D&D 5E Revisited Setting News: Its not the 2023 Classic setting, but rather for 2024

[Henadic Theologian]

I won't deny it makes sense... but a Greyhawk Anniversary book also makes sense. It's the very first setting, and there is clearly a nostalgia for that era from not just some players, but from WotC employees as well. More recent books are named after Mordenkainen and Tasha, not after Elminster.

I'll throw in another theory, that the revisit is another book for Exandria. It could be literally anything, but considering how 2024 would be two years into Campaign 3 of Critical Role, Marquet would very much make sense for a new book.

Anyway, my point is that FR, while the most probable candidate for this book, is not a lock-in here. I've often been surprised by what products WotC is willing to push in the 5E era.

You mean the Greyhawk characters they poached from Greyhawk and put into other settings (FR and Domains of Delight)? You realize they likely did that because as you say they are fans of the setting, but they know the only way they are getting these characters is if stuff them in places outside Greyhawk?

Don't get me wrong, I hope you do get Greyhawk someday, but old school nostalgia is literally the only thing Greyhawk has going in its favor, it's doesn't actually need a new book as all the changes from past books are mechanically stuff covered by existing books.

Compare this to Dragonlance which has its races, 3 unique moon based schools of Wizardary, etc..., Planescape with its factions, sigil, Planes etc..., Darksun with Psionics, races, post acoypltic setting, etc..., and so on. He'll even FR has new lore update, races that haven't been touched yet, a proper maps, Swordmage, Spellfire, the rest of FRs Gods, and so on.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

You mean the Greyhawk characters they poached from Greyhawk and put into other settings (FR and Domains of Delight)? You realize they likely did that because as you say they are fans of the setting, but they know the only way they are getting these characters is if stuff them in places outside Greyhawk?

Don't get me wrong, I hope you do get Greyhawk someday, but old school nostalgia is literally the only thing Greyhawk has going in its favor, it's doesn't actually need a new book as all the changes from past books are mechanically stuff covered by existing books.

Compare this to Dragonlance which has its races, 3 unique moon based schools of Wizardary, etc..., Planescape with its factions, sigil, Planes etc..., Darksun with Psionics, races, post acoypltic setting, etc..., and so on. He'll even FR has new lore update, races that haven't been touched yet, a proper maps, Swordmage, Spellfire, the rest of FRs Gods, and so on.

I wouldn't call Mordenkainen showing up in Ravenloft and Avernus "poaching," as opposed to being well-traveled (likewise with Tasha), but whatever . I'll agree that Greyhawk doesn't make sense as a setting book in normal circumstances, which is why these characters have appeared in other locations/sourcebooks. But a 50th Anniversary does make sense for a Greyhawk book, just like how Nintendo releases its old 64 console again for their anniversary.

And look, I just disagree with your thought process on Greyhawk. I don't know why your fixated on Greyhawk not needing new mechanics, when a new FR book also doesn't need have new mechanics.

And sure, FR has gotten some lore updates in some recent novels... but not that much honestly. Even this drow schism thing isn't much of a big content update. I certainly don't see why FR needs "proper maps," when Greyhawk has far older ones. Every argument for FR I can also throw for GH, and every negative for GH I can also throw at FR. It's almost funny actually.

I'm getting really tired of arguing with you, largely because I already admit FR is probably going to be the setting revisit. But for some reason me saying that it's not a lock-in 100% happening, gets such a visceral negative reaction.

 

[Parmandur]

But in practice, what would you do with Greyhawk, it's the single most frills free basic setting in D&D. It's "special" races became D&D default races like Elves, Dwarves, Hadlings, etc..., so no Real mechanical meat to it and its lore hasn't changed. You just use the old Greyhawk books with the 5e core books.

I don't say this to rain on your parade, I'm genuinely curious what you'd put in a Greyhawk book.

How about bringing in Luke Gygax to make a Castle Greyhawk adventure, something like a cross between the Strixhaven campaign and Dungeon of the Mad Mage? How about a source for the numerous references to classic D&D that they use freely in the books?

 

[Parmandur]

And the SCAG is one of the oldest products, I'm amazed it sells at all at this point. Why WotC has ignored calls for a new FR setting book is unknown, but I imagine they have been trying to figure what what they want to do with it and what form should it take. Do they just do a Faerun book, or do they do a box set with other parts of FR?

The explanation seems fairly simple: SCAG keeps selling, it is the FR book of record, along with all of the adventures.

 

[Parmandur]

old school nostalgia is literally the only thing Greyhawk has going in its favor

Yes, that's why it is an ideal part of a 50th anniversary celebration. Nostalgia is not just marketable le to people who lived through an experience, but also for people who find that sort of thing attractive. and 5E has built an audience for precisely that.

 

[Demetrios1453]

I expect the 2024 setting to be FR, but if it isn't, my disappointment would very much minimized if it ends up being a Greyhawk book instead. Although I would prefer the former, the latter would still make me quite happy...

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Yes, that's why it is an ideal part of a 50th anniversary celebration. Nostalgia is not just marketable le to people who lived through an experience, but also for people who find that sort of thing attractive. and 5E has built an audience for precisely that.

I get that, but I'm not sure its enough by itself, if it's the only thing with so much competition from other settings which have their nostalgia and other stuff.

Still if they do do Greyhawk it could come, it could be 2023. Look at the Dominaria sets next year, they are for the MtG anniversary, which does actually hit until the year AFTER that.

 

[Parmandur]

I get that, but I'm not sure its enough by itself, if it's the only thing with so much competition from other settings which have their nostalgia and other stuff.

WotC has cleverly positioned Greyhawk as holding different genre assumptions from the Forgotten Realms, so combining that nostalgia factor with "old timey Swords & Sorcery [cleaned up for the modern day]" as a genre booster, on the 50th anniversary...it just fits as a reasonable possibility.

 

[Parmandur]

And it is worth noting that whatever this project is, it is very much not set in stone, as 2024 over 2 years from now, and their product turnaround is 12-13 months: whatever this is, is on the table precisely as part of figuring out a broad 50th Anniversary plan well in advance, as their product schedule won't be "locked in" until later in 2023. So whatever it is, necessarily fits as a celebration of the whole history of D&D.

 

[Mercurius]

I won't deny it makes sense... but a Greyhawk Anniversary book also makes sense. It's the very first setting, and there is clearly a nostalgia for that era from not just some players, but from WotC employees as well. More recent books are named after Mordenkainen and Tasha, not after Elminster.

I'll throw in another theory, that the revisit is another book for Exandria. It could be literally anything, but considering how 2024 would be two years into Campaign 3 of Critical Role, Marquet would very much make sense for a new book.

Anyway, my point is that FR, while the most probable candidate for this book, is not a lock-in here. I've often been surprised by what products WotC is willing to push in the 5E era.

I hear you, and agree that FR isn't a lock. I'd say it is about 70% likely, with Greyhawk being 25%, and other being 5% (e.g. Exandria, Ravenloft, etc).

I was talking about a 50th anniversary Greyhawk product a few years ago, when the top of the 50th first started coming up. I would go big, like so:

Greyhawk 50th Anniversary Box

• 128-page world gazetteer
• 128-page ruins of Castle Greyhawk campaign
• 96-page city gazetteer
• 36-page historical booklet describing the original Greyhawk campaign
• Cloth Darlene retro map
• Cloth World map by Anne Meyer
• Cloth City of Greyhawk map
• Ruins of Castle Greyhawk cardboard cheatsheets
• Photo of Gary Gygax (just kidding)

Everything would be of high quality - all the maps cloth, sturdy faux leather covers for the booklets, etc. $99.95 price tag.