D&D 5E D&D's Classic Settings Are Not 'One Shots'

In an interview with ComicBook.com, WotC's Jeremy Crawford talked about the visits to Ravenloft, Eberron, Spelljammer, Dragonlance, and (the upcoming) Planescape we've seen over the last couple of years, and their intentions for the future.

He indicated that they plan to revisit some of these settings again in the future, noting that the setting books are among their most popular books.

We love [the campaign setting books], because they help highlight just how wonderfully rich D&D is. They highlight that D&D can be gothic horror. D&D can be fantasy in space. D&D can be trippy adventures in the afterlife, in terms of Planescape. D&D can be classic high fantasy, in the form of the Forgotten Realms. It can be sort of a steampunk-like fantasy, like in Eberron. We feel it's vital to visit these settings, to tell stories in them. And we look forward to returning to them. So we do not view these as one-shots.

- Jeremy Crawford​

The whole 'multiverse' concept that D&D is currently exploring plays into this, giving them opportunities to resist worlds.

When asked about the release schedule of these books, Crawford noted that the company plans its release schedule so that players get chance to play the material, not just read it, and they don't want to swamp people with too much content to use.

Our approach to how we design for the game and how we plan out the books for it is a play-first approach. At certain times in D&D's history, it's really been a read-first approach. Because we've had points in our history where we were producing so many books each year, there was no way anyone could play all of it. In some years it would be hard to play even a small percentage of the number of things that come out. Because we have a play-first approach, we want to make sure we're coming out with things at a pace where if you really wanted to, and even that would require a lot of weekends and evenings dedicated to D&D play, you could play a lot of it.

- Jeremy Crawford​

You can read more in the interview at ComicBook.com.

 

[overgeeked]

Odd angle, when we are talking about not just the 'global leader' but the essential monolith in the space who have as a corporate entity.

Had block buster success in games.
Had NTY Best Sellers.
Had established characters over decades.
Had actual settings with depth.
I assume, have people within the company looking around and seeing what else is successful, or has been successful.

Just because Wizards literally fell into success ass backwards despite consecutively rolling natural 1's over and over and over, doesnt mean they shouldnt be able to apply some actual logic. Some of us have been saying for years on end "yeah thats nice and all, but when do we get something for us?" to all the over sanitized 'safe' PG stuff.

We get that stuff by either making it ourselves or looking into 3PP. The OSR, for example, is dirty with amazing and wonderful stuff. The most mediocre OSR product has more weirdness and imagination poured into it than anything WotC’s ever done. But, for some strange reason, people persist in thinking the mega-corp teat is the only game in town.

 

[Muso]

I'm looking forward to read the Planescape manuals. After that I am still waiting for Dark Sun (I still hope that the issue with this setting can be solved some how) and for one of my favourite settings: Birthright.
That said, I hope to see more for the FR and Ravenloft (the other domains and the stats for the dark lords).

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I mean, is there even a Victorian trope in the entire setting?

Newsies?

 

[Scribe]

We get that stuff by either making it ourselves or looking into 3PP. The OSR, for example, is dirty with amazing and wonderful stuff. The most mediocre OSR product has more weirdness and imagination poured into it than anything WotC’s ever done. But, for some strange reason, people persist in thinking the mega-corp teat is the only game in town.

All well and good. I own some.

But as BG3 has shown, FR is it's own appeal, and it's something that can clearly be done well in a way I want.

 

[Reynard]

I would love the MPAA to read and rate the adventures that people say are G to PG.
Many of these involve things that if existed as a single scene in a movie they'd be immediately R

It is about presentation, though. It is the difference between "fade to black" and Eyes Wide Shut.

 

[Reynard]

Newsies?

I guess. I had not really thought of that.
You win this time, Crawford!

 

[bedir than]

It is about presentation, though. It is the difference between "fade to black" and Eyes Wide Shut.

Absolutely agree.

On screen presentations of slavery with physical abuse in Out of the Abyss.
On screen presentations of mindflayers eating brains
On screen presentations of eating children (Strahd, Witchlight)
On screen presentations of mind-control slavery (Strixhaven)

 

[Reynard]

Absolutely agree.

On screen presentations of slavery with physical abuse in Out of the Abyss.
On screen presentations of mindflayers eating brains
On screen presentations of eating children (Strahd, Witchlight)
On screen presentations of mind-control slavery (Strixhaven)

The only person that determines what is "on screen" is the GM.

 

[overgeeked]

All well and good. I own some.

But as BG3 has shown, FR is it's own appeal, and it's something that can clearly be done well in a way I want.

Yes. And it was not done by WotC. There will probably be a BG4 for you to play in another decade or so. Maybe other more mature video games from other still not WotC companies. But WotC will not follow up with the product you want. They will continue to churn out Dinsey-fied versions of beloved settings on occasion or outright ignore their own IP. As they have done.

 

[Parmandur]

The only person that determines what is "on screen" is the GM.

Sure, but the WotC give some pretty intense options to a DM.