D&D 5E (2014) Greyhawk: Pitching the Reboot

[hopeless]

Given the Ghosts of Saltmarsh was released will they release a setting book like they did for Eberron or the Sword Coast Guide instead?

 

[Umbran]

No one cares about Greyhawk apart from a few geriatric grognards who will throw their toys out the pram the first time they meet a tiefling.

Mod Note:

Hey. Dude, I don't see what is compelling about the idea either, but I can talk about it without being flagrantly insulting. Don't be a jerk.

I mean, you won't be posting in this thread any more anyway, but... be better.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

With regard to 5e, why do think this. 5e, IMO, handles low magic games very well. You can play the game just wonderfully with all martial characters. In fact, I suggest the game might even work better if you do!

Yeah but that's not applicable to this thread because Wizards etc. already exist in GH and I'm going to go out on a limb and say that will NEVER happen in an official WotC product beyond a vague suggestion that it's something you could, optionally, do.

 

[dave2008]

No, you have played a very tiny part of 5e.

As have we all. That doesn't change the fact that 5e works get with low / no magic.

That's not even near "low magic". That's just the D&D default. The PCs are superpowered heroes, they fight superpowered villains, the rest of the world are powerless "normal people".

In a Low Magic setting most people don't even believe magic exists.

I disagree. There are many definitions of low magic, and I know 5e can accommodate many of them.

 

[Greg K]

I agree with the person that wrote PCs over 10th level should be rare in Greyhawk. Gary lamented about hearing of characters that were in the mid to high teens (let alone 20+) after a year of play. His group had been playing published D&D longer than other group and charcters in the mid-to-high teens were higher levels than the PCs in his own campaign whom had seen regular play for years. Level 20, in his opinion, should be something that took at least five years or regular play (I seem to recall him also stating that reaching name level in AD&D should take a year of regular play and then 1-2 years of play per level after that).

With regards to spells, players should not have access to 7th-9th level spells. Some of Gary's players have written or been quoterd in interviews that those level spells were never intended for PCs, but were included for sake of a being a completionist.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Given the Ghosts of Saltmarsh was released will they release a setting book like they did for Eberron or the Sword Coast Guide instead?

I doubt it or it probably would have happened by now. But I get the feeling that WotC wants any setting they publish for 5E to be sufficiently different from the other settings, that new players will not be confused. Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the Magic settings published so far, cannot be confused for one another. But generic fantasy setting #2 or #3 or #100 could be confused with the Realms, and thus are highly unlikely to see print for 5E. This is why, of the remaining fantasy D&D settings, I see Darksun and Planescape as the most likely to see print, though for Planescape, I see a more Sigil-centered book, with some extra chapters giving basics on the Planes. I can't put Spelljammer with them because I always think of that more as an add-on to D&D, rather than a separate setting. And I guess Planescape could be viewed the same way.

 

[teitan]

Do Greyhawk for DCC lol

 

[Umbran]

Level 20, in his opinion, should be something that took at least five years or regular play

And, you know, for his own table, that's fine. But his position as first in the business basically meant that he didn't yet know the more general trends of play in a large population.

 

[Stormonu]

Characters advance at the rate of plot, earned is in the eye of the beholder and all that. An outsider to your table shouldn’t be passing judgement on how you do things among friends.

I do agree, however, that the threats and worldview of Greyhawk do foster a feeling that beings above 10th should be relatively rare. It’s okay if they aren’t even addressed in the books to give it a feel that high level NPCs/threats are exceedingly rare or nonexistant. But PCs shouldn’t be restricted to having their advancement cut at some arbitrary level - just that likely they’ll have to move beyond Oerth itself to face those sort of threats - kind of like the Drow/Queen of the Demonweb pits inferred, which were for the 10+ level crowd.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

And yes, consigning Greyhawk to the trash can of history is quite possibly the best commercial approach, no argument there.

You see, that's where I disagree. I think that there is a benefit to the younger fans. But there is also a massive benefit to Hasbro.

When you think of D&D as a brand, then the reason for reviving Greyhawk should become obvious. At least, it is to me in terms of the IP.

Look at two of the most recent books; yes, Mordenkainen and Tasha (Iggwilv) can span the planes, but both of them have their historical roots in Greyhawk- one of them as Gygax's PC.

Some of the most notable people and personages came from Greyhawk, no matter how much other settings have appropriated them.
Vecna.
Kas.
Acererak.
Iuz.
Keraptis.

It's hard to even understand some "generic" lore, such as the story of Grazzt, without understanding Greyhawk (Iuz, Iggwilv, Eclavdra).

If you're looking for Bigby's hand spells- that's Greyhawk.
If you want to know about handy haversacks or everfull purses- that's Greyhawk.
If you need a tiny hut? That's Greyhawk.
If you're looking for the silly names that you may not even realize are silly (Melf, Drawmij, Rary, Tenser, Otiluke) - that's Greyhawk.

Want to know about Lum the Mad and his betrayal by his former general? That's Greyhawk.
(Also, what is it about your most trusted lieutenant betraying you in Greyhawk?)

You get the idea. There is so much PURE IP GOODNESS to keep alive and to monetize.

I am not saying that my way is the right way- there are a number of ways to do this. But not doing something with the setting that continues to have tendrils (named tendrils) throughout D&D seems like a wasted opportunity.

I may not be a huge fan of Forgotten Realms, for example, finding it bland, but I also know that there is a ton of lore and Hasbro would be crazy to put it in the trashbin of history because the kids today find Elminster stupid.