D&D 5E Further Future D&D Product Speculation

[bedir than]

Why would that need to be factored into a fantasy setting? That is, unless it is specifically designed as the D&D version of a specific time and place. No D&D setting, afaik, does that: they're all fantasy amalgams of a range of different ideas, whether of a specific culture or not.

The legends and myths that inspired Al Qadim are both pre and post Islamic. They also cover a broad range of cultures that interacted and switched ruler/ruled frequently.

To honor the peoples a new Al Qadim should embrace a selection of creators from several of those overlapping and individual cultures. As a Near Eastern Cultures and Civilizations major and formerly functionally fluent modern Arabic speaker I know enough to see the harms in the old books that helped inspire me to go on that path of learning.

A new Al Qadim would be a wonderful product.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

The legends and myths that inspired Al Qadim are both pre and post Islamic. They also cover a broad range of cultures that interacted and switched ruler/ruled frequently.

To honor the peoples a new Al Qadim should embrace a selection of creators from several of those overlapping and individual cultures. As a Near Eastern Cultures and Civilizations major and formerly functionally fluent modern Arabic speaker I know enough to see the harms in the old books that helped inspire me to go on that path of learning.

A new Al Qadim would be a wonderful product.

To be honest, I feel the best thing is to not touch Al-Qadim, and bring in cultural consultants/writers to just make a new setting that is inspired by the Near East and Arabia. Maybe keep the old name if you really need to, but trying to reboot the old Al-Qadim seems like a lot of effort to "fix" something when they could just start over.

 

[Mercurius]

The legends and myths that inspired Al Qadim are both pre and post Islamic. They also cover a broad range of cultures that interacted and switched ruler/ruled frequently.

To honor the peoples a new Al Qadim should embrace a selection of creators from several of those overlapping and individual cultures. As a Near Eastern Cultures and Civilizations major and formerly functionally fluent modern Arabic speaker I know enough to see the harms in the old books that helped inspire me to go on that path of learning.

A new Al Qadim would be a wonderful product.

I wasn't really talking about who the creators are - but specifically your comment on addressing different periods of Persian rule. I just don't know how feasible that is, or even if necessary. Furthermore, what if a region doesn't have a singular real world analogue, but is a mixture of different ones--not to mention time periods--as well as entirely fantastical flavorings?

Of course I can't think of a single D&D setting that took such an approach, no matter what part of our world they're inspired by. For instance, we can say that the North of the Forgotten Realms is at least partially inspired by Northern European tribal cultures, but I don't think it is clear (or necessary to know) which time period.

If we're talking about a revisioned Al Qadim, there is such a wealth and depth of inspiration to draw from -- from at least the first city-states of Sumer c. 3000 BC to the high Islamic culture of 1000 AD, to the Arabian Nights literature...not to mention North Africa, Egypt, Kemet, or Neolithic Turkey (Catalhoyuk, Gobekli Tepe), or the entire span of Indian history that mixed with the eastern regions of the Middle East...or myths...and on and on.

In other words, I think a "fantasy Middle East" is going to be a syncretic mess--just like every other D&D setting--no matter what approach one takes, unless one wants to go for something very specific.

 

[Parmandur]

Unless they want the Alt Covers, as Target and Amazon don't sell those.

There is the possibility of getting the best of both worlds though; my FLGS is Cool Stuff Inc., which sells D&D books, including the Alt covers, at Amazon-like prices. For example, Spelljammer is $48.99 on their website right now.

True, but people buying game products at Target probably aren't aware of that. Just trying to inject a diffeperspective into the price situation: people will mostly be paying closer to $40 for the slipcase.

 

[Parmandur]

re: Planescape
I think what's needed is a Sigil + (hopefully new) Factions + Outlands setting guide, and then a planehopping adventure. People might think they want a "manual of the planes" as a comprehensive gazetteer, but what I actually think would be more useful is presenting the planes through a series of adventurable locations. The more popular PS adventures--Modron March, Dead Gods, Infinite Staircase--all did this (or tried to).

