D&D 5E What will 5E's "signature line" be?

[Mercurius]

This thread is inspired from the Ryan Dancey interview in which he was discussing the success of Paizo and how the adventure paths have fueled it. It made me think that what really distinguishes Pathfinder are the adventure paths - which I'd call their "signature line." The rules, the splat books, the setting material - all of that is shared by other games, other editions of D&D. But the adventure paths really stand out as the signature line of Pathfinder; sure, there have been some in other editions and games - but not to the extent of Pathfinder, and not as successfully.

This got me thinking: What will be 5E's "signature line?" What will bring it to life? What will characterize it and lead it forward?

In AD&D it was the adventures - I mean, modules. The great and classic one-offs, from Tomb of Horrors to Vault of the Drow, etc etc. These modules really brought the game to life.

In 2E it was the settings - from exotic to traditional, old and new, from Dark Sun to Planescape to the Forgotten Realms. 2E was the edition in which the D&D worlds really shone brightly.

In 3E it was the options as exemplified by the countless hardcovers, from setting to splat to theme books. 3E, like 2E, had some of everything - but the wealth of options and themes to choose from really stood out.

In 4E it was...hard to say. Nothing stands out as the defining, signature line. Perhaps D&D Insider, in particular the Character Builder?

In 5E it will be...what do you think? How will 5E define itself? What will its signature line be?

 

[SilverfireSage]

4e to me was about combat and balance and everything they could do to make it more interesting and varied. I believe it would have been excellent if they had marketed it as a D&D Tactics instead of plain D&D.

5e... I mean, we can't really be sure yet, can we? I feel like everything points towards adventures again. They've constantly talked about adventure paths and what they are going to do with those, with less of a focus on splat books. I think it'll be a focus on adventure and roleplaying, with many of the options being about flavor rather than interesting mechanics.

 

[Lanefan]

From what I can tell 4e's lasting image, if you like, is "balance and control".

Jury's out on 5e and will be for a long time yet, I think.

Lanefan

 

[Mercurius]

Well what I meant by "signature line" is an actual product line or type of offering. "Balance and control" or "combat and balance" are qualities of the rules - which isn't quite what I was getting at (although interesting in its own right).

 

[Evenglare]

I hope that it will be customization.

 

[Lanefan]

Well what I meant by "signature line" is an actual product line or type of offering. "Balance and control" or "combat and balance" are qualities of the rules - which isn't quite what I was getting at (although interesting in its own right).

Ah.

Then for 4e it'd probably be the minis.

Lanefan

 

[Tormyr]

Maybe something along the lines of "The game you always wanted to play," because of the customizability and being a "best of previous versions."

 

[Stormonu]

4E was very much about the encounters and balance.

I think 5E's tag line is going to be "Play it your way". I have a feeling it's going to be a DM's paradise, where the DM can customize the game via rules modules to his heart's content.

 

[MerricB]

5E is about the stories.

That's where Wizards are coming from, at any rate. The rule system? It's there to enable the adventures, but the adventures are also being told in computer games, novels and comics.

Cheers!

 

[Raith5]

Surely 5e is going to be known for 'modularity'.

I think 4e will be known for 'mechanics everywhere' - and contra its critics it had mechanics for social situations and exploration - not just combat.