D&D General should we have domains back if so how?

[Mind of tempest]

I have been watching videos on older dnd out of boredom and the inability to get into a group.
I have noted that in older editions you could have a domain game and it looked like something that could sell a box far better than dragonlance and spelljammer could.
we need more level 11+ content and a system that lets people make towns and cities that feel beyond the generic would be great for DMs.
one of the old problems is all the classes have separate ones which is bad for the party.
how to integrate all classes/sub-classes seems hard but could be done.
Does anyone have ideas on this topic as I am trying to post less antagonistic topics for my mental health?

 

[Yora]

PCs establishing a domain after 10th level was always really not much more than an idea. Which never really got turned into anything more concrete or robust.
In some very early campaigns like the Greyhawk campaign, some characters would basically go into retirement after 10th level or so and be a baron or something. The players would then make new characters to continue playing in the dungeon crawls that made up the campaign.

The main problem with running domains is that it's not a group activity. Even when the group decides that one PC is going to be the lord and the others all play the managers of different departments of the domain, they still end up doing their own individual spreadsheet games. That's not why anyone plays D&D.

 

[Mind of tempest]

PCs establishing a domain after 10th level was always really not much more than an idea. Which never really got turned into anything more concrete or robust.
In some very early campaigns like the Greyhawk campaign, some characters would basically go into retirement after 10th level or so and be a baron or something. The players would then make new characters to continue playing in the dungeon crawls that made up the campaign.

The main problem with running domains is that it's not a group activity. Even when the group decides that one PC is going to be the lord and the others all play the managers of different departments of the domain, they still end up doing their own individual spreadsheet games. That's not why anyone plays D&D.

as I said I saw the flaw but I lack the game design ability to correct it as more options for high level story telling is needed.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Personally, I think we need a game that's actually designed so it works--and produces enjoyable experiences of the kind people are hoping for when they sit down to play D&D--across a wide range of levels. One actually tested for its ability to do that thing.

 

[Weiley31]

We already have them in 5E. Twilight and Death are my two fave.

 

[MarkB]

Can you maybe establish the premise for the benefit of the uninitiated? I'm guessing you mean something other than Clerics' religious domains.

Sounds like you're talking about giving PCs regions to manage, such as cities or districts. Is this the case?

 

[toucanbuzz]

I'm wrapping up the epilogue for a Kingmaker campaign this afternoon based on managing a barony: get a charter at level 1, scout and explore, by level 4 someone is a baron or baroness. The others assumed roles such as General, Magister, etc.

It's not that difficult as you can pick how much you want to micro-manage your kingdom (there's multiple rule books for this, including Colville's Stronghold book, Paizo's Ultimate Campaign made for the Kingmaker adventure path, and Level Up's building rules). Once you find a ruleset you like, you can try it. The building should always lead to something (after all, what's the purpose of opening up the Seven Feathers Inn and building a moat with walls if there isn't going to be roleplay and an attack on your town). Paizo's UC had an excellent random events chart for kingdom events (it's OGL, free online), and a quick search for Kingmaker random events will yield many homebrew additions to its list.

From there, if you want to incorporate things like Colville's character class strongholds (e.g. a wizard tower where you could research a way to modify your spells, or a fighter keep where you could raise troops and use rules for mass combat), it all depends on how much you want to spend.

If you don't want to buy anything, you can simply make your own kingdom events list, make up a benefit for building a stronghold, and use the DMG for some rough prices on how much it all costs. For NPCs and buildings, I borrowed a little-used book I had sitting on a shelf that had a fully fleshed out town and picked out buildings as the PCs built them. This led to some interesting NPC interactions and side adventures.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

We already have them in 5E. Twilight and Death are my two fave.

Can you maybe establish the premise for the benefit of the uninitiated? I'm guessing you mean something other than Clerics' religious domains.

Sounds like you're talking about giving PCs regions to manage, such as cities or districts. Is this the case?

From context, yes, it seems @Mind of tempest is referring to the "domain management" rules found in the earlier editions of D&D. As you say, for the "uninitiated," these were some form of land holding or other leadership role that high-level characters would acquire. E.g.:

Fighters (and similar) would become manorial nobility (not strictly feudal, as feudalism is manorialism plus vassalage, but vassalage wasn't specifically part of the original domain rules AIUI), providing military protection and legal representation in return for taxes and levies.
Clerics would become the leader of a church to their deity (Druids would get a grove, but more or less the same deal), with associated duties and benefits.
Rogues would become the head of a thieves' guild in a city or township, with missions, dues, etc.
Wizards would acquire a wizard tower, from which they could take apprentices and do other forms of wizardy stuff.

 

[Weiley31]

I have no regerts.

On a serious note: I wouldn't mind Domains coming back in some way.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I have been watching videos on older dnd out of boredom and the inability to get into a group.
I have noted that in older editions you could have a domain game and it looked like something that could sell a box far better than dragonlance and spelljammer could.
we need more level 11+ content and a system that lets people make towns and cities that feel beyond the generic would be great for DMs.
one of the old problems is all the classes have separate ones which is bad for the party.
how to integrate all classes/sub-classes seems hard but could be done.
Does anyone have ideas on this topic as I am trying to post less antagonistic topics for my mental health?

There are few 3PP products that already do this for 5e. I believe both MCDM and LevelUp have these and there are others as well.