Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Paradisio 09-29-05, 09:33 PM	I was wondering what everyones input is on which of the campaign settings is best, I am interested in starting my next campaign using one of them.
SinisterSeraph 09-29-05, 09:39 PM	Of the current ones, My fav is Iron Kingdoms, although the Forgotten Realms has a HUGE number of supporters, and that many people can't all be wrong. Ebberron is still new and the "baby" CS, so I can't really give an opinion on it. I would also suggest looking at the older Campaign settings that haven't been officially updated. They offer a very wide diversity of tastes, and can ususally be found in some updated (if unofficial) form. I would suggest the Out of Print forums here for links to pages like Planeswalker and it's kin if that option appeals to you.
Molitor 09-29-05, 09:41 PM	I was wondering what everyones input is on which of the campaign settings is best, I am interested in starting my next campaign using one of them. Greyhawk or Ravenloft are my favorites.
weasel fierce 09-29-05, 09:43 PM	The best one is the one that will make you have more fun. Im partial to Greyhawk or Dragonlance, but mostly, I run games in my own little world.
Devildefender7 09-29-05, 10:09 PM	I go with my own little world i live in every day, Because i know every nook and crany, but you can make them so when the pcs discover things youll even get surrprised, plus you get the statifaction that its yours. if ya hafta go prebuilt forgotten realms is an fav of mine and dragonlance is cool awsome history.
Slyde Shadowdart 09-29-05, 10:15 PM	Oh my. This will devolve into petty silliness quickly. The "best" campaign setting is entirely subjective. All you will get here are opinions, since there is no factual answer. Eventually, this will turn into 'net "shouting" matches between patrons of the various campaign setting evangelists. The best answer I can give is to read through all of the ones you can, or that you already have a passing interest in. Not the whole book, but read enough to get a feel for the world. Usually this can be done in a few minutes in a bookstore. Some libraries even carry the books. Take a look. Judge for yourself. Nobody can tell you what you'll like best but you. If you don't have access to them before buying, and can't read through them yourself, try and focus on posts from people that approach the subject from an informational basis over a "I like/hate X" basis. *steps out to avoid the oncoming flame wars*
Paradisio 09-29-05, 11:08 PM	Let me narrow it down: -Is 3.0-3.5 -Doesn't take years to learn -Is a "big" world All the worlds I try to run using stuff from various campaign settings usually just ends up with horribly broken PCs who can't be challenged unless I spend hours min/maxxing each NPC.
weasel fierce 09-29-05, 11:38 PM	Let me narrow it down: -Is 3.0-3.5 -Doesn't take years to learn -Is a "big" world 3.whatever only has two campaigns, Greyhawk and Eberron. Of those two, only one is actively supported. So there you go. Buy Eberron. All the worlds I try to run using stuff from various campaign settings usually just ends up with horribly broken PCs who can't be challenged unless I spend hours min/maxxing each NPC. Create a campaign, not prestige classes and feats
Paradisio 09-29-05, 11:42 PM	I didn't make new classes/feats. I meant I allowed them to take specific stuff from different campaign settings.
Slyde Shadowdart 09-29-05, 11:43 PM	Actually, supported well or not, there are more. Forgotten Realms, Kingdoms of Kalamar, and Midnight come to mind ATM. There are tons of "D20" settings that are arguably just different takes on D&D also. If you're speaking of "official" campaigns, there are three. Living Greyhawk, Green Regent (the FR campaign), and Mark of Heroes (Eberron). So many choices, each with neat stuff. I wish I had more time to play. :weep: :D
weasel fierce 09-29-05, 11:43 PM	Just ignore those things then.
Shemeska the Marauder 09-29-05, 11:50 PM	Why choose one when you can have tons of them? Planescape.
Lina_Inverse 09-30-05, 12:42 AM	Why choose one when you can have tons of them? Planescape. I agree with shemmy.....This time. Plane scape > all caimpaign settings. There all but small insignifigant parts of planescape afterall.
