Okay, so I read two different threads today about how much people like or dislike the various campaign worlds (Greyhawk, Eberron, and Forgotten Realms).
Instead, let's vote on it. When you post, include a short summation of why you like that campaign setting the best. I'd like to stick to those three, but honestly I really don't care too much.
Alright, I'll kick it off:
I have to vote for Forgotten Realms. It's what I grew up playing, and to me that's classic D&D.
1 Forgotten Realms
0 Eberron
0 Greyhawk
Now it's you guys' (and girls') turn!
What's there to vote on. Each to there own..
I vote '1' for each, as I like like a bit of every one. I do not hate a single campaign system.
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Seems to me an exercise in futility. If you like it, play it, if not no need to say one is better than the next; and likely an unsupported setting such as Greyhawk really is might not garner the same votes here as would perhaps an EBrn or FR, so such a process is skewed at best. But your mileage may vary...
That is Rob Kuntz!
Hope to hear more from you. Your posts have been thought provoking and well written. Guess that comes of being a writer. I love hearing an insiders point of view. Thanks for posting. If you spell "rogue" wrong, I'm gonna burn ya though.FH (still championing the cause of core-book class spelling errors!)
For the same reasons as the original poster, Greyhawk.
One of my players once jokingly said that I knew more of Greyhawk history than real world history. Maybe he's right ;)
Well, I don´t "hate" any setting. I made the choice to buy GH and not FR as my main setting many years ago (around 1988), as I thought at that time "hey, everyone uses FR, so let´s try something else".
And I just don´t need another setting right now, so I choose to ignore Eberron. In the setting-crazy 90ies, I bought Spelljammer (I like it, never played it), and Al-Qadim (ditto), and I figured I don´t need another setting gathering dust on my shelves.
Stefan
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(...)I have to vote for Forgotten Realms. It's what I grew up playing, and to me that's classic D&D.
1 Forgotten Realms
0 Eberron
0 GreyhawkNow it's you guys' (and girls') turn!
Same for me. I grew up with the FR setting during the 80ies.
However, GH and EBERRON both get a point as well, as I like things from both of them!So its:
1 FR
1 GH
1 ECS
Write in for Scarred Lands. I've been hooked onit since the Creature Collection I came out. And it has the best book about gods in the whole 3E era (Divine & Defeated).
If I have to pick one of the three talked about 'round here I'll say Greyhawk since I'm joining a game that is set there although I have vitually no GH materials (anyone know a good place to get a GH 'primer' cheap?)
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"OuGre"
This is not a mispelling of 'Rogue' but a new giant I am creating for my World of Kalibruhn.
*ducks fireball*
Who you are actually makes that statement somewhat believable. BTW when is the World of Kalibruhn campaign setting coming out? I wanna pre-order it.
FH (muttering about senior citizen's sense of humor;P)
And (the Scarred Lands) has the best book about gods in the whole 3E era (Divine & Defeated).
And I've never read it because I didn't like the font they used on the cover. I thought the book was called "The Djujne and the Defeated." I didn't get it.
Having said that though, I really liked everything I saw about the Scarred Lands, but didn't buy anything because my first 3.0 gaming group did a FR-style home brew.
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Major settings rated on a scale from 1 to 0:
Greyhawk: 1. Was raised on it - to me GH is classic fantasy.
FG: 0.33. Used to love it, but I hate the way it has developed.
Eberron: 0.15. Most of it leaves me cold, but it might have some potential.
I like what I've seen of Scarred Lands, but I don't need it when I have GH.
Okay, so I read two different threads today about how much people like or dislike the various campaign worlds (Greyhawk, Eberron, and Forgotten Realms).
Instead, let's vote on it. When you post, include a short summation of why you like that campaign setting the best. I'd like to stick to those three, but honestly I really don't care too much.
Alright, I'll kick it off:
I have to vote for Forgotten Realms. It's what I grew up playing, and to me that's classic D&D.