And I could see that fitting a slipcase wvery slickly.

 

[Parmandur]

To be honest, I feel the best thing is to not touch Al-Qadim, and bring in cultural consultants/writers to just make a new setting that is inspired by the Near East and Arabia. Maybe keep the old name if you really need to, but trying to reboot the old Al-Qadim seems like a lot of effort to "fix" something when they could just start over.

It's part of the Forgotten Realms, is part of the thing: WotC has an interest in redeeming their core IP. Letting Juatice Srmin, Taymor Rahman and others take point and reclaim Al'Qadim might make sense on thst basis.

 

[Parmandur]

So I perused the Greyhawk Monstrous Compendium, and there aren't many monsters there that haven't been put into 5E. There are some, but they're pretty... not good. But most are just monsters we've seen like the scarecrow below. I really don't think there are enough unique interesting ones to fill a monster section well.

View attachment 156241

OG Castle Greyhawk would be interesting. As far as I know however, WotC doesn't actually have the original layouts for the castle, and the Ruins of Greyhawk book wasn't written by Gary Gygax and used original material. Castle Zagyg and El Raja Key are both out of WotC's hands (again, AFAIK). Plus, I'm not sure how interested the D&D team is in doing another megadungeon. Undermountain is I think one of their least successful (not unsuccessful, but least) books.

On Eberron, I just don't see many reasons for why to return there as opposed to another published setting. Maybe if the Battle Game does really well, but that's still up in the air.

Well, perhaps a Monster Manual wouldn't be the way to go, though I think it could work. However, I think taking advantage of the nostalgia, real and borrowed, is a likely 50th Anniversary move based on prior WotC Anniversary products (not to mention the entire product line!).

Looking af the older products a little again, the "From the Ashes" box set (the big 2E one) was 192 pages, separated into two books: the Flannaes as a whole detailed lightly in one, and the Free City of Greyhawk blown up and focused in in the other. 2 96 page books, one for the boeader Setting and the other thr OG D&D Supwrcity and a mini-mega-Dungeon, might be attractive to the main market of D&D products: homebrewers willing to file off serial numbers.

 

[Malmuria]

And I could see that fitting a slipcase wvery slickly.

That said, I don't understand how one could be "particularly excited" about the slipcase format. Unless he's just seeing $$

 

[Parmandur]

That said, I don't understand how one could be "particularly excited" about the slipcase format. Unless he's just seeing $$

I actually am pretty excited about the table utility of the seperste books, and getting that DM screen in there. It would be nicer if they had a few more pages in them, but the price is fair at market rates so I'm accentuating the positive.

The D&D Studio might have more ambitious plans that the format will allow them to pursue, time will tell.

 

[bedir than]

I wasn't really talking about who the creators are - but specifically your comment on addressing different periods of Persian rule. I just don't know how feasible that is, or even if necessary. Furthermore, what if a region doesn't have a singular real world analogue, but is a mixture of different ones--not to mention time periods--as well as entirely fantastical flavorings?

Of course I can't think of a single D&D setting that took such an approach, no matter what part of our world they're inspired by. For instance, we can say that the North of the Forgotten Realms is at least partially inspired by Northern European tribal cultures, but I don't think it is clear (or necessary to know) which time period.

If we're talking about a revisioned Al Qadim, there is such a wealth and depth of inspiration to draw from -- from at least the first city-states of Sumer c. 3000 BC to the high Islamic culture of 1000 AD, to the Arabian Nights literature...not to mention North Africa, Egypt, Kemet, or Neolithic Turkey (Catalhoyuk, Gobekli Tepe), or the entire span of Indian history that mixed with the eastern regions of the Middle East...or myths...and on and on.

In other words, I think a "fantasy Middle East" is going to be a syncretic mess--just like every other D&D setting--no matter what approach one takes, unless one wants to go for something very specific.

We're on the same page. My specific comments were due to a suggestion that a Persian hire means they can do Al Qadim. There is overlap, but the original product covers much more than just modern or traditional Persian areas