D&D 5E Which three topics do you most want to receive official (WotC) treatment?

[Ath'kethin]

I have little faith that the 5e design team would produce a setting book I would find usable for any 2e property or setting I like/miss. The WotC era has been defined by a kitchen sink mentality where everything can exist everywhere, and my favorite old settings - save two - were defined largely by what ISN'T there.

So I'm interested in Manual of the Planes style book. I also voted for a new setting book, and another FR sourcebook.

And I voted for those last two mostly because I'm happy with them doing anything that keeps their hands off my favorites.

 

[Bitbrain]

Dark Sun, Mystara, and psionics

 

[MatthewJHanson]

Planescape and/or a manual of the planes would be great.

My next choice was for Dark Sun and Psionics because the two of those go hand in hand.

 

[Hexmage-EN]

Exandria, Spelljammer, and Optional Rules.

Before Wildemount was released I wanted a Nentir Vale book, but seeing as Exandria inherits the Nentir Vale's pantheon and gods vs primordials origin story I find it easy enough to slot in things I liked from the Nentir Vale setting into Exandria.

I've only ever purchased one old Spelljammer module, "Heart of the Enemy", but it looks like a fun and unique setting.

I'd most of all like a book of additional rules, though. Things like a more structured way to time keep, mass combat, kingdom building, etc.

 

[CodeFlayer]

I would love to see a 5e Technical Reference Compendium (physical book) designed to expedite prep by the best in the business. I realize that there are electronic versions of this and my request is not meant to disparage these - there is something ineffable to me about a well crafted tome (as I have no doubt is true of many here).

Because failing to prep is prepping to fail.

 

[Lanefan]

I would love to see a 5e Technical Reference Compendium (physical book) designed to expedite prep by the best in the business. I realize that there are electronic versions of this and my request is not meant to disparage these - there is something ineffable to me about a well crafted tome (as I have no doubt is true of many here).

Because failing to prep is prepping to fail.

Curious - what sort of specific things did you have in mind here, as prep can take many forms:

Long-range prep - i.e. world-building and setting design?
Short-range prep - i.e. coming up with adventures and-or how to tweak the adventure you're about to run?
Immediate prep - i.e. getting tonight's session together?

Long-range is a whole book on its own.

There's room for some instruction in short-range, though it'd be hard to come up with much that's general enough to apply even to the majority of DMs never mind all of us, as everyone has their own preferences etc. If you're thinking of a guide on how to write your own adventures...that's a different can o' worms entirely.

And immediate is irrelevant, as if you've done the long- and short-range prep halfway well the immediate almost takes care of itself.

 

[Helldritch]

I'll fall on Lanefan on the prep. But here is my general take and you don't need a whole book for that.

Long range prep: World building? I abandoned that long ago. I go with established setting (Greyhawk, Forgot or whatever suits the mood of the campaign.
Now the long range campaign is actually quite easy to do. Write up a synopsis of 20th level or 10th or whatever the level you intend to end the campaign a write a downward synopsys for each adventures. Do not fully write the adventures, just a synopsis, about four or five sentences should suffice. Each adventures can cover about 2 or 3 levels for the lower ones, and about 1 or 2 for the high ones.

Short range prep.: Write the first and start sketching the second adventure (of which you wrote the synopsis). Leave out the magical treasure unwritten as you stil do not know what will be the players' choice of characters. Try to keep about one adventure ahead of the players (about 2 or 3 sessions).

Immediate prep.: Prepare the session zero and take notes of the motivations of the players' characters. Put magical treasure that will be relevant to your players and their characters. Put something worth it that could alter the some of the players' decisions. Will they continue on their path or will they adapt? This way the players feel that the world is not revolving around them but you gave them a fair chance. Even a exotic build will be relevant.

After that, immediate prep is for the night's session. Adjusting some of the encounters to better suit the power level and the synergy and tactics the group has build up. Adjusting NPC (in world and in dungeon) to the actions of the characters. The rest should fall into a neat build that the players will see as an adaptive and living environment in which their characters are adventuring.

 

[Lanefan]

I'll fall on Lanefan on the prep.

Ouch.

Long range prep: World building? I abandoned that long ago.

You might have, but many people didn't; and the real problem with published settings is when the players know it better than the DM (and even worse, when they complain about the DM's changes to it).

Now the long range campaign is actually quite easy to do. Write up a synopsis of 20th level or 10th or whatever the level you intend to end the campaign a write a downward synopsys for each adventures. Do not fully write the adventures, just a synopsis, about four or five sentences should suffice.

Four or five words, in some cases.

Each adventures can cover about 2 or 3 levels for the lower ones, and about 1 or 2 for the high ones.

Yikes! That campaign will be over before it starts!

At least 2 or 3 adventures per level, try; knowing you'll not run all of them anyway and that others will arise in the meantime due to in-game developments.

Short range prep.: Write the first and start sketching the second adventure (of which you wrote the synopsis). Leave out the magical treasure unwritten as you stil do not know what will be the players' choice of characters. Try to keep about one adventure ahead of the players (about 2 or 3 sessions).

Sound advice except for the bolded part; tailoring supposedly-randomly-found magic items to the specific characters quickly ends up looking fake and contrived. They get what they get, let them deal with it.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

I'd like to see a Tome of Battle style book that expands martial class options, possibly linked to additional tactical combat rules.

 

[TiwazTyrsfist]

So probably most of us here know this, but Eberron was the winner of a Setting Design contest ages ago, IIRC back when Dragon was a print Magazine.

But they actually retained the option to the top THREE results.

One of which (again IIRC) was the work of Rich Burlew creator of OotS.

So, I'd really like both of those settings to finally see the light of day as published products.