1 Forgotten Realms
0 Eberron
0 Greyhawk
Its all so much to choose from. Let's see there's GreyhAUUK! (Sorry, flem. It happens when you get old), Eliminister's Playland, and Eberron (or is it Ebberon I can never remember). Personally I don't particularly have any particular affection for any of them. Where are the cool worlds? I don't see an all inclusive list here. Where's the Known World? Where is Dark Sun? Freeport? Krynn? Middle-Earth? Iron Kingdoms? Where's the Shattered Sea? Where's the United Duchies of Generica home of the Twenty Strong? and the great host of others that I have left off? Heck, I played D&D in the Vampire: the Dark Ages setting once.
I vote for the guys that said this whole topic is silly and smacks too much of a poor sociological experiment meant to divide and conquer.
Ten thumbs down,
GGG
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World of Kalibruhn is being considered by a publisher we are both aware of (all I can say for now)for publication. I will update more on PPP's own board as information on this becomes available. There is much excitement abot this project right now and I am receiving encouragement from amany quarters to finally get this venerable setting published, so I shall not disappoint.
For updates: www.pied-piper-publishing.com
Thanks for the interest, FH. I have been sculpting this world since the D&D playtest days of 1973 and it's long overdue for publication. Wish me luck! :)
Good luck indeed!
If you are indeed THE Rob Kuntz, then I tip my hat to you sir!
Though I started playing in 1980/81, the exploits of your PCs were already Greyhawk legend, though I was not aware the names in the PH/DMG were PCs, I just thought they had been made up specially for the background.
Sir Robilar was one of yours, no? A true paragon of the 'kick in the door' style of play. What doesn't kill us, gives us XP!
Kill them all and let the gods sort them out! Live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse! What's the worst that can happen? You end up in Valhalla, supping ale and tupping valkyries!
Every group needs a loon like Robilar to keep the game moving, to stop the min/maxers and the bean-counters having their way. Grey nay-say players should run home to their mothers, or be beaten until they become the non-entity henchmen they truly are!
What's the stats of a giant behind a door?
What's the stats of that same giant after ten minutes wet, wooly, whiny debate?
EXACTLY THE ****ING SAME! (or more, since he's heard you and buffed up...).
SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??? COME OUT SWINGING!!!
You, sir, are an example to us all!
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Yep, sure fire way to polarise the community, and thus make a mockery of the word community. All I can say is what I played or ran, so rather than end up at logger heads lets all get misty eyed and rave and not rant :) Lets celebrate settings, old and new and yet to be and not knock each others fun :) I'll start and take 10 on my threadjack :)
Known World (Mystara). Loved it, I was 12, B2 will forever have a place in my heart, along with B4 (still my favourite). Got me going as they say. Stayed with it all the way to Companion and Where Chaos Reigns. Brion (ripped of from Ruins of Brookmere D&D solo book) was an elf 10 attack rank J I think until disintegrated and gust of winded. Celeste was my female thief, amd Phelonious, my favourite, was a lawful figher (paladin). He exists in WoW now :)
Greyhawk. Loved it, was 15 and my first serious(TM) campaign (as all the other players where 20+ years old). Played Temple of Elemental Evil, Slave Lords, Agaisnt the Giants, Vault of the Drow etc. Took my ranger from level 1 to Ranger10/Thief8/Bard14 (my DM let me be a ranger as opposed to fighter like one of the Lankmar heroes). Sivarn, my most favourite character in the world (name was nicked from a UK gaming magazine called "Adventurer", my penchant for plagarsim or laziness continued).
Reavenloft. DM inserted this in between Temple and Slavelords on the way to Safeton. I loved that sun blade. Loved fighting Strahd. I tried running it much 2nd edition as a setting much later, players didn't like it, too many died :)
Darksun. We didn't get it, was like mad max on bad chemicals. Bought it as a gift for a friend who had never run. Oh well, it made a brief break from for myslef (see below).
