D&D 5E If WotC Did A New Setting Search

[Scribe]

Exhibit A: On why we cant have nice things.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Eberron was created using the pulp-fiction as source of inspiration, and that is not wrong.

A setting inspired in no-Western cultures sound fabulous, but the risk is some event from the real life could cause that nation to become taboo for a time. I hope this can be a soft example. Let's imagine a crownfunding a couple of years ago of a new setting based in slavic culture and East-Europe. But then Russia invades Ukrany... and then it may become a unconfortable threat.

I think Hasbro will bet for Japan before China.

I would love a setting inspired in rich Spanish History and culture, but where there are two Spaniards there are three opinions. We would need to create a totally ideologically neutral setting, to avoid possible troubles and controversies about pejorative tropes. 7th Sea is a good example of how the prejudices of the authors can remain reflected in their creations without anyone realizing it. Even if a Spanish artist created a work about Spain, this could be love by the half, but hated by the other. Today different sectors of Spanish society, and their positions are beginning to become increasingly irreconcilable. Some tropes can be showed, but the abuse of stereotypes should be avoided. We should notice when some treats may be taboo in the industry. And take care when you try to use the fiction to tell what it is wrong according to your own point of view. Who wants to spend her money to suffer propaganda?

The point of view about a foreign society can be radically according the watcher. It is not the same by the native who has lived all his life in his land, a native who has lived in other country for several years, contrasting both, and a foreigner who has lived with the natives for several years. They aren't lying, only watching from different angles of view.

Other option could be not only hiring cultural consultants but some outsourcer.

why do you mention the Spanish so much it seems to be a repeating thing like me and psionics?


I had an odd idea for a dnd setting at the far edge of the multiverse sits a plane that never had elves, dwarves or humans until recently and it is sort of cyberpuck with mechs ideally also psionics.
designed to be high-powered and mildly nuts but in the best kind of way.
it does not have separate fae and shadow realms only the other side.
and a giant multiversal portal storm has eaten part of the world spewing out well everything thing else it has been a century since it formed.
also never had gods or divine magic till a century ago and that has massive implications for how things are.

 

[Quickleaf]

Something explicitly inspired by fantasy anime and Japanese animation and videogames. It's a hugely popular subgenre of fantasy -- arguably the most popular form of fantasy fiction in the world -- and WotC has zero support for it.

The Obojima Kickstarter is the fifth biggest RPG campaign of all time ($2.6m, with 23k backers). The number one and three RPG crowdfunding campaigns of all time (Avatar: The Last Airbender RPG and Ryoko's Guide to the Yokai Realms) are also about Asian-inspired fantasy.

I'm not even an anime fan, although I did back Obojima, and this jumps out at me as the obvious gaping hole in the line-up.

Pretty sure that @darjr reported from Gamehole Con that for the 2024 WotC D&D books they have a concept artist from Avatar The Last Airbender show?

All three books will have mostly knew art from new artists too, like from two concept artists from Obi Wan and the Avatar shows.

The gamers I interact with who are <30 yo all seem to be into anime to varying degrees.

 

[CleverNickName]

The gamers I interact with who are <30 yo all seem to be into anime to varying degrees.

(raises hand) ...and at least one gamer in his late 40s.

 

[Fifinjir]

I find both the question of what will be submitted and what WotC would accept to both be interesting, so I’ll list some ideas I’d assume people would try and a guess at what their chances are.

• Quite a few fantasy versions of various historical civilizations. This an obvious one, but I suspect the ones most likely to be considered will mix it with some other theme to stand out. But anything that restricts player options for it is dead in the water.
• Potentially some “the bad guys won” settings a la Midnight or Dark Sun. I think one of these would have the potential of getting published, so long as it didn’t get to grim or controversial. If nothing else it would stand out from most official settings and make sense for the multiverse.
• Some from and for the GoT fans; noble houses, courts, wars, and the like, while deemphasizing non-humanoid enemies and NPCs. Obviously nothing’s getting in that tries to enforce “human non-magic classes only”. Without that, I’m 50-50 on if WoTC would nominate one like this, it could reach out to a new audience but might not make as much from the existing fanbase.
• Some that are deliberately bizarre and abstract. Think the weirder parts of Elder Scrolls lore, or Hylics if you’ve ever heard of it. This is a pretty broad category, so the specifics can influence WotC’s decision. This is a maybe, Planescape and some of the random table results in Van Richten’s imply that one like this wouldn’t be dead in the water. (This is probably what I’d try if I entered such a search).
• Probably some NSFW attempts. These aren’t getting through.
• I could also imagine settings with an orcs, golblinoids, and the like as the main species. WotC would probably enforce there being some of the normal species present though, to not restrict PC options.

 

[beta-ray]

Spongeball Dragonpants is born!

Please keep the first in the latter.

Please.

 

[overgeeked]

(raises hand) ...and at least one gamer in his late 40s.

I second that. Though more mid 40s.

 

[Morrus]

If WotC decided to conduct a new Setting Search like the one that resulted in Eberron (the best D&D Setting, IMO) now for 2024 5E, what sort of settings do you think would make the top 3? By "sort of" I mean aesthetics, subgenre, tone, influences, etc...

Separately but related: what would you pitch?

I’d put it up on Kickstarter and make more money and keep ownership.

 

[CleverNickName]

I’d put it up on Kickstarter and make more money and keep ownership.

Yep. "Official D&D Setting" doesn't mean what it used to. A high-quality campaign setting funded on KS might not make you a millionaire, but it would likely earn more than whatever finders fee WotC is paying.

 

[Morrus]

Yep. "Official D&D Setting" doesn't mean what it used to. A high-quality campaign setting funded on KS might not make you a millionaire, but it would likely earn more than whatever finders fee WotC is paying.

I think they got $10K? I honestly can't remember.