Once again, I get a wee bit carried away... part one of a two parter... yeah, I know, I gotta finish the Mystara thing, too...
Official Dungeons & Dragons/Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Campaign Settings
To qualify as a "Campaign Setting," in this list requires publication across one or more products, containing as a series of potential adventures (the potential "Campaign") and source material (the "Setting") that define a relatively contiguous or continuous area greater than the sum of its parts (that which brings it together into something more, the "Campaign Setting") in which players can adventure, and that Dungeon Master's can adapt and add or subtract from, and it still be recognizable. Also, it must be recognized as a Campaign Setting by a fairly significant population of gamers, though certainly not a majority, and to have "Official" status, it must be licensed from TSR or Wizards of the Coast and either "Approved for use with" "Dungeons & Dragons" or "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" or must carry the licensed "Dungeons & Dragons" logo (that is, in and of itself, indicative of approval).
Note: The first Blackmoor product, "The First Fantasy Campaign," does not qualify as Official, as TSR did not let Judges Guild publish it as an Official D&D or AD&D product.
Versions of Dungeons & Dragons/Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
OD&D (1973 to 1979):
Woodgrain and white-box editions.
HD&D (1977 to 1979): The Holmes Basic Edition.
BECMD&D (1980/81 to 1993): Cook/Moldvay Edition, Mentzer Edition, Cyclopedia Edition Dungeons & Dragons from the Basic, Expert, Companion, Master, and Immortal series, the later two phases of which were refinements and expansions of and not true revisions or new editions of the rules by Cook and Moldvay.
1E AD&D (1978 to 1985): Monster Manual, Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master Guide, Deities & Demigods/Legends & Lore, Fiend Folio, Monster Manual II.
1E AD&D Variant (Various): This refers to the variant rules used in the Conan series and early Lankhmar series.
1.5E AD&D (1985 to 1989): Unearthed Arcana, Oriental Adventures, Dungeoneer Survival Guide, Wilderness Survival Guide, Manual of the Planes, Dragonlance Adventures, Greyhawk Adventures.
2E AD&D (1989 to 1995): Player's Handbook
2E, Dungeon Master's Guide
2E, Monstrous Manual, Monstrous Compendiums, Legends and Lore
2E, Tome of Magic, Book of Artifacts, Forgotten Realms Adventures, Player's Handbook Rules Supplements, Dungeon Master's Guide Rules Supplements, Historical Reference Campaign Sourcebooks.
2E AD&D Variant (Various): This refers to the special rules used for and Lankhmar series.
2.5E AD&D (1995 to August 2000): Player's Option Skills & Power, Player's Option Combat & Tactics, Player's Option Spells & Magic, Dungeon Master Option High-Level Campaigns. Most modules using 2.5 AD&D materials were generic, non-Campaign Setting adventures, though a number of the campaign settings developed their own campaign-specific variant rules, some of them quite extensive. Also during this period the "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition" label also began disappearing from books, with the name being simply "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" once again.
2.5F AD&D (1995 to August 2000): Various Forgotten Realms sourcebooks developed the Forgotten Realms setting -specific rules in a manner parallel to but different from standard
2E and 2.5E AD&D. Wizards & Rogues and Warriors & Priests were core to this shift, but other sourcebooks in the Forgotten Realms line contributed, as did the heavy development of the setting in the RPGA at the time.
3E D&D (August 2000 to July 2003): Player's Handbook
3E, Dungeon Master's Guide
3E, Monster Manual
3E, various and sundry sourcebooks.
3E AD&D (2001 to present): HackMaster Player's Handbook, HackMaster Game Master's Guide, HackMaster Hacklopedias, HackMaster Player's Guides, Gawds & Demi-Gawds.
3.5E D&D (July 2003 to present): Player's Handbook
3.5E, Dungeon Master's Guide
3.5E, Monster Manual
3.5E, various and sundry sourcebooks.
"
The Wilderlands of High Fantasy"
Official Dungeons & Dragons [OD&D, HD&D]
NOTE: First Official Dungeons & Dragons Campaign Setting ever published.
Publisher: Judges Guild
Originally Designed By: Bob Bledsaw and Bill Owen
First Developed: ca. 1974
First Official Publication: ca. 1978
Last Publication: ca. 1983
Resurrection: A
d20 System edition was recently published by Necromancer Games
Description: Freeform late Ancient/early Dark Age Swords & Sorcery science-fantasy campaign setting after the style of Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, and Michael Moorcock.
Wilderlands of High Fantasy
City State of the Invincible Overlord
Modron
Tarantis
Wilderness Books Series
Fantastic Wilderlands Beyonde
Wilderlands of the Magic Realm
City State of the World Emperor
Wilderlands of the Fantastic Reaches
Several adventures, including Thieves of Fortress Badabaskor, Prey of Darkness, Glory Hole Dwarven Mine, and others.
