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."

 

[Remathilis]

The top tier settings all have unique rules that the DMG/PHB doesn't cover well.

Dark Sun has psionics, defiling, elemental clerics, unique races, and templars.
Eberron has artificers, warforged, psionics, unique races, and dragonmarks.
Ravenloft has Fear, Horror, Madness, Power Checks, psionics (sense a pattern?) and Altered Races/Classes/Spell effects
Planescape has unique races and factions

That said, most were also pretty famous for either novel lines (Dark Sun, Ravenloft) or video games (Eberron, Planescape) so they are probably the mo st well known.Though I'm kinda surprised Dragonlance didn't rate higher for that as well; it has a lot of unique mechanical elements (towers, knighthoods, kender, minotaurs, etc) but its always been my impression DL did better as a novel line than a game setting...

 

[gyor]

The Aasmir in the DMG is a protype and its not in a player product.

The Arficer Unearthed Arcana Wizard subclass was wildly unpopular.

It really depends on the era as to how dark FR gets, 4e gets pretty dark, but nuking the world while A Goddess og Loss, Darkness, Evil, and Night trying to destroy the world.

 

[Barantor]

I agree that it's one of flavor, but I get a different sense than you do. My feeling is that the flavor of the Realms is just more over-the-top epic in scope.

When I think of Greyhawk, I immediately think of Iuz, a demon price running a country and trying to take over the world. He's no lightweight, but he's no tarrasque, either -- he's not going to singlehandedly crush the entire world. And he feels somehow static to me -- while he's plotting evil, I can't think of any great storylines involving specific acts he did.

When I think of the Forgotten Realms, I think of Karsus and the fall of Netheril. That's ancient FR history, but even in more recent times, I think of Fzoul, Manshoon, Elminster, the Simbul, the Red Wizards, and so forth. Lots of figures that are practically godlike in power, who *could* take over the world on their own, but can't because there are others in their weight class stopping them.

Greyhawk doesn't feel darker to me, but it does feel grittier because of that difference -- like there's less room for deus ex machina, because there just aren't the same big players to step in if the PCs don't.

I think that is what a lot of us that like Greyhawk get from it. While FR has a ton of really powerful entities just running around in the real world, in Greyhawk there are less of these in the bigger scene and more "backroom" type things going on that the players may never even see.

As far as what they would do with it? I think redressing it up and making a combo book of all the living Greyhawk items, the advanced storyline and whatnot would really do it a service and make it useful for folks that weren't around during it's hay-day. Having a timeline in it where it shows the differences that happened and possibly a really good map with the advance of Iuz and then his slow withdraw would be nice.

Really it isn't so much to make it new as much as it is to bring it to the new edition of D&D and an option for folks that may have never even heard/dealt with it before.

I'm with others though, I bought into Thule for the really dark, Greyhawk is darker but not Conan.

 

[epithet]

I agree that it's one of flavor, but I get a different sense than you do. My feeling is that the flavor of the Realms is just more over-the-top epic in scope.

When I think of Greyhawk, I immediately think of Iuz, a demon price running a country and trying to take over the world. He's no lightweight, but he's no tarrasque, either -- he's not going to singlehandedly crush the entire world. And he feels somehow static to me -- while he's plotting evil, I can't think of any great storylines involving specific acts he did.

When I think of the Forgotten Realms, I think of Karsus and the fall of Netheril. That's ancient FR history, but even in more recent times, I think of Fzoul, Manshoon, Elminster, the Simbul, the Red Wizards, and so forth. Lots of figures that are practically godlike in power, who *could* take over the world on their own, but can't because there are others in their weight class stopping them.

Greyhawk doesn't feel darker to me, but it does feel grittier because of that difference -- like there's less room for deus ex machina, because there just aren't the same big players to step in if the PCs don't.

Iuz is much more straightforward than his mom. Iggwilv is the one who you discover to be the big bad after your paladin has fallen in love with her (and fathered a child that could save or destroy everything you hold dear.)

In terms of big players, well... if Tenser or Bigby aren't enough for you, there's always Mordenkainen. Y'know all the spells with names associated with them? The wizards that invented those are in the World of Greyhawk. The thing is, most of them are more interested in preserving the balance of the world than in fighting evil.

Another interesting aspect of the World of Greyhawk is that a fair number of the gods began as mortals. There are some very nasty individuals (like The Worm that Walks) that are trying to follow in their footsteps, and apotheosis is a great way to retire your epic PC.

 

[Staffan]

What book was an alchemist base class in? My wife enjoyed the shaman a lot in our 4E game, so I'm pleased to see if get some love.

2e had Alchemist as a wizard specialization in Spells & Magic. Pathfinder has it as a base class in Advanced Player's Guide.

I could definitely see alchemists and artificers as parts of the same class - likely with alchemists being a subclass of artificers. I don't like shamans as part of the same class. I see the reasoning if you do it like the WoW class with totem-based buffs, but I don't see that as the core thing about shamans.

Aren't aasimar already in the DMG? And haven't they already sketched out an artificer in the UA article for Eberron?

The UA Artificer received a lot of negative feedback, to the point where the survey report said "OK, back to the drawing board on this one."

The problem was that it was a class that could call itself an artificer since it had magic and abilities that focused on creating magic items, but it wasn't anything like the 3.5e Eberron Artificer, and that's what people clamoring for an Artificer class wants. It's as if they had made an Illusionist rogue archetype focusing on card tricks and stuff like that - the name is technically correct, but it's not the Illusionist.

Another interesting aspect of the World of Greyhawk is that a fair number of the gods began as mortals. There are some very nasty individuals (like The Worm that Walks) that are trying to follow in their footsteps, and apotheosis is a great way to retire your epic PC.

