New D&D Monthly Survey: Mystics & Psionics

The new D&D monthly survey is up - it asks about last month's Unearthed Arcana psionics rules. Additionally, WotC reports on the results of the last survey about settings, classes, and races. It turns out that the top tier settings in terms of popularity are Eberron, Ravenloft, Dark Sun, Planescape, and the Forgotten Realms, followed by Greyhawk, Dragonlance, and Spelljammer. Additionally, popular character types were led by the artificer, shaman, and alchemist; while the most popular races were thri-kreen, goblin, and aasimar.

Find the new survey here. "This month, our survey looks at the mystic character class and our first draft of psionics rules for fifth edition. Your input is an invaluable tool that helps shape how we develop new material for D&D. If you love the rules, hate them, or have a specific issue you want to address, let us know."

 

[aramis erak]

So basically no one cares about the Known World/Mystara anymore? That's disappointing.

Those of us who do are deep into the lore, and really, don't need new products. Plus, much of it is actually rather mechanically tied to BECMI/Cyclopedia, and the rest is exemplifications of how to add to it mechanically.

If anything, it's even more gonzo a setting than the FR... You have such wildly different groups in such close proximity - vikings next to arabs, for example... Much as I love it, and much as it's my first choice, if I were in their shoes, i'd put it way on the back burner, behind GH.

 

[MrZeddaPiras]

If anything, it's even more gonzo a setting than the FR... You have such wildly different groups in such close proximity - vikings next to arabs, for example... Much as I love it, and much as it's my first choice, if I were in their shoes, i'd put it way on the back burner, behind GH.

I absolutely agree. What I really liked about Mystara was that you could pick any Gazetteer and you had a pseudo-historical campaign setting, and the character could travel to the next kingdom and basically find themselves into another historical period. Of course I understand that commercially and creatively WotC would be better served if they supported a second setting that is not classic fantasy, like Dark Sun, Ravenloft, Planescape, etc.

I wonder if the books that are coming out this fall will start some sort of pattern: a campaign for levels 1-15 followed by a setting book focusing on the regions featured in the adventures. My pitch: a campaign all set in Barovia, leading to a final confrontation with Count Strahd, and a setting book for Ravenloft focusing on one domain, and without the mini-biography of each and every dark lord.

 

[Remathilis]

I absolutely agree. What I really liked about Mystara was that you could pick any Gazetteer and you had a pseudo-historical campaign setting, and the character could travel to the next kingdom and basically find themselves into another historical period. Of course I understand that commercially and creatively WotC would be better served if they supported a second setting that is not classic fantasy, like Dark Sun, Ravenloft, Planescape, etc.

I wonder if the books that are coming out this fall will start some sort of pattern: a campaign for levels 1-15 followed by a setting book focusing on the regions featured in the adventures. My pitch: a campaign all set in Barovia, leading to a final confrontation with Count Strahd, and a setting book for Ravenloft focusing on one domain, and without the mini-biography of each and every dark lord.

The problem with Ravenloft is that each domain is basically one story. Barovia is all about Strahd and his castle. Yeah, the 3e Gaz's tried to flesh out Barovia so that wasn't just one village and castle, but in the end Barovia is all about Strahd and him alone. The same is true of a number of domains; Forlorn is empty but for Tristan, Lamordia is all about Adam and Mordenhein, etc. The only domains that seem fairly open and not-directly tied to their lords are Mordent (due to Godfrey being tied to Griffon Hill) and Nova Vaasa (due to the fact its pretty big and mostly empty, and Hiregaard/Malken isn't a particularly strong darklord). Oh, and Darkon, because it pretty much models a stock D&D world with lots of undead in it.

 

[AverageCitizen]

I like the class, I don't like what they're doing with the story for dark sun.

 

[epithet]

Am I the only one that really likes the Cthulhu flavor? When I think of psionics, I think of mind flayers... the Far Realm thing is great.

 

[steeldragons]

Am I the only one that really likes the Cthulhu flavor?

Yes. Yes you are.

 

[SkidAce]

Am I the only one that really likes the Cthulhu flavor? When I think of psionics, I think of mind flayers... the Far Realm thing is great.

