Dungeons & Dragonscampaign settings

Timeline of release years

1977	Blackmoor
1978
1979
1980	Greyhawk
1981	Mystara
1982
1983	Ravenloft
1984	Pelinore
	Dragonlance
	Conan
1985	Lankhmar
1986	Kara-Tur
	Red Sonja
1987	Forgotten Realms
1988
1989	Spelljammer
1990	Hollow World
1991	Dark Sun
1992	Al-Qadim
	Thunder Rift
1993
1994	Birthright
	Council of Wyrms
	Planescape
	Red Steel
1995
1996	Arcane Age
	Savage Coast
1997	Jakandor
	Rokugan
1998
1999	Dragon Fist
	Diablo II
2000	Mahasarpa
2001
2002
2003	Ghostwalk
2004	Eberron
2005
2006
2007	Nentir Vale
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018	Ravnica
2019
2020	Exandria
	Theros
2021	Strixhaven
2022	Radiant Citadel

The flexibility of theDungeons & Dragons(D&D) game rules means thatDungeon Masters(DM) are free to create their own fantasycampaign settings.For those who wanted a pre-packaged setting in which to play,TSR,Wizards of the Coast(WotC), and other publishers have created many settings in whichD&Dgames can be based; of these, theForgotten Realms,an epic fantasy world, has been one of the most successful and critically acclaimed settings. Many campaign settings include standardsword and sorceryenvironments, while others borrow Asian, Central American, swashbuckling, horror and even space-travel themes.

These are officialD&Dcampaign settings that have been published or licensed by TSR or WotC.TherosandRavnicaoriginated in theMagic: The Gatheringfranchise, another property of WotC. A number of the settings here are no longer published or officially licensed, though all have active fan bases.

Birthright

Main article:Birthright (campaign setting)

A setting in which the players took on the powers of the divinely empowered rulers of nations, with emphasis on tactical gameplay with a broad scope.

Blackmoor

Main article:Blackmoor (campaign setting)

The original campaign setting played forD&D,created byDave Arneson.Arneson created this setting for use in personal games with theChainmailrules set in 1971,prior toGreyhawkand indeedDungeons & Dragonsitself. The D&DBlackmoor supplementwas published in 1975. In 2004, Blackmoor was again published by Arneson and Zeitgeist Games. It was also run as a massively multiplayer role-playing game, or MMRPG, a type of living campaign.

ConanandRed Sonja

In 1984, TSR released two AD&D Conan modules as licensed tie-ins withConan the Destroyer(1984), the second Schwarzenegger film.CB1: Conan Unchained!is set in the Vilayet Sea.CB2: Conan Against Darkness!takes place in Aquilonia. In 1985, TSR released a stand-alone (non-D&D)Conan Role-Playing Gameboxed set based on the Marvel Superheroes RPG system. In 1986, TSR published another AD&D module:RS1: Red Sonja Unconqueredlicensed from Red Sonja Corp., which is set on the Zaporoska River, and authored byAnne Gray McCready.All three AD&D modules (CB1, CB2, and RS1) contain a two-page setting overview of "The Hyborian World", with sections on history and geography, people, technology, monsters, spellcasters, and magic items. There are also Hyboria-specific adaptations of the AD&D rules: fear factor, luck points, and quick non-magical healing.

Council of Wyrms

Main article:Council of Wyrms

Council of Wyrmsis aD&Dboxed set, published in 1994, that includes rules for playingdragon,half dragon, and dragon servantcharacters.It includes three rule books: one for the base rules, one for dragon family and clan histories, and one for adventure modules.In 1999 it was slightly revised and reprinted as a hardcover book.

Dark Sun

Main article:Dark Sun

Released by TSR in 1991, Dark Sun diverges from the tone of "conventional" medieval fantasy, drawing heavy inspiration from novels likeDuneand theBarsoomseries. The campaign is set on the harsh desert world of Athas – once a lush planet teeming with life, it has since been stripped of its fertility by uncontrolled use of defiling magic and is now a desolate and savage place where civilization has retreated to city-states controlled by god-like Sorcerer-Kings.

Psionicsare a dominant aspect of the setting and are as commonplace as magic in other D&D settings – native / latent psionic abilities are commonly found in individuals of all humanoid races and their powers are respected. Religion and divine magic is based on the worship of elemental forces, spirits or the Sorcerer-Kings themselves – the old gods have long abandoned the world.

