Is it normal or recommended that i, as a DM, try to combine the settings from the core book, with the ones from keep on the shadowfell, with the forgotten realms, and with this other book my GF bought me from the 3.5e?
is that out of the question?
if it is possible, it it easy?
Can't i just create a world of my own using bits and pieces from all these sources?????
Can't i just create a world of my own using bits and pieces from all these sources?????
Of course, if you want to. Why not!?
Cheers, LT.
Here's the deal. I got really excited when i decided i was going to play this game that i went out and bought everything that had come out for 4th edition. I just finished reading thorugh the core books, and like most, i came up with ideas i wanted to use in my campaign. Here is the problem. In buying everything i could get my hands on, i bought the core books which i assume are set in eberron, i bought the Keep on the shadowfell adventure pack, AND i bought the new Forgotten Realms campaign guide and player guide. from what i've read since, i have come to learn that the core books and the forgotten realms are two different world and are played separately from each other. if i had know this, i would not have bought th eforgotten realms. so here is my question:
Is it normal or recommended that i, as a DM, try to combine the settings from the core book, with the ones from keep on the shadowfell, with the forgotten realms, and with this other book my GF bought me from the 3.5e?
is that out of the question?
if it is possible, it it easy?
Can't i just create a world of my own using bits and pieces from all these sources?????
Yes, yes you can.
p.s. the Core books are not set in Eberron. Eberron will be released in 2009.
So free free to mix and match!
Can't i just create a world of my own using bits and pieces from all these sources?????
Yes.
(In case you still had doubts.)
For example, my homebrew takes from Eberron by using things like Darkwood and Soarwood, Airships, and a long war that had broken apart several nations. It also dips into Forgotten Realms and takes away things like the Swordmage and the Underdark. These things are combined with the many things that I came up with on my own and things I changed to avoid confusion. For example in the beginning my world had Halflings riding Dinosaurs like T-Rex, and Eberron has Halflings riding smaller dinosaurs. That has since been omitted from the world because I realized that my idea was a good one poorly executed and Keith Bakers was a similar idea well executed.
And maybe you will read through and find that you truly enjoy Forgotten Realms or Eberron (which is not out yet for 4e). You can develop your own love affair with those worlds but they are not nearly as fulfilling as creating your own. That and you have to deal with the fact that other people have read those books and reached their own expectations on the world and how it is presented. Some people hate to see change to those worlds and it can be ugly at times (I added cannons to Eberron and got into a few spats with a friend over it when we played with that setting).
However, you would be surprised how people get sucked in when you take an element they are used to and change it ever so slightly. In the D&D world those people tend to be sucked right in and on the edge of their seats waiting to see the next fascinating thing you have planned with the game and world.
So, in the end, I say yes you can and should use those books. Its your own world and there is a lot that goes into making a world but when you feel writers block it helps to have a book of resources and ideas. Just don’t take to much because you want your homebrew to remain individual and yours.
With spelljammers, anything is possible.
WOO spelljammers! my favorite quote still to date from my group....
Player: "so, if i put this spelljammer helm on a plank of wood i can fly around?"
YES! My own "The Forever Game", which has been running since 1983, uses or has used almost everything in the D&D arsenal and many other games. GO FOR IT!!! Just keep it consistent. In fact, someone on this board has a map of how all of the campaign settings could fit on one world. I wish I knew where it was. My printer is working again and I'd love to print it!
>Just mish-mashing the two or more settings together will be hard on everybody's suspension of disbelief, so it's a poor idea to have a campaign that's all of FR plus all of Eberron plus all of every other setting.
>As others have said, stealing bits and pieces you like from different settings is totally awesome and expected.
>Stealing rules elements from different settings might require some reflavoring, and you'll want to go over exactly what's being added. (Not remembering that one of your players has an ability that totally negates your encounter can be frustrating to say the least.) The system is generally designed that porting over mechanics shouldn't give you a problem, though.
Yes, yes you can.
p.s. the Core books are not set in Eberron. Eberron will be released in 2009.
i had no idea! sweet... then i can wait till then... but where are the core books set then? what world is this?
i had no idea! sweet... then i can wait till then... but where are the core books set then? what world is this?
It is a pseudo setting called points of light. The idea is, it isn't really a mapped out setting n the vein that we have seen before.. basically if you want the temple of elemental evil to be a weeks walk in that direction.. there it is.. right where ever the Dm wants it to be. It makes for a very flexible setting where literally anything can be that the DM needs.
