D&D 5E The Debate of "Canon" in D&D 5E

[Mirtek]

And here is exhibit A. “Screwed up the Realms” is simple a matter of taste. “I don’t like what they did” is perfectly fine.

But it never stops there. It’s always “I don’t like what they did to the Realms. It’s contrary to canon. Canon is important so it should be changed back”. The reverse argument is never used.

Which is completely wrong. At the end of 4e and 5e people argued for keeping 4e canon even though they disliked a lot of it. The camp of "I hate the Spellplague and wished it had never been done, but since it's done it's done and should not be retconned" was sizeable

 

[Scott Christian]

I guess the D&D cosmology will be redesigned to allow more flexibility and space to add new elements, for example an action-live horror movie produced by E-One becoming an official dark domain in Ravenloft setting. Or a D&D version of the Strange, Monte Cook's TTRPG, where worlds created by the fiction become realities (named "recursions"), or something like the "Ideaverse" of Marvel Universe. Then Conan and Tolkien's Middle Earth would be in D&D but as "recursions worlds", and all could happen here can't affect the original ones. Maybe is a crazy idea, but it is such crazy that it can work to publish intercompany crossovers.

I agree. That is what they will do. And, by the way, that is a great cover!

But, at least in comics, I have always felt crossovers were one offs. They were the "what ifs" of Marvel and DC. It is as though they never actually happened.

 

[Micah Sweet]

All change is negative for people who have gotten used to the the old way of doing things.

But positive or negative, it's up to the younger generation to decide, the older generation gave up it right to have a say by virtue of reproducing.

I'm sorry, but I completely disagree. Change can be positive or negative, and a person can like some changes and dislike others. I'm used to going out to do my shopping, but online is still a better option for a lot of things. I'm used to 1st ed, but I still think 5th is a better engine. Again, it's not a zero sum game.

 

[Scribe]

But positive or negative, it's up to the younger generation to decide, the older generation gave up it right to have a say by virtue of reproducing.

The minute my son has more purchasing power than I do, I'll agree.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The minute my son has more purchasing power than I do, I'll agree.

The only purpose your purchasing power has is to maximise the life chances of your son.

Because there will come a time when your son is all there is left of you.

 

[Scribe]

The only purpose your purchasing power has is to maximise the life chances of your son.

Because there will come a time when your son is all there is left of you.

If the sum total of 'purpose' boils down to maximizing the potential of our children, there are a whole lot of things that would dry up and die.

This forum for example.

 

[ReshiIRE]

Following that logic, does that mean, since I'm never going to have children, I get to have a say forever? :v

I don't think someone having a say should be determined by things like age or whatever... especially on trivial naughty word like this.

(For the record: I think creator or corporate mandated canon is useless, especially in RPGs. Personalised canons are the way to go. This is also why sequels don't ruin past things for me generally unless it shows the creator was an absolute eejit or such. The past thing will always be there and able to stand on it's merits.

The opposite is not true though. A sequel to something with awful story,m despite its merits, will inherit the awfulness somewhere. It's why even if something like say Halo Infinite will potentially be very good, it's still tainted by the shockingly awful story of Halo 5).

 

[Jacob Lewis]

We need to stop debating about "Canon" and start debating about...

 

[Faolyn]

We can call it the "Dragonborn Canonicity Test." In other words, how do fans of a particular setting react (and why) to the idea of adding Dragonborn to the setting. Because, in general, I think that it potentially showcases how different fan groups often approach their respective settings. For example, adding Dragonborn to Eberron wasn't really all that big of a deal because of the setting's mantra: "If it exists in D&D, it has a place in Eberron" (3e ECSB) and "If it exists in the D&D world, then it has a place in Eberron" (4e EPG and ECG). Eberron exists to be useable for everything plus more. But what about other D&D settings (e.g., Greyhawk, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, etc)? I think we both know what that conversation looks like.

Ackually, there was a dragonborn listed as a possible reincarnation for Tatyana in VGR, and it suggests that there's a population of them in Darkon.

Personally, I prefer a human-and-mostly-human-only Ravenloft, though. I don't even like having native elf, dwarf, or halfling PCs.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

In the tabletop the canon is the will by the players, but as multimedia franchise the thing is different. If WotC wants to sell new comics and novels then the fandom will wonder if these may be declared unoficcial later. Now if Hasbro is going to sell the doll of Laurana, the elf princess, I don't know if her will be blonde (again) or redhaired.

Creatures as dragonborn don't break the Gothic atmosphere of Ravenloft, with a shapesifter trait as "second skin" may work like the "wesens" from the action-live serie "Grimm".

Dämonfeuer

grimm.fandom.com

I would like to know the fandom feedback about the idea of a Hasbro metaverse fusing all the franchises, D&D among them, and with open doors for future intercompany crossovers. My fear is some mistake causing a "jumping the shark" effect, even worse than the "spellplague".