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

[darjr]

Decent is awesome.

 

[darjr]

Many of the AL mods are awesome too.

In one, tier 4 mod, a puzzle stumped the players. They knew what it was and why it stopped them, and everything about it, they just couldn’t get past.

Spoiler

eventually they sealed themselves inside a bag of holding and rolled it into the river Styx!

 

[tetrasodium]

Aren't those soul coins? I don't think I own it (I forget what I've purchased digitally sometimes), but I remember reading a review where someone was disturbed by the idea of using souls top power play "fun."

"soul coin" looted from bad guy devils/demons is two or three discretion shots away from even PG let alone PG13 levels of grimdark. It's goosebumps aping the cryptkeeper aping King/Carpenter/Shelley/etc.

 

[overgeeked]

Thanks, I forgot that timing. I wouldn't be surprised if the cameo is no bigger than what Fizban had for Dragonlance, though. Maybe Planescape or Greyhawk cameoing within Spelljammer?

Could also be another Adventure Anthology a la Tales From the Yawning Portal or Candlekeep Mysteries, or something more along the lines of Ghosts of Saltmarsh (more than an anthology, less than an adventure path or setting guide).

Both Planescape and Spelljammer are perfect for an anthology. It would be a shame if they didn’t do something like that for either or both.

 

[overgeeked]

They are willing to go PG-13 dark...which makes sense, given the target audience is teenagers.

I think PG-13 Dark Sun is totally doable.

The trouble with marketing to kids is adults almost always underestimate and infantilize them. The kids want to read the bloody and nasty stuff long before the adults think it’s appropriate. So an adult marketing something to a kid will often be thinking “younger teenager” but actually dumb it down way too much and end up targeting 6-10 year olds. You can see this quite clearly with the Satanic Panic and the horror comics scare in the '50s.

 

[Azzy]

"soul coin" looted from bad guy devils/demons is two or three discretion shots away from even PG let alone PG13 levels of grimdark. It's goosebumps aping the cryptkeeper aping King/Carpenter/Shelley/etc.

Of course, because REAL grimdark is intentional parody (like WH/WH40K and Judge Dredd) and everything else is unintentional self-parody.

 

[Parmandur]

The trouble with marketing to kids is adults almost always underestimate and infantilize them. The kids want to read the bloody and nasty stuff long before the adults think it’s appropriate. So an adult marketing something to a kid will often be thinking “younger teenager” but actually dumb it down way too much and end up targeting 6-10 year olds. You can see this quite clearly with the Satanic Panic and the horror comics scare in the '50s.

I agree. I think that, anything else we can say about WotC I'm the past 8 years, they have done a very good job walking that particular line thematically. They stay firmly in PG-13 territory, but push it just enough to keep it interesting.

 

[dave2008]

"soul coin" looted from bad guy devils/demons is two or three discretion shots away from even PG let alone PG13 levels of grimdark. It's goosebumps aping the cryptkeeper aping King/Carpenter/Shelley/etc.

I am not sure what you are suggesting, but I am sure it is your opinion.

What is grimdark to some is cutesy to others.

 

[dave2008]

I always considered Descent into Avernus a worse copy of Inferno Road. More than a couple similarities. So I never really paid it much attention.

What do you like about Inferno Road? I just read the description and it tells me next to nothing about the adventure.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

While I do enjoy reading lore from different settings and using said lore as inspiration or in bits and pieces, nothing in 5e is ever going to come close to the books of 3rd edition in my eyes. I’m not upset about that, it is what it is.

I’m honestly more interested in setting specific player options (classes, subclasses, feats, backgrounds, etc.), magic items, monsters, and unique mechanics ( like piety). Those are what I want more of.