Forgotten Realms has numerous ex-mortal gods as well: Kelemvor, (new) Mystra, and Cyric are the best known, but Bane, Bhaal and Myrkul were also mortal, as well as a number of demigods (e.g. Finder Wyvernspur and The Red Knight).

However, it doesn't have many gods who "worked their way up" - ascended mortals are either demigods in service to (or at least sponsored by) a deity greater in stature, or ones who were appointed directly to a major position that was vacated by someone else.

 

[Patrick McGill]

Honestly the problem with Greyhawk is that it hasn't had good representation. As the base setting of 3.x it got watered down heavily. Since most people these days know of Greyhawk only through 3.x, it's no surprise that it's not high on their priority list. I bet if a rocking return was made to Greyhawk that had it's sword and sorcery ferocity turned back up to 11, you could change hearts and minds and separate it from the High Fantasy of FR.

I understand that because the base assumptions of 5e fit will with GH already, however, it's probably low on the list. A man can dream, though.

 

[Mirtek]

I agree that it's one of flavor, but I get a different sense than you do. My feeling is that the flavor of the Realms is just more over-the-top epic in scope.

When I think of Greyhawk, I immediately think of Iuz, a demon price running a country and trying to take over the world. He's no lightweight, but he's no tarrasque, either -- he's not going to singlehandedly crush the entire world. And he feels somehow static to me -- while he's plotting evil, I can't think of any great storylines involving specific acts he did.

When I think of the Forgotten Realms, I think of Karsus and the fall of Netheril. That's ancient FR history, but even in more recent times, I think of Fzoul, Manshoon, Elminster, the Simbul, the Red Wizards, and so forth. Lots of figures that are practically godlike in power, who *could* take over the world on their own, but can't because there are others in their weight class stopping them.

Greyhawk doesn't feel darker to me, but it does feel grittier because of that difference -- like there's less room for deus ex machina, because there just aren't the same big players to step in if the PCs don't.

Which is funny, as Iuz is a full-fledged demigod and personally more powerful than any of the FR heavy weights you listed. He might be able to singlehandedly crush the entire world, if not for the other deities interfering if he too blatantly flexes his divine muscles

Iggwilv is the one who you discover to be the big bad after your paladin has fallen in love with her (and fathered a child that could save or destroy everything you hold dear.)

In the last adventure path she was actually the most powerful of the stated NPC. Sure, Orcus (CR 33) and Demogorgon (CR 36) had a higher CR than Iggwilv (CR 30) but only because the CR system sucked in such cases. Being stated as a straight level 30 wizard/archmage with the epic spellcasting feat to boot, she was far beyong O's & D's monster stats and I thing she was statted more powerful and any of the epic FR wizards

 

[occam]

I thought this was interesting:

A few people asked about Al-Qadim in the comments field, since it wasn’t included in the survey. The reason for that is because we think of that setting as part of the Forgotten Realms. Why did Kara-Tur end up on the list, then? Because I make mistakes!

So they do consider Kara-Tur and Zakhara part of the Forgotten Realms setting, and not as entirely separate things. (It was unclear when Kara-Tur showed up in the survey but Al-Qadim didn't.) Which means... even if all they support in published adventures is FR... they could still do setting and adventure material for Kara-Tur and Zakhara!

Yes, I'm reaching. I just want to see something in 5e published material other than Faerûn! (From WotC, that is. I'm already getting Primeval Thule.)

 

[GreenTengu]

If this edition can somehow manage to handle Ravenloft with 1700-1800s survival horror setting, the weird technology and almost final fantasy-like atmosphere of Eberron, the harsh and cruel desperate cut-throat survival of Darksun, the global multicultural and highly detailed Forgotten Realms, the weird madness and dimensional hoping of Planescape and even take to the stars in battleships with StarJammer....

And just think how homebrew settings could mix all of these elements together.

Plus give us all those races they had listed there?
It will be the best edition ever.

GreyHawk is best left untouched I think. Honestly, if one is using GreyHawk they almost may as well just make their own setting straight from core. There is nothing interesting creative or fun there, just very dry and restrictive.

Dragonlance was a good kids setting, but it was so twisted up in that big metaplot that ultimately resolved. I don't know that Dragonlance needs to come back... but maybe there needs to be a new setting geared towards beginning players and young teens that is simple, doesn't try to take itself seriously and encourages a lot more creativity.

But at the current release schedule, it doesn't seem possible. It took years to get the game out and look how little there was in the first year. It seems like this would all take 20 years at this rate.

 

[Patrick McGill]

GreyHawk is best left untouched I think. Honestly, if one is using GreyHawk they almost may as well just make their own setting straight from core. There is nothing interesting creative or fun there, just very dry and restrictive.

I must take umbrage with this remark, sir.

Greyhawk is not so vanilla and dry as people make it out to be. My thought is that when it was used as the base setting for 3.x, it was watered down in order to be a generic setting for people just starting out. Greyhawk at it's best, however, was in the days of boxed sets. It felt unique in it's time because it was paving the way for what would eventually become D&D tropes. Going through old modules and boxed sets, you'll find a lot of creativity and uniqueness. It's also nice that Greyhawk isn't shackled by the grand story arcs of other settings, making it easy to make it your own.

I think out of all of the settings listed as the top settings, what is missing is a sword and sorcery setting in which you can play marauding adventurers set against a gritty world. FR is far too high fantasy, and the rest are very thematically niche. Greyhawk, drawing it's inspiration from early fantasy pulp fiction like the Grey Mouser, Conan, and in some instances Dying Earth can be (and should be) unique enough to set itself apart from the epic fantasy of FR and not be a watered down generic setting.