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General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Default setting: should we really have one?
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<blockquote data-quote="Li Shenron" data-source="post: 5778098" data-attributes="member: 1465"><p>(Just quoting this one because it is the most succint, but could have quoted many others...)</p><p></p><p>My question is in fact: is it <em>really</em> playable only with a setting?</p><p></p><p>When I started DMing (3.0) all the setting info I gave to the players was a map of Neverwinter Nights neighborhoods from FR's "The North", just because I had found that old book freely available on WotC website. I gave them the map and said "you are here". Nothing else...</p><p></p><p>I think the game is completely playable with no setting info. What is <em>really</em> needed is an adventure, but you don't really need to tell them about world geography or history or important NPCs for that first adventure or three. After that, YES! if you want to have continuity between adventures.</p><p></p><p>I also note that all of you refer to new D&D players/DMs. I think WotC should have <em>a Box set</em> for them, and such box should indeed be playable, well... "out of the box" <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite7" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":p" /> with maps, minis, dice, rules <em>redux</em> (e.g. first 5 levels) and then indeed it can have a small booklet with info on a chosen setting. Then make it cost max 50 bucks, and you can market it to RPG beginners.</p><p></p><p>But the corebooks? You normally need to buy 3 corebooks to start, that's maybe 100 bucks at least for the DM (players don't need as much setting info in their book as the DM anyway). Most buyers of the complete corebooks set are not beginners, maybe they are beginner DMs but have been players in other editions or games, either way they are most likely capable of starting off with either a homebrew or setting material from older books they already own. To non-beginners, a default setting doesn't make that huge difference unless it's new and happens to be pretty good (like PoI). </p><p></p><p>Most DMs will switch to their favourite setting or homebrew anyway, and having a default will force them to remove or edit some of the core material.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>That's exactly what I mean. The traditional classes, races, monsters of D&D <em>already</em> paint some generic setting. If it's smorgarsbrod/vanilla and not "complete", then default setting = no setting. In fact you suggest not to even give it a name. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite6" alt=":cool:" title="Cool :cool:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":cool:" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Li Shenron, post: 5778098, member: 1465"] (Just quoting this one because it is the most succint, but could have quoted many others...) My question is in fact: is it [I]really[/I] playable only with a setting? When I started DMing (3.0) all the setting info I gave to the players was a map of Neverwinter Nights neighborhoods from FR's "The North", just because I had found that old book freely available on WotC website. I gave them the map and said "you are here". Nothing else... I think the game is completely playable with no setting info. What is [I]really[/I] needed is an adventure, but you don't really need to tell them about world geography or history or important NPCs for that first adventure or three. After that, YES! if you want to have continuity between adventures. I also note that all of you refer to new D&D players/DMs. I think WotC should have [I]a Box set[/I] for them, and such box should indeed be playable, well... "out of the box" :p with maps, minis, dice, rules [I]redux[/I] (e.g. first 5 levels) and then indeed it can have a small booklet with info on a chosen setting. Then make it cost max 50 bucks, and you can market it to RPG beginners. But the corebooks? You normally need to buy 3 corebooks to start, that's maybe 100 bucks at least for the DM (players don't need as much setting info in their book as the DM anyway). Most buyers of the complete corebooks set are not beginners, maybe they are beginner DMs but have been players in other editions or games, either way they are most likely capable of starting off with either a homebrew or setting material from older books they already own. To non-beginners, a default setting doesn't make that huge difference unless it's new and happens to be pretty good (like PoI). Most DMs will switch to their favourite setting or homebrew anyway, and having a default will force them to remove or edit some of the core material. That's exactly what I mean. The traditional classes, races, monsters of D&D [I]already[/I] paint some generic setting. If it's smorgarsbrod/vanilla and not "complete", then default setting = no setting. In fact you suggest not to even give it a name. :cool: [/QUOTE]
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