The only parts that are full mapped are what has appeared in the adventures that have been released (the Nentir Vale i think it is called)
posting on here has helped so much. thanks to everyone for these great answers. i got more than i hoped for and it was all good info!
We always aim to provide new posters with the highest quality of disservice, sir. We are glad you appreciate.
>Stealing rules elements from different settings might require some reflavoring, and you'll want to go over exactly what's being added. (Not remembering that one of your players has an ability that totally negates your encounter can be frustrating to say the least.) The system is generally designed that porting over mechanics shouldn't give you a problem, though.
Actually that's no longer a problem with 4th edition. The new design philosophy is that everything is core. Fluff may be world specific, but mechanics aren't. It is not only allowable to steel races, classes, powers, feats, rituals, and even monsters from other setting but it is expected.
And to the OP, as others have pointed out the default setting is a place commonly refereed to as "Points of Light", though I'm not sure if thats actual an official identity. It's the place that all material that isn't world specific (Dark Sun, Dragonlance, Eberron, Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Ravenloft, Spelljammer, and others) is set. PoL is the "setting" that the bulk of products are written for (the only exceptions so far are Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, Forgotten Realms Player's Guide, and Scepter Tower of Spellgard).
All that said, the only important thing to remember is to have fun. Play in any of the worlds crafted by WotC or in a world of your own design. Use whatever materials you like (though be wary of 3/3.5 edition material, they aren't mechanically compatible with 4th edition). Always remember there is no wrong way to play D&D as long as everyone is having fun.
Here's the deal. I got really excited when i decided i was going to play this game that i went out and bought everything that had come out for 4th edition. I just finished reading thorugh the core books, and like most, i came up with ideas i wanted to use in my campaign. Here is the problem. In buying everything i could get my hands on, i bought the core books which i assume are set in eberron, i bought the Keep on the shadowfell adventure pack, AND i bought the new Forgotten Realms campaign guide and player guide. from what i've read since, i have come to learn that the core books and the forgotten realms are two different world and are played separately from each other. if i had know this, i would not have bought th eforgotten realms. so here is my question:
Is it normal or recommended that i, as a DM, try to combine the settings from the core book, with the ones from keep on the shadowfell, with the forgotten realms, and with this other book my GF bought me from the 3.5e?
is that out of the question?
if it is possible, it it easy?
Can't i just create a world of my own using bits and pieces from all these sources?????
Of course you can!
As a matter a fact, the 4th edition version of the FR requires that you customize them to play. There simply isn't enough background material on any region to play in without making up stuff.
what abotu using a 3.5 campaign guide, specifically one called "Ghostwalk" i believe. this is the one my girlfriend got me. i keep hearing that 3.5 is not compatible with 4e. does this mean that what she got me is useless if i'm running on 4e?
Ghostwalk was somewhat of a specialized product.. so the mechanics won;t fit, and it might take some work to get the fluff to fit (I can't remember for sure.. i haven't opened that book in a long, long time..)
But the 3.5 FR book definitely works fine on a fluff level with 4th ed rules.. i have already used some stuff out of it. It is really a matter fo taste as to weather the 4th ed FR guide is for you, 4th ed is very vague is some areas, so you can feel free to freelance you DMing there, 3rd ed (and the prior editions) left very little room for major creativity IMO.
So my advise would be, use all the 3rd books you like for fluff (if you are playing 4th ed), but some of the more unusual settings (such as ghostwalk) my take a little tweaking to work at the moment (future products may support these books playing styles much more)
what abotu using a 3.5 campaign guide, specifically one called "Ghostwalk" i believe. this is the one my girlfriend got me. i keep hearing that 3.5 is not compatible with 4e. does this mean that what she got me is useless if i'm running on 4e?
Ghostwalk is one of my favorite 3rd edition books. But sadly the mechanics aren't compatible with as 4th edition. That being said I've been working on my own version for 4th.
So far I'm basing it along the lines of the Archmage arcane spirit ability true that's an epic level ability, but if everyones got it then that might not be entirely broken. Changes I'm looking at making the manifesting as a a ghost require a short rest and a WIS/CHA check (which ever is better) instead of the Archmage instantaneous version. Since ghostwalk is about adventuring as a ghost I'm considering pulling the no daily powers restriction, but you also become indefinitely weekend as well as insubstantial while a ghost (so you both deal and take half damage). Since you really are dead, you will need actual magic (such as the raise dead ritual) to return to life.
