Seven Reasons BIRTHRIGHT Was The Best D&D Setting Ever Made

Follow along as I detail why 1995's "Birthright" setting, overlooked by many, was a fantastic setting where your character could become a ruler of his own domain.
I have a Birthright campaign that started shortly after its release and continues to this day.
The minis and scenery in the video are my own, some day I will show my entire collection in a video and you will see the addiction I once had for those plastic minis.
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[@Inquisitor_Lelouch]

I was always interested in birthright. It's the one setting that actually feels not just medieval, but Arthurian in a very classical sense.

[@McHobotheBobo]

Check out the Moonshae and Druidhome trilogies from Forgotten Realms, it has a very Arthurian setting

[@thatsnotoneofmeatsmanyuses1970]

There was an officially licensed D&D PC game released in '93 set in Mystarra called Fantasy Empires. It was primarily a strategic turn-based wargame, with action elements in the individual battles, but it also made use of costly and limited magic in the strategic map to gain advantage. I suspect that may have influenced the development of this setting.

[@joshuakanapkey6570]

I spent so many hours playing Fantasy Empires - especially between 11p and 3a.Still hold major love and respect for it!

[@crazymouse1376]

Great video. I was so interested in the story telling that I lost track of the time left and was bummed out the video ended. Keep up the great work.

[@Ampolitor]

my favorite setting, I updated it for 5E and we are setting the new campaign in the Giantdowns. I bought it when it came out in a small rpg shop in Carmel NY, saw it on the new releases shelf. I was hooked and waited for all of the players guides to come out. I just wish there were more modules. I used to go to Kaybee toys every week to see. Back then we had to use Dragon mag to figure out release dates and gamer news since there was no internet.

[@DiversityDragons]

Yea they didn't have too many adventures, but the ones they had were pretty solid.

[@PaulKettlebones]

You had me when Gotterdamerung started playing. Immediately transported me to Excalibur.

[@colewrathman4472]

I had Greyhawk, Birthrigth, 5 or 6 Gazetteers, Every Dragonlance 1e module the Ravenloft Module, and a ton of other modules like the two Alice in Wonderland modules. I gave everything I had away... I hate myself. I'm 50. Oh oh and the Palace of the Silver Princess was my favorite module of all time. Oh oh and I had the Mass Battle System box set.. Crud so many things coming to mind. I had the Basic set through the Immortal Rule. I had the Rules Cyclopedia. I had a ton of 1e books and the players and DMG for 2e. I really hate myself.....

[@DiversityDragons]

Yea, we all have those stories. I would love to find my blue box expert set but it is lost to the ages.

[@donrosavelli8869]

I watched this video 3 times. I am now obsessed with everything birthright. But I still love my Mystara. The Excalibur soundtrack was a awesome touch too. Great vid .

[@DiversityDragons]

Thank you very much Don!

[@Samwise7RPG]

It is cool to hear about your campaign that has continued on for so many years. :) I started with Birthright: Gorgon's Alliance and later got the box set used. I've ran a few solo zoomed out political games using random tables and an oracle, but I hope to run a true Birthright campaign in the near future.

[@brucemaximus3797]

I love this setting so much, I'm glad you're shining a light on it. Have you seen Gamer's Tavern 27 where they cover this setting with Rich Baker? Awesomesauce. Simply awesomesauce.

[@DiversityDragons]

Thank you! I will check that out.

[@thechefhans739]

This looks really interesting. I’d love to have a play group that stayed together for so many years. You’re a lucky man

[@DiversityDragons]

Thank you! We are definitely blessed to have a stable group of not just players but friends.

[@aegisofhonor]

Birthright was a very good AD&D campaign setting, it had multiple ways of playing, lots of rich history of story, and end goal and big boss guy that made you want to work towards a goal of defeating that evil and lots of ways to actually play the game, from a traditional AD&D campaign, to a simi-board game to a complete board game. The big problem was that unlike TSR/Wizard's other AD&D campaign settings like Dark Sun, Ravenloft, Spelljammer, and Forgotten Realms, it was quite difficult to show off the strengths of the campaign settings at a convention. Playing Birthright as a one shot traditional campaign setting really did not show off in any meaningful way what set it apart from other campaign settings and in general, one shot adventures as is didn't work well with the Birthright campaign setting. The only realistic way to run such a campaign setting at a convention was to play it in it's full board game mode with little or no "on the ground" role playing at all; just play it like a board game which was sort of complicated for people to learn in one sitting. This made it hard to really promote the game to AD&D players as it was their experience playing such games at the conventions that got game masters into buying the books and running the games at their local game stores to get others into the campaign setting as well. This is why Birthright was one of the worst selling campaign settings of the 2nd edition AD&D era and one of the least popular even today.