Wizards and arcane spellcasters, on the other hand, are rarer and usually discriminated against, mainly because most of them are "defilers" who drain life force from the environment to power their magic. However, a small underground minority of magicians called "preservers" work to maintain life and ultimately restore the primeval lushness.

Playable humanoid races in Athas include the Thri-Kreen (mantis people) and Half-Giants, as well as warped variants of races found in other conventional fantasy settings: humans, the dominant race in most of known Athas, appear to be tougher than in other worlds; elves are nomadic desert dwellers and long-distance runners; halflings are depicted as savage jungle cannibals.

These elements, combined with a post-apocalyptic desert setting and the alien feel of Athas' native cultures, give Dark Sun a unique flavor among the variousD&Dworlds.

Diablo II

Wizards released several pen and paper adaptations of theDiablo IIvideo game, both for AD&D 2nd edition and D&D 3rd edition. Second edition products includeThe Bloodstone Tomb D&D Diablo II Fast-Play Game(1999),D&D Adventure Game: Diablo II Edition(boxed set, 2000),Diablo II: The Awakening(adventure, 2000), and Diablo II miniatures (2000). Third edition products includeDiablo II: To Hell and Back(adventure, and its web enhancement "The Secret Cow Level" ) andDiablo II: Diablerie(supplement), all from 2001.

Dragon Fist

Dragon Fist,released on the Wizards of the Coast website, was promoted as a new role playing game, describing itself in its introduction as an "AD&Dvariant ".With its debut near the end of the lifespan of second edition, the variant rules blended rules found in different editions. For example, the game used the monster template of second edition, but the armor class rules of third edition. The campaign setting, created byChris Pramas,is a China-inspired realm known as Tianguo, "a fictional land based onwuxiafilms and onChinese folkloreand legend ". Beyond the initial release, the product was not supported.

Dragonlance

Main article:Dragonlance

Dragonlancewas the first complete fictional world to be intentionally produced and marketed as an RPG supplement, with product tie-ins (novels, role-playing modules, figurines, etc.) prepared and manufactured when it was first released. The success of theDragonlanceseries encouraged role-playing game producers to invent and market additional fictional game worlds. Dragonlance is an epic fantasy campaign focused on a war between good and evil gods and the return of dragons after centuries of absence. It was created byTracy Hickmanand his wife Laura, with tie-in novels by Tracy Hickman andMargaret Weis.

Time of the Dragon

Main article:Time of the Dragon

This box set introduced gamers to the continent of Taladas, noted for having a large molten sea in its middle, and a nation ofminotaursmodeled on theRoman Empire,with its own imperial family, senate, andgladiatorial games.

Eberron

Main article:Eberron

In 2003, Wizards of the Coast held a contest for fans to propose the most creative new setting, the reward being a publishing contract.Keith Baker's setting won, and with additional design by Wizards of the Coast's creative department, theEberroncampaign setting was released in 2004. Straying from the "standard" Western European flavor used in many other D&D settings such asGreyhawkand theForgotten Realms,Eberrontakes place in a world of pulp action and fantasy noir withsteampunkinfluences, where the inhabitants make extensive use of magic in place of technology, or technology powered by magical energies. Fantasy versions of steam trains, airships, and even robots are commonplace, mostly replacing the traditional medieval trope of knights in shining armor.

Exandria

Main article:Critical Role

Originally created byMatthew Mercerfor his personal campaigns in 2012,Exandria is the world where theCritical Roleweb series is set and is a high fantasy setting,which moves away from the "harmful tropes inD&D"around monstrous races.In 2017,Green Ronin Publishingreleased a setting book written by Mercer and James Haeck,Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting,which focused on the continent of Tal'Dorei on Exandria, where the firstCritical Rolecampaign with the adventuring groupVox Machinatook place.One critic highlighted that this campaign has the "specific flavor of high fantasy drama" akin to the "Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms books".An updated edition, titledTal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn(2022) from publisherDarrington Press,moves the timeline 20 years forward to the era of thesecondCritical Rolecampaign.

