Campaign Settings

[Draemr]

Hey guys, a year ago, I bought the Dragonlance Campaign Setting and a while after, Towers of High Sorcery because I loved the novels. I've tried it out but I don't enjoy it at all. The setting doesn't seem to translate well from novels to D&D. I was wondering does anyone else think this too?

Also, I'm considering getting the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. What do you guys think about it as a setting? Pros and Cons etc.

Thanks.

[Morty]

Forgotten Realms are good because it's a huge setting, so no matter how long you play, there'll be somewhere your party haven't been. Generally, it's a very solid setting without any shiny original things, but very well done and detailed. However, big amount of high-level NPCs annoys some people. And I'm personally not too fond of active gods stomping around the place and there's a bit too much black-and-whiteness sometimes. But the good things outweight the bad.

[Zincorium]

Forgotten realms is a very cool setting if you really get down at the PC's level and go for the exploration and local adventuring. It only gets cliche if you have Eliminster and Drizzt wandering around, and that's not hard to avoid.

Another one to look at is Eberron, it's probably the best-suited campaign setting for 3.0/3.5. Lots of cool stuff, extremely varied adventure types are perfectly doable with just a simple airship jaunt from place to place.

[Draemr]

One of the reasons FR appealed to me is because it is a generic D&D setting, it doesn't seem difficult to translate general D&D matierial (the Complete X series etc.) into FR matierial. That was the problem with Dragonlance, everything was different, alot of things (PrCs, Psionics, etc.) wouldn't work and those that would had to be adapted beyond recognition. There wasn't much room for personal adaptions either. Ebberon seems to be very different from generic D&D too. Are these problems present with Ebberon too?

[Project_Mayhem]

Nah, the point of eberron is, if it exists in dnd it exists there. Stuffs normally got a slightly different spin though

[Draemr]

Sounds good. I've played D&D Online and I liked the atmosphere and flavour of the world. I'll look into it.

But another thing I wanted to know was what other players thought of how Dragonlance translated from novels to RPG. It might just be me but it seemed that, especially when it came to Sorcery or Mysticism, the fluff was hastily thrown together to try and fit them into the world. It didn't feel natural.

What do you think?

[ShadowSiege]

If I play a published setting, I prefer the Eberron setting over Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms (FR's high level NPCs and rampant gods irk me to no end).

It's a much higher magic setting than even Generi-hawk, which may turn some people off of it. A lot of D&D assumptions are dropped (dragons aren't color coded for your hunting convenience, elves only have 3 varieties, totally different planar system, gods are apathetic if present at all). The history isn't lacking, they provide a loose time line akin to what you would see in high school world history, providing more detail the closer you get to the present.

Nah, the point of eberron is, if it exists in dnd it exists there. Stuffs normally got a slightly different spin though

This is exactly correct, there's no funky crunch changes, just a change of fluff.

[Draemr]

I have to say, Ebberron seems to be the way to go. A question, is there much Ebberron matierial printed for 3.5 and will it continue to be printed after 4th?

[batsofchaos]

IIRC, Eberron is solely in 3.5. As for 4ed, it's both a fairly new and pretty popular campaign setting, so I'd imagine it making the cut.

[Overlard]

I have to say, Ebberron seems to be the way to go. A question, is there much Ebberron matierial printed for 3.5 and will it continue to be printed after 4th?

It's popular enough that it'll get treatment (probably 2nd), but FR is first on WOTC's release list.

[Draemr]

I don't currently intend to switch to 4th ed so I just wanted to know whether there were many 3.5 resources for Ebberron and would there be any more after the changeover.

[horseboy]

But another thing I wanted to know was what other players thought of how Dragonlance translated from novels to RPG. It might just be me but it seemed that, especially when it came to Sorcery or Mysticism, the fluff was hastily thrown together to try and fit them into the world. It didn't feel natural.

What do you think?

It worked well with 1st edition. The change over to 2nd hurt it. 3rd well, I'm surprised they even did a 3rd edition change over for it.

[mostlyharmful]

I've got the Dragonlance CS, it's ok but I always homebrew the history from the test of the twins onwards to cut down the messed up retconning, just have the Dragon overlords turn up and go from there, no second cataclysm, no war of souls. As for fitting random other things into it there's other continents things come from occassionally and halve of Ansalon isn't really touched, just the bits around Palanthas and Abbassinia so you can have most anything in the north or east without changing the fluff overly.