No you are not, however...

It's something I posted about a long time ago on these boards.

When we were in the early years of the game, not everybody used Cthulhu styled plots. My campaign (and likely, others) felt unique and any new players we met (I was in the military and moved a LOT) loved the backstory etc.

There were hints of it here and there in various publications and magazine, cause geeks read a lot of the same source material.


Eventually though...when TSR et al, took what was popular and incorporated it (Far Realm) and then went off the charts with it (3rd edition) it became pervasive.

Now, there's a backlash. New players who join up now are like "ohh you use Cthulhu etc, how boring". The mythos has become a trope, a platitude.

So part of the "NO FAR REALMS" reaction is because of this, I feel.

---

P.S. I have so many new players now, I am nervous about revealing any of the 30 year backstory of my campaign, for fear of being labeled a "copycat" lol.

He he, I used to be so innovative. Times change.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

The problem with Ravenloft is that each domain is basically one story. Barovia is all about Strahd and his castle. Yeah, the 3e Gaz's tried to flesh out Barovia so that wasn't just one village and castle, but in the end Barovia is all about Strahd and him alone. The same is true of a number of domains; Forlorn is empty but for Tristan, Lamordia is all about Adam and Mordenhein, etc. The only domains that seem fairly open and not-directly tied to their lords are Mordent (due to Godfrey being tied to Griffon Hill) and Nova Vaasa (due to the fact its pretty big and mostly empty, and Hiregaard/Malken isn't a particularly strong darklord). Oh, and Darkon, because it pretty much models a stock D&D world with lots of undead in it.

Yea I really feel that each core domain needs to be rethought and fleshed out more. I would love a series of location based adventures like we are getting on the sword coast of the realms now set in Raven loft core. Imagine a book with a set of adventures that all take place in Barovia.

 

[Remathilis]

Yea I really feel that each core domain needs to be rethought and fleshed out more. I would love a series of location based adventures like we are getting on the sword coast of the realms now set in Raven loft core. Imagine a book with a set of adventures that all take place in Barovia.

First thing I'd do is ditch the "obviously from another D&D world" domains; bye Sithicus and Hazlan. I'd also ditch a few of the more WTF domains (Verbrek, I'm looking at you) and stick with the classics. Secondly, I'd play up the lesser evils and avoid dark lords; the Necropolis box-set (at the end of 2e) did this perfectly by subdividing Darkon into six regions and giving each region a minor darklord of its own; none so powerful as to challenge Azalin, but perfect foils for PCs.

However, I have a gut feeling that Ravenloft is probably going to move back into the older model of "self contained domains" rather than "campaign world"; the latter is far easier to integrate into a campaign and allows for the "night of terror" model far better than the trying to make Ravenloft's patchwork of cliches work as a setting. So Barovia is going to focus on Strahd and his Castle, Mordent is going to focus on Gryphon HIll, etc without a fig as to how those domains interact with each other. Enter the mists, do the quest, leave the mists.

 

[aramis erak]

First thing I'd do is ditch the "obviously from another D&D world" domains; bye Sithicus and Hazlan. I'd also ditch a few of the more WTF domains (Verbrek, I'm looking at you) and stick with the classics. Secondly, I'd play up the lesser evils and avoid dark lords; the Necropolis box-set (at the end of 2e) did this perfectly by subdividing Darkon into six regions and giving each region a minor darklord of its own; none so powerful as to challenge Azalin, but perfect foils for PCs.

However, I have a gut feeling that Ravenloft is probably going to move back into the older model of "self contained domains" rather than "campaign world"; the latter is far easier to integrate into a campaign and allows for the "night of terror" model far better than the trying to make Ravenloft's patchwork of cliches work as a setting. So Barovia is going to focus on Strahd and his Castle, Mordent is going to focus on Gryphon HIll, etc without a fig as to how those domains interact with each other. Enter the mists, do the quest, leave the mists.

The mists are a one-way trip. Ravenloft is a death sentence. At least in the versions I've seen. The real horror is that one cannot escape.