Exandria was first mentioned in an official Wizards of the Coast publication in the adventure bookBaldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus(2019). In 2020, after Mercer had been working with Wizards of the Coast for about a year and a half on the project, Exandria officially became a part ofDungeons & Dragonsthrough the release of theExplorer's Guide to Wildemount.This book focuses on the continent of Wildemount in Exandria, where the secondCritical Rolecampaign takes place, and adds a new type of magic calleddunamancy,which focuses on manipulating time and space.Wildemount was designed with an Eastern European influence– specifically, the Dwendalian Empire was inspired by 15th century Russia and Prussia, Xhorhas by 13th-century Romania, and the edges by 14th-century Spain.Critics have highlighted Wildemount specifically as breaking from traditional fantasy tropes.

A second collaboration book,Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep,includes some setting information;the adventure heads from Xhorhas to the city of Ank'Harel on the continent of Marquet.From there, players will be drawn into the Netherdeep – "a terrifying cross between theFar Realmand the deep ocean ".The book is "the closest to cracking open Exandria's origins that Mercer has come to date.Call of the Netherdeepis steeped in the history of The Calamity, a cataclysmic event in which the Exandrian pantheon exploded into a civil war that put the entire world in peril ".

Forgotten Realms

Main article:Forgotten Realms

Created by author and game designerEd Greenwoodas his personal campaign and detailed in a long series of articles inDragon Magazine,Forgotten Realms became the most popular D&D setting from the late 1980s onwards and has been well received by both gamers and reviewers.Sean Patrick Fannon,author ofThe Fantasy Roleplaying Gamer's Bible,has praised the setting's scope and ambition and considered that it "may be the most widely played-in game setting in RPG history".

The Forgotten Realms is ahigh fantasyworld – magic is powerful, legendary monsters are commonplace, and gods often intervene directly in mortal affairs. Players can indulge in several types of fantasy adventures, from straightforward hack-and-slash treasure hunting in dungeons to epic campaigns involving regional wars, cataclysms and direct contact with gods and extra-dimensional beings.

The lands of the Forgotten Realms are not all ruled by the human race: the setting's planet,Abeir-Toril,is shared byhumans,dwarves,elves,goblins,orcs,dragonsand other peoples and creatures. Technologically, the world resembles pre-industrial Earth of the 13th or 14th century. However, the strong presence of magic provides an additional element of power to the societies.

The main focus of the campaign is the region ofFaerûn,the western part of a continent that was roughly modeled after the Eurasian continent on Earth. Faerûn was first detailed in the originalForgotten Realms Campaign Set,published in 1987 byTSR,and contains rough analogues of mythical versions of European, African and Middle Eastern cultures, as well as regions dominated by non-human races. Other areas include the Underdark (an underground realm dominated by evil elves), Maztica (inspired by pre-Columbian Mesoamerica), and Kara-Tur (based on the mythical Far East).

For D&D's 4th edition, the setting was reworked: the timeline advanced into the future where a major cataclysm caused by a conflict amongst gods caused the previously divided worlds Abeir and Toril to collide with several geographical areas changing place. In 2014, with the launch of the 5th edition, the world of Forgotten Realms was again returned to its previous, 3rd edition geography.

This campaign is currently officially supported by Wizards of the Coast and over the years has expanded into a variety of other media, including literature, comics and video games. The highly successfulBaldur's Gate,Icewind Dale,andNeverwinter Nightsseries of video games are based on the Forgotten Realms, which is also the setting of a large number of novels, featuring, among others, the popular charactersDrizzt Do'Urden,Artemis Entreri,andElminster.

The Forgotten Realms are the default setting for most adventures released for the 5th edition ofD&D,though the core rulebooks reference the wider multiverse.

Al-Qadim

Main article:Al-Qadim

Al-Qadim is a setting inspired by Arabian mythology and in particular theThousand and One Nights,with genies, elemental wizards, holy assassins, and a land unified by belief in the power of Fate. The land, named Zakhara, is located near the southern border of the continent of Faerûn, the main landmass of the Realms. However,Al-Qadimappeared under its own label, and not theForgotten Realmslabel, unlike Kara-Tur and Maztica. This campaign setting is no longer officially supported, but it is now regarded as part of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting as its setting is mentioned in some Forgotten Realms sourcebooks and novels.

Arcane Age

Unlike other subsettings, this product line was not separated by space, but by time, taking place in the distant past.

