D&D General Fundamental Problem Of Old Settings

[Jacob Lewis]

My Realms stays in perpetual stasis of t3.0 and 3.5 hard covers until I decide what happens in my campaigns. My campaigns.

I don't integrate anything that I don't like, but I won't hesitate to include what I do, regardless of the source of origination. I have used it in every edition, which has added something interesting or unique beyond rules or options.

For example, the Spellplague in 4e. Not my favorite aspect or idea until I saw how it affected the many narratives revolving around the Neverwinter campaign book. But rather than making it a cosmic world-changing event, I kept it localized to that region as a contained feature and a major plot point.

Another example, Tomb of Annihilation for 5e brought in another major idea that I liked involving the death curse, and expansion of Chult as a major focal point for the setting. And so on.

I don't see any problems. I just see more options and ideas thrown out that do not affect my games or my ideas. I choose what influences either, none, or both.

 

[DEFCON 1]

At the very least, they will never "revert" the Realms back to the Grey Box or the 3.0 guide, because as we hear all the time from people who keep wanting a new Campaign Guide, the Realms has a "timeline" and they need/want to know what is "currently" happening.

Greyhawk is the other one that has a "timeline" per se (not to the same extent and breadth that the Realms does though) and if you "revert", you risk alienating those players who prefer the setting in whatever other point they are playing. The other settings (from what I've gathered) have had much less advancement past their primary release. so there probably less people to piss off if you go back to their base set. You'll probably annoy some, but not nearly as many.

Eberron did it "right", but only because they did it from the beginning-- never advance the story no matter the number of books they release. The only downside to that is that those who have bought/played the game previous editions get almost nothing really useful in the new ones. I mean, I own the 3.5, 4E and now Wayfinder/5E books, and for my Eberron games I always just defaulted and used my 3.5 ones. Other than "updated" rules for dragonmarks and the couple races (which I easily could have done myself if I really wanted to), there was nothing in the newer books at all that I used or referenced. It was all just regurgitated information I already had from the much more extensive books from the 3.5 era. And this is the issue with any "reversion"-- those that want them probably already own the old versions and they will learn soon enough that the regurgitated 5E version just does not present anything more worthwhile than what they already have.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

What is GoS?

Ghosts of Saltmarsh.

 

[Zardnaar]

At the very least, they will never "revert" the Realms back to the Grey Box or the 3.0 guide, because as we hear all the time from people who keep wanting a new Campaign Guide, the Realms has a "timeline" and they need/want to know what is "currently" happening.

Greyhawk is the other one that has a "timeline" per se (not to the same extent and breadth that the Realms does though) and if you "revert", you risk alienating those players who prefer the setting in whatever other point they are playing. The other settings (from what I've gathered) have had much less advancement past their primary release. so there probably less people to piss off if you go back to their base set. You'll probably annoy some, but not nearly as many.

Eberron did it "right", but only because they did it from the beginning-- never advance the story no matter the number of books they release. The only downside to that is that those who have bought/played the game previous editions get almost nothing really useful in the new ones. I mean, I own the 3.5, 4E and now Wayfinder/5E books, and for my Eberron games I always just defaulted and used my 3.5 ones. Other than "updated" rules for dragonmarks and the couple races (which I easily could have done myself if I really wanted to), there was nothing in the newer books at all that I used or referenced. It was all just regurgitated information I already had from the much more extensive books from the 3.5 era. And this is the issue with any "reversion"-- those that want them probably already own the old versions and they will learn soon enough that the regurgitated 5E version just does not present anything more worthwhile than what they already have.

Eberron is a good example of Frozen in time while Midgard and Golarion have advanced 10 years related to adventures the OCs can okay (unlike DL and the Heroes if the Lance).

I don't mind anything goes a'la FR probably new CR world etc but variety is good.

 

[Charlaquin]

But but but what about the new generation? They already have their new stuff. I'm not a big fan of Ravenloft but I don't expect them to change Ravenloft to appeal to me.

...Did you just call Ravenloft the new generation? My friend, you’re at least two generations late for that to be considered new.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

In my FRs, I created a fictional ''time freeze'' with the Times of Troubles:

- Low-ish populations, statu quo politics, point of light with more noire thematics ala Eberron.

- The Spellplague (which I find really cool) was the result of Mystral death a the hand of Helm. Earth Motes still exist and the Underchasm also. The blue-fire sorcerers are still a thing (chaos sorcerer). Tieflings are still rare and vary a lot in appearance. Asmodeus is not a god, but its cult is very present in larger cities (playable as the cult of Rakdos from GGtR)

- Neverwinter is in 4e state (with many portal to Evernight) and the Aboleth Sovereignty has outposts accross the north as Innsmouth-ian villages. The Sovereignty and the Kraken society (playable as the Simic Combine) creates hybrids to spy (simic hybrids from GGtR) on human lands.

- The Shadow Enclave is back but crashed on Cormanthor, the elves wage a war against the shadovars (playable factions as the Dimir from GGtR), using the shadar-kai as elite troups that can take the fight to the shadovar in the shadowfell. Other Netheril cities are present in the skies over the Anauroch, at war with Cormyr.

- The kingdom of Many Arrow is still a thing, with non-evil orcs being a possibility. Gauntlgrym is reconquered, but the depths of the old dwarven kingdom are still lost to the abberation (ala Dragon Age). Thay is still under the control of Szaz Tam and the 7 other tarchyons. Shaar's Devastation is still a thing, but the rest of the South is in 5e form. The parts of Abeir are back on their side of the sundering.

- The timeline always starts in 1360, 2 years after the Sundering and the Immortals Covenant (the apotheosis of Cyric, Mystra and Kelemvor). The power of the Chosen are taken back. The dead three and the gods of Unther and Mulrohand are left behind on the prime as casi-powers. All other gods and powers are banished and prevented from influencing the prime, meaning even people dont know if their spells is still given by their gods or come from their own conviction.

 

[Zardnaar]

...Did you just call Ravenloft the new generation? My friend, you’re at least two generations late for that to be considered new.

Was kinda trying to point out I don't expect settings I'm not a fan of to change to appeal to my tastes.

 

[Charlaquin]

Was kinda trying to point out I don't expect settings I'm not a fan of to change to appeal to my tastes.

Ahh, gotcha. That makes more sense.

 

[Azzy]

Due to the spell plague I just don't use FR that much anymore only for the APs

I lost interest with the Forgotten Realms with the whole Time of Troubles shark jumping.

 

[Tyler Do'Urden]

Eberron is a good example of Frozen in time while Midgard and Golarion have advanced 10 years related to adventures the OCs can okay (unlike DL and the Heroes if the Lance).

One of the things I like about the way Midgard does it is that while the villains and gods stories may advance, there are no canonical uber-heroes to steal your characters thunder - it's assumed that whoever did the deeds that advanced the plot from the modules (like Freeing Nethus) would differ from table to table.

I really, really like that approach.