D&D 5E Pitch me a new WotC setting (+)

[Vaalingrade]

Plus thread, mate.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Cozy fantasy. Instead of a game world focused on war or armageddon or the clash of armies, a setting inspired by games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing. Firmly Tier 1 in nature (where most actual play is concentrated anyway), the setting book would provide robust crafting and farming rules, rules for anthropomorphic animals and a focus on non-violent conflict resolution, as the challenges the PCs will be facing are largely based on clashes of expectations and values, rather than good vs. evil. PCs will be more likely to run a magical coffee shop than they are to try and destroy an undead dragon.

Not a genre that TSR or WotC have tackled before, but a playstyle that's growing in popularity, both in gaming and in geek media generally.

A single book that also opens up the setting on the DMs Guild.

 

[squibbles]

So, I don't think WotC are going to make any new settings--but if they did, this is my thinking:

In the DMG there is a list of flavors of fantasy. In order, they are:

• Heroic Fantasy
• Sword and Sorcery
• Epic Fantasy
• Mythic Fantasy
• Dark Fantasy
• Intrigue
• Mystery
• Swashbuckling
• War
• Wuxia

Most of those are pretty solidly served by existing settings and/or adventures with, I'd say, Sword and Sorcery and Wuxia significantly lacking. Well, WotC have some decent settings for Wuxia sitting in their D&D and MtG back catalogue, but for Sword and Sorcery they have Dark Sun (it's the only example of S&S given in the DMG, incidentally).

And for, IMO, pretty boneheaded reasons, they will likely never publish Dark Sun again.

But S&S--or low magic more generally--is a genre that, I think, a lot of players and DMs would appreciate WotC to serve.

So:

When people describe it as 'The X Setting,' what it your X? What are its influences, what are its tropes, what are its themes and iconic bad guys?

It's the sword and sorcery setting. It's influences are Robert E Howard, Fritz Leiber, and Saturday morning cartoons. Y'all know the tropes. Its Iconic bad guys are evil sorcerers, hulking brutes, scheming politicians, and prehistoric animals.

Does it require new classes like Eberron generated the artificer, or any other significant mechanical additions?

Yes. And this is its main draw. It has a spell-less ranger. It has magic-free subclasses for the barbarian, fighter, and rogue--and perhaps some warlocks too. It introduces rules that make parties of all martial characters better able to succeed (without outright excluding spellcasting classes).

Why is it different to what they've already done with existing books?

And what do you think will get WotCs marketing/brand management people to give you a big tick and say 'yeah, that one'?

See above. The smarmy marketing guys will say "Sword and Sorcery" at least 15 times in each PR interview.

What's the big hook to your setting that'll get people excited about it?

So lots of pitches could work. But the one I like, which I have pitched here before is this:

Most S&S type settings (such as Primeval Thule) call back to a time when the world was a jungle ruled by serpentmen, rakshasas, and other peoples cruel and destructive to humankind. So why not set a campaign setting in that time (which, to my knowledge, hasn't been done before).

There are preponderantly powerful unambiguously evil empires of Yuan-ti, Tabaxi, Dragonborn, Thri-Kreen and such. They are mighty, but declining.

The realms of humankind, Atlanteans(obviously), other oppressed peoples, and rebels and dissidents of the Yuan-ti and pals, have--through a lucky fluke--overthrown one of these empires of evil. Humankind is in its strongest position ever, but things are precarious.

The old regime, though defeated, has left behind lots of unconquered fortresses, sinister underground labs, terror cells operating out of hidden mausoleums, mustache twirling villains, and quietly scheming reactionaries. And there is no shortage of geopolitically contested monster infested jungle.

ALSO dinosaurs.

 

[squibbles]

Cozy fantasy. Instead of a game world focused on war or armageddon or the clash of armies, a setting inspired by games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing. Firmly Tier 1 in nature (where most actual play is concentrated anyway), the setting book would provide robust crafting and farming rules, rules for anthropomorphic animals and a focus on non-violent conflict resolution, as the challenges the PCs will be facing are largely based on clashes of expectations and values, rather than good vs. evil. PCs will be more likely to run a magical coffee shop than they are to try and destroy an undead dragon.

Not a genre that TSR or WotC have tackled before, but a playstyle that's growing in popularity, both in gaming and in geek media generally.

A single book that also opens up the setting on the DMs Guild.

Yeah, this is on point.

If I were to pitch something other than the above, it would be something that very ostentatiously borrows from Studio Ghibli.