The Horde

Main article:The Horde (boxed set)

Released as a box set,The Horde's subheading on its front cover reads "Barbarian Campaign Setting". It details a region known as the Endless Waste, which lies between Faerûn and Kara-Tur. The setting is modeled on medieval Mongolia (A Guidebook to the Endless Waste,page 9).

Kara-Tur

Main article:Kara-Tur

An oriental setting loosely based on mythical and medievalEastandSoutheast Asia,featuring advanced and mystical civilizations populated by martial warriors, samurais, ninjas, spirit folk and other fantastical creatures. It was introduced in the originalOriental Adventuresrulebook published in the 1980s. It later became part of theForgotten Realmsand was eventually placed on the eastern edge of Toril. The lands of Kara-Tur are split between several peoples and kingdoms, the most powerful of which is Shou Lung, a sprawling empire (inspired by historical China) and arguably the largest nation in the Forgotten Realms.

Malatra: The Living Jungle

A lesser known setting located south of Shou Lung in Kara-Tur, Malatra is a massive plateau containing a dense jungle environment.Loosely based on pre-colonial Indochina, Malatra is cut off from the rest of the world by distance, geography and powerful magic. Different races and variants of races from Forgotten Realms, Kara-Tur,and Spelljammer inhabit the plateau, and there is little in the form of technology.True gods, money, and books are all unheard of in the setting, as it is intended to have a more primitive feel and stress heroism. Malatra was created as a Living Setting forPolyhedronmagazine,and used in organized play at conventions.Most of the information from the setting can be found inPolyhedronmagazine starting with issue #102, with a number of adventures being released every year. The setting started during second edition in 1995 and continued to release more adventures regularly into third edition through 2003. In 2007 one final adventure using the 3.5 rules was created for the organized play circuit.

Maztica

Main article:Maztica

Maztica is a continent west of Faerûn that parallels Pre-ColumbianMesoamerica.

In the fourth edition ofD&D,Maztica was no longer onToril,but was shifted toAbeir.The fifth edition of the game reinstated the 3rd edition geography.

Ghostwalk

Main article:Ghostwalk

The Ghostwalk setting consists of a single campaign book. The central locale for the Ghostwalk setting is a city called Manifest, a mausoleum city built atop a geological feature known as the Well of Souls, a gathering place for ghosts, unique as a place in which ghosts can cross over to the realm of the living.

Greyhawk

Main article:Greyhawk

The first published setting forD&D,created byD&Dco-authorGary Gygax.Greyhawkis Gygax's original campaign, one which eventually turned intoan official game supplementand was greatly expanded upon with many supplements throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Many of the setting's concepts were based on ideas generated during Gary Gygax'sD&Dgaming sessions. Several characters in the setting were also based on characters created by Gygax's gaming partners.

Oerth (the name of the world whereGreyhawkcampaigns take place) is a "standard" medieval fantasy world, similar in many ways to theForgotten Realmssetting, but overall darker in tone, closer to asword and sorceryscenario. The first official edition of the campaign was published in 1980, although sections of it had appeared in articles published by the author.

The campaign itself began as a dungeon and then expanded into an entire continent (Oerik) and eventually other added areas. In general, Oerth is an action-packed world which seems to be gradually descending into savagery and chaos and continually on the verge of war. It is originally centered on the region of Flanaess, whose fictional history has parallels with that of ancient and medieval Europe – a powerful Oeridian Empire has pushed away barbarian tribes and has become a decadent, evil state, while smaller states, kingdoms and tribes compete for power amidst wildlands populated by monsters, magic and fantastical creatures.

Greyhawk was also the "default" setting for the 3rd edition ofD&D,with deities from the setting being used as examples in the core rulebooks, and an organized play "living" campaign for the edition was set in Greyhawk. More recently, the 5th edition adventure bookGhosts of Saltmarshis set in the Greyhawk setting.

Jakandor

Jakandor,released in 1998, is a self-contained "campaign arena" conceived byJeff Grubb.Jakandor is an island divided between the native Charonti, a civilization that makes heavy use of magic (especially necromancy), and the Knorr, barbarians who despise the vile practice of magic and have been driven from a far-away homeland to Jakandor.