[@therealvector8955]

That was a fantastic video. I think I was only ever tangentially aware of Birthright, as I had moved beyond D&d by the mid-90s, but you really convinced me I missed out on a great setting.

[@DiversityDragons]

Thank you! This one was definitely a labor of love. 👍

[@mykediemart]

This was the best setting I never really got to play. I didn't want to pick up another D&D setting so I passed on it. I also thought it was "super powered" I like that castle set up and I think I spy a Heroclix mini

[@DiversityDragons]

Thank you! Lots of D&D minis (the pre-painted ones from almost 20 years ago), some higher quality ones from a game called "Conquest (?)" and yea, probably a heroclix mini or two as well. As for it being "super-powered", I suppose it could be if you started players off at higher levels. But I don't think the setting encouraged it specify. The only "power" some players had was their "Blood Abilities", and some of them were more benign than a lot of feats in the game today. After that initial game we played Birthright as a regular setting, no superpowers, by the book. It's worked great for us! Thanks for watching, more to come!

[@ookamiwarrior]

Thank you for this amazing expose on a oft-forgotten campaign setting, from the time when the best campaign settings of all time came out--2nd Edition! Take care my brother, and keep doing what you do.

[@DiversityDragons]

Thank you my friend!

[@festalongreyhawkshorts4sho645]

Another Realm untouched by our group! We are now, for the 1st time, playing in Ravenloft! Done Forgotten Realms. Dragon Lance. Greyhawk. And Realms of our own creation. The only limit to this game is your imagination!

[@DiversityDragons]

Exactly! If you get the chance, Birthright can really sing with a good DM and an enthusiastic group. 👍

[@Jacodean84]

The meeting was underrated we had some seriously fun campaigns as both unblooded and blooded characters

[@magicusergames]

Awesome video! Would love more Birthright vids from you. Not a lot of content for this amazing setting. Keep it up!

[@DiversityDragons]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@UncleJamie]

I need to re-watch Excalibur again

[@DiversityDragons]

Once a year, mandatory!

[@SwordlordRoy]

I am a comparative Youngblood, being older than the setting by a handful of years, but not having started playing D&D until the waning days of 3.X (had the books from the start of 3.5, but the edition was not conducive to solo learning...). That said, I was always interested by Birthright from the start, it holding a solid 3rd place for me (Sorry, was raised on Dragonlance, and there is surprisingly more Mystara content on KZbin than Birthright...). I have a couple of the box sets physically (Cities of the Sun and, redundantly, the Naval Warfare expansion), and have got the main box through the DM's guild...just really need to set in to make a 5e character to annoy the Forgotten Realms nuts with.

[@joshuakanapkey6570]

One of the only settings I never went in on, though a friend did get it. Unfortunately, he moved before we were able to do more than peruse the book and ideas. Love your passion for it, though! Cheers, mate!

[@shallendor]

The Birthright was a great video game! I have the map of Anuire on the wall here at my computer!

[@DiversityDragons]

Love it! Never played that game but remember the ads for it in Dragon and Dungeon Magazine.

[@bobbyg7814]

this is so crazy. my first character in br was also William Moergan II. Love this setting to death.

[@DiversityDragons]

Damn! I will tell my buddy!

[@bhikku23]

A really cool setting, but all too often overlooked and overshadowed. Glad to see it get some love.

[@DjigitDaniel]

PHENOMENAL VIDEO! Thank you, sir, for sharing this incredible story. What miniatures are you using in your "story" clips? I enjoyed the narration as much as the visuals. You got a subscriber today.

[@DiversityDragons]

Thank you! I was an early buyer into the pre-painted WotC minis from the 2000's. One day I'll do a video on my collection of those minis. It's pretty...uhh...extensive. Along with my Dwarven Forge. I'm glad you liked that side story, it was fun to do!

[@DjigitDaniel]

@@DiversityDragons , I thought I recognized the molds! They're charming in a way most wargame minis just can't touch. Love your content, sir. God bless you.

[@DiversityDragons]

Thank you Daniel, have a great day and stay tuned!

[@qsviewsrpgs4571]

This was exellent! A legendary video for a legendary setting! It's great to see it get the justice it deserves.

[@Lee_Adamson_OCF]

That's pretty neat. :O Parts of it almost seem like a pen & paper version of Fantasy Empires. Sadly, I've never had a chance to play it.

[@festalongreyhawkshorts4sho645]

You've got a great DM voice!