Lord Ian Stark 09-30-05, 12:51 AM	Let me narrow it down: -Is 3.0-3.5 -Doesn't take years to learn -Is a "big" world To me the 2nd and 3rd requirement seem to clash. You want a huge and vast world but don't want anything that will take time to learn? Well you can make an entire planet with one small city and nothing anywhere else. :P All the worlds I try to run using stuff from various campaign settings usually just ends up with horribly broken PCs who can't be challenged unless I spend hours min/maxxing each NPC. Well all the splat books are usually part of FR or Greyhawk so that means those two are out. Eberron has more and more things coming out and has many powerful builds for PC's. So that's out. Actually I guess it's all out except for either a homebrew game or only allowing certain PRC's as the RAW suggests.
Paradisio 09-30-05, 01:32 AM	I'll ignore the snide comments. The planescape idea is interesting, and it would let me transition the current players into a different setting easily and would also make a little more sense out of the last campaign which ended up having a bit of spelljammer in it. I already have the eberron core book, so that gives me a little extra incentive. Are there any 3.0-3.5 books that cover planescape/multiverses? I'm mostly worried about divine powers.
Shemeska the Marauder 09-30-05, 02:05 AM	I'll ignore the snide comments. The planescape idea is interesting, and it would let me transition the current players into a different setting easily and would also make a little more sense out of the last campaign which ended up having a bit of spelljammer in it. I already have the eberron core book, so that gives me a little extra incentive. Are there any 3.0-3.5 books that cover planescape/multiverses? I'm mostly worried about divine powers. Planescape became the 'core' cosmology in 3e, they just gutted it of references to any deities but the Greyhawk ones, though some places they couldn't entirely. If you read between in the lines in the 3e Manual of the Planes you'll find Loki's domain and Hade's domain, just without their names in the description. So the 3.5 DMG, 3e MotP, 3.5 Planar Handbook, all the PS critters in literally every 3e monster book, etc. All of the 2e settings can be used seamlessly in a 3e PS game since they were all part of the same prime material plane in Planescape. Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Greyhawk all fit seamlessly and the 3e material for them can be used as part of the larger Planescape rubric. Just ignore the attempts in 3e FR to give it suddenly and inexplicably a new cosmology (they never gave an in game explanation, and literally told us, and I quote "It's always been that way.") Any of the 2e Planescape sites might have information to snag for ideas, and Planewalker (should be up again after some code changes, in the next few days) will be useful for a 3e PS game. I never played 2e, never started till 3e, and I've had literally no problem running 3e Planescape since most of the old material wasn't heavy on stats anyway. The only problem you might encounter is if you wanted to use Eberron. Unlike the other settings, Eberron was never written to be used within the Great Wheel / Planescape cosmology and so you would need to come up with some explanation of why its inhabitants perceive their planes as so very different, or perhaps just gloss over the differences. I'm inclined personally to respect the intentions of the setting's creator and not attempt to force fit it into Planescape. But that's just me. FR, Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Darksun, Ravenloft, etc those were set within the Great Wheel since they first saw print so they're open game, expected really, for a PS campaign, though PS does tend to emphasize the planes rather than the prime. Though that might vary by DM certainly.
Shemeska the Marauder 09-30-05, 02:06 AM	I agree with shemmy.....This time. See! I'm not all bad. Evil but not bad. We can agree on some things from time to time http://arcanofox.foxpaws.net/shemmywink.gif
babysamurai 09-30-05, 06:22 AM	Yes, Planescape is the best all-inclusive campaign setting. Not only can you go plane-hopping, but you can go world-hopping via Spelljamming. One adventure you're haggling in a bazzar in the City of Brass, and the next adventure you're trying to find a Spelljamming ship to get from Krynn to Toril. Then maybe one day, Zeus will want you to find him a decent catamite.
Lina_Inverse 09-30-05, 07:09 AM	See! I'm not all bad. Evil but not bad. We can agree on some things from time to time http://arcanofox.foxpaws.net/shemmywink.gif I never said your bad. You are however evil and not someone i want in my games. You might hinder the large explosions that the plot hooks together..... Everyone has a right to play however they want. As long as they do stuff i dont like over there.
Rake 09-30-05, 07:19 AM	3.whatever only has two campaigns, Greyhawk and Eberron. Of those two, only one is actively supported. So there you go. Buy Eberron. Fut the wuck are you on? ...I'll have what he's having... Forgotten Realms isn't actively supported..? Uh... wanna look again? I mean, I agree... go with Eberron, it's a terrific change of pace, but "Greyhawk and Eberron" aren't your only choices.
