WotC What classic setting SHOULD WotC publish and why?

[Micah Sweet]

On r/dndnext, I'll often see threads like this:

Older Player: "Something something [old setting]."

Newer Player: "What's [old setting]?"

Bunch of older players give hammed-up descriptions of [old setting]

Newer Player: "Wow, that sounds awesome. I want to play in that setting now!"

So while the newer players may not be aware about the old settings, it's usually not that hard to get them interested in them.

Fair enough. I guess the question becomes what do they think of those old settings once they've had a chance to look at the older material? If they don't like it and like the new stuff, why did it have to have the old names? And if they do like it, why did they make the changes they did?

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Fair enough. I guess the question becomes what do they think of those old settings once they've had a chance to look at the older material? If they don't like it and like the new stuff, why did it have to have the old names? And if they do like it, why did they make the changes they did?

This doesn't make sense as a question. You posed a false dichotomy, and worse, suggested IP had essentially no value:

I wonder how many of this vast sea of new modern players actually want 5e versions of old settings? Wouldn't they be just as happy with all-new material rather than updates to settings they have no personal knowledge of?

See, that makes zero sense. Why create an entirely new IP, and start over, when you can re-use an existing IP? It reduces the amount of creative work you have to do, which remember, you work at a corporation, you aren't just "an artist", and it means you have a pre-existing fan-base, who are likely hyped about the thing even with the changes, unless they're peculiar (which does happen, admittedly).

You also put off new fans. They aren't more excited because it's a new setting. They're more cautious. More dubious. If it was an existing setting they'd heard of, they'd at least have the seal of approval that a bunch of people used to like this, or it's based on something people used to be into. But you're asking them to get into something entirely new.

This is why WotC has only done two kinds of setting in 5E:

1) Old settings being brought back.

2) MtG settings being brought over.

Why? Because you have an existing IP. The creative work is at least partly done. You may even have art and stuff you can already use, and you certainly have less lore to come up with. Even if the setting is from another game, it already has a fanbase and people who can and will talk about it and its merits.

"But Ruin, you're a monster, a cold-hearted beast, why do you not want creative new settings?"

The thing is, I do. But I know that a big corporation like WotC is extremely unlikely to do more than about 1 per edition (that's been the going rate so far), because they're risky, and an investment. If I want new settings, I'm going to be looking at 3PPs and indie RPG designers. That's where the new and exciting settings will come from.

But the basic idea you've put forth is conceptually unsound. You reuse settings where you can, if you're someone like WotC. New settings are only used where absolutely needed.

 

[Rikka66]

Wow same year and Greenwood was in charge of both lol.

For real. Greenwood's Border Kingdoms campaign supplement featured like at least one thing that can only be summarized as a backwoods group-sex cult (portrayed as "just a thing that happens") and I believe multiple cases of polyamory. That was just last year.

Greenwood has never been shy about the fact that his version of the Realms is considerably......lewder than the published product.

 

[jgsugden]

I'm going to have to go with Dark Sun because it is the setting we need most.

Dragonlance, Spelljammer, Planescape, Greyhawk, Birthright... they can pretty much all be run using older edition lore and 5E rules. Little needs to be done to update the game to 5E. However, Athas is a very distinct world, with very distinct elements. You need psionics rules. Almost all of the monsters are unique to the setting. Essentially, you'd need a lot of 'crunch' to go with the classic lore.

 

[Faolyn]

Fair enough. I guess the question becomes what do they think of those old settings once they've had a chance to look at the older material?

Probably bunches of them. A lot of the older settings were pretty cool, after all. Explore the planes and ally yourself to both angels and demons! Wander a post-apocalyptic, psionics-filled desert! Be an actual dragon! Have the blood of godlings while you engage in politicking and wage war! Be a mutant swashbuckler! Travel through space while still wielding spells and swords! Be a ghost or other undead!

If they don't like it and like the new stuff, why did it have to have the old names?

As Ruin Explorer said, WotC owns the IP. Why not use it?

And if they do like it, why did they make the changes they did?

Because most of those settings are 20-30 years old (and that's not including the really old settings, like the Realms or Greyhawk). Things, people, what we know, what players want out of RPGs, what's considered to be cool, what's considered to be boring, what's considered to be socially acceptable--all that has changed in that time.

