As and avid player of D&D since way back in 1989. I have hit my personal 20th anniversary of playing the game. I was thinking of the campaign settings and I am wondering fellow escapists which setting do you find the most fun to play in?
For the uninformed; the different settings are just that "Settings" in one world or another you get a different feel, different environs, races, and tech levels to name a few things. Your classes and guilds become more in depth and more specific. Keep in mind there's only 8 Slots in a poll. I tried to pick the most fleshed out and diverse campaigns not ones that stick really close to the basic setting.
I am not putting in an ?other? option These are the most well known and (some formerly) widely played with the highest amount of source material. More importantly there are only 8 options on a poll. If you must; Just vote for you fave of the choices and if you much prefer a different setting tell us about it. Oh and by the way there's only 8 slots in a poll.
I've even made some homebrewed versions myself. Usually a mishmash of two or three settings. My most successful being a mix of Rokugan and Eberron set in a large oceanic world filled by large islands and archipelagos a very seafaring world 'pirate age' world. (No gunpowder though ) I would put homebrew but most people would vote for that so it wouldn't be an interesting gauge on what is p remade which is the idea. Also, there are only 8 slots in a poll so something will likely be missed.
Dragonlance
is pretty close to standard d&d it?s big draw is the awesome novels which the world sprang forth from. Krynn (the world) is a world of grays however with evil and good rarely being clearly defined. Wizards are incredibly rare due to the deadly trials they must go thru to even BEGIN studying the art. This world also had a very deep history pertaining to it?s creation myths (although in D&D they aren?t myths) and gods.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonlance
Spelljammer
this setting was nuts basically you are fantasy characters in space or rather the fantasy version called ?wildspace? No, there are no lasers or big engines. You had to use ships, the kind of ships with sails to travel. Playing here was kind of reminiscent of a high seas adventure as the most advanced races had flintlocks and iron spelljammers (ships). Planets and dimensions belong to different races.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelljammer
Eberron
The most recent addition to the D&D family. Eberron is a high adventure, high espionage world with flavors of pulp and noir choir. It?s set shortly after a war that was ended by a cataclysmic magical disaster of unknown origin Which has left a large region barren and bizarre region in the main continent. The technology level is similar to that of the industrial age however it is done by the harnessing of magical energies such as trapping living fire elementals to propel flying ships. The ?Last War? as it?s called pushed these technological limits by creating living humanoid constructs (robots) called ?Warforged.? Some people of certain prestigious ?houses? are born with magical ?dragonmarks?. D&D Online is based off of one of the secondary regions of this world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eberron
Ravenloft
A dark creepy Gothic world filled with oppressed villages. The magic of the gods (divine) is weakened here. Undead are common place and darkness prevails. Vampires (covertly) rule nations. The flavor here is very much Gothic horror. Characters often lose or barely win. Some characters have to make ?Dark Power? checks when using certain abilities to avoid being overtaken by the evil that pervades the very air.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravenloft
Dark Sun
Welcome to Athas a dying world world once teeming with life now stripped to a giant barren wasteland save a giant Sea of Silt. Despite what you?d think the ?arabic? influence is light here. More influenced by Dune really. This is, as far as I know, the first setting that used ?Psionics? rather than ?magic? which on paper is pretty much the same thing but in roleplaying is vastly different. The basic goal of this world is survival in this dying world circled by a massive and oppressive sun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Sun
Rokugan aka Legend of the Five Rings
This setting is much more influenced by feudal japan. It is much more xenophobic too; Humans are the predominant race and the two or three races that aren?t humans are very very rare. You can pick one of the ?great clans? to be part of an intricate family/social/economic structure to be a part of I always liked playing a member of the ?Crane Clan?. Honor is far more important than alignment as the great clans battle the shadowlands taint from spreading to the empire. The shadowlands are an area to the south from which all demons and oni come.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rokugan
Forgotten Realms
Welcome Faerûn the region of the world Abeir-Toril which this is set in. Chances are as gamers this is the setting you are most familiar with as Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights are set here. Forgotten Realms has a countless number of gods, races, and regions that all mirror earth. Meaning races that resemble medieval Norsemen, Persians, Even some Asian flavored areas and races for each, Jungle Dwarves, Desert Elves, Arctic Dwarves, ?Sun Elves? all are included. This world is also well known for ?the underdark? a vast series of caverns and tunnels that is the placed underneath the main continent which it is the same size as.
However in the new edition of D&D Forgotten Realms is very different most of the gods have died, been destroyed, or lost power. The world was ripped apart by a disaster of magical energy as an old continent was pulled from another plane of existence and entered the world. Now there are floating islands, vast 100 kilometer holes leading to the underdark and planar travel is nearly impossible. People are form odd ?Spellscars? allowing them to harness this dangerous magical energy. Vote for whichever version you prefer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgotten_Realms
Tell Us stories of adventures in these worlds if you got them!
