New, Original 4e Campaign Setting

[Pour]

I know it's been some time since the NY Comicon, but while I was there I had the pleasure of speaking with Chris Perkins. One of my questions referred to campaign settings for 4e. He mentioned the next setting would be announced at GenCon (I think that was the convention he said, anyway...), but my follow up was something along the lines of:

There is a lot of pressure from long-time fans to revisit all the old campaign setting favorites like Dark Sun, Dragonlance, etc. But what about the new players, or the players looking for something new? Are there any plans to create a new campaign setting specifically introduced for 4e?

He replied something to the effects of: We have indeed been discussing the possibility of a completely original campaign setting.

It was also mentioned Birthright, Red Steel and Maztica probably would not ever see 4e revisits. However, there was talk on incorporating Birthright elements into future supplemental material, specifically keeps, bloodlines, etc.

Now I know his one line response might not be much, but I have a hunch we will see R&D working extra hard one of these coming years to produce an old setting AND a new labor of love. I don't think they would anger the masses with something new before Dragonlance and Dark Sun. So in that case, perhaps a 2012 original campaign setting? Then again, pretty damn late in the 4e hour... So my guess is a simultaneous releasing, if they decide to make an original one at all. From the feel I got from the overall presentation on D&D 2009, it seemed they are itching to create.

 

[avin]

*bidding for something more original (meaning different, uncommon) than eberron*

Maybe there will be a new contest... maybe they will release 2nd place from former contest.

 

[kenmarable]

My money s on Dark Sun after Eberron to coincide with psionics PHB3 (don't know if it'll be in PHB3, but considering it was almost added to the initial SRD, there was mention of it almost getting into PHB2 but too many arcane and divine new classes, and psionic fans will mount a revolt if they have to wait any longer - I'd say it's a safe bet). After that I'd say a new setting would be almost certain after 3 revisits in a row. Dragonlance or Ravenloft would most likely follow in year 5 - although I could see Ravenloft being "backdoored" in earlier through being a sample setting in a horror book.

I could be wrong and they might release psionics without any related setting, but Dark Sun and psionics are so closely tied (with elementalism and Dark Sun not far behind), it wouldn't make a lot of sense to not tie them together. Plus, even early on when I wasn't a fan of 4e at all, it was clear that Dark Sun and 4e are a perfect match. Points of light, intensity of combat and "over the topness" of PC's abilities, plus Dark Sun was the only setting to incorporate Epic and the precursor to epic destinies right into the setting (Dragon Kings book).

 

[JackSmithIV]

I'm souped to find out what the new campaign setting is going to be. I'd be fine with Dragonlance or Darksun, which are the two obvious contenders for the spot, but I'd much rather see something original, and something that defies the norm a bit. Eberron was fantastic, and I'd love to see them reach out and perhaps even touch on new subgenres.

And if they don't, then someone's gonna have to!

 

[ferratus]

I think making Birthright a ruleset to deal with ruling a realm and having bloodlines is perfect, because the setting itself isn't that interesting. Sure there are gems to be found in the details, but it is just a pseudo-earth culture like Greyhawk or the Forgotten Realms.

Speaking Greyhawk, I think it already has been adapted for 4e in the best way it can be adapted. We've pillaged its storylines, monsters, demon lords, and classic dungeons ruthlessly for the "undefined" 4e setting. It is extremely easy to convert and play the old Greyhawk modules in 4e if you are not married to the minutae of the setting and 4e. You still see some complaints some minor changes (like Graz'zt's backstory), but because it isn't "Greyhawk Canon" it largely is accepted by the fan community without venom. I can't imagine the notoriously fussy Greyhawk fanbase not screaming sacriledge if 4e assumptions were imposed on the setting and room made in the Greyhawk for things like Dragonborn or Shifters.

The Dragonlance fans would probably take it better given that we went through the hard revision (and not for the better) with the 5th Age storyline a decade ago, along with a new continent of Taladas with different setting assumptions about the world a decade before that.

The suspicion among the fans though is that rather than releasing new campaign materials, WotC will just release the classic Chronicles modules over again. We all recognize it as a smart business move (because it sells better than the campaign materials for the setting) but we who choose it as our favourite setting have played through those adventures already. Though I'm a fan of the setting myself, like Birthright its gems are found in the minutae. Aside from some rather popular/unpopular racial choices (kender, gully dwarves, and gnomes) there isn't anything that really distinguishes it in flavour-wise from the "undefined" setting.

Ravenloft, Spelljammer and Planescape have also already been adapted for 4e with Manual of the Planes. Like Greyhawk, they had the canon and some of the problematic setting assumptions removed, and folded it into the "undefined" campaign setting. Also like Greyhawk, it has largely been adapted and adopted without huge protests from fans because it borrows instead of replacing the setting's canon. I imagine more borrowing of these two settings will occur if they ever release sourcebooks for specific planes, though planar-specific sourcebooks might be more of a niche market than WotC is willing to bet on.

Dark Sun has definate possibility of being adapted because it has a distinctive flavour (gritty, post-apocolyptic) and because it the only setting that has psionics as a core part of its campaign flavour. So thus, of all the settings it is the best positioned to showcase both an alternate playing style and an alternate magic system.

However, Dark Sun fans are at least as touchy as Greyhawk fans, given the massive negative reaction to the 3e adaptation in Dungeon Magazine. That was about as faithful to the source material and backstory of the setting as one could get, and it is pretty much hated for mentioning that a player who likes paladins can play a paladin in the setting. Given that WotC probably wants players to use its sourcebooks (PHB1, PHB2 etc) in the Dark Sun world, a certain amount of reinterpretation is probably required. I can't think of any PHB2 race that would be allowed in Dark Sun if you are a purist about setting canon.

So does WotC count on selling Dark Sun and appease the fanbase, or does it hope enough of the fanbase likes a little bit of reinterpretation enough to buy it anyway? With less sourcebooks being released, do they hope people with an RPG budget will buy the book out of curiosity for the Psionic rules? I'd say the better money would be to make the Dark Sun setting a backdrop for showcasing those psionic rules, rather than releasing a full on campaign guide like the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. Wider audience (psionics fans are larger than Dark Sun fans) and the Dark Sun fans who are interested in playing 4e will pick it up for the psionics rules system.

 

[Nivenus]

Cool.

Maybe we'll get to see Rich Burlew's setting after all (the one he can't talk about because he won 2nd place in the Setting Search).

 

[Dragonblade]

However, there was talk on incorporating Birthright elements into future supplemental material, specifically keeps, bloodlines, etc.

YES! Make this happen WotC. I'm kind of meh on the Birthright setting in general, but I LOVE the idea of domain rulership and management, castles, keeps, and fighting wars, along with bloodlines and bloodlines powers.

 

[Dragonblade]

As far as future releases go, I want Dark Sun as the next setting, and psionics in the PHB3. I also want an expanded Manual of the Planes 2, or a new setting that really supports an amalgamated Planescape/Spelljammer style game.

 

[Arawn76]

No Birthright makes me terribly sad

 

[Rechan]

This is my inner cynic talking, but I'm generally wary of anything that advertises as "New!" "Original!" Especially coming from WotC. It'd likely involve something like "Instead of gnomes, HALFLINGS wear hats!" "DWARVES UNDERWATER!"*

Quite frankly, I don't want a new campaign setting, for the selfish fact that I'll also likely enjoy it, and want to spend money on it. I all ready want to work on my own, don't tempt me with new, shiny things!

*I say this even though I really do enjoy Eberron. It did play "Musical assumptions" with the racial and generic fantasy habits. But, still.