[@Tabletop_Epics]

I once contacted a DM who posted a call for new players in a local hobby shop. He was a Kiwi, living in the states with his American wife. He had been an extra in The Lord of the Rings, and he was a longtime gamer. His group was comprised of some oddballs, but we all had fun playing together. I bring this up because he introduced me to Birthright. None of my other gamer friends had either heard of it or tried it out. This DM would rave about the setting, and he even interrupted the group game once to show off his collection of Birthright materials. We never got to play Birthright, unfortunately, because I made the mistake of inviting this guy to my home game, and it was there that I learned what a real life sadist and dick gamer was. He went from being an affable and inviting chap to being the worst player I've ever encountered. A guy whose character murdered the first NPC he encountered, and one who stole that NPC's horse and took off on his own adventure, ignoring the rest of the group. None of my players knew what to say, having just met the guy, and I was in shock because I couldn't believe what was happening. His wife even came along and sort of watched my reactions with glee. It was surreal witnessing the shift in these people. This didn't taint my opinion of Birthright, but it will always be tied to it. Birthright sounds great, but it's haunted by memories of a bipolar psychopath gamer.

[@DiversityDragons]

Holy hell, what a psycho indeed! Yes, please don't let that taint a very good setting!

[@Tabletop_Epics]

@@DiversityDragons I definitely did not. It's weird how someone can go from, "Let's have a weekly gaming potluck and have fun playing games" to "I'll destroy everything you create and disrespect all of your friend, hahaha!" Unhinged.

[@PorumPunhadodeDados-Streams]

I've recently just finished a very long campaign using Bithright, but playing mostly as the Khinassi. Great game.

[@DiversityDragons]

The group was just in Ariya for a pit stop! Rogan's character's family owns an olive Grove to the north.

[@PorumPunhadodeDados-Streams]

@@DiversityDragons My players turned the small kingdom of Mesire into a major empire, even annexed Aryia. Probably Ill return to the campaign in the futre, play as the next generation as you did. Anyway, great content!

[@autisticallyaccurate]

Wonderful Insights! It makes a lot more sense now about your dislike of the spells Fly and Invisibility. I do love the bloodlines to the land and old gods. Very Excalibur.

[@ogrehaslayers605]

Owned it and played it back in the day. Birthright and Planescape were my jam. Scree Forgotten Realms. Screw Hollow World. And especially screw Eberron.

[@scetchmonkey007]

One of the best games I've ran was in Birthright Sorta..... Imagine Birthright but the realm you are in has been sucked into Ravenloft due to its Awenshalin Domain Lord.

[@h347h]

Ive been playing it in 2ED the whole time but BR is hands down my favorite campaign setting to date. I can see the human racial stats thing being an issue with "modern" audencies but if you just use the any race any stats rule recently added it ereases that 'issue.' I own every single release of BR including the RPGA stuff. I hope to one day get one of the internally released reprints of the main box art to mount in my house. If you like this setting the Kingdoms of Kalimdor isn't that bad either. WotC let the rights slip for the setting and now Hackmaster uses it as its base setting.

[@DiversityDragons]

I want to get those BR figures some day!

[@h347h]

@Diversity & Dragons yeah the Ral Partha miniatures are the only thing I don't own as I use historical miniatures from Fireforge and Vitrix to use for the different kingdoms. That said the different blooded "BBeGs" could use a modern box.

[@Ironcaster]

Time to start making mr. Welch esque videos about birthright. Corner the market!

[@DiversityDragons]

Thank you Ironcaster!

[@jackhartford521]

Never heard of this game but I still own mighty empires.

[@Decado1628]

As a die hard Greyhawk fan I sadly ignored a lot of settings that TSR released. If you have read them, what are your thoughts on the Birthright novels?

[@DiversityDragons]

I have not read the novels, actually. I had a sort of aversion to novels based on properties. Some day I might circle back and try one, though.

[@katydidd6321]

Yup. You just told me how to deal with the high level player issue. Thanks! 🍻

[@DizzysV]

Thanks mate!

[@yagsipcc287]

Remember kids all though these books are out of print you too can get them easily remember the internet has everything...

[@Zirbip]

This is a setting I know nothing abut but I'd love to learn more.

[@SquirrelGamez]

Only seven? Well, it's a start. :P All hail Emperor Bannier!

[@Cynidecia]

Odd way to spell Mystara. But in all seriousness, this seems interesting setting wise. It's giving me a serious Warhammer Fantasy vibe but more down to earth and subdued in the good way, Less out there stuff like Chaos, more realistic medieval stuff.