The setting was released in the form of three books, as part of theAD&D: Odysseyline. These books are:

• Jakandor, Island of War(February 1998ISBN0-7869-0371-6) detailed the Knorr barbariansand eastern side of Jakandor.
• Jakandor, Isle of Destiny(June 1998ISBN0-7869-1245-6) detailed the Charonti and western side of Jakandor.
• Jakandor, Land of Legend(November 1998ISBN0-7869-1246-4) has additional information and adventures for characters from both civilisations.

A novel written by Grubb, entitledJakandor: Land of Destiny,was planned for January 1999 but not released.

Kingdoms of Kalamar

Main article:Kingdoms of Kalamar

A campaign setting designed and produced byKenzer & Company.TheKalamarsetting focuses mainly on six human sub-races on the world of Tellene and its creators pride themselves on grounding the fantasy setting in 'reality' by taking advantage of realistic looking geography and political structures. This campaign setting is no longer officially supported by Wizards of the Coast, but Kenzer & Company continues to use this setting for its ownHackmastergame.

Lankhmar

Main article:Lankhmar

TSR released a setting based on theFafhrd and the Gray Mouserstories byFritz Leiber.The corrupt city of Lankhmar on the planet Nehwon is the starting place of grand adventures filled with mystery and deceit. Though Lankhmar is no longer supported as a setting forDungeons & Dragons,its rights are held byGoodman Games,who have released it as a setting forDungeon Crawl Classics.

Magic: The Gatheringplanes

Main article:Multiverse (Magic: The Gathering)

The various planes from theMagic: The Gatheringcollectible card gamewere first adapted forDungeons & Dragonsin a series of free PDF releases calledPlane ShiftbyJames Wyatt,who worked onD&Dfor many years before moving over toMagicin 2014. Wyatt also writes the text for the series ofArt of Magic: The Gatheringcoffee table books, which reprint illustrations from the cards with details for each plane's lore; thePlane Shiftreleases were created to allow players to use those books as campaign setting guides by providing the necessary rule adaptations.Between 2016 and 2018, six "Plane Shift" articles were released:Amonkhet,Dominaria,Innistrad,Ixalan,Kaladesh,andZendikar,along with an Ixalan-set adventure.Plane Shift: Innistradwas released as a free PDF in 2016.

However, these articles are not considered official material for organized play.In 2017,Mike Mearlswrote: "It's basically a thing James does for fun, and we don't want to burden it with needing all the work required to make it official".

Ravnica

Main article:Ravnica (Magic: The Gathering)

The positive response to the "Plane Shift" articles lead to the 2018 publication ofGuildmasters' Guide to Ravnica,a full hardcover setting guide to theMagicsetting of Ravnica, which first appeared in 2005.It is a high-magic world with a loose Slavic flavor, and features a single city which spans the entire planet and is controlled by ten competing guilds of different ideologies.Wyatt was the lead designer onGuildmasters' Guide to Ravnica(2018)and he said that "this book is, essentially, Plane Shift: Ravnica".

Theros

Main article:Theros

Therosis a setting inspired byGreek mythologyandRoman mythology.The setting originated as part of aMagic: The Gatheringblock released in 2013.This plane was introduced toDungeons & Dragonsin the 5th Edition campaign setting bookMythic Odysseys of Theros(2020). Wyatt co-led the design withF. Wesley Schneider.

Strixhaven

Main article:Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

The plane of Arcavios and its magical university Strixhaven were "created from scratch by the world-building team" for the 2021Strixhaven: School of MagesMagic: The Gatheringset.The university is divided into five colleges: Lorehold, Witherbloom, Prismari, Quandrix, and Silverquill; each college was founded by a different Elder Dragon.In June 2021, a crossover campaign bookStrixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaoswas released which introduces the setting toDungeons & Dragons.CBRreported that "in the world ofMagic: The Gathering,Strixhaven is the largest and most powerful magic academy in the multiverse [...]. Due to its relatively recent addition to theMagic: The Gatheringuniverse, it's likely thisDungeons & Dragonsadventure will significantly expand on the lore associated with the magic school ". A preview ofStrixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaoswas available on June 8, alongside the launch of new playtest content titledUnearthed Arcana – Mages of Strixhaven.

Future plans

In 2020, Greg Tito, Wizards of the Coast Senior Communications Manager, confirmed that there would be moreDungeons & Dragonscrossovers withMagic: The Gatheringin the future, noting "there is a huge crossover betweenMagicplayers andD&Dplayers "and since Wyatt has worked on bothD&DandMagic,it is even more likely that there will be more crossovers.

