D&D 4E What should the next new official campaign setting for 4e be like?

[KahnyaGnorc]

Pretty good, although the western setting sounds more like a western version of Shadowrun and the multi-world setting sounds alot like Planescape, unless I'm mistaken.

The western one could be like a version of Shadowrun, or it could be a fantasy-version of Wild, Wild West (thinking the original, not the movie), Brisco County, Jr., Deadlands, or even something like Trigun.

If you just have Planescape with various material planes, that would work with my multi-world suggestion. (As would Spelljammer for that matter). Another possibility would be several linked worlds (with most people unaware of the other worlds) and where the PCs may switch between worlds out of their own control (especially early in the campaigns), acting like in Sliders or even Quantum Leap (except world hopping, instead of time hopping). That suggestion, like most of mine, was designed to be more vague, more like ideas than fleshed-out particular settings.

 

[The Little Raven]

Another kind of setting I'd like to see would have either something reminiscent of Dark Crystal or Neverending Story. It certainly sounds better than the old medieval setting.

I'd love a "storybook" setting like those movies present. Something like that would fit well with WotC's nounverb and titles-as-names naming schemes in recent years.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

A modern fantasy- few classes, many races OR few races w/menus of PERSONAL powers- would be workable, too. Think of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, Clive Barker's Imajica or even C.S. Lewis' Perelandra novels.

 

[VGmaster9]

The western one could be like a version of Shadowrun, or it could be a fantasy-version of Wild, Wild West (thinking the original, not the movie), Brisco County, Jr., Deadlands, or even something like Trigun.

If you just have Planescape with various material planes, that would work with my multi-world suggestion. (As would Spelljammer for that matter). Another possibility would be several linked worlds (with most people unaware of the other worlds) and where the PCs may switch between worlds out of their own control (especially early in the campaigns), acting like in Sliders or even Quantum Leap (except world hopping, instead of time hopping). That suggestion, like most of mine, was designed to be more vague, more like ideas than fleshed-out particular settings.

I dunno about a whole setting on multi-setting stuff, but there could be some rules on traveling to different settings.

 

[moxcamel]

What I'd really like to see WotC do is put out world "modules." ~64 page setting guides that rough out a fantasy setting. Not too much detail as to constrain the DM, but enough to make it easy on the DM who also has a life. Guides like this could be published quarterly, and then we'd get to see some of the more fantastic and strange settings that can't be risked when publishing a 300 page hardback. One quarter you could do a world based on ancient Rome, next quarter could be Spelljammer, and next quarter could be some kind of planar thing. Each would be a one-off (with the most popular settings getting DDI content tie-ins, *cha-ching!*), and it would finally put DMs back in the business of fleshing out worlds. Price point could be in the $10-$15 range, which would make it a heck of a lot more attractive than a $35-$40 campaign guide that you have to sink another $30 into when the player guide comes out, oh and then there's the associated monster manual... I'm guessing a line of products like this would sell very well, especially with images of scantily clad ladies on the cover. Just sayin'.

 

[GameDoc]

Re: Planescape and/or Spelljammer.

In the 4e Manual of the Planes, they mention Spelljamming as a means of traveling the Astral Sea and introduce Sigil as a setting. My impression was that Planescape and Spelljammer were effectively rolled into the default cosmology.

Still, more support for using both as the basis for a campaign would be nice.

 

[Lalato]

I would definitely pay for a setting that is roughly based on the myths and legends of the Indian subcontinent. Green Ronin's Mythic Vistas series had such a setting (Mindshadows) which I enjoyed very much. Good stuff.

 

[VGmaster9]

Yes, an Indian setting would definitely be awesome. I'm certainly hoping that the sea-faring setting would actually happen, because it's a great type of fantasy they haven't done yet.

 

[WizarDru]

Adventuring in the historical world of Harry Potter. Straight Up.

Players portray wizards and their allies, perhaps fighting back the dragons, dealing with the Goblin uprisings or even contending with muggle attacks. Classes might include Auror, Alchemist, Qudditch Player, Ministry Agent, Azkaban Warden, Mundungus (Rogue), Merry Prankster (Weasley Twins), Gameskeeper, Animagi, Reformed Death Eater and Phoenix Orderly, for a start.

Races could include wizard, half-giant, muggle, werewolf/shifter, goblin, house elf and more.

Most characters in Harry Potter only have access to a handful of non-ritual spells on a regular basis, which could easily be handled by an application of powers, either by class or by a system of access (not unlike the WoT system, where you had skills with some types of magic better than others). I would probably increase magic item use per day considerably (say, 5x day at start) given the setting would be much more dependent on wondrous items.

But this will never happen, because JKR doesn't like RPGs, for some reason.

 

[VGmaster9]

Maybe after Al Qadim and Oriental Adventures get released for 4e, we could finally see a campaign setting for Maztica, it's nice seeing more cultural related settings coming into way. Like I said, an Ice Age setting with D&D flavor would be pretty cool too.