Several sourcebooks, including Unknown Gods, Wondrous Weapons, Wondrous Relics, Fantastic Personalities, City State Warfare, and others.
Adventures and source material in Judges Guild Journal, The Dungeoneer, The Dungeoneer Journal, and Pegasus.
"
Portals"
Official Advanced Dungeons & Dragons [1E AD&D]
Publisher: Judges Guild
Originally Designed By: Rudy Kraft
First Developed: Unknown
First Official Publication: 1980
Last Publication: 1981
Resurrection: None as yet
Description: Stargate before there was a Stargate series, only for science-fantasy not science-fiction. I know I ran it as a Campaign Setting, and that others did. Iffy on "Campaign Setting" status, though certainly Official AD&D, but it is close enough to count.
Portals of Torsh
Portals of Irontooth
Portals of Twilight
"
The World of Greyhawk" a.k.a. "
Oerth"
Official Advanced Dungeons & Dragons [1E AD&D, 2E AD&D, 3E D&D]
NOTE: First Official Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Campaign Setting published by TSR.
Sub-Settings: Oriental Adventures (1985 to 1988)
Publisher: TSR, Wizards of the Coast
Originally Designed By: Gary Gygax
First Developed: ca. 1973
First Official Publication: 1980
Current Publication: Ongoing but sporadic, usually through the RPGA
Description: Culture-light late Middle Ages/early Renaissance European/Middle Eastern analogue heavily influenced by the writings of Jack Vance, Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Michael Moorcock, and other early fantasy authors.
Numerous modules, including the G/D/Q series, the A series, L series, S series, early WG series, etc. (1978 to 1986) [1E AD&D]
The World of Greyhawk Gazetteer Folio and later World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting boxed set (1980, 1983) [1E AD&D]
Oriental Adventures — originally, Kara-Tur was designed to be on Oerth; that changed when the Forgotten Realms were developed as an Official Campaign setting. Includes modules OA1 to OA4. (1985 to 1987) [1.5E AD&D]
Greyhawk Adventures (1988) [1.5E/2E AD&D]
The City of Greyhawk (1989) [1.5E/2E AD&D]
Greyhawk Monstrous Compendium (1990) [2E AD&D]
Greyhawk Wars (1991) [2E AD&D]
From the Ashes (1992) [2E AD&D]
Modules and sourcebooks including later WG, WGA, WGM, WGQ, WGR, WGS, etc. (1989 to 1993) [2E AD&D]
The Adventure Begins, Player's Guide, The Scarlet Brotherhood, Return to the Keep on the Borderlands, etc. (1998 to 2000) [2E AD&D]
Greyhawk Gazetteer and The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000) [3E D&D]
Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil (2001) [3E D&D]
Adventures and source material in The Strategic Review, The Dragon, Dragon Magazine, Dungeon Magazine, and Polyhedron.
"
Mystara" a.k.a. "
The Known World of Dungeons & Dragons"
Official Dungeons & Dragons, and later Advanced Dungeons & Dragons [BECMD&D, 2E AD&D]
NOTE: The first Official Dungeons & Dragons Campaign Setting published by TSR.
Sub-Settings: Blackmoor (1986), Hollow World (1990), Red Steel (1994), and Savage Coast (1996).
Publisher: TSR
Originally Designed By: David Cook and Tom Moldvay
First Developed: 1980
First Official Publication: 1980/1981
Last Publication: 1995, though there have been a few Dragon and Dungeon articles since then.
Resurrection: Possible resurrection as a campaign setting for HackMaster (i.e.,
3E AD&D).
Description: Culture-heavy historical Earth-analogue influenced more by history than by fantasy, though with strong fantasy influences in some places.
Dungeons & Dragons Fantasy Adventure Game Expert Rulebook (1980/81) [BECMD&D]
Dungeons & Dragons Basic, Expert, Companion, Master, and Immortal Rules Sets (1983 through 1986) [BECMD&D]
B series modules, from
B3 on,
B1 and
B2 ret-conned in. [BECMD&D]
X series modules, X1 being definitive, with many others defining broader regions of the continent. [BECMD&D]
CM series modules, CM being definitive. [BECMD&D]
M series (Master series) modules, only in the broad. [BECMD&D]
IM series modules, only in the broad. [BECMD&D]
O, BSolo, XSolo, XS, DDA, other minor module series.
