D&D 5E What 3 Settings did you pick in the Survey

[Yaarel]

@Azzy

To be fair, it is difficult to reconcile the planet of Mystara protomap (c1976) with the later map of D&D (c1985).

The 1980s map divides into three continents: Brun (northwest), Skothar (northeast), and Davania (south). The worldview is mostly from east Brun. Blackmoor is in north Skothar.

Here is the protomap c1976

Here is the D&D map c1985.

If I were to guess, the locale of Blackmoor according to the protomap would be somewhere northeast, around Sclavak (maybe Grilth).

 

[Yaarel]

Here is a significant map by Arneson himself for the Blackmoor regional setting. Note Blackmoor on the coast at the western point where the peninsula emerges. The city of Maus (aka Mosshold) is at the northern point of the peninsula.

This local setting is also what Mystara preserves.

My editing of the map of the Blackmoor Archduchy in Oerth also details these features.

 

[vecna00]

I went with Planescape, Dark Sun, and Spelljammer, in that order. I may like Eberron more than Spelljammer in general, but I make it a point not to choose settings that are already published.

 

[Magister Ludorum]

I went with 1) homebrew (from scratch), Eberron and Greyhawk. Blackmoor wasn't an option.

 

[Yaarel]

Here is one of the earliest Blackmoor regional maps, from 1971.

 

[Lanefan]

How do any of those Blackmoor maps reconcile with the foldout map in X1 Isle of Dread, which is most people's first exposure to Blackmoor/Known World/(Mystara)?

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Today the official geography of the D&D worlds could be totally retconnected. I mean today with the right software the computers can create the continents with the tectonic plates, seismic zones, volcanoes and local climate.

Other option would be the quasi-canon settings, for example Exandria(Critical Role) but also other potential franchises, for example "We will be monsters", a reimagination (and very radical) of the Universal Monsters like a spiritual succesor of "Mask of the Red Death". Blackmoor and Gary Gygax's IPs could follow the same path, working like a limited Ed.

If WotC wants to create a special style of D&D for the Asian markets, Kara-Tur could suffer some retcons (you can blame the Sundering Event) but the celestial empire in Oerth could be designed for them (my fear is the Asian fandom has got their own predjudices against their neighbours, they aren't used to be so cosmopolitans like most of European nations. Have you seen the fantasy realms and races from manga, manhua and manhwa or Asian fantasy videogames?).

My theory is Hasbro wants cosmology by D&D multiverse to be enough flexible and open to can add later crossovers or no-fantasy franchises, for example Gamma World (Hasbro would capable of a Fortnite/Gamma World crossover at least to sell action figures and other merchandicing products. It know, it is a crazy idea, so crazy than it could become real).

I wonder about fantasy adult animation with a "retro/vintage" art style (like the animated movie of Dragonlance).

And we can't know the future deals between Hasbro and other companies. For example if there is a future merger between ViacomCBS and Comcast WotC could be offered deals about Universal franchises (or even Star Treck RPG could leave Mophidius to become d20), or Disney could offer a rerun of D&D cartoon, or WarnerDiscovery offer a reprint of the D&D comics by DC in the 80's (and Entertaiment-One has got deals with Discovery Family). Maybe Hasbro would rather to await because 2022 will be a year of radical changes in the media and entertaiment industries. Licencing D&D worlds with different companies? Too complicated, and worse if you want crossovers.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Homebrew had always been the most popular, that's how the 5E product schedule is devised: even the Settings are toolkits for homebrewers.

Yes, they designed them in such a way that they can be dismantled for parts. I have done this with Theros and Wildemont.

 

[RobJN]

That is interesting that Mystara retconned Blackmoor into it. I will check that out. If Mystara includes Blackmoor, it should also include Nyr Dyv and the City of Greyhawk in a future retcon!

Greyhawk was developed as Gygax's baby for AD&D, and intentionally kept separate from Classic D&D as either terms of the Arneson lawsuits or resultant from it.

When Arneson returned (briefly) to work with TSR, Lorraine Williams decreed that Blackmoor was to be shoehorned into the D&D line. 1986's DA1 placed Blackmoor in the D&D world's distant past, with the link between them being the Comeback Inn, which had resurfaced in the Broken Lands. The location of Blackmoor wasn't revisited until the Hollow World boxed set came out in 1990, placing the castle/town/city (vaguely) in the northeast of what would become Skothar after the Great Rain of Fire. (See the Hollow World Pre-Cataclysmic map)

The debate as to whether Blackmoor is on Brun or Skothar "rages" to this day.

Greyhawk has only been retconned into Mystara by fanon.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

We should remember now not only the geography of complete globe has to be designed, but also the "crystal sphere". This is important because we will need in the future some reason to explain where new classes, races and creatures come from.

And we should think about the cultural and economic impact if the interglobal travel if this is possible, for example kenders exploring Nentir Vale, or a (secret) colony of dromites (race from Expanded Psionic Handbook) in Greyhawk, or Jackandor receiveng refugees (fugitive slaves) from Kalidnay (dread domain based in Athas/Dark Sun).

I guess now to publish a spiritual succesor of Mystara/Blackmoor is easier than a updated rerun of the original.