Troll Lord Games

Hey folks, I need a little help in choicing a setting. I now have more settings than any other time in my gaming carrer. I'll list the settings, plus any other material that I have assosiated with that setting that I'd planned to use.
83 Greyhawk + T1-4 My group and I never really got into Greyhawk that much back in the old days and we never ran pregenerated modules. So, I'm thinking that they would have no idea what's going on if I went with this choice.
Forgotten Realms (grey box) + several early FR series suppliments This is the standard setting of my youth (mostly from 2e after the ToT). I want to do a more gritty and darker version from before the Tot and just skip all that nonsense.
Karameikos (Kingdom of Adventure) + Gaz 1 and 3 Another setting my group would have no idea about.
Dragonlance Adventure + DL 1, 2, 5 and fourteen One of the few non-FR settings we used in our 2e days (with TotL box set). My group didn't seem all that interested in the setting though.
Dark Sun (all campaign info excluding modules) We had a long running campaign using Dark Sun. The group liked the harsh feel and unique races available.
CZ: Yggsburg An awsome book, but I find Mr. Gygax's writing style a bit dry.
Erde (Codex and After Winter Dark) + several modules including A1 and A2 I love the history and depth of this setting, but once again the group would have no notion as to what's what.
Homebrew (with no outside resources) I've revived an old, old hombrew setting, which some of the group knows about.

So any insights or ideas would be greatly appriciated and feel free to convince me one way or the other. Thanks

R-
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Rigon o' the Lakelands, Baron of The Castles & Crusades Society
The Book of the Mind

I don't know how much insight I could give you, because we all have our favorites. My best suggestion would be to go to your group and see if they are interested in any particular setting.

Most groups don't care about the setting, unless they are ultra specialized (such as Darksun).

If that is the case with you and your group then I'd suggest using either the WORLD OF GREYHAWK box set and T1-4 or YGGSBURGH.

As you describe, you have never played in GH or at least not much and it seems like you havn't played in the great T1-4 adventure yet. The Temple of Elemental Evil is a staple of good gaming ~ this alone might be the reason for gaming in this setting. Tons of FREE material for the setting, and a good fanbase.

I would also suggest YGGSBURGH. While the writing may be "dry" for your tastes, it is very complete and a well though out, classic setting. The material within the YGGSBURGH book should be enough to keep a campaign going for quite some time. Then there is alsways the Mega-Dungeons CZ yet to be released. That nasty of nasty places will dove-tail perfectly from Yggsburgh into a dungeon-crawlin' classic!

*deposit's 2 coppers*

......................................Omote

FPQ
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> Omote's Advanced C&C stuff <
Duke Omote Landwehr, Holy Order of the FPQ ~ Prince of the Castles & Crusades Society

Man! Most of those are like choosing between fresh blueberry pie, fresh apple pie, fresh cheesecake, fresh mixed berry pie, or fresh peach pie.

Make your group choose.

Personally I am doing Erde and all the modules. But Karameikos, GH, FR, and Gary's EGGSburgh are all good by me. I never took a liking to Dark Sun or Dragonlance. Ravenloft (3E version) has been tempting me lately.

I would say: run a campaign in the world that you 1) know best or 2) want to explore. If you've ran several in the same setting, you might be bored of it, but you will also be able to make it spring to life. The trick is to make it new to yourself, and not a rehash. Since I don't know what games and where you've ran... that's the best I can do.

Personally, of the ones you listed, the one I've not used is Karameikos, so that would be my choice.

they are all pretty good choices,but I would recommend at this time CZ: Yggsburg

ken
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Gygax is to Gaming what Kirby was to comics

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Slice N Dice: Game and Pizza Parlour

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I'd go with Erde. As a long time fan of the Forgotten Realms I never thought I would find a world that I would be more hyped about. But after the Codex and really looking at it I was sold instantly.

FWIW Yggsburg and such are a part of Erde so it fits in with that as well. Erde is worth playing in if you want something fresh and set in a world with a deep history and interesting concept.
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The Lord of Ravens
My blog

I'm a Greyhawk fan, so I voted Greyhawk but 1E Forgotten Realms would be great with C&C.

Regards,

V
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"It is a mistake to bow to the wishes of munchkins who whine." --E Gary Gygax

Aihrde and the A series - handsdown! I don't consider CZ Yggsburgh a setting really, and I think it will fit in Aihrde perfectly! Our group will be heading to Yggsburgh next to begin Dark Chateau!
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Count Rhuveinus - Lejendary Keeper of Castle Franqueforte

"Enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!" ~ Gary Gygax

"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:" - Macbeth

What, no love for Thunder Rift?

I'd go with Yggsburgh...within Greyhawk.

meepo wrote:
What, no love for Thunder Rift?

I only listed the settings I have, and since I'm not buying anymore settings for a good long while, those are my choices.