DA series modules, with Dave Arneson's Blackmoor being considered Mystara's distant past. (1986 to 1987) [BECMD&D]
GAZ Gazetteer series, extremely definitive of the setting. (1987 through 1991) [BECMD&D]
Creature Crucible PC sourcebook series (1989 to 1992)
Hollow World series, including boxed set, HWR sourcebooks and HWA/HWQ adventures (1990 to 1992) [BECMD&D]
Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia and Wrath of the Immortals. (1991 and 1992) [BECMD&D]
Poor Wizard's Almanac series. (1992 and 1993) [BECMD&D]
Champions of Mystara: Heroes of the Princess Ark (1993) [BECMD&D, "Challenger" series]
Mystara Campaign series, including Kingdom of Adventure, Kingdom of Magic, several modules, and the Mystara Monstrous Compendium Appendix. (1994 and 1995) [2E AD&D]
Adventures and source material in Dragon Magazine and Dungeon Magazine.
"
Conan" a.k.a. "
The Hyborian Age"
Official Advanced Dungeons & Dragons [1E AD&D variant]
Publisher: TSR
Originally Designed By: David Cook, Ken Rolston, and Anne Gray McReady
First Developed: In the writings of Robert E. Howard, long ago and far away (1930's Texas), and in those of Roy Thomas, not quite so long ago, but also rather far away (1970's New York).
First Official Publication: 1984
Last Publication: 1986
Resurrection: Mongoose Publishing has a licensed, ongoing Conan
d20 System Campaign Setting, unrelated to the work done in the TSR products.
Description: Very brief treatment of the Hyborian setting in three modules, there's barely enough to try to run this as a Campaign Setting if you use the original novels and materials from the comic books for inspiration. Also, at the same time (1985), TSR published the Conan Role-Playing Game, a non D&D/AD&D system, that had a series of three additional modules, all of which could have been adapted for use with AD&D. I include it here as a Official Campaign setting because I know that, at the time, I sure as hell tried to make it work withy what I had... and I know I was not alone in this regard. So the adventures were there, there was some source material, and people sure as hell tried...
Conan Unchained (1984)
Conan Against Darkness (1984)
Conan Role-Playing Game (1985) [non-D&D/AD&D]
Modules: Conan the Buccaneer, Conan the Mercenary, and Conan Triumphant
Red Sonja Unconquered (1986) [Note: I've never seen Red Sonja Unconquered, so I am presuming it is set in Hyboria]
"
Dragonlance" a.k.a. "
The World of Krynn"
Official Advanced Dungeons & Dragons [1E AD&D, 2E AD&D, and 3E D&D]
Publisher: TSR, Wizards of the Coast, Sovereign Press
Originally Designed By: Tracy Hickman
First Developed: ca. 1982 to 1984, presumably
First Official Publication: 1984
Last Publication: Ongoing, through a license with Sovereign Press
Resurrection: The Sovereign Press effort is essentially a resurrection, as the Dragonlance setting had been separated from the D&D/AD&D lines by the creation of the SAGA game for the Dragonlance Fifth Age of the Campaign setting. Sovereign Press returned the Campaign Setting to
3E D&D.
Description: An original high-fantasy setting, based loosely on the schema designed for the dragon races in early Dungeons & Dragons, and much evolved over the years.
DL campaign series of adventure modules are the most definitive of the Campaign Setting. DL5 was a mini-Campaign Setting sourcebook. (1984 to 1988) [1E AD&D] Compiled into Dragonlance Classics in 1990 and Dragonlance Volumes in 2000.
Dragonlance Adventures campaign sourcebook (1987) [1.5E AD&D]
The World of Krynn Trail Map (1989)
Time of the Dragon expands the world to another continent (1989) [1.5E/2E AD&D]
Dragonlance Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1989) [2E AD&D]
DLA, DLE, DLQ, DLR, DLS, DLT modules and sourcebooks further define the setting (1989 to 1993) [2E AD&D]
Tales of the Lance, a Campaign Setting source box, brings the setting definitively to
2E AD&D (1992) [2E AD&D]
Dwarven Kingdoms of Krynn (1993) [2E AD&D]
Player's Guide to the Dragonlance Setting (1993) [2E AD&D]
The History, Art, Atlas, and Leave from the Last Inn books add flavor to the setting (most 1987, History 1995) [non-system sources]
Dragonlance becomes a SAGA setting in 1996, until 2003, when the Dragonlance Campaign Setting [3E D&D] is published by Wizards of the Coast, and further development of the setting in
3E D&D takes place through Sovereign Press.
