D&D (2024) DMG 2024: The Planes

[Chaltab]

Given WotC's last attempt -- DotMM -- was so bad, maybe it is for the best...

Dungeon of the Mad Mage was bad? Huh. Never played it but I always heard good things about that one.

 

[Reynard]

Dungeon of the Mad Mage was bad? Huh. Never played it but I always heard good things about that one.

I am not a fan. I am sure there are those that liked it. But it did not serve as a worthwhile megadungeon for me.

 

[Shardstone]

One thing that legitimately surprised me about the 2024 DMG was the chapter on the Planes. It spends nearly 40 pages on the Planes -- a "setting" traditionally reserved for high level play that is also the part of the D&D "multiverse" most likely to be modified or ignored in D&D's own setting (Eberron, Dragonlance). By contrast, they spend less than 30 pages on Greyhawk and a whopping 3 pages on Dungeons. the discussion of all the myriad worlds of D&D is a single chart.

Why do you think they decided to invest so many pages in the Planes? Does it signal a near term focus on the Planes for adventures and supplements? Will we be seeing more Planescape products or a big planar adventure? Is that something you would like to see? For that matter, are you happy with the large investment of pages on the Planes in the 2024 DMG?

While I don't mind planar information being present in the DMG, or even taking up a decent chunk of real estate, I am less enthused at how little space was given to dungeons and dungeon adventures (and sandbox campaigns, as i mentioned in another thread). I don't think planar adventures are common, and I think it is effectively wasted space for a lot of groups.

But what are your thought?

The planes provide a lot of inspiration in terms of what magic is, where power comes from, what happens when you die, and so on. Look at Baldur's Gate 3. They give you planar action in that game for level 1. The Planes are no longer reserved for high levels, we are being told to intermix them with lower level play in various ways. And I support it.

 

[Reynard]

The planes provide a lot of inspiration in terms of what magic is, where power comes from, what happens when you die, and so on. Look at Baldur's Gate 3. They give you planar action in that game for level 1. The Planes are no longer reserved for high levels, we are being told to intermix them with lower level play in various ways. And I support it.

Do you think we will see low level planar action in WotC adventures?

 

[Chaltab]

Do you think we will see low level planar action in WotC adventures?

Depends on how low-level (and which plane.) After all Descent into Avernus sends you to hell at level 5.

 

[payn]

You can argue that, but the designers have made it quite clear they intended the DMG to help new DMs learn to DM.

and so asking the question if its teaching new DMS "the right things" is a reasonable question.

Sure, but it can’t teach everything in explicit detail and I think the monumental expectation that the DMG is a one stop shop for learning game mastering isn’t a good one.

 

[payn]

That is an interesting idea. I would actually be pretty excited about an "Adventure Builder's Guidebook" from WotC as a sort of DMG2.

Not that I expect such a thing, but it is a neat idea.

3E DMG II and PF1 Ultimate campaign are some of my favorite RPG products.

 

[Reynard]

3E DMG II and PF1 Ultimate campaign are some of my favorite RPG products.

I agree. "Advanced GMing" books are some of my favorites. WotC sort of ceded that space to third parties, but that's okay. there's lots of great stuff out there.

I think it comes from getting my introduction via BECMI, where there was always some new way to play to learn and always some new interesting systems to add to the game.

 

[payn]

I agree. "Advanced GMing" books are some of my favorites. WotC sort of ceded that space to third parties, but that's okay. there's lots of great stuff out there.

I think it comes from getting my introduction via BECMI, where there was always some new way to play to learn and always some new interesting systems to add to the game.

I had high hopes for the NEXT modular play it it turned out not needed.

 

[Shardstone]

Do you think we will see low level planar action in WotC adventures?

Yes. I mean, we got Avernus at 5th level with DiA, and we got Spelljammer at level 1 as well. So, the groundwork has been laid + examples have been established.