campaign, but soooo much more fun! I think my main complaint with it is the economic model (helms are way to expensive!), but Hackjammer helps a lot with that. I love the cosmology, the physics (except for heavy ballistas the fire the same ammo as light ballistas for more damage, but at a slower velocity - that needed to be fixed!), and the Giant Space Hamsters! Plus, beholder nations, illithid slavers, and the Neogi. Plus Thri-Kreen!

Eldan
2016-03-02, 09:23 PM
Planescape. Not only is the original material fantastic in a lot of ways, it is also one of the few settings that really tried to make things different in some ways that other "different" settins haven't tried. And it easily fits just about every genre you can think of. Philosophical exploration, fantastical discovery, noir, crime thriller, eldritch horror, treasure hunt, dungeon delve, space opera are all included by default, before you start getting creative with ideas. On top of that, it includes every other setting, so there's that as well.

hamlet
2016-03-03, 02:08 PM
Official or unofficial?

I'm guessing we're talking published of course.

For me, it's a tie between Greyhawk and Kalamar.

1) Greyhawk because it's light framework and open space gives you plenty of room to be creative and enough structure to help shape things. It's also relatively light on the overabundance of magic that Forgotten Realms and Eberron are (though those are good too in their way). It's easily "tunable" and most often enjoyable with somebody who knows the ropes.

2) Kalamar for largely the same reasons as Greyhawk, it's just a little thicker in development which gives you some stronger direction. Still room for creativity, though, and I really like the setup.

The WHFRP world is great, too. Dark Sun is fun for what it is. Dragonlance can be fun.

Khedrac
2016-03-03, 04:53 PM
The Known World (Mystara) and Glorantha.

Coidzor
2016-03-03, 10:31 PM
Eberron, though that's partially because I just don't know enough about Birthright, Spelljammer, and Planescape which are ones I'm always interested in when I remember them, but I rarely come by such ancient tomes.

Golarion is probably the best kitchen sink I've seen, and probably my favorite setting that I have a love-hate relationship with. Although it's only competition is Forgotten Realms when it comes to that.

AquaLord
2016-03-03, 10:58 PM
Spelljammer: I think planescape is ultimately more interesting but spelljammer is just pure fun. Space is not a cold vacuum of death. Its a warm vibrant sea of color with space whales and giant living balls of fire that fly in the distance.

One planet is full of illithid ranchers that run a school to increase peoples knowledge in the best ways in order to maximize the flavor.

A planet where one of the cities is full of murderous and cunning halflings that are constantly at war with one another. If anyone tries to stop a war both sides will call a truce, kill the 3rd party, then resume their war properly.

One planet is dubbed "planet of the tarrasques"

The local tavern is run by an extremely intelligent beholder that has broken the 4th wall and knows we are all in a game.

A base of goblins and orcs that are holed up in the skeleton of a giant space sea turtle.

Magic Death Star

A moon orbiting Faerun has a portal to Edd Greenwoods office.

Âmesang
2016-03-04, 09:31 AM
So that's how "The Wizards Three" always found their way to Ed's house. :smalltongue: I'll have to read up on my Realmspace guide…

Lorsa
2016-03-04, 02:41 PM
Are we talking about D&D settings?

In that case I must admit I haven't read many of them in much detail, just the stuff about Greyhawk that is in the 3rd edition PHB/DMG (which is nothing more or less, a bit about Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms.

When I read about FR, I got the feeling whoever made the setting has the same kind of ideas I have; it's just full of adventure. I know people have problems with all those super powerfuil NPCs, but if you ignore them I find the rest of the setting very well written and full of adventure hooks.

Lurkmoar
2016-03-04, 02:47 PM
Dark Sun! I love the unusual and compelling depictions of the typical D&D races, plus the setting is asbolutely viciously deadly, which makes for loads of fun in-game.

Dark Sun for me too.

I mean... the halflings want to eat you. Also, the Valley of Dust and Fire is so hilariously difficult that it's fun to try when a group thinks they can take on the Dragon of Tyr.

PCs usually die before they're within fifty miles of the place.