Forgotten Realms. One of the group gave me the grey boxed set as a gift with Under Illefarn and Lords of Darkness. I was about 16/17, I ran a small campaign, then several at the same time with other groups. I have been tied behind the screens since, I haven't played as a PC since (apart from a small Call of Cthulhu D20 that last about 4 weeks, "Rats with childrens faces!" being my best quote from that and the high point). FR lasted a long time, with a seven year campaign lasting from when I was 21 to 28 being the nadir. Players made 23rd to 24th level. Started in Daggerford ended in the Vallis Crystal aboard Demonwing. Players plane hop a lot so Planescape becomes intertwined in all this.
Al Quadim/Maztica/The Horde/Kara-tur. Never ran but bought to fill in FR blanks because I collect things obssessively. I am a game companies wet dream :) Fortunately I regenerate like a troll and can sell my organs to medical science.
Greyhawk. 3.0 comes out, I ran the Adventure path from The Sunless Citadel to Bastion of Broken Souls set in Yeomanry into Keoland. Went well until the end, never run for girlfriend and boyfriend combos.
Looks good, until the "lets remove it from the Great Wheel" because...? Invalidates many happt memories, continue to buy for nostalgic purposes, unlikely to ever run again.
Greyhawk. 3.5 comes out. Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil. Was Okay, went fine until going to the Temple. Never run for an ex-girlfriend/boyfriend combo (different pair) when you are sleep deprived from continental shift patterns. Don't run big adventures with an old ruleset that need oddles of converting, or wait until someone else does the notes :) Oh and listen to your own advice (see above).
Greyhawk. Nearly half a year passes of no gaming (! erm, well there was NWN). Paizo come up with this strange idea of an adventure path in Dungeon. Read Life's Bazaar. Start getting excited. Start running, hardcover comes out. We are about to start Secrets of the Soul Pillars, players already excited about Age of Worms, haven't mentioned Savage Tide yet. Bliss.
PS Bought Eberron, looks Okay but seems to desperately trying to be different. I consider the possiblity I am getting old and a "stick in the mud". Give all the books (and I mean all) to my friend to consider running for another group he DMs for (I haven't read them thoroughly). He goes with Shattered Lands instead. Now we have become old farts, the naysayers of new campaign worlds (aplogies to Openheimer).
PPS Mr Berkshire Hunt, good luck with the old/new campaign setting :) (aplogies for my odd sense of humour and cockney rhyming)
PPPS Did Monte Cooke really know what Berk (Berkshire Hunt) was actually slang for? :) I somehow believe he did, even if TSR didn't :)
Thus endeth my threadjack. TTFN.
Known World (Mystara). Loved it, I was 12, B2 will forever have a place in my heart, along with B4 (still my favourite). Got me going as they say. Stayed with it all the way to Companion and Where Chaos Reigns. Brion (ripped of from Ruins of Brookmere D&D solo book) was an elf 10 attack rank J I think until disintegrated and gust of winded. Celeste was my female thief, amd Phelonious, my favourite, was a lawful figher (paladin). He exists in WoW now :)
I am so bursting at the seams. Brookmere was my absolute favotire Choose-Your-Path style book. In fact any dungeon I do featuring a mix of creatures is often based on the set up in that book. B4 is for me what D&D (and fantasy RPG in general) is all about. Action, adventure, intrigue and craziness all rolled into one. With just enough backstory to kick off an entire campaign. Here in the span of a few pages is a template for an entire Adventure Path.
The Servant of Policrates the Wise
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At Origins III when I DMed...Expedition to the Barrier Peaks,.. I just pointed to each in turn and asked them what they were doing in succession--if they took more than 5 seconds to respond than I told them they were doing nothing, and so continued down the line. That made them ready the next time around and the party of 17, which is usually a nightmare to DM if not impossible to DM, actually moved nicely along. They all thanked me afterwards for instituting something to effectively manage the numbers. Point is, keep it moving in play and as a DM. That's what we all learned from the playtest days of ODD, and haven't changed. Plus, I like action. :)
If only every group used this method...