[@DiversityDragons]

Yea it defintely leaned into the "realistic fantasy".

[@Rannos22]

It's strange that you act like players becoming kings and conquerors was something that only popped up with birthright when it was a well detailed part of the rules since at least 1977 when the AD&D books came out

[@michaelcahill1450]

Could you do a series just on your Birthright knowledge? I picked up the box set a year ago and I’m loving it.

[@DiversityDragons]

I am planning on doing some liveplays in the near future with my group. Stay tuned!

[@sylvaincousineau5073]

Run my best campaign in Birthright .🍺

[@TKFKU]

MArtin was writing asoiaf for three years before the frist book was done which predates Brithright, so wishing thinking there

[@constablebrew]

I have to disagree on war cards being a reason this was the greatest setting. All the rest tho, spot on.

[@Dndditches]

I would love to get into Birthright but Planescape is just too good.

[@DiversityDragons]

I ran planescape for a year. It was great too!

[@ThomasPercy]

I'm also DM-ing Brt sińce 1995, but my campaign is not continous. I've restarted the time once to have Avan, Boeruine, Kalien etc. once again.

[@DiversityDragons]

In a way it would be interesting to do that again, but we are 4 generations on from those folks now.

[@ThomasPercy]

@@DiversityDragons Where are you from? (I'm from Europe, Poland).

[@DiversityDragons]

@@ThomasPercy The US, Pennsylvania

[@greasysmith3150]

I like birthright. Hate that the text is written over art...buuuut my favorite setting is mystara

[@paulbachleda]

This is a boxed set I wouldn't have appreciated at the time it came out. Now, after having played with different mass combat rules (Legend of the Five Rings, Through Sunken Lands) and utilizing systems that allow your character to leave a lasting impression beyond killing and looting (Pendragon, The One Ring), a product like Birthright would be a nice tool to un-hobo players.

[@DiversityDragons]

I can't recommend it enough, Paul.

[@nicholaswallen8147]

I'm a pure Endier-an myself. Love being in one of the smallest, yet wealthiest nations. Also love all their neighbors hate them lol

[@DiversityDragons]

Oh yea, Rogr Aglondier if memory serves me!

[@marvalice3455]

Yo, birthright is pretty dope

[@thatsnotoneofmeatsmanyuses1970]

You're gonna regret that tattoo someday, Darian.

[@DiversityDragons]

Not the face Darian, you can't hide that!

[@BBGunsPGH]

I really enjoyed this video. Was going to sub until I realized most of your content is dedicated to culture war bs. I would just like to advocate for more content like this!

[@DiversityDragons]

I do try to mix it up if I can, but I am dedicated to showing how cultural marxism/leftism has poisoned the D&D game almost irrevocably at this point. I am glad you enjoyed the Birthright video. I usually label my videos pretty clearly so you can discern the "straight" gaming ones.

[@BBGunsPGH]

@DiversityDragons I think your obsession with that stuff has poisoned your content. Wish you all the best though. Again really enjoyed this video

[@DiversityDragons]

@BBGunsPGH Thank you and thanks for watching. Peace.

[@charlesdebarber2997]

It is pronounced "Ann-Weer". :) Still awesome.

[@justinheads5751]

Political games can be cool, but game of thrones has never been cool. I don't think it's very winsome to present GoT as emblematic of the subgenre. If it were, I'd hate the subgenre, but I don't, I love it. Just my perspective on the topic.

[@cobinizer]

If you snark at Eberron, then 3.5 is not the system for you.

[@oz_jones]

Our group started in Eberron but due to real life we had to switch DMs and settings. Luckily our now DM has _really_ stepped up to the plate, given this is allegedly his first time running a game.

[@Nightbreed24]

I'm Hungarian and have only read about this game in a local fanzine. Is it true, that the final version was destroyed by adding women's lib, minority rights and other such anachronistic features?

[@DiversityDragons]

Birthright was done in 1995, so there's really no woke BS in it.

[@DeusMachina71]

But it's not the best setting.. it's not even the best D&D setting, Dark Sun was. I liked it when it came out, so it was my second favorite ha

[@foff3804]

Mmmm....Nope

[@DiscoBarbarian]

this sounds amazing, never had a chance to try. to be clear this is like game of thrones banged Highlander. Thoughts on mixing this with Lion And Dragon?

[@DiversityDragons]

😂That is a damn near PERFECT summary of Birthright. And if you are a fan of OSR I HIGHLY recommend using the Lion & Dragon ruleset. With a few tweaks it would be perfect for Birthright.

[@DiscoBarbarian]

@@DiversityDragons I'm using it for the sales pitch.