 

[Micah Sweet]

This doesn't make sense as a question. You posed a false dichotomy, and worse, suggested IP had essentially no value:

See, that makes zero sense. Why create an entirely new IP, and start over, when you can re-use an existing IP? It reduces the amount of creative work you have to do, which remember, you work at a corporation, you aren't just "an artist", and it means you have a pre-existing fan-base, who are likely hyped about the thing even with the changes, unless they're peculiar (which does happen, admittedly).

You also put off new fans. They aren't more excited because it's a new setting. They're more cautious. More dubious. If it was an existing setting they'd heard of, they'd at least have the seal of approval that a bunch of people used to like this, or it's based on something people used to be into. But you're asking them to get into something entirely new.

This is why WotC has only done two kinds of setting in 5E:

1) Old settings being brought back.

2) MtG settings being brought over.

Why? Because you have an existing IP. The creative work is at least partly done. You may even have art and stuff you can already use, and you certainly have less lore to come up with. Even if the setting is from another game, it already has a fanbase and people who can and will talk about it and its merits.

"But Ruin, you're a monster, a cold-hearted beast, why do you not want creative new settings?"

The thing is, I do. But I know that a big corporation like WotC is extremely unlikely to do more than about 1 per edition (that's been the going rate so far), because they're risky, and an investment. If I want new settings, I'm going to be looking at 3PPs and indie RPG designers. That's where the new and exciting settings will come from.

But the basic idea you've put forth is conceptually unsound. You reuse settings where you can, if you're someone like WotC. New settings are only used where absolutely needed.

I see your point. The question does go more toward WotC's business interests than my personal ones. They should make whatever gives them the greatest potential profit margin. I withdraw my objection on the grounds of relevance.

Now, I would love to see a 5e Planescape, Dragonlance, Spelljammer, or Dark Sun (in that order), but I just don't trust them not to ruin it.

 

[Xeviat]

I really want Planescape. My reasons are simple:

1) It feels like the most unique D&D setting to me. It isn't just high fantasy, low fantasy, space fantasy, sci-fantasy, etc.
2) It fully utilizes all of the non-setting specific D&D lore.
3) The unique planar lore, planar factions, and all that history are the only things that make me want to run a D&D setting instead of my home setting, which has drastically different baseline assumptions so doesn't really get to use the lore at all.
4) I'd actually run a Planescape game.

 

[Hexmage-EN]

Planescape is a weird one for me, personally, because I've found I like a lot about the setting other than Sigil itself.

 

[Scribe]

I really want Planescape. My reasons are simple:

1) It feels like the most unique D&D setting to me. It isn't just high fantasy, low fantasy, space fantasy, sci-fantasy, etc.
2) It fully utilizes all of the non-setting specific D&D lore.
3) The unique planar lore, planar factions, and all that history are the only things that make me want to run a D&D setting instead of my home setting, which has drastically different baseline assumptions so doesn't really get to use the lore at all.
4) I'd actually run a Planescape game.

Bingo!

I would also add, that for all the 'subvert expectations', 'alignment is not hard coded', and 'all lineages are players', what setting could POSSIBLY do all that better than one where Sigil is a focal point?

It's a ready made solution for all the changes Wizards is pushing in the last several books.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Probably bunches of them. A lot of the older settings were pretty cool, after all. Explore the planes and ally yourself to both angels and demons! Wander a post-apocalyptic, psionics-filled desert! Be an actual dragon! Have the blood of godlings while you engage in politicking and wage war! Be a mutant swashbuckler! Travel through space while still wielding spells and swords! Be a ghost or other undead!


As Ruin Explorer said, WotC owns the IP. Why not use it?


Because most of those settings are 20-30 years old (and that's not including the really old settings, like the Realms or Greyhawk). Things, people, what we know, what players want out of RPGs, what's considered to be cool, what's considered to be boring, what's considered to be socially acceptable--all that has changed in that time.

I would say to do even something like spelljammer you would really have to go back to the drawing board as Travel through space while still wielding spells and swords is a lot more star wars these days and less the madness of spelljammer plus it is both too high concept and too big for its own good.