Fans who have heard or tried Larian Studios’Baldur’s Gate 3might find themselves left hanging by the game’s Early Access tease. Moreover, someDungeons and Dragonsfans who played the game might itch to get some moreD&Daction. Unfortunately, creating a party might get tricky for aspiring Dungeon Masters, and creating a story even more so. Crafting a campaign setting from scratch might just take too much time.
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Thankfully, theBaldur’s Gategame and itsForgotten Realmssetting serve as only one of many campaign settings anyD&Dgame might take place in. In fact,Dungeons & Dragonshas quite a lot ofunique campaign settings that can fix thatD&Ditch.
Updated on August 04, 2025, by Rhenn Taguiam:With classic D&D 2nd Edition Dragonlance serving as the newest Dungeons & Dragons setting through the upcoming “Shadow Of The Dragon Queen” adventure book, fans of the acclaimed fantasy TTRPG might want to give their experience a spin and have their characters embark on adventures in completely new worlds. Among must-use campaign settings are J. R. R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy world, a Final Fantasy staple, and even League of Legends’ own universe. Just which amongthese campaign settings are perfect for a D&D table’s adventures?
15Theria
The setting of the popularDungeons & Randomnesspodcast, Ellarais quite a massive world that shares both typical fantasy tropes with a hint of depth in termsof homebrew concepts. While there are multiple continents in Ellara, its region ofTheriais perhaps the most expansive in terms of content. Considered the melting pot of Ellara, Theria is where a lot of the world’s races converge, and where a lot of globe-spanning conspiracies occur.
Perhaps what makes Theria quite an interesting setting is its low-magic focus, with the setting scaling down on high-level magic such as mind control and resurrection to make room for intense stories. Unique to the setting are a race of machines called the Essai, powered by an actual soul of a previously-living being. Another unique homebrew Class is the Endurant, beings capable of manipulating emotions themselves. There are even options to become “beyond death” as Revenants, “reawaken” as a Vampire, or become one with the moon as a Werewolf.
14Runeterra
Originally the setting ofLeague Of Legends, the planet ofRuneterraexists both as a physical entity and a spiritual world that lies as the only world separating the terrifying forces of the abyss from creation itself. Known primarily for the existence of Runes, Runeterra inDungeons & Dragonscapitalizes on themagic-and-science natureofLeague Of Legendsto pave the way for crazy adventures that only the unique setting of the MOBA would allow.
Unique to Runeterra are Runes which allow players to tap into various forces of the planet around them, as well as Celestial and Spirit Magic that can come from both the divine and the spiritual realm. Players who create characters in Runeterra often find a life of adventure due to the rather wild nature of the magic around them, making this setting fit for players who want a crazier change of pace.
13Tal’Dorei
The setting of the hitCritical Roleseries,Tal’Doreiis the continent in the planet of Exandria known for theintense powersthat vie for power, magic that can shape the land, and the Calamity that reshaped the world as they know it. Although typically presented as a typical fantasy realm, the rather immense politicking taking place around the land and the presence of the Vox Machina has transformed Tal’Dorei into one of the richest “living” settings to graceD&D.
Players will particularly appreciate Tal’Dorei for its rich sense of culture, particularly with its various towns, cities, and kingdoms that properly adjust to the realm’s topology. Not only that but the existence of large-scale powers such as the hobgoblin nation Iron Authority and even the Republic of Tal’Dorei can transform the mildest adventure settings into intense political campaigns.
12Ivalice
Popularly a setting in someFinal Fantasygames, the rich world ofIvaliceis notable primarily for its rich cultural influences that change much in the same way it did on Earth. Its story spans games such asFF12, FF14, FF Tactics,andVagrant Story-with each story offering a unique and evolving look of Ivalice.
Commonly known for its trademark depth much like other popularFinal Fantasysettings, Ivalice has mysterious origins linked to the alien-like Occuria and Espers that became god-like figures, the evolution of society through magick and technology, as well as a Cataclysm that ruined the world to pave the way for new life to emerge. Players who want to play in Ivalice can opt for the Mediterranean-inspired magical-technology setting of the Golden Age of Ivalice or the more medieval/Renaissance-fueled aesthetic of the War of the Lions.
