D&D 5E Which Classic Settings do you think WotC will publish?

[Parmandur]

Oh please, have you seen the CW, homeland of Millenial Cheese Cake? That channel has more six packs on display then The Beer Store and more gorgeous actresses then well old beer commercials used to. Neckbeard fantasies have nothing on that. Human nature is human nature.

Have you looked at CW ratings...? They have a niche, but it it niche AF.

 

[Saracenus]

A single Dragonlance reference in a sea of FR references.

I walk back my DL call. In light of a single reference and the legal dust up with the writing team of the new DL novels I don't believe they were creating a tie in product to take advantage of that. I doubt they would have messed with the publication schedule if they were trying to get both out around the same time.

I really doubt that Greyhawk is on this years schedule. So, who knows which setting is getting the tap. When they referenced 3 classic settings (first one down the new Ravensloft guide) I doubt they were talking about FR.

Spelljammer has been jammed into Planscape. I know for a fact we will not see that as a stand alone setting (that was from a conversation with with a member of the D&D team at a convention 2 years ago (which would be right at the time they would start a project that was being published this year).

I have my doubts about Planescape being published as a full setting. I can see a Sigil update with some info about the setting in general. The reality is, Planscape is the connective tissue for all the other worlds being part of the multiverse. It is just to large to tackle in a single product.

Dark Sun?

Mystra?

I just don't know.

Sure there are Dragonborn in Greyhawk, see Ghosts of Saltmarsh.

I was refering to traditional Greyhawk.

HT,
You are technically correct. Dragonborn were not part of officially published OD&D to 3e because they didn't exist as a playable race. During 2e 1/2 Dragons existed (See Robert E. Moore's Greyhawk adaptation from Council Of Worms in Dargon Magazine). So a playable humanoid dragon PC was possible.

As of 4e Dragoborn, in the form of an NPC, were added to published Greyhawk with the 4e adaptation of Village of Hommlet (which was only available through Organized Play as a DM reward).

Parmandur,

GoS was Greyhawk in all but name. WotC said it was a Saltmarsh book to avoid unlocking all of Greyhawk in the DMs guild. Technically you cold publish something dealing with The Sea Princes or The Kingdom of Keoland as they were in the book.

There were three refences to Dragonborn in the book.

1. How NPCs would react to Teiflings and Dragonborn
2. A Background that has a claim to fame of selling Dragonborn artifacts to some folks in the Shadowfell
3. One of the choices of crew race for Neutral ships you might randomly generate.

So, in 5e they are there but how they are there story-wise is not really known.

So, if we get a Greyhawk setting book, expect that Dragonborn will be there.

 

[AmerginLiath]

One of the reasons I expect to see something out of Dragonlance eventually is how Ravenloft is now being presented, as not just a world but a toolset on how to run different forms of horror in fantasy. As enunciated in the DMG, Dragonlance is D&D’s epic/romantic fantasy setting, the sort of world whose story rules would apply to campaigning in a Round Table or Chansons de Roland campaign. Combine that with an avenue for finally presenting mass battle rules for 5e, and the actual world-specific plot and character widgets are gravy for designing a Dragonlance book à la Van Richten’s Guide.

 

[Lycurgon]

To me it seemed like a given that Dragonlance was on the cards. Not as sure since the law suit but I think it is still likely. I thought that the number of upcoming classic settings went from 3 down to 2 while the DL novel law suit was happening, and then back up to 3 after it was settled.

And Joe Manganiello has said he has seen the Draconian playtest material for Dragonlance. So unless they have changed their minds, Dragonlance is one of the 3 Settings.

With Ravenloft being the first, and Dragonlance likely coming soon, that leaves the 3rd and final classic setting that WofC is actively working on.

Personally I think that it will be Dark Sun. While there are some issues to work out, on a sensitivity front (slavery) and mechanics (Psionics) these aren't insurmountable. I think this is the setting with the most traction because it has been released as recently as 4th Ed.
And there are a bunch of new potential mechanical options. There are numerous new race/lineages (thri-kreen, mul, half-giants and potentially subraces for most core races) and subclasses (defilers, preservers, New Psionic options) and new rules for harsh environments, and alternative materials. New mechanical options for players helps drives sales.