Mahasarpa

Mahasarpais a South Asian-themed campaign setting featuring seven kingdoms that are the surviving remnants of a great kingdom brought down by its own arrogance.Mahasarpawas designed byJames Wyatt,and was offered as a free web enhancement to theOriental Adventuresrulebook forD&D3rd edition.Mahasarpaincludes brief descriptions of the seven kingdoms, character options for the setting, new magic items, and new monsters.

Mystara

Main article:Mystara

Mystarais a campaign setting that evolved from the B and X series modules. The setting, as presented in the 1981 Expert Set, was a reworking ofTom MoldvayandLawrence Schick's "Original Known World" OD&D home campaign which was played in Kent and Akron, Ohio from 1976–1979.This "Known World" served as the default campaign setting for the non-Advancededitions of D&D throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1986, theBlackmoorsetting wasretconnedto exist in Mystara's distant past.Similarly toForgotten Realms,Mystara was also designed as a "generic" high fantasy setting, but with very close real-world cultural parallels, a lack ofAD&Draces and monsters (no drow—their role is filled by Shadowelves, no half-elves or half-orcs since these were not character options in Basic D&D, no illithids since there were no psionics in BD&D,and no metallic dragons other than gold, since only gold dragons are found in BD&D), many varieties of PC catfolk (Rakastas), dogfolk (Lupins), and turtlefolk (Tortles) which model real-world pet breeds and turtle species, no Good–Evil axis of alignment (only Lawful–Chaotic), and light in tone (with in-world parallels ofMagnum P.I.,Fantasy Island,John Wayne,and other pop culture icons), and aimed at younger players. However, later supplements (such as the War Machine mass combat rules, Dominion rules, and Immortals rules) rivaled AD&D in complexity. Unlike other settings, Mystara had ascendedimmortal beingsinstead of gods, and extensive support for Immortals-level PC play.

The world map of Mystara is based onChristopher Scotese's Time-Life map of Jurassic earth.Most adventures take place in "The Known World", the southeastern corner of the Brun continent and adjacent isles, which includes a variegated patchwork of human and non-human realms: real-world analogues of medieval and renaissance European (e.g. Balkan Traladarans, French, Scottish, German, and Machiavellian Italian Glantrians, and Norse Northlanders, to name only a few), African (Egyptian analogues in Ylaruam and Thothia), Asian (Arabian and Central Asian Ylaruam, Indian Sind, and Mongolian Ethengar), Indigenous North American (the Atruaghin Clans), and Oceanian (the Hawai'ian Makai of the Kingdom of Ierenedi) cultures, Dwarvish, Halfling, and Elvish realms (including Spanish "Flamenco Elves" ), a wasteland populated by orcs and other humanoid races presented in a comedic light, and two large empires (one inspired by real-world Rome and Byzantium,and the other one ruled by one thousand 36th-level magic-users).The setting includes further oddities, such as the Red Steel /Savage Coastcampaign where characters gain mutant powers due to a red poisonous dust which pervades that region, and a peculiar "hollow earth","lost world "refugiumwith dinosaurs and primordial cultures (the Hollow World sub-setting).

In the mid-1990s, TSR's attention shifted towards the advanced edition of D&D. A version of the setting was released for AD&D 2nd edition, but support was sparse. Mystara is one of the settings mentioned in the core rulebooks of the 5th edition of D&D, launched in 2014.

Hollow World

Main article:Hollow World Campaign Set

Hollow Worldis a sub-setting forMystaralocated on the inner surface contained within the world of Mystara, similar to the real world legends of theHollow Earth.It is lit by a small, eternal red sun at the center of Mystara. The existence of the Hollow World is not, in general, known to the inhabitants of the outer world. The north and south poles are actually huge, subtly curving holes that allow passage between the outer and inner world, although it is a long, hard trek through a cold, unlit, stormy and anti-magic area. Explorers from either surface do not notice the transition until after it is already made, causing quite a shock for most.

