I think the drop D option, as mentioned, would be a fine one to explore for you O. F.
New-to-you 'Alternative tunings' may slow you down a tad for a while, where Drop D is hardly a million miles away from that which you're already used to.

Melody notes are easily found in Drop D on yer average three-or-four-'chord-trick' folk songs, not only on the bass end, but also higher up using partial shapes based up around the 5th and 7th frets.
Then a capo (as others have said) opens up other keys right up the neck using the same patterns.
It's pretty easy in drop D (after getting used to the new way of fretting the basic chord shapes) to play in G and A also (without resorting to a capo).

If you like, PM me an email address and I'll mail you some diagramatic 'sheets' I produced for a 'simple' guitar workshop at Otley festival a while back (Word or Publisher?)
Happy picking - HFA