As for other settings I could see Planescape as the next most likely option. Honestly I think that planescape and Spelljammer and the only other ones I think have a chance of being released for 5e anytime soon.

I think all the other setting have too small a following to be serious contenders.

The exception is Greyhawk and I think it is too hard to tackle. Many of the fans of it don't want it updated to incorporate newer elements of the game. I think it would be almost impossible to make a version that would appeal to the bulk of newer players while still keeping the bulk of original Greyhawk fans happy.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

To me it seemed like a given that Dragonlance was on the cards. Not as sure since the law suit but I think it is still likely. I thought that the number of upcoming classic settings went from 3 down to 2 while the DL novel law suit was happening, and then back up to 3 after it was settled.

And Joe Manganiello has said he has seen the Draconian playtest material for Dragonlance. So unless they have changed their minds, Dragonlance is one of the 3 Settings.

With Ravenloft being the first, and Dragonlance likely coming soon, that leaves the 3rd and final classic setting that WofC is actively working on.

Personally I think that it will be Dark Sun. While there are some issues to work out, on a sensitivity front (slavery) and mechanics (Psionics) these aren't insurmountable. I think this is the setting with the most traction because it has been released as recently as 4th Ed.
And there are a bunch of new potential mechanical options. There are numerous new race/lineages (thri-kreen, mul, half-giants and potentially subraces for most core races) and subclasses (defilers, preservers, New Psionic options) and new rules for harsh environments, and alternative materials. New mechanical options for players helps drives sales.

As for other settings I could see Planescape as the next most likely option. Honestly I think that planescape and Spelljammer and the only other ones I think have a chance of being released for 5e anytime soon.

I think all the other setting have too small a following to be serious contenders.

The exception is Greyhawk and I think it is too hard to tackle. Many of the fans of it don't want it updated to incorporate newer elements of the game. I think it would be almost impossible to make a version that would appeal to the bulk of newer players while still keeping the bulk of original Greyhawk fans happy.

If it was still a thing Joe would be in so much naughty word for breaking NDAs his head would still be spinning. If Dragonlance was ever a thing, it probably one of the 50% of D&D projects that get abandoned.

Or Joe may have been referring something he home brewed and he then shhhhh'd it, probably for his players, but it got misinterpreted. He never said anything about official stats.

Kender did get played tested during the D&D next playtest and Krynn Minotaur later on in a UA on Water adventures (the Krynn Minotaur might have really been a test for Ravnica Minotaurs, with delibrate misdirection, I don't know).

 

[Parmandur]

I walk back my DL call. In light of a single reference and the legal dust up with the writing team of the new DL novels I don't believe they were creating a tie in product to take advantage of that. I doubt they would have messed with the publication schedule if they were trying to get both out around the same time.

I really doubt that Greyhawk is on this years schedule. So, who knows which setting is getting the tap. When they referenced 3 classic settings (first one down the new Ravensloft guide) I doubt they were talking about FR.

Spelljammer has been jammed into Planscape. I know for a fact we will not see that as a stand alone setting (that was from a conversation with with a member of the D&D team at a convention 2 years ago (which would be right at the time they would start a project that was being published this year).

I have my doubts about Planescape being published as a full setting. I can see a Sigil update with some info about the setting in general. The reality is, Planscape is the connective tissue for all the other worlds being part of the multiverse. It is just to large to tackle in a single product.

Dark Sun?

Mystra?

I just don't know.






HT,
You are technically correct. Dragonborn were not part of officially published OD&D to 3e because they didn't exist as a playable race. During 2e 1/2 Dragons existed (See Robert E. Moore's Greyhawk adaptation from Council Of Worms in Dargon Magazine). So a playable humanoid dragon PC was possible.

As of 4e Dragoborn, in the form of an NPC, were added to published Greyhawk with the 4e adaptation of Village of Hommlet (which was only available through Organized Play as a DM reward).