The Hollow World was originally discovered by Ka the Preserver, an ancient Immortal who began life as a giantcarnosaur,who, after finding it, decided to use the inner surface of the world as a refuge and preserve for creatures that were on the verge of becoming extinct in the ever-changing outer world. Characters from the surface world are severely limited by the magic used by the Immortals to preserve the stability of the various cultures. The requirements to learn magic are much higher in the Hollow World, and many spells are non-functional or unavailable. Several new player races are included: Beastmen, Brutemen, Kubbits, Krugel Orcs, and MalpheggiLizardmen.

Red Steel/Savage Coast

Main article:Savage Coast

The Savage Coastis part of theMystaracampaign setting. The area is a 2,000 mile long frontier coastline about 2,000 miles to the west of the Known World area of Mystara. Inhabited by pirates and colonists, the Savage Coast is under theRed Curse,which eventually kills its inhabitants by mutating them unless the metal cinnabryl is worn in contact with the body. This sub-setting is influenced by the historicalAge of Exploration.The region was first sketched inX9: The Savage Coast(1985), but this sparse treatment was revised in the "Voyage of the Princess Ark"Dragonmagazine fiction series byBruce Heard,who filled in the empty wilderness, and retconned X9 to have taken place in the distant past. The setting was subsequently rebranded as the AD&D 2nd edition Red Steel product line (1994) and again as the Savage Coast Odyssey line (1996).

Thunder Rift

Thunder Riftis a subsetting created by Colin McComb in 1992 for the "basic"D&Dproduct line, which was refreshed with the 1991 publication of anew boxed set for new playersand theDungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopediagame book. The Rift, a small and isolated valley containing many commonD&Draces and monsters, is presented as a location for beginning game groups that could be gradually expanded by the DM. It is the setting for a series of introductory modules. Thunder Rift can be used as a self-contained setting, or be inserted in any existing game world, and was given no official placement. Thunder Rift designers later stated that they imagined placing the Rift either in northern Karameikosor on one of the other two continents of Mystara.Yet the moduleEscape from Thunder Riftreferred to Mystara as one of "other worlds" (p.2) reachable via a "dimensional pool" (whose function is that it "can be used to travel from one dimension to another"; p.31) which implies that Thunder Rift is a different world and dimension from Mystara.In any case, as a product line, Thunder Rift was associated with Mystara, and this module transitioned players from the boxed set to the fullRules Cyclopediaand its expansive Mystara setting.

Nentir Vale

Nentir Valeis the sample community provided as a default setting in the 4th editionDungeon Master's Guide.Most sourcebooks refer to thecosmologythis community exists in as simply "the D&D world" though this appears to be an informal term. The overall setting is one in which great empires of various races, includingtieflingsand dragonborn, have long ago or recently fallen.

Towns and other civilization centers are described as "points of light" in an otherwise dark age, with the DM encouraged by the guidebook to leave the rest of the world largely unplanned, vague and unpredictable. The deities presented in the 4th editionDungeon Master's Guideare a combination ofGreyhawk,Forgotten Realmsand newly created gods. Portions of two continents, Nerath and Selduria, were mapped in 2011.

Pelinore

Pelinoreis a lesser-knownD&Dcampaign setting that was developed byTSR'sUKoffices in itsImaginemagazine.

Pelinorearticles primarily focused on a major urban center, the City League, and the surrounding county. Articles inImaginedetailed small locations within the City League that could also be used in any setting, as they were almost generic in execution.

Imaginepresented a portion of this campaign world with each new issue from issue #16, up until its cancellation at issue #30. After the cancellation ofImagine,the former assistant editor,Paul Cockburn,createdGame Master Publications.This series of unofficialD&Dmodules was set in Pelinore with newly drawn maps and some renamed locations (e.g., the "County of Cerwyn" became "Caerns" ). Some modules described places beyond the boundaries of the established setting. From issue GM4 onwardsGame Master Publicationsreturned to the use of the original names and even reprinted the official maps fromImagine.Game Master Publicationswas cancelled at issue GM5 in 1987.

Planescape

Main article:Planescape

A setting that crosses the numerous "planes of existence",as originally developed in theManual of the Planes.The setting crossedVictorian eratrappings with a pseudo-steampunkdesign and attitude.Planescapewon acclaim on its unique visual aspects, products of artistTony DiTerlizzi.The city ofSigilhas appeared in the 3rd edition in thePlanar Handbookand theEpic Level Handbook,in the 4th edition inDungeon Master's Guide 2,and in the 5th editionDungeon Master's Guide.