Unless there's a genuine query needs clarifying about rules or surroundings, there's NO EXCUSE for dithering. You get the benefit of sitting through every other player's turn before it gets to you; you should be ready. Taking over a minute to decide on a 6-second activity is an unfair advantage over the poor DM, who is the ONLY one who should get a break, since he runs multiple characters with differing abilities.
Sadly not every player can handle having his turn 'taken away' from him, so it can cause upset...still, they have to learn.
Sorry for the threadjack, everybody, but it's not every day you get to chat to the original "El Ravager"...;-P
I always try to vote my concious (but cash bribes will always trump my pesky concious). I write in my vote for Plane Scape.
Gaming with the gods. THE GODS!!!
DAMNIT!!!
P>S> Worship the Great Green God!!!!
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At Origins III when I DMed...Expedition to the Barrier Peaks,.. I just pointed to each in turn and asked them what they were doing in succession--if they took more than 5 seconds to respond than I told them they were doing nothing, and so continued down the line. That made them ready the next time around and the party of 17, which is usually a nightmare to DM if not impossible to DM, actually moved nicely along. They all thanked me afterwards for instituting something to effectively manage the numbers. Point is, keep it moving in play and as a DM. That's what we all learned from the playtest days of ODD, and haven't changed. Plus, I like action. :)
If only every group used this method...
Unless there's a genuine query needs clarifying about rules or surroundings, there's NO EXCUSE for dithering. You get the benefit of sitting through every other player's turn before it gets to you; you should be ready. Taking over a minute to decide on a 6-second activity is an unfair advantage over the poor DM, who is the ONLY one who should get a break, since he runs multiple characters with differing abilities.
Sadly not every player can handle having his turn 'taken away' from him, so it can cause upset...still, they have to learn.
Sorry for the threadjack, everybody, but it's not every day you get to chat to the original "El Ravager"...;-P
To paraphrase the Hagakure,
every important decision in life should be made within the time of seven respirations.
My group traditionally played homebrew. When we played setting it was greyhawk because of the module support (slavers, giants etc) and because there seemed to be less ultra high level people in the world which made the characters more important to the problem. Never tried eberron, glanced at some of its material and it is fine but happy with what I know. So
Greyhawk 1
FR 0
Eb 0
On the hurry up technique for players I usually ask what they are doing, give them a bit of time then say "Unless you tell me you are delaying". Third edition delaying means they dont lose their turn but it is then up to them to interrupt me between turns to state an action. I had one player 'delay' for 3 rounds of combat while others kept asking him for help, even making quick suggestions. Afterwards I asked why he didnt do anything he said he couldnt figure out what was the best thing to do. Indecision costs.
If we're just voting on the BIG three:
GreyHawk 2
Forgotten Realms 1
Eberron -100 lol
We have played almost all the settings, and while we enjoyed Greyhawk, Forgotten realms, Darksun, and Ravenloft...our fav is ROKUGAN!
Geez, sorry I struck a chord for some of you here. this wasn't meant to put down any given setting: in fact, I meant this as a way we could just put in our two cents without getting angry over it. It's fair enough. And for those of you who didn't really like my list of settings, I apologize. It seemed like those were the three people were debating about, and no one really had any problem with some other great ones like Dark Sun and Freeport. I didn't know this would spark such an opposed reaction.
So, basically, I meant this as a simply peaceful outlet for our different gaming interests. For example, Greyhawk is old news, Forgotten Realms is traditional fantasy (though mind you it has been watered down and diluted by all the various additions to it and revisements of it over the years), and Eberron just kinda sucks. But that's called an opinion. No one needs to argue with it, and if we vote correctly the answer about which setting is most popular (I apologize for my wording of "best" previously) should show itself on its own.
nam, provoking your thoughts every day of the week
peace out