D&D 5E Your one hope for D&D?

[TheCosmicKid]

Well, this just about describes most settings out there.

Just for once I would like to see (or perhaps even make) a setting where the base assumption was the opposite: "The world is, and always has been, on the ascendant. We can do things just as well now as they did in the past - in the past things may have been done differently, but not necessarily better. There have been no great catastrophes in the past, no prolonged periods of decline. Empires may have risen and fallen, and invasions may have occurred, but these were merely temporary setbacks to the inevitable march of progress. All races rose about the same time and share in this progress; elves and dwarves are not 'elder races', whose civilizations rose and began to decline before humanity's civilizations blossomed. They started up about the same time as humanity and share in the world's progress; their cultures are more vibrant and active now than they ever have been, and if not for their relatively lower birthrates they might threaten to overshadow humanity."

Congratulations, you have discovered the fundamental difference between fantasy and science fiction.

And also fantasy and reality.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

Batman was once silly and fun too.

*sigh*

Batman once shot people with guns.

...oh wait.

 

[ScaleyBob]

I hope all subsequent campaign guides (Eberron, Dark Sun, Greyhawk, &c.) are as good as 4e's Dark Sun Campaign Guide was.
I also hope for a World-Builder's Guide of equal quality.

This, and especially a 5th ed version of said 4e's Dark Sun Campaign Guide. With a nice big appendix at the end with Psionic rules for every setting.

 

[mflayermonk]

I would like Wall Posters. Some good art for the game room wall. That is my one wish.

 

[SunGold]

A new Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. Spending that hard-earned adventuring gold will always be fun.

 

[tardigrade]

Well, this just about describes most settings out there.

Just for once I would like to see (or perhaps even make) a setting where the base assumption was the opposite: "The world is, and always has been, on the ascendant. We can do things just as well now as they did in the past - in the past things may have been done differently, but not necessarily better. There have been no great catastrophes in the past, no prolonged periods of decline. Empires may have risen and fallen, and invasions may have occurred, but these were merely temporary setbacks to the inevitable march of progress. All races rose about the same time and share in this progress; elves and dwarves are not 'elder races', whose civilizations rose and began to decline before humanity's civilizations blossomed. They started up about the same time as humanity and share in the world's progress; their cultures are more vibrant and active now than they ever have been, and if not for their relatively lower birthrates they might threaten to overshadow humanity."

I was actually wondering recently about borrowing the "Awakening" idea from Shadowrun (and, I gather, from Earthdawn - which might match this idea more closely, but I never got to read any of the Earthdawn books) as a setting concept: magic and nonhuman races suddenly begin to appear, rapidly, in an otherwise close to "real world" medieval European setting. Maybe even after the first (entirely mundane) adventure or two. So at the outset magic has *never* been seen by anyone before, nobody has ever seen a goblin or kobold. No "exploring old ruins for magical swords", no greybeard wizards dispensing lore, lots of emerging dark lords misusing their newfound powers, social upheaval with "raise dead", confusion over how to react towards elves and dwarves, etc. Basically medieval X-men, I suppose.

I'm not sure 5e is the right system for this, though...

 

[Eltab]

Just for once I would like to see (or perhaps even make) a setting where the base assumption was the opposite: "The world is, and always has been, on the ascendant. We can do things just as well now as they did in the past - in the past things may have been done differently, but not necessarily better. There have been no great catastrophes in the past, no prolonged periods of decline.

Or the ascendant class sees things that way, but in fact history is cyclical. The campaign world just happens now to be in the rising part of the cycle.
The mega-goal could be to stop the BBEG who would cause the wheel to turn downwards prematurely; in so doing, the PCs power the wheel higher instead.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Well, this just about describes most settings out there.

Huh. Do you think that's true of Faerun? I mean, maybe it's in the "lore" (I really don't know...I've never found FR lore to be interesting enough to dive into) but I don't see signs of it in the adventures. Where are the indications that today's wizards (with 9th level spells, including Wish) are less powerful than wizards of old?

Just for once I would like to see (or perhaps even make) a setting where the base assumption was the opposite: "The world is, and always has been, on the ascendant.

Yeah...that's pretty much the feeling I get in FR adventures, even if it's not canon. I just don't think it's as interesting as a setting as a "dark ages". It's one of the things I love about Bernard Cornwell's stories...he evokes the sense of the Romans as being this near-mythical race who built things that nobody can replicate.

 

[The-Magic-Sword]

Dragonlance 5e (though i would like other less standard fantasy settings first so it represents a return to a more typical fantasy setting after something more out there)

 

[Demetrios1453]

Huh. Do you think that's true of Faerun? I mean, maybe it's in the "lore" (I really don't know...I've never found FR lore to be interesting enough to dive into) but I don't see signs of it in the adventures. Where are the indications that today's wizards (with 9th level spells, including Wish) are less powerful than wizards of old?



Yeah...that's pretty much the feeling I get in FR adventures, even if it's not canon. I just don't think it's as interesting as a setting as a "dark ages". It's one of the things I love about Bernard Cornwell's stories...he evokes the sense of the Romans as being this near-mythical race who built things that nobody can replicate.

Wizards on Toril could cast up to 11th-level spells before the fall of Netheril (which was caused by the casting of the only 12th-level spell ever)

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