What Published D&D/OSR Setting Could You Least Stand?

Opaopajr · January 13, 2017, 07:49:00 AM

Elmore's art is inspiring. His classic pose compositions, color, and attention to detail awed me when young and inspires me to dabble in amateurish scribblings now older. His lush work is one of the big saving graces of any product in my eyes. I own up to my bias here just like I own Brom is Dark Sun and DiTerlizzi is Planescape/Changeling the Dreaming.

That said, I do feel blessed I missed out on Dragonlance novels, modules, and all growing up. Taladas continent content looks really cool and Leaves of Last Home Inn is filled with fleshy setting characterization. I don't have soured nostalgia or contemporary shopping fumbling to find the good stuff.

I think I lucked out on avoiding the worst of DL.

Ronin · January 13, 2017, 07:51:51 PM

Quote from: Willie the Duck;940134If you have the time, I'd like to touch on that.

Now, I am very much not a DL expert. I've read 4-8 novels, had the 1e hardcover book, and (well after the fact) read the classic adventure modules and said, "yep, those are in fact just as railroad-y as everyone says they are." So, outside of those classicly railroad-y modules, is the rest of the setting more PCs-unable-to-effect-the-world than any other? I mean, beyond 'this kingdom is at war with that kingdom" and if the PCs want to end the war or something, the DM has to deviate from the printed canon, because that's true with any setting that sets up a current state of the world. Is there anything specific to the DL setting that makes it hard for the PCs to have any real influence?

I guess its just the impression, or feel I get from it. (Clearly your milage may very) I'll be honest I have never read a dragonlance book. Perhaps the modules I have read have colored my judgement.

Oh, and lastly Elmore for the win! I love his art. It screams D&D to me personally. Of course, I started out with the Mentzer Basic set with the Elmore cover. Might explain a lot.

Omega · January 13, 2017, 07:59:04 PM

Quote from: Opaopajr;940385I think I lucked out on avoiding the worst of DL.

Same here. I have the original 6 books and some of the 3 followup compilations. And after that mercifully missed everything. One of my players has the retelling of the first three books where about everyone is killed and it soured him to the whole setting.

Caesar Slaad · January 14, 2017, 09:00:41 PM

For me, Dragonlance.

It's probably better than my experiences indicated, but those experiences have shaped my image of the setting.

Chief reasons:
1) The old module series was too much a slave to the setting fiction, making them seem railroady and heavy-handed.
2) Kender.

Old One Eye · January 16, 2017, 10:34:45 AM

Tracking the moon phases was a PITA. Wizard tests were a PITA. Dragonlance was actively a PITA to run even with homebrew adventures and ignoring kender/gully dwarves/crap gnomes.

RPGPundit · January 21, 2017, 02:16:02 AM

The only good part of Dragonlance was Taladas.

Krimson · January 21, 2017, 09:26:12 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;941704The only good part of Dragonlance was Taladas.

In the 90s I ran a plot arc that took about 5 years to play out, fighting Chthonic entities known as the Worm Gods, which were giant planet sized worms that ate planets. Players played Gods fighting against them. Krynn was one of the first casualties, being completely eaten by them.

Opaopajr · January 21, 2017, 11:17:41 PM

... and the Gods lifted nary a finger.

crkrueger · January 21, 2017, 11:20:53 PM

Quote from: Opaopajr;941869... and the Gods lifted nary a finger.

Even the Krynn Gods were sick of that place. Total planetary annihilation was worth seeing Fizban snuffed.

Omega · January 22, 2017, 04:45:00 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;941704The only good part of Dragonlance was Taladas.

And Dragonlance Adventures since the default was after the war. But could cover during, or even Huma's era.

Daztur · January 22, 2017, 10:05:37 PM

Quote from: Ronin;940058There's only two settings that never did anything for me. One being Dragonlance. Between the railroady modules, and the feeling (at least to me) of things being locked in and the PCs not having much say in the world. Just doesn't appeal to me. The second being Planescape. The whole concept just doesn't really do much for me. I know a lot of people dig it. But it's just not really my cuppa.

Placescape just seems like a setting that's more made for being read than for being played. Absolutely loved the art so was always happy when articles about it popped up in the Dragon magazine as a kid and even bought some Bloodwars cards mostly for the art but never even considered running a campaign in it.

Yes, Bloodwars, the TSR card game even less successful than Spellfire! With DiTerlizzi (recycled but whatever) art on pretty much every card it was a shame it never did better.

Daztur · January 22, 2017, 10:17:33 PM

Quote from: Larsdangly;938938Perhaps the difference between Harn and EPT is that Harn is clearly medieval europe, whereas EPT is its own thing. So when you present me with a medieval english town and a catholic church, but insist on calling the town 'vlarglaglistan' and the church 'eeeeeeeepglick!!!!!!', if feels like you are just being an idiot. But if you use those words in an other-worldly setting I don't really recognize, I'll go along with it.

This. So much this.

Annoyed the everliving fuck out of me when I read Last Light of the Sun in which not-Vikings were attacking not-England and for the life of me I could never keep not-Rome, not-Jerusalem and not-Constantinople straight. If you're going to make a historical setting just use historical names and don't sweat the details. Nobody gave a fuck when I sent a party into the (geographically ludicrous in retrospect) catacombs of Venice and made all Basques halflings and the Swiss dwarves because why not?

I'm really coming around to using as few made up names for big picture stuff since it's so much easier to get a handle on. Been watching Avatar with my son and the term "Fire Nation" has confused nobody ever.

Larsdangly · January 25, 2017, 02:45:50 AM

Good one! It reminds me of one my favorite obscure games: Flintloque. It is basically europe in the napoleonic wars, but with all kinds of goofy fantasy substitutions. It is also gleefully ridiculous and fun.

Daztur · January 25, 2017, 03:10:40 AM

Quote from: Larsdangly;942488Good one! It reminds me of one my favorite obscure games: Flintloque. It is basically europe in the napoleonic wars, but with all kinds of goofy fantasy substitutions. It is also gleefully ridiculous and fun.

Just ran a 14th century version of that. It's so much easier when you don't have to explain to anyone what "France" is.

Tristram Evans · January 25, 2017, 09:12:28 AM

Quote from: Larsdangly;942488Good one! It reminds me of one my favorite obscure games: Flintloque. It is basically europe in the napoleonic wars, but with all kinds of goofy fantasy substitutions. It is also gleefully ridiculous and fun.

huh, there's an anthropomorphic miniature wargame by that name, wonder if there's any relation.