Parmandur,

GoS was Greyhawk in all but name. WotC said it was a Saltmarsh book to avoid unlocking all of Greyhawk in the DMs guild. Technically you cold publish something dealing with The Sea Princes or The Kingdom of Keoland as they were in the book.

There were three refences to Dragonborn in the book.

1. How NPCs would react to Teiflings and Dragonborn
2. A Background that has a claim to fame of selling Dragonborn artifacts to some folks in the Shadowfell
3. One of the choices of crew race for Neutral ships you might randomly generate.

So, in 5e they are there but how they are there story-wise is not really known.

So, if we get a Greyhawk setting book, expect that Dragonborn will be there.

Planescape as a Sigil Gazetteer, player options and bestiary product seems likely precisely because of the Great Wheel being do baked into the Vote assumptions.

 

[Sithlord]

Dragonlance is perfect for the public who knows nothing about D&D mythology, but now as TTRPG setting is too "small" if you want to add new elements from the last editions, for example the subclasses, the warlocks or the dragonborn. A serious good reason for a very possible delay is the revival of the line may too linked with some multimedia project, for example a cartoon miniserie (in Paramount+ streaming service?) or videogame. I guess to be very fun the characters of Wreck-It-Ralph (3) in a MMO based in Dragonlance. (only a stupid excuse to sell action figures).

Jackandor is one of the easiest option to risk some crossover with some other no-fantasy franchise. As videogame is perfect for a survival sandbox about you start as a shipwreck survivor and you have to hunt, craft traps, built a refugee and explore the jungle and the dungeons.

Dragonborn are oficially in Greyhawk as chosen champions by bahamut. The 3.5 Races of Dragon gave them a different origin. The tielflings are from Planescape.

* Now my opinion is Spelljammer will be "eaten" by Planescape, but with an opened door for the return of the crystal spheres in a future, maybe with a reboot after some cosmic event as a multiverse crisis. I love the idea of "crystal spheres", alternate timelines or "parallel worlds". I guessed the concept was from Chronomancers but now I am not too sure about it.

I would love such a setting. Especially if it expanded on the monitors of infinity and lords of geometry in a subtle way kind of like the dark powers

 

[Mercurius]

Why must every setting, classic and new, include every possible D&D trope from every edition? There's just something...tawdry..about incorporating dragonborn into Greyhawk. I mean, to each their own, but I personally like the idea of hewing close to the original vibe--as the creator intended it. More on that in a moment.

One of the things I like about the Magic settings is that they seem to be breaking from the mold of "everything D&D has a place." They're focusing on the theme of the plane and riffing off that.

Anyhow, I've swapped my pick of Greyhawk for Dragonlance, which just seems to be in the aether. But I see them in a similar category.

Probable/almost definite: Dark Sun, Planescape
Probable/in some form or fashion: Spelljammer, Forgotten Realms
Maybe: Dragonlance, Greyhawk
Probably not, but there's a chance: Mystara, Nentir Vale, Birthright, Kara-Tur (massively altered)
Snowball's chance: Council of Wyrms, Jakandor, Ghostwalk, Blackmoor

I would be very surprised if we don't see DS and PS. Spelljammer can be incorporated in the planes; as a stand-alone, I'd put it in either the Maybe or Probably Not categories. FR will definitely get more setting material, but the question is how: 100% on more "micro-settings" ala Icewind Dale, but not so sure about a proper setting book or more Adventurer Guides.

The big question marks are DL and GH. If I were WotC, I would rework the Heroes of the Lance with a more contemporary vibe; I think they could remake it with less hullabaloo than they could GH. If they do GH, they should go very classic/retro/nostalgia. They can have an appendix on how to incorporate more recent tropes into GH, but keep the main text "pure."

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Personally I would rather read something from the 1880s than anything after the 1950s. So I don’t see that as a criticism of dragonlance. But then again I am getting old.

I've read good and bad novels from the 1880s, the 1950s and the 1980s, I don't discriminate. But Dragonlance is very much of it's time and hasn't aged well compared to A Study In Scarlet, The Fellowship of the Ring or Guards! Guards!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Dragonlance is one of the best selling novel lines of all time.

Of all time? That's a bold claim, do you have any evidence to back it up?