Overall I thought it did an ok job of trying to cram the Dragonlance books that have been writen by lots of different writers into the setting without completely losing sight of the original feel. But it does need cutting down to whatever time period in Krynns history you prefer.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Eberron has been at least tacitly confirmed for 4th Edition, which makes sense, as it's the newest setting and they've put a hell of a lot of effort into marketing it. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if that's where we see 4th Edition gnome stats.

I can also heartily recommend Eberron. Basically, I'd go with Forgotten Realms if you like having a whole lot of setting details to work with (but can filter out what you don't need for your specific campaign), and Eberron if you want more of a general framework. They also have somewhat different feels to them: Forgotten Realms seems pretty settled into traditional High Fantasy, while Eberron tends toward pulp action and more modernist genres.

[RTGoodman]

I can't cite my source (I'm such a bad history major ), but soon after the announcement of 4E I thought someone mentioned that FR and Eberron were both being converted, as well as possible other settings, but that they would only do one per year. FR 4.0 is set to be officially released August 2008 (I believe), and I think that Eberron is set to be re-released August 2009.

I'm one of the few that really don't like Eberron, but mostly that's just from a flavor point-of-view - I just don't like the feel of the setting. I'll have to hand it to them, though, that it is well-designed, doesn't suffer from the problems of FR (high-level NPCs, innumerable elf subraces, an overglut of history), and, perhaps most importantly, manages to create a unique campaign setting that is decidedly not sword-and-sorcery, high-magic fantasy. I don't particularly care for the way they did that (Magic technology! Trains! Airships! Sentient robots! Moral ambiguity!), but it's acceptable.

[crimson77]

I don't currently intend to switch to 4th ed so I just wanted to know whether there were many 3.5 resources for Ebberron and would there be any more after the changeover.

Looking at Wizards previous history, there will most likely not be any more 3.5 resources after 4.0 is released. However, they might be a book or two (3.5) released before the official release of 4.0.

I understand that right now you are not interested in 4.0; however, this may change as your friends/other players buy the books. My recommendation would be to hold off on purchasing any new books because:

1. You might end up repurchasing the book in 4.0 format.
2. The prices of 3.5 books will most likely fall after the 4.0 books hit the shelves. Just look at second edition books, you can purchase them right now for $4.

[ShadowSiege]

Looking at Wizards previous history, there will most likely not be any more 3.5 resources after 4.0 is released. However, they might be a book or two (3.5) released before the official release of 4.0.

I understand that right now you are not interested in 4.0; however, this may change as your friends/other players buy the books. My recommendation would be to hold off on purchasing any new books because:

1. You might end up repurchasing the book in 4.0 format.
2. The prices of 3.5 books will most likely fall after the 4.0 books hit the shelves. Just look at second edition books, you can purchase them right now for $4.

You've pretty much nailed it. If you want the ECS book now, it's US$25 off Amazon, much cheaper than the $40 I paid retail. It has a good selection of books out focusing on different aspects of the setting, so there is no lack of material for 3.5 Eberron.

[PlatinumJester]

I would highly recoend Eberron, since it as so many original things in it such as Dragonmarks and those funky railways.

[Draemr]

I can also heartily recommend Eberron. Basically, I'd go with... Eberron if you want more of a general framework.

That sounds perfect. I always felt constrained by too much detail in DL. I think I'd have room to work in Eberron. I might just go for it.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Oh, if you don't like excessive details and metaplotting, by all means avoid FR. Of course, nothing prevents you from ignoring the excessive detail-ed-ness and metaplot, but it didn't in Dragonlance either.

[Premier]

Draemr, there's one thing you haven't made clear: are you looking for a setting to DM in, or one to play?

If it's the latter, you'd be better off finding a party to play with first, and asking what they play - it very well might be something other than what you had in mind, plus the DM will probably show/lend you whatever setting information you need to create a character and start playing. "I'm only willing to play XXX and nothing else" is not a very good way of finding games to play in, nor of developing a reputation as nice, good, easygoing player.


If you're looking to DM, I have a suggestion that hasn't been mentioned before: create your own setting.