KJW 09-30-05, 07:57 AM	You are just going to get a lot of conflicting opinions on that question. Everyone has an opinion and its based on subjectives. You just need to flip through a couple of books for all of the settings mentioned, or ask the opinion of someone whose opinion you trust. I have problems with nearly all published campaign settings, but with a good DM any of them can work very well. The Realms is the mainline setting of D&D, Eberron is the new setting that may or may not make it, Greyhawk is the red-headed stepchild of D&D, Planescape is cool, but incredibly complex to pull off effectively, and there are more 3rd party settings than you can shake a stick at. But it doesn't matter, pick the one you like and run with it.
Gilean 09-30-05, 12:46 PM	Fut the wuck are you on? ...I'll have what he's having... Forgotten Realms isn't actively supported..? Uh... wanna look again? I mean, I agree... go with Eberron, it's a terrific change of pace, but "Greyhawk and Eberron" aren't your only choices.Guess he forgot the Realms. What a coincidence.
Asciiman 09-30-05, 12:56 PM	Forgotten Realms.
Shemeska the Marauder 09-30-05, 01:31 PM	Then maybe one day, Zeus will want you to find him a decent catamite. :twitch:
weasel fierce 09-30-05, 01:54 PM	ah, my bad. I didnt realize that the forgettable realms were still having RPG material sold for them. 3 options then.
Utokai 09-30-05, 04:33 PM	Although not an entire campaign, Ghostwalk is great. One of the biggest plusses is that there's only one book, and you can mix it into an existing world with ease.
Glanoric 10-01-05, 01:33 AM	Deffinitely Planescape. Nothing beats it for pure flavor and for being... different. Which is good. At this point I'd rather die than have to play in yet another high fantasy crapshoot.
Lina_Inverse 10-01-05, 01:56 AM	:twitch: Priceless.
lonesoldier 10-01-05, 02:01 AM	Buy Eberron. Yes.
The Shaman 10-01-05, 02:58 AM	Although not an entire campaign, Ghostwalk is great. One of the biggest plusses is that there's only one book, and you can mix it into an existing world with ease.Ghostwalk is outstanding, a really innovative piece of work. I can't say enough good things about the Wilderlands of High Fantasy - it is an amazingly rich setting.
cerberuspuppy 10-01-05, 03:27 AM	I'll ignore the snide comments. The planescape idea is interesting, and it would let me transition the current players into a different setting easily and would also make a little more sense out of the last campaign which ended up having a bit of spelljammer in it. I already have the eberron core book, so that gives me a little extra incentive. Are there any 3.0-3.5 books that cover planescape/multiverses? I'm mostly worried about divine powers. I recommend that you read the Eberron book cover to cover, then think about the setting and why things are the way they are. Ask any questions you might have on the Eberron boards. I think that, especially if you have DM'ed before, you'll appreciate the way the setting is crafted to actually give you an easier time. At first, I thought it was the other way around. I thought there was just too much stuff for any DM to keep track of, let alone use. Alot of it seems wierd, or like so many bones thrown to munchkins or the quirky kids who'd play a chocobo-riding pokemon trainer if they could, but that is a totally superficial view of the setting, and focuses too much on the odds and ends at the edges. Even things like the Warforged are much cooler and much more balanced upon closer inspection. Everything's there for a reason, even if that reason is just to give you more material to work with. It can all seem a little overwhelming at first, but you don't have to use it all. You can run an Eberron game completely ignoring psionics, for example. Then there's the lightning rail, and other forms of expidited transportation. Long travel times can be a big problem. I have recently seen that bog down a game almost to death. We spent so much time travelling and fighting wilderness encounters that we forgot about the plot and got bored with the fight of the week. With the rail, you can just skip the travel itself and stay focused on the plot. It becomes possible to have a globe-hopping adventure, which can be something different in itself. Also, there are no superstar NPCs who will always overshadow/outshine the PCs no matter what they do. I have actually heard of FR games where the party decided to go get Eliminster or Drizzt to help them, and then the DM has to come up with some reason why they can't or won't. There are plenty of reasons to choose Eberron, not the least of which is that you have the book. Read through it, and I can practically guarantee that you will come up with at least two or three campaign ideas. Depending on which you choose, you will need only one more book if any. City of Towers, for example, will give you plenty to go on for a city-based game. Sharn is as good as Waterdeep or Sigil for being the focus of an entire campaign. You can probably run a globe-hopping campaign without any more books, but the Explorer's Guide might be of some help. Five Nations could be useful for a big political game, but again, not absolutely necessary. Even if you're a completist (I'm certainly not) there are only four more books counting Races of Eberron. Magic of Eberron which isn't even out yet. Those two even strike me as ones your players might get, and if so you can borrow from them if you really want a Recaster or something.