Ghostwalk is one of my favorite 3rd edition books. But sadly the mechanics aren't compatible with as 4th edition. That being said I've been working on my own version for 4th.
So far I'm basing it along the lines of the Archmage arcane spirit ability true that's an epic level ability, but if everyones got it then that might not be entirely broken. Changes I'm looking at making the manifesting as a a ghost require a short rest and a WIS/CHA check (which ever is better) instead of the Archmage instantaneous version. Since ghostwalk is about adventuring as a ghost I'm considering pulling the no daily powers restriction, but you also become indefinitely weekend as well as insubstantial while a ghost (so you both deal and take half damage). Since you really are dead, you will need actual magic (such as the raise dead ritual) to return to life.
so all charcaters are supposed to die before playing in that campaign? then afterwards they must be brought back to life?
so all charcaters are supposed to die before playing in that campaign? then afterwards they must be brought back to life?
Yes, and no. Ghostwalk is based on the concept that a ghost can choose to remain in the world upon death, and there are rules for playing your PC as a ghost when they die. The book is focused around that concept.
Personally, I bought it because I plan on dropping the city of Manifest straight into the Mournland of Eberron, as a side-effect of the Mourning. The rules for ghosts won't be converted, just the town itself with a few Eberron-specific flavor tweaks. You could do the same with FR, making it a side-effect of the Spellplague and the merging of Abeir & Toril.
My own campaign is set in a world of my own design that has some very unusual properties. It's actually a demi-plane (ala Ravenloft,) called Myurakh that has it's basis in the Hickman & Weis Darksword Trilogy (using the continent from the trilogy, Thimhallan,) though it's been re-designed substantially for my own use. The Mystery system and Life from the trilogy have a strong presence in my campaign (though it's not as heavy magic and the timeline has been altered completely.) I use the CORE gods combined with a few real world pagan deities. I have the Eladrin, Drow and Swordmage class from FRPG (though the Drow in my campaign are deep forest dwellers named after the peninsula their homeland is based upon.
I don't have anything from Eberon as I never liked the setting and many parts I absolutely cant stand. But still I make great use of combining other settings and even non-D&D specific settings to make my own, deep, unique world and campaign setting that has been in use and constantly modified and updated since 2nd ed.
Though I am absolutely considering using the Artificer.
You can take bits of pieces from anything you've ever read, watched or experienced as long as it ends up being a fun game for you and your friends to play together.
Just be sure to be creative and ensure that fun is the #1 priority in your game and you can't fail
You must create a world from scratch, manufacture character classes, weapon stats and monsters around a concept that you MUST stick with lest your players get confused when Eberron airships pop up next to Red Wizards of Faerun! Are you crazy!?! You must be COMPLETELY original in all things you do. Otherwise you wont have any fun and people will hate you. a lot. so there.
Actually I was saying that to go against the common thought. You can and should feel free to make the most out of your dnd experience. Otherwise entire worlds of imagination go to waste. Welcome to a game where geomantic halfdragon dwarf psionics with TEETH are a possibility man. Have fun ;)
Maintaining consistency is the hardest part of meshing everything, though. If the drow were sent underground as part of Corellon's curse, how did drow end up on Xen'drik? If the Spellplague ripped across all of reality, why are there no Spell-plagued wastelands any place but Faerun?
I used portals and a desperate teleportation to explain how the drow got so spread out, but I'm going to hold off on the small details of other things until I've got all of the campaign setting books.
The much more recommended road to take is to just steal the inspiration and throw it into your setting. If you want airships, then use airships. If you want a mysterious continent below the main one where giants ruled and enslaved the drow, go for it. That doesn't mean you have to call it Xen'drik; you can call it whatever you damn well please (call it Conie Island, if you must).
Just take the inspiration from other sources. You can take things directly and transplant them into your world, but it generally works a lot better if you make it your own, even by changing the smallest of details. It also saves you trying to weave together two completely unique histories, and working out how the worlds fit together.
So, by all means, steal and plunder to your heart's content. I've just found that when you take an idea and not a specific, it generally works out a lot better for you. Mostly because ideas are reshapeable, while specifics usually take a lot more work to reshape.
Best of luck.
The fun in being a DM comes from the fact that you shape the world how you see fit. What you say is law (within reason of course).