From your posts I sort of infer that what appealed to you in Dragonlance was the generic vanilla Ye Olde Mediaeval Europe feel, which is pretty easy to reproduce on your own. Also, you'd have something to be a lot more proud of then buying all the XXX setting suplements at the store, and it would also be a very useful learning tool for any DM.

What makes creating these sorts of settings very easy is that you can start small and build your way up. Since you don't have any sort of gimmicky overarching stylistic element (it's a dying desert world, it's fantasy spaceships, it's flying blue towers, whatever), you don't need to map the entire continent and create copious historical and political writeups on a dozen kingdoms. All you need to create at first is a small village, a day's march of wilderness, a dungeon and a few bandit and orc camps. Then as your players start growing out the local opportunities, you can add to the setting piecemeal.


On another note, if you do insist on buying ready-made, and if you are looking that sort of vanilla fantasy, then Forgotten Realms and Greyhawk would be the obvious choices, with the good old Ravenloft and Birthright settings running up in the "also somewhat related to the theme" category. If generic fantasy is what you're looking for, I would have to disrecommend Eberron, since it's anything but. It's more a sort of steampunk-meets-magic setting with a side order of "screw the medieval feel, let's throw in everything we can thing of" á la Planescape.

One thing that is good about FR is the availability of many unique "sort-of supplements" that were produced for AD&D 2nd ed.. You can travel to the Far East with Chinese- and Japanese-styled countries with Oriental Adventures, go to 1001 Nights Arabia with Al-Qadim, Central and South America with Maztica, or play Zorro-style swashbuckling with mutants on the Savage Coast - and all are nominally the part of Forgotten Realms on account of being located on the same planet. So yeah, that's cool about it. Some of this stuff is actually freely downloadable off the WotC site.

[leperkhaun]

there is a good amount for 3.5 stuff for Ebberon. It is also going to 4E, and according to the devs its basically staying the same. Gnomes still have two houses and are a major race despite gnomes bieng cut out of the PHB.

[Draemr]

I'm a DM, for my sins

I'm actually in the middle of constructing my own setting which is more Dark-Age Fantasy than High Medieval. But our group likes to try different things and that's why I'm on the lookout for a new setting.

The reason I was originally looking for a generic "ye-olde-fantasie" style setting was because DL was too specific. Forgotten Realms being so big, I thought there'd be lots to work with. But FR seems to suffer (to a lesser degree) with the same problem as DL: An extremely detailed history, mythos, and cosmology that leaves little to no room to adapt. I think this is due, at least in DL, to the wealth of novels. There's only so many times you can save the world etc.

Eberron, from what I've read up on it online, has that motto quoted earlier: "If it's in D&D, it's in Eberron." I'm aware that it makes a dramatic departure from "standard" D&D but from what people have said, I think it might give me the room to work and adapt things for my campaigns.

[AslanCross]

I'm DMing in both FR and Eberron right now. I enjoy them both. FR for the diversity (I just ignore Elminster and co for now, or else it's no fun) and Eberron for its grittiness.

[Sleet]

Overall I thought it did an ok job of trying to cram the Dragonlance books that have been writen by lots of different writers into the setting without completely losing sight of the original feel. But it does need cutting down to whatever time period in Krynns history you prefer.

That's about the size of it. I love to game in the Dragonlance setting, but you do have to know how to work around a lot of stuff that doesn't fit all that well together - the price you pay for having as many fingers into that pie as there are.

[Prometheus]

I've just never really understood the purpose of a campaign setting. I take what I like from each and put it somewhere beneficial. I don't use modules either, but it doesn't seem too hard to adapt a module for a specific setting anyway.

[Creeps]

There's also many non-WotC settings, depending what you're into. If you like bleak dark age stuff, there's Midnight by Fantasy Flight Games. Iron Kingdoms by Pioneer Press is just dandy for Steam Fantasy (I'm much more fond of IK than Ebberron). White Wolf's Scarred Lands and WotC's Kingdoms of Kalamar are good generic fantasy. Oo, oo, Thieves' World! That one is keen, too!

Really, there's a whole heckuva lot out there.

Oo! Conan! Conan is keen! (Also, king)

[Xyk]

there is a good amount for 3.5 stuff for Ebberon. It is also going to 4E, and according to the devs its basically staying the same. Gnomes still have two houses and are a major race despite gnomes bieng cut out of the PHB.

WOAH! This is the first I've heard of this. What the crap?