If I've explained something improperly or left out an important detail of the setting feel free to give your interpretation or information, just don't hurt my feelings. I'm so very sensitive.
For the uninformed; the different settings are just that "Settings" in one world or another you get a different feel, different environs, races, and tech levels to name a few things. Your classes and guilds become more in depth and more specific. Keep in mind there's only 8 Slots in a poll. I tried to pick the most fleshed out and diverse campaigns not ones that stick really close to the basic setting.
I am not putting in an ?other? option These are the most well known and (some formerly) widely played with the highest amount of source material. More importantly there are only 8 options on a poll. If you must; Just vote for you fave of the choices and if you much prefer a different setting tell us about it. Oh and by the way there's only 8 slots in a poll.
I've even made some homebrewed versions myself. Usually a mishmash of two or three settings. My most successful being a mix of Rokugan and Eberron set in a large oceanic world filled by large islands and archipelagos a very seafaring world 'pirate age' world. (No gunpowder though ) I would put homebrew but most people would vote for that so it wouldn't be an interesting gauge on what is p remade which is the idea. Also, there are only 8 slots in a poll so something will likely be missed.
Dragonlance
is pretty close to standard d&d it?s big draw is the awesome novels which the world sprang forth from. Krynn (the world) is a world of grays however with evil and good rarely being clearly defined. Wizards are incredibly rare due to the deadly trials they must go thru to even BEGIN studying the art. This world also had a very deep history pertaining to it?s creation myths (although in D&D they aren?t myths) and gods.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonlance
Spelljammer
this setting was nuts basically you are fantasy characters in space or rather the fantasy version called ?wildspace? No, there are no lasers or big engines. You had to use ships, the kind of ships with sails to travel. Playing here was kind of reminiscent of a high seas adventure as the most advanced races had flintlocks and iron spelljammers (ships). Planets and dimensions belong to different races.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelljammer
Eberron
The most recent addition to the D&D family. Eberron is a high adventure, high espionage world with flavors of pulp and noir choir. It?s set shortly after a war that was ended by a cataclysmic magical disaster of unknown origin Which has left a large region barren and bizarre region in the main continent. The technology level is similar to that of the industrial age however it is done by the harnessing of magical energies such as trapping living fire elementals to propel flying ships. The ?Last War? as it?s called pushed these technological limits by creating living humanoid constructs (robots) called ?Warforged.? Some people of certain prestigious ?houses? are born with magical ?dragonmarks?. D&D Online is based off of one of the secondary regions of this world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eberron
Ravenloft
A dark creepy Gothic world filled with oppressed villages. The magic of the gods (divine) is weakened here. Undead are common place and darkness prevails. Vampires (covertly) rule nations. The flavor here is very much Gothic horror. Characters often lose or barely win. Some characters have to make ?Dark Power? checks when using certain abilities to avoid being overtaken by the evil that pervades the very air.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravenloft
Dark Sun
Welcome to Athas a dying world world once teeming with life now stripped to a giant barren wasteland save a giant Sea of Silt. Despite what you?d think the ?arabic? influence is light here. More influenced by Dune really. This is, as far as I know, the first setting that used ?Psionics? rather than ?magic? which on paper is pretty much the same thing but in roleplaying is vastly different. The basic goal of this world is survival in this dying world circled by a massive and oppressive sun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Sun
Rokugan aka Legend of the Five Rings
This setting is much more influenced by feudal japan. It is much more xenophobic too; Humans are the predominant race and the two or three races that aren?t humans are very very rare. You can pick one of the ?great clans? to be part of an intricate family/social/economic structure to be a part of I always liked playing a member of the ?Crane Clan?. Honor is far more important than alignment as the great clans battle the shadowlands taint from spreading to the empire. The shadowlands are an area to the south from which all demons and oni come.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rokugan
Forgotten Realms
Welcome Faerûn the region of the world Abeir-Toril which this is set in. Chances are as gamers this is the setting you are most familiar with as Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights are set here. Forgotten Realms has a countless number of gods, races, and regions that all mirror earth. Meaning races that resemble medieval Norsemen, Persians, Even some Asian flavored areas and races for each, Jungle Dwarves, Desert Elves, Arctic Dwarves, ?Sun Elves? all are included. This world is also well known for ?the underdark? a vast series of caverns and tunnels that is the placed underneath the main continent which it is the same size as.
However in the new edition of D&D Forgotten Realms is very different most of the gods have died, been destroyed, or lost power. The world was ripped apart by a disaster of magical energy as an old continent was pulled from another plane of existence and entered the world. Now there are floating islands, vast 100 kilometer holes leading to the underdark and planar travel is nearly impossible. People are form odd ?Spellscars? allowing them to harness this dangerous magical energy. Vote for whichever version you prefer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgotten_Realms
Tell Us stories of adventures in these worlds if you got them!
If I've explained something improperly or left out an important detail of the setting feel free to give your interpretation or information, just don't hurt my feelings. I'm so very sensitive.