Building a Fantasy setting: DF or Regular?
 

Well, I'm still in the process of building a setting for a Furry fantasy campaign, but as I progress in my work, I'm starting to realize that Dungeon Fantasy, as fun a resource as it is, might not be the right focus for this project.

I've become rather interested in fleshing out my Fantasy world a bit more, tapping into my big GURPS book collection for additional details and new ideas. Still, even then, I'm wondering if GURPS Dungeon Fantasy would still be useful for this project. I'm not a fan of limiting Wizard spells to a strict, smaller list, though, and I do want to experiment with options out of GURPS Thaumatology.

Any advice from experienced Setting-makers?

Re: Building a Fantasy setting: DF or Regular?
 

I have never ran nor do I intend to run a DF campaign.
Howver I still fnd some of the material useful for a high fantasy campaign even if I dont stick with all the parameters of DF.

Re: Building a Fantasy setting: DF or Regular?
 

Yeah, I thought I was running a slightly modified DF campaign, but upon reflection, I am actually running a slightly cartoony fantasy campaign. Still, DF is my foundation. I think that it could be pretty handy for most fantasy campaigns. If nothing else, wherever a decision is made to use an option or limit an option, it is helpful to see those switches thrown and understand the thinking behind it. Also, it is a good example of how to use a lot of the chargen mechanics of GURPS, with many simplified abilities built as powers, skills, techniques, and combinations of those traits.

I think it would be helpful for running a space opera campaign, in that regard. It is the most well developed line of worked examples in GURPS, afaict.

Re: Building a Fantasy setting: DF or Regular?
 

DF is a good "worked example." The "class" templates give a good idea of how to build solid (although you'll need to flesh them out so they aren't just murder-hobos) delvers with well-defined niches, the racial templates are good jumping-off points for your own, and I think the various bits of advice on treasure, dungeons, etc can be used in just about any sort of fantasy campaign, albeit perhaps with a bit of adjustment.

I'd say, if you already have some DF books, mine them for resources - but if you don't have them, you probably shouldn't buy them for this campaign.

Re: Building a Fantasy setting: DF or Regular?
 

DF is excellent if you are trying to run a campaign similar to D&D 3.x/Pathfinder, much less useful otherwise.

I can not imagine using it ever. There are reasons I stopped playing D&D 30 years ago, and I don't think attempting to emulate it is a feature.

Re: Building a Fantasy setting: DF or Regular?
 

I find that DF provides really good starting points for any 250 point character I want to play. I end up tweaking it somewhat, but it works really well as a good starting point.

Re: Building a Fantasy setting: DF or Regular?
 

In my experience as a collector, DF is good for a starting point.

But then you'll want to add other stuff. For instance, magical styles to distinguish between the different casters. Or martial arts styles, so different warriors are actually different. Maybe some social engineering, so the players can move around in society.

Pull what you want from DF, then discard what doesn't suit you. The nice thing about DF is, the authors are on the forums, so you can ASK THEM their reasoning behind various decisions. :-)

Re: Building a Fantasy setting: DF or Regular?
 

That's one option, Personally I prefer to "Spend x on spells" on turning them into RPM casters.

This is also quoted for truth, There's been quite a bit of discourse over the differing assumptions of DF and just about every non-DF campaign. In particular Kromm has been very concise on clarifying that DF rules judgments apply to DF specific threads.

Re: Building a Fantasy setting: DF or Regular?
 

I'm looking forward to seeing an RPM lens for all the caster types in DF, appearing in some Pyramid someday soon. :-)

We've already got the Divine Favor lenses for Clerics and Holy Warriors...

Re: Building a Fantasy setting: DF or Regular?
 

It would probably need significant tweaking, to fit in the DF cosmology/framework, but it's evidently doable. Still, IMHO it would need a longer length than your usual Pyramid article, since without a bunch of examples and worked out spells, it would not be plug and play friendly, something that I believe is the major point of DF material.
Whistles away innocently