11Middle-earth
What better setting to use forDungeons & Dragonsthan one of the biggest - if not, the most known - fantasy franchise out there?Middle-earthis the iconic setting of stories set in theLord Of The Ringsuniverse, and its depth of stories associated with a rich culture makes it one of the best settings for themost intense of adventuresto the mildest of shenanigans.
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Due to the rich history of the franchise across the books, players can set their adventures during the epic First Age, the establishment of civilizations and the rise of Sauron in the Second Age, or the final downfall of Sauron in the Third Age. The rich and equally-mysterious aspects of these ages, on top of the rather mystical nature of its magic, can make warriors feel glorious in combat and wizards equally as enigmatic in their magic.
10Greyhawk
Gary Gygax’sGreyhawksetting perfectly fits two flavors of today’sD&Dcharacters. The world of Oerth has history and themes mirroring those of Earth’s medieval times — perfect forD&Dnewcomers who want a familiar world to play in. Meanwhile,D&Dfans might want to try playing inD&Dco-creator Gygax’s original 1980 setting.
Unlike other campaign settings,Greyhawktakes place in a more grounded world of Oerth with history and themes similar to those of Earth’s — with warring factions, city-states, as well as technology that heavily mirrors that of Medieval Europe. Oerth’s humans had different ethnicities, while it also had Halflings, Elves, and Gnomes. Moreover, new and old players alike will find Gygax’s more liberal and open approach to the campaign setting a breather. After all, DMs of theGreyhawksetting will find a lot of details deliberately left open for them to fill up with their own narrative, whereas other worlds had a stricter approach regarding how their lore must be applied to a table’s overarching narrative.
9Dragonlance
Fans who want to dig into a more nuanced campaign setting away fromEberron’s steampunk aesthetic andForgotten Realms' interplanar travel might appreciateDragonlance. This campaign setting, created by Tracy and Laura Hickman, served asD&D’s first complete fictional world with tie-in products. InDragonlance, players find themselves in the world of Krynn as it finds itself in the center of a celestial war and the return of dragons.
Unlike other campaign settings,Dragonlancehas a dragon-centric theme with a matching complex political geography. Moreover, player adventures will likely center around finding the Dragon Orbs that can locate and control dragons, or the fabled Dragonlances that can slay even the toughest of these creatures.
8Planescape
Players who want a more dynamic setting might find the adventures they need inPlanescape. WhileForgotten Realmsalso introduced the idea of having multiple “realms,“Planescapegives a more technological twist to the idea of traveling in between them. Fans will also lovePlanescape’s usage of steampunk and Victorian-era aesthetic, something not always present inD&Dsettings.
InPlanescape, players travel around various Planes that contain unique geographies and cultures that center on inter-faction conflicts. Interestingly, its influential concepts such as the idea of planar cosmology and Sigil, City of Doors, became recurring themes sincePlanescape’s first appearance in 1994.
7Warcraft
Interestingly, fans ofWorld of Warcraftcan play a TTRPG set in Azeroth courtesy of aWarcraftD&Dsetting. Released forD&D 3e,theWarcraft RPGtakes place in the world of Azerotharound the time ofWarcraft 3. In turn, its aesthetic and themes share a lot of similarities with the game and the developingWoWMMO. Albeit discontinued, its recent iteration,World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, translates much of the MMO into a TTRPG format.
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Unlike other campaign settings, even classes, monsters, magic items, and themes all center around theWarcraftstory. However, this material easily becomes the best introduction toD&Dfor RTS and MMO fans, especially to those who play a lot ofWoW.
6Mystara
Players looking for fresh campaign setting concepts to use might want to go old school withMystara. This setting, published from 1981 to 1996, has the makings of the “usual” high fantasy setting. However,unlikeForgotten Realms,Mystaraboasts a lighter tone perfect as an introductory setting for younger TTRPG players.
Players and DMs should take note of two primary things inMystara. First, it takes place in “The Known World” that players can explore, with enough opening to incorporate sub-settings such asThunder Rift,Savage Coast, andHollow World. Secondly, its world has ascended immortals instead of gods. Moreover,Mystara’s rather wildly creative concepts fit perfectly well with younger audiences who want to explore their creative faculties.
