D&D (2024) So what happened to the new and classic campaign settings? (and what's next?)

[Gorck]

I still think D&D "needs"--or could benefit from--a new default, kitchen sink setting to place their adventures in. I like the Realms, but at this point it feels worn out. Anachronistic, even. A new--built from the ground--kitchen sink setting could allow them to bring D&D fully into the 21st century without feeling like everything new is being crammed into old settings (e.g. dragonborn in Greyhawk...blech). I feel that WotC could take a lesson from Paizo, and create a Golarion-esque setting that allows for a more naturalistic diversity of ideas...not just pasting on everything, whether it fits thematically or not (e.g. Kara-Tur/Zakhara/Maztica in Toril).

They sort of did introduce a new setting: Exandria. They worked with Matt Mercer to release The Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount and Call of the Netherdeep,

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

OK, I guess you can't accuse me about spoiler if this my own theory said by me a lot of time ago. We know Vecna was the responsible of the reboot of the D&D multiverse when he caused those troubles in Sigil. Then I imagine afer the event of the eve of ruin we are going to see some reboot, retcon or reimagination of some old settings. If something is changed, you can blame Vecna.

My theory is the settings are going to be rewritten, to allow all PC species and classes+subclasses, and this means Dark Sun will be redesigned. You should understard for a teenage Dark Sun is the fantasy version of Mad Max, but for adults DS could be the world of Gor (fantasy saga for adult readers) with superpowers.

 

[Reynard]

I still think D&D could use a brand new setting build from scratch for 5E with the current GenZ fanbase in mind, much in the way Eberron was designed for 3.xE and GenXers.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I suspect they want to create a new setting using the isekai manganimes as source of inspiration, to attrack the otaku/manga-fan community. I read something about a setting being created by Japaneses, but with a visual Western look.

Nentir Vale hasn't been mentioned officially, but it was designed to be a sandbox. I guess these should be unlocked also in DM Guild.

 

[Blue]

True, but tgat chapter is still what Winninger was hinting at.

Look, I have considered blocking you because every single time I engage one of your points not in full agreement, you move the goalposts again and again to avoid admitting you were incorrect. In this case, you claimed "Greyhawk ia getaway full Gazater in Chapter of the new DMG". This isn't true. Period.

I didn't respond to your post because it's so aggravating that you can not take a correction. But when someone else took this and was running with it I had to let them know that we've been told it's the example setting in a create-a-setting chapter, not a Gazetteer chapter, instead of letting the incorrect statement propigate. Yet you can't let it go even though what I said was factually correct. You come up with something true but adjacent to the correction and post it like it counters what I said.

Look, you often have good points I like to read, I don't want to block you. But every interaction recently we've had has followed this same, frustrating, tap dance where you are unable to accept a correction if something you posted was incorrect and instead is a dodge to the side. I know, it's the internet, but maybe, just once, accept the correction. Then you can add to it. "Oh, that's right, it's not a chapter devoted to Greyhawk, but I've heard what is there is enough to run." You're still winning, you have more useful information you added. You're just doing that without having to try to make someone else lose.

 

[Parmandur]

In this case, you claimed "Greyhawk ia getaway full Gazater in Chapter of the new DMG". This isn't true. Period.

They have said the chapter has a fililly usable Setting. It is not going to be a 300 page 3E FRCS style Setting, but "Gazateer" is a factual description of what they are saying is coming in the DMG. And, in answer to the original post, the Greyhawk material in the DMG is what Ray Winninger was talking about back in the day, the "revisit" to a Setting already visited in 5E.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Now I am thinking... if Vecna wanted to remake the multiverse "to eliminate good and obliterate the gods"... that sounds very Dark-Sun style. This should mean Vecna could cause the creation of a new demiplane very similar to Athasian tablelands.

 

[Aldarc]

I still think D&D "needs"--or could benefit from--a new default, kitchen sink setting to place their adventures in. I like the Realms, but at this point it feels worn out. Anachronistic, even. A new--built from the ground--kitchen sink setting could allow them to bring D&D fully into the 21st century without feeling like everything new is being crammed into old settings (e.g. dragonborn in Greyhawk...blech). I feel that WotC could take a lesson from Paizo, and create a Golarion-esque setting that allows for a more naturalistic diversity of ideas...not just pasting on everything, whether it fits thematically or not (e.g. Kara-Tur/Zakhara/Maztica in Toril).

That would be the Nentir Vale.

 

[TwoSix]

I still think D&D "needs"--or could benefit from--a new default, kitchen sink setting to place their adventures in. I like the Realms, but at this point it feels worn out. Anachronistic, even. A new--built from the ground--kitchen sink setting could allow them to bring D&D fully into the 21st century without feeling like everything new is being crammed into old settings (e.g. dragonborn in Greyhawk...blech). I feel that WotC could take a lesson from Paizo, and create a Golarion-esque setting that allows for a more naturalistic diversity of ideas...not just pasting on everything, whether it fits thematically or not (e.g. Kara-Tur/Zakhara/Maztica in Toril).

I mean, we've got 3 (soon to be 4) "currently active in 5e" settings that comfortably support pretty much every D&D-ism. Greyhawk from the '70s, Forgotten Realms from the '80s (I know it's technically older than that, don't @ me), Eberron from the '00s, and Exandria from the '10s.

Do we really need yet-another kitchen sink to support the less than 10 years of innovation we've had in the fantasy space? Things haven't really changed that much.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I still think D&D could use a brand new setting build from scratch for 5E with the current GenZ fanbase in mind, much in the way Eberron was designed for 3.xE and GenXers.

Given the choice between updating an old setting (relying on nostalgia that the younger audience typically doesn't have and potentially upsetting the old folks who loved the decades-old version) and making a new version from scratch, making one from scratch makes the most sense to me.

I again point to Obojima, which seems incredibly focused on younger fans of fantasy and which 23,000 people pledged $2.6 million to bring to life on Kickstarter.

Less cozy, but still focused on the modern fantasy fan -- who typically has consumed a good amount of Asian-inspired fantasy, like Avatar: The Last Airbender -- is Ryoko's Guide to the Yokai Realms, the best selling RPG crowdfunding campaign of all time with 26,000 backers and $3.3 million in pledges.

(And I am confident there's a decent amount of overlap between those two campaigns, so some folks are going to have some worlds featuring both settings.)

It's crazy to me that WotC has left this gap in the market open, knowing what they do about their Gen Z audience.