UpStartCrow22 10-01-05, 10:10 AM	Eberron is a little off in my opinion...It adds a science fiction feel/view to D&D but the magic as electricity to fuel airships and lights is pretty cool... Forgotten Realms is what I play...It's plain and simple and fun... Dragon Lance is good two but in my opinion it is a little bit corny... Ghostwalk is inovative but is only realy good for an undead or evil campaign... Ravenloft is very good for a horror based low magic campaign setting...Great for a witch hunt like campaign...
Gilean 10-01-05, 12:53 PM	Eberron is a little off in my opinion...It adds a science fiction feel/view to D&D but the magic as electricity to fuel airships and lights is pretty cool...According to what I've heard, it doesn't.Forgotten Realms is what I play...It's plain and simple and fun...Aghhh, no. FR is everything that is wrong in D&D. IMHO.Dragon Lance is good two but in my opinion it is a little bit corny...Best of the WotC's settings I have had the pleasure of getting to know.Ghostwalk is inovative but is only realy good for an undead or evil campaign...I miss the need for being evil in Ghostwalk. They even make ghosts not be undead, IIRC.Ravenloft is very good for a horror based low magic campaign setting...Great for a witch hunt like campaign...This sounds good. Recommended along Planescape.
Man in the Funny Hat 10-01-05, 01:39 PM	Wilderlands of High Fantasy
Scipion Emilien 10-01-05, 01:54 PM	First, I must say that which campaign setting is the best, really differ from one to another. To help you know what you prefer, answer to this questions: Do you prefer a low-magic world, high-magic or something between? Do you want the classic western medieval game, oriental adventure or a change of pace? Do you prefer crunch or fluff? As for the campaign setting of 3.0/3.5, from what i Know there is: Greyhawk: the classic western medieval game, medium-magic Dragonlance: a romantic setting where knight orders are really important, low-magic i think Forgotten realms: The realms bring you all you want, it is a high magic medieval fantasy game where the gods intervention and the religion (and war of religion of course) are more common than in most others settings. Eberron: A change of pace, Eberron is somewhat a cross-breed between medieval western Europe and d20 modern, where low magic is wide but high magic tend to be rare. It scarred me at first, but after reading the campaign setting, i would probably play in this game, they are a lot of good idea. Ravenloft: It is a gothic horror setting, where the vilains usually start with the upper hand and you have to defeat hit, it is western medieval with a dark tone. Really low-magic (my favorite personnally) Kingdom of calamar: Don t really know this one, saw the books one time, it s 3rd edition, i think it s oriental but im unsure Planescape: the setting that encompass all, high magic of course since the plane are magic, they can provide a link to all realms a the exceptions of Eberron, but they are a setting in itself for you can visit the wondrous planes. Mystara: dont know And i think on their web site, darksun was update to 3.x too even if they are no Wotc publications. I hope that help.
GrimbusOcrbuster 10-01-05, 02:26 PM	Al Quadim is a very good campaign setting. It makes a change from European Medival Campaigns such as Greyhawk etc.
GreatEye 10-01-05, 02:53 PM	I'm running a Scarred Lands campaign and it's been a lot of fun. Because it's not a WotC product, the players were unfamiliar with the setting and enjoyed starting without preconceptions. There's a lot of published material that you can get CHEAP. The setting has been cancelled, which is unfortunate. That said, I've got more material than I will ever likely use.