 

[Minigiant]

The Next World

Basically instead of good and evil, law and chaos the setting's ideologies based on

Harmony - Being one with the world. The Favored ideology of the Wild Clans.
Supremacy Domination- Domination of the world. The Favored ideology of the Arcane Empire.
Purity- Support and improvement of oneself. The Favored ideology of the Rebel Kingdoms.
Ascendancy- Evolution to your next form. The Favored ideology of the High Theocracy.

And they have real effects of creatures.

Basically Civilization Beyond Earth but Fantasy. Every PC or NPC gets ideological affinity that alters them.

Harmony is Monster Grafts. A Harmonious orc might have dragon breath.
Domination is Arcane Prosthetics. A Domination orc might cast arcane spells.
Purity is Magic Items. A Purist orc might have a soulbound vorpal axe and +3 plate.
Ascendancy is Divine Racial Feats. An Ascended orc is 8 feet tall, Super jumps, and has 30 Strength.

 

[Zardnaar]

The Next World

Basically instead of good and evil, law and chaos the setting's ideologies based on

Harmony - Being one with the world. The Favored ideology of the Wild Clans.
Supremacy Domination- Domination of the world. The Favored ideology of the Arcane Empire.
Purity- Support and improvement of oneself. The Favored ideology of the Rebel Kingdoms.
Ascendancy- Evolution to your next form. The Favored ideology of the High Theocracy.

And they have real effects of creatures.

Basically Civilization Beyond Earth but Fantasy. Every PC or NPC gets ideological affinity that alters them.

Harmony is Monster Grafts. A Harmonious orc might have dragon breath.
Domination is Arcane Prosthetics. A Domination orc might cast arcane spells.
Purity is Magic Items. A Purist orc might have a soulbound vorpal axe and +3 plate.
Ascendancy is Divine Racial Feats. An Ascended orc is 8 feet tall, Super jumps, and has 30 Strength.

Beyond Earth ha! I may have been playing SMAC today.

 

[mamba]

of course this comes from a gnome, but as you said

Not a genre that TSR or WotC have tackled before, but a playstyle that's growing in popularity, both in gaming and in geek media generally.

I can see this getting a younger crowd than what we have now, so as an entry system, good idea

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Today players don't need to spend money because in the internet age they can read the fandom wikis, and also the homemade setting by other players published in their blogs or forums.

Witchlight as setting should be the best option for a game style closer to farm simulations, or a child-friendly cartoon with little cute characters.

* A "nerferd" version of Eternia+Etheria (Masters of Universe+She-ra: Princess of Power). Yes, a very bizarre mash-up version, but maybe very wished by speculators and collectors.

* I feel curiosity about D&D settings based in no-Western cultures, by natives, something like Rokugan/L5R but more "fantasy inclusive", not so humancentric but with more PC species.

* The Demiplane of Desolation. This demiplane is a cluster of distopian timelines, working like a cosmic firewall avoiding planar invasions from tainted planes. When a horrible future is rewritten by brave time-travelers, and to avoid troubles about time paradoxes, a new domain is added to the demiplane. The Athasian Tablelands (Dark Sun) ruled by the Sorcerer-Kings now are within this demiplane.

* Gamma World (mixed with elements from other Hasbro's franchises, for example Visionaries or Inhumanoids) and reverse isekai. Yuan-ti meets Sepentor and Cobra Commander.

 

[GuyBoy]

If it was up to me, I’d suggest WOTC contact @Steampunkette and work out a deal to publish her Sins of the Scorpion Age setting.
It’s well-developed, tested in actual play and has all the flavours of Swords & Sorcery, but fully inclusive for all. Playing in the setting is a fantastic privilege.

 

[Aldarc]

Cozy fantasy. Instead of a game world focused on war or armageddon or the clash of armies, a setting inspired by games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing. Firmly Tier 1 in nature (where most actual play is concentrated anyway), the setting book would provide robust crafting and farming rules, rules for anthropomorphic animals and a focus on non-violent conflict resolution, as the challenges the PCs will be facing are largely based on clashes of expectations and values, rather than good vs. evil. PCs will be more likely to run a magical coffee shop than they are to try and destroy an undead dragon.

Not a genre that TSR or WotC have tackled before, but a playstyle that's growing in popularity, both in gaming and in geek media generally.

A single book that also opens up the setting on the DMs Guild.

If I was WotC and wanted to show that "D&D can do everything," then this would be the direction that I go. There are a few tabletop games like Ryuutama and Wanderhome that tap into this market. Something simple like, "you and your party use your skills, magic, and abilities to help people around the rural farming community."