R-
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Rigon o' the Lakelands, Baron of The Castles & Crusades Society
The Book of the Mind

NP - I voted for Karameikos... I just love that full color poster map!

I am running CZ in Greyhawk, but I only voted for CZ. DO much depth!
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CK the CK
"My goddess touched me at an early age."

-Grikis Valmorgen, Paladin

The beginnings of my homebrew campaign world and info for my play by chat game:
http://kbdekker.googlepages.com/home

CZY + GH 83' box set, placeing Yggsburgh at the confluence of the Eery and Neen Rivers.

--Ghul

I'd go with Erde, and I'm with Rhu - I don't really consider Yggsburgh a setting as it can be plopped down in virtually any fantasy world. As for your players not knowing what's going on - isn't that what adventuring is all about? Exploring the unknown, etc?

Erde is hands down my all-time favorite setting. I just wish the Trolls would come out with the revised book instead of churning out more adventures. C&C feels sort of empty without a great campaign world to tie it to. *shrugs* One guy's opinion. =)

Ink
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Check out Inkpot's C&C Downloads: http://www.cncplayer.net/inkpot/index.htm

C&C: Blissfully devoid of gestalt neko-hin rogue/fighter/mages!!

[quote="Inkpot"]I'd go with Erde, and I'm with Rhu - I don't really consider Yggsburgh a setting as it can be plopped down in virtually any fantasy world. As for your players not knowing what's going on - isn't that what adventuring is all about? Exploring the unknown, etc?

Erde is hands down my all-time favorite setting. I just wish the Trolls would come out with the revised book instead of churning out more adventures. C&C feels sort of empty without a great campaign world to tie it to. *shrugs* One guy's opinion. =)

Ink[/quote

??? Wow! First Traveller over on Dragonsfoot and now you. I'm not understanding people today. Guess I should go back to sleep.
I'm doing fine with Erde and the info in its Gazeteer. The fluff info in the Gazeteer is valid info. The Trolls aren't going to change it, except names and present it in a prettier package with better writing and formatting.

so I don't get your position on Erde.

I have the codex as well as the gazeteer and I find both just as informative. IMNSHO I think it is a world on par with such classics as the Known World and Greyhawk.

I'll get the newer versions of Erde (Airhde) just to stay up to date but I don't see where there are any problems with the current material at all.
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The Lord of Ravens
My blog

I don't know....I guess it just LOOKS silly having the "official" campaign setting for C&C not even available in that system. I'm not slamming on anyone here (at least I'm not trying to). I just think that TLG is sort of putting the cart before the horse by releasing all of these adventures, but not the campaign setting to put them in. I honestly think it's going to cause no end of editorial woes down the road.

*shrugs* Just one guys' very humble opinion. I completely agree that the D20 Erde material is easily converted to C&C - and that's what I've done. It just feels hokey. It's probably just a "me" thing. I've signed no contracts anywhere that obligate me to make perfect sense.....

Ink
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Check out Inkpot's C&C Downloads: http://www.cncplayer.net/inkpot/index.htm

C&C: Blissfully devoid of gestalt neko-hin rogue/fighter/mages!!

I voted Erde, and the "A" series. I really love the feel of Erde, and the "A" series just kicks A**!
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Never throw rocks at a man with a Vorpal Sword!

Call me old-fashioned, but I say homebrew is the way to go.

I've run FR, Dragonlance, Wilderlands of High Fantasy, and especially Greyhawk in my day. But nothing beats doing it yourself. While it's definitely a lot more work than opening up a premade setting, you never run the risk of loosing continuity with something that might be published later.

Which is something that happened to me, as a matter of fact; I had done an enormous amount of work detailing the city of Greyhawk using material found in the Gord the Rogue books and other sources. When the City of Greyhawk boxed set came out, I ended up having to choose between it and what I had done. Mine was better.
Thulcondar
http://www.goldenfuture.net/Thulcondar

I voted for Greyhawk; I never got into Greyhawk back in the day, but plan on tackling it eventually, now that I've picked up the old and amazing Greyhawk folio.

In 1e and 2e, FR was our campaign of choice. I can't count the adventures we had thanks to that grey box and the regional supplements. But the time always comes to try something different. I'll go back to the Realms eventually, but not for a while.

Well, after a spasm of creativity today, I've decided to finish up my homebrew and will (hopefully) be running that as my setting.

R-
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Rigon o' the Lakelands, Baron of The Castles & Crusades Society
The Book of the Mind

Will you be kind enough to share it?

serleran wrote:
Will you be kind enough to share it?

Heck yeah, I want feed back.

R-
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Rigon o' the Lakelands, Baron of The Castles & Crusades Society
The Book of the Mind

Homebrew is always cool.

Of the published settings you list, I like 'Karameikos' the most, although I would ignore the 2e AD&D version of it, and just stick to Gaz1!
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While it is unlikely to interest most of you, here is my 'cunning' blog: http://dailyakrasia.blogspot.com/