"
Lankhmar"
Official Advanced Dungeons & Dragons [1E AD&D variant and 2E AD&D Variants]
Publisher: TSR
Originally Designed By: Bruce Nesmith, Douglas Niles, and Ken Rolston
First Developed: Fritz Leiber, long ago and far away
First Official Publication: 1985
Last Publication: 1996
Resurrection: None known
Description: One of the definitive literary settings of fantasy, Lankhmar as an AD&D Campaign Setting is primarily concerned with thieves and their doings, especially in the great city of Lankhmar itself, with the rest of the world merely dressing, for the most part. It is essentially a fantasy urban Campaign Setting, like the earlier City State of the Invincible Overlord (which itself was heavily influenced by Leiber's work).
Lankhmar: City of Adventure (1985) [1E AD&D Variant]
CA, LNA, LNQ, LNR module/sourcebooks series (1985 to 1992) [1E AD&D Variant]
Lankhmar: City of Adventure (1993) [2E AD&D Variant]
Rogues, Cutthroats, and Avengers in Lankhmar modules (1995)
Lankhmar: The New Adventures of Fafhrd and Gray Mouser (1996) [2E AD&D Variant]
"
The Forgotten Realms"
Official Advanced Dungeons & Dragons [1E AD&D, 2E AD&D, and 3E D&D]
Sub-Settings: Kara-Tur (1988), The Horde (1990), Maztica (1991), and Al-Qadim (1992).
Publisher: TSR, Wizards of the Coast
Originally Designed By: Ed Greenwood and Jeff Grubb
First Developed: Long ago and far away, in Canada, by librarian Ed Greenwood as a setting for his fantasy fiction. He then used it as his home-grown campaign setting for D&D and then AD&D, and was "discovered" by Jeff Grubb in the pages of Dragon Magazine, when Jeff was looking for a new Campaign Setting for TSR to publish.
First Official Publication: 1987
Last Publication: Ongoing
Description: High-magic with variable levels of fantasy, ranging from low-fantasy to high-fantasy regions, with some regions based loosely to strongly on historical Earth regions and cultures, and others based on pure fantasy.
Forgotten Realms Campaign Set (1987) [1.5E AD&D]
FR series, from FR1 Waterdeep and the North to FR6 Dreams of the Red Wizards (1987 to 1988) [1.5E AD&D]
City System (1988) [1.5 E AD&D]
Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms (for use with Oriental Adventures) with OA5, OA6, OA7, and FROA1, and the Kara-Tur Monstrous Compendium (1988 to 1990) [1.5 E and 2E AD&D]
FRE series of modules provided an in-Campaign Setting reason for the transition from 1.5 E AD&D to
2E AD&D (1989) [2EAD&D]
FR series from FR7 Hall of Heroes to FR16 The Shining South (1989 to 1993) [2E AD&D]
Cities of Mystery (1989) (
2E AD&D)
The Horde, the "Central Asians Nomads and City States" Campaign Setting, including the FRA module series (1990) [2E AD&D]
FOR series, from FOR1 Draconomicon to FOR13 Secrets of the Magister (1990 to 2000) [2E AD&D, though the later parts of the series developed its own slight variations on later 2E and 2.5E rules, and were billed as simply "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" products, from FOR7 Giantcraft in 1995 and on, a variant I call "2.5F AD&D")]
The Ruins of Undermountain (1991) [2E AD&D]
LC series for Ravens Bluff (1991) [2E AD&D]
Maztica, the Meso-American Adventures Campaign Setting, with the FMA and FMQ adventures/sourcebooks (1991 and 1992) [2E AD&D]
Menzoberranzan, Myth Drannor, City of Splendors, Elminster's Ecologies, and Ruins of Zhentil Keep (1992 to 1995) [2E AD&D]
Volo's Guides series (1992 to 1996, with one in 2000) [non-system resources, mostly]
Al-Qadim Arabian Adventures and Land of Fate, plus the ALQ series of small boxed adventures (1992 to 1994) [2E AD&D]
Forgotten Realms Campaign Set Second Edition and PG2 Player's Guide to the Forgotten Realms (1993) [2E AD&D]
City of Delights (1993) [2E AD&D]
The Complete Sha'ir's Handbook (1994) [2E AD&D]
Miscellaneous sourcebooks from Cormyr and Book of Lairs to Cloak & Dagger (1994 to 2000) [2E and some 2.5 E AD&D]
Dungeon Crawl adventure series (ca. 1996 to 2000) [2E and 2.5F AD&D]
Spellbound, The North, Netheril, Lands of Intrigue boxed sets (1995 to 1997) [2E and 2.5F AD&D]
Miscellaneous adventures (1997 to 2000) [2 and 2.5F AD&D]
Arcane Age settings (1998) [2E and 2.5F AD&D]
Reunion, an Al-Qadim module (1998) [2E AD&D]
Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas CD-Rom (1999) [non-system resource]
Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (2001) [3E D&D]
Various adventures and sourcebooks (2001 and ongoing) [3E and 3.5E D&D]