Radiant Citadel

Main article:Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

The Radiant Citadel is a city located in the Ethereal Plane founded by refugees from 27 separate worlds and still connected to 15 of those worlds as a hub. Introduced inJourneys through the Radiant Citadel,it is intended as a fantasy "melting pot"city, and the short adventures in the book each take place in a different one of the connected worlds.

Ravenloft

Main

Main article:Ravenloft

Agothic horrorsetting originally created byTracyandLaura Hickmanfor their own game system, "the duo eventually caught the attention ofD&D's original publishers. They were hired to adapt it into the First Edition ofAdvanced Dungeons & Dragonsand it was released asModule I6: Ravenloft"in 1983 by TSR.It was expanded into an entire series of adventure modules and then further expanded into a campaign setting for theAD&D2nd edition beginning in 1990 with theRealm of Terrorboxed set.TSR also published a series of novels set in Ravenloft.

In 2001, shortly after the release ofD&D3rd edition, Wizards of the Coast licensedRavenlofttoWhite Wolf Publishingwhich published Ravenloft materials through itsSword & Sorcery Studiosimprint,but rights returned to Wizards of the Coast in early 2006.In October 2006, Wizards of the Coast releasedExpedition to Castle Ravenloft,an expanded and updated version of the original module forD&Dv3.5.In August 2010, Wizards of the Coast released theCastle Ravenloft Board Game.

The setting was revisited in 2016 with the release of the 5th edition adventure moduleCurse of Strahd,with the setting's original creators, Tracy & Laura Hickman, returning as writers.Van Richten's Guide To Ravenloft,a 5th editionRavenloftcampaign sourcebook, was released in 2021.Christian Hoffer, forComicBook.com,highlighted that this sourcebook revises many of the setting'sDomains of Dread.He wrote that "the revised domains are usually a better utilization of the ironic intent that flavors the immortal prisons of Ravenloft. The domains also now include a variety of different horror genres rather than a fixation on gothic horror. Finally, much of the misogynistic, colonialist, or racist elements have been purged out of this new iteration of Ravenloft".

Masque of the Red Death

Main article:Masque of the Red Death (Ravenloft)

A spin-off ofRavenloftset in agaslamp fantasyrendition of 1890s Earth.

Rokugan

Main article:Rokugan

When Wizards of the Coast published the latest edition ofOriental Adventures,it includedRokuganas the official "sample setting". Rokugan is best known for being the setting of theLegend of the Five Rings(L5R) themed games: theLegend of the Five Ringscollectible card gameand theLegend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game,which are all published by TheAlderac Entertainment Group(AEG). However, shortly after the publication ofOriental Adventures,AEG obtained all the publishing rights to all L5R properties. For a brief time, AEG published supplements that featured both L5R and D20 based mechanics. Development of all D20 based Rokugan material has ceased, asOriental Adventuresis now out of print, and AEG has decided to focus solely on L5R based supplements for the next edition of The L5R Roleplaying Game, and this campaign setting is no longer officially supported as aD&Dsetting.Legend of the Five Rings 4th Edition(not related toD&D 4th Edition) was released in 2010.

Spelljammer

Main article:Spelljammer

A setting based in "wildspace", afantasticalversion ofouter spacebased on classical notions of the universe in which magic-imbued ships interact with each other and locations in space, including campaign setting planets such asForgotten RealmsorDragonlance,allowing for inter-campaign interaction. Throughout 3rd and 4th edition this campaign setting was not officially supported as a standalone campaign setting, but elements from the setting (such as spelljammer ships) were included in supplement materials.Spelljammer: Adventures in Spacewas released in 2022 as a sourcebook for 5th edition.

Warcraft

TheWarcraftcampaign setting, based on the computer gaming franchiseWarcraft,was published byWhite Wolf Publishingvia itsSword & Sorcery Studiosimprint for the 3rd edition ofD&D.Under a license with Wizards of the Coast, the campaign setting was recognized as an official campaign setting, indicated by the inclusion of the officialD&D3rd edition logo on the cover of the initial setting book ( "Warcraft The Roleplaying Game" ). This product was supported by five other books, before the setting was updated as "World of Warcraft The Role Playing Game", a self-contained game. The game is no longer published.

External links

• Wizards of the Coast'sD&Dsite