D&D 5E One Campaign To Rule Them All

[Will Doyle]

5th edition has been variously described as the "edition to rule them all". Now it's out, wouldn't it be cool if Wizards released not one but *all* of their most iconic campaign settings in a single, worlds-spanning adventure path: "one campaign to rule them all"?

Each chapter would take our adventurers to a different world, with an adventure that emphasizes the most iconic aspects of that setting. The link could be a threat to the multiverse, and a plane-skipping vessel that the players inherit right at the start (I'm inspired here by Stormbringer's "Rogue Mistress", one of my favourite campaigns). Each chapter would provide a brief overview of the setting, with web-supplements or Dragon/Dungeon articles providing more detail. But it's all kept light, highly focused.

• We start in Mystara, with an adventure involving mad immortals and a journey into the heart of the Hollow World.
• Next we go to Greyhawk, where our heroes get caught up in a magic war between Mordenkainen and Bigby. Hexcrawling is involved.
• Krynn becomes our third setting, at the height of the War of the Lance. The adventurers become embroiled in some epic tragedy set against the backdrop of war.
• Next, Elminster sends us on a globe-trotting quest through the Forgotten Realms (perhaps stopping off in Kara-Tur and Maztica on the way). We end up in the Underdark, where Drizzt features, whether you like it or not.
• From now on, any character that dies in the campaign awakens in Ravenloft, called there by Strahd's magic. As a floating side trek, the rest of the group can break into Ravenloft to rescue their companion's soul.
• A battle against our campaign nemeses maroons the adventurers in the deserts of Athas, where they struggle to repair their vessel before the Sorcerer Kings capture it.
• Now high level, the quest takes us across the planes in search of Sigil, where the adventurers gather allies for the coming battle.
• Our penultimate mission is set in Eberron, where we unearth the secret of the lost moon in a high-level mystery involving artificers, warforged and battles on top of lightning rails.
• Finally, the last battle takes place in Nerath, at the height of the war between Arkhosia and Bael Turuth. Yes, that's dragonborn and tieflings. The world could be left in ruins, setting up the "points of light".

Well, I would play the bejesus out of that, at least.

 

[edutrevi]

This ends with a TPK during a desert travel by the characters in Athas.

 

[Astrosicebear]

Neat idea, but it steals the flavor away from the uniqueness of the settings. Plus it makes it very hard to integrate the setting specific races and features... I mean what is Eberron without dragonmarks and warforged... adding a warforged character into a dragonlance setting... see the issues?

I wouldnt mind this idea but kept to Planescape a few years down the line. Id love to see a planar jumping adventure path based in Sigil and outlands.

But also remember that they have to consider the Adventure League timelines, and those campaign seasons only last a few months, and never get nearly as complex as the full adventures.

 

[Boarstorm]

I like the idea as a sort of "capstone" game after all the settings are published and have a chance to shine in their own rights.

Something like this at the end of the 2E era would have been a lot of fun. Not that it wouldn't be fun now, I would just prefer to see in-depth setting information as opposed to snippets.

 

[Umbran]

"Crisis of Infinite Oerths"

 

[Will Doyle]

But also remember that they have to consider the Adventure League timelines, and those campaign seasons only last a few months, and never get nearly as complex as the full adventures.

True, such an idea would be a problem if everything is supposed to tie in with the AL. I'd like to see it in a relaunched Dungeon mag though

 

[txshusker]

it ain't iconic if you don't go up Against the Giants!

 

[Mephista]

Isn't this called "Spelljammer" or maybe "Planescape?"

 

[Boarstorm]

Isn't this called "Spelljammer" or maybe "Planescape?"

You'll notice that both are included above, so... yes?

 

[Gadget]

You'll notice that both are included above, so... yes?

Yes, but the whole concept of traveling from one plane/reality to another is the very basis of those settings. I, for one, agree with Astrosicebear above: this smorgasbord campaign idea might be kind of fun in way, but would tend to leach each setting of its unique flavor and feel.