D&D 5E (2024) WotC Should Make 5.5E Specific Setting

[Maxperson]

The continuing argument about fitting or shoehorning Dragonborn into old settings is WHY 5.5e should get a new setting designed for 5.5e.

You don't need to shoehorn or "fit" Dragonborn into any official setting. Even the Forgotten Realms, which is by far the most detailed with lore, only spells out maybe 1% of the world's lore and population. I can drop in 100 new races and their lore without "fitting" or "shoehorning" them in. And I'd still have 98% of the world left to flesh out.

If you want a new setting, just ask for a new setting. Trying to pass it off as necessary for the 5.5e rules is easily seen through as, well, not necessary. You're better off just saying that there hasn't been a new setting in a while so you want one. There's no weak justification to see through with that argument.

 

[Yaarel]

That's the invention that @Hussar said I had to stay away from. As DM I can make that happen, but going strictly by 5e lore, they are all from Tymanther.

Even so, that Dragons reproduce Dragonborn is also official 5e lore, and applies to Forgotten Realms too.

The Tymanther Dragonborn are known because of the recent diaspora. If Dragonborn are mentioned but not specifically said to be from Tymanther, then they can be assumed to be native to Toril and not from Tymanther.

 

[Corinnguard]

You don't need to shoehorn or "fit" Dragonborn into any official setting. Even the Forgotten Realms, which is by far the most detailed with lore, only spells out maybe 1% of the world's lore and population. I can drop in 100 new races and their lore without "fitting" or "shoehorning" them in. And I'd still have 98% of the world left to flesh out.

Like Kara-Tur, Al-Qadim, and Maztica. Each of those lands is bound to have unique races populating them.

 

[Maxperson]

That is besides the point.

The point is rather that discussed how to create a setting that has a Dragonborn Empire and Goliath Kingdoms entrenched in its style, history, and gameplay, we are spending pages after pages arguing how to put favorite old setting can squeeze in Dragonborn somewhere or find proof that it did.

There is no squeeze. I can create a large island in the middle of the ocean, populate it with Ewoks, have some rebel scum and a Jedi land there to take out the force field generator, and then have a giant space battle over that island on a planet which they call the Moon of Endor, and nobody else in the Realms would even be aware of it.

To shoehorn something means to put in someplace which is a very tight fit. That's what you use a shoehorn for. Tight fitting shoes. The Realms is so full of wide open spaces, unknown areas, and lack of lore in even the known areas, that there is no shoehorning that happens in situations like this.

 

[Maxperson]

Even so, that Dragons reproduce Dragonborn is also official 5e lore, and applies to Forgotten Realms too.

Dragons CAN produce Dragonborn. Not Dragons ALWAYS DO produce Dragonborn.

As I said earlier, it's a reasonable thing to make up, but it's not written Realms lore. Going only by what is written for the Realms, they are all from Tymanther.

The Tymanther Dragonborn are known because of the recent diaspora. If Dragonborn are mentioned but not specifically said to be from Tymanther, then they can be assumed to be native to Toril and not from Tymanther.

Sure. You can make that up. It's not written in the Realms lore, though.

 

[Minigiant]

If you want a new setting, just ask for a new setting. Trying to pass it off as necessary for the 5.5e rules is easily seen through as, well, not necessary. You're better off just saying that there hasn't been a new setting in a while so you want one. There's no weak justification to see through with that argument

I, Minigiant, have been asking for a setting tailored for 5th edition for a decade now.

I've been pleading with the community to not beg for conversions of every single old setting just to be disappointed when they shoehorn 5e elements into it.

 

[SkidAce]

No. I really, really can't. What dragonborn community is within a hundred miles of Phandelver? Saltmarsh? The Free City of Greyhawk? Waterdeep? What Tiefling community exists within the same circles? In canon if you please. Make stuff up is certainly an answer. Sure. We're all capable of doing that. But, again, I don't want to just make stuff up. What's the point of playing a published setting if I have to just "make stuff up"?

The whole point of using a published setting is that I DON'T make stuff up. I use what's there. I leverage the connections built into the setting.

I want to leverage what is already there. I don't want to make stuff up. If I'm going to just make stuff up, I might as well not bother using the setting.

I feel there is a balance between the two extremes.

Use 90% Phandelver/FR as is, plop a "its always been there*" a dragonborn enclave for your player's character a days journey from Phandelver. Profit.

Now if you feel that the/ or find that you are modding TOO much for your tastes, then yes, I agree, there's no point in using that setting.

But I think any published setting is going to have stuff you change (in most cases). May not be true for you, and I respect that.

(i.e. I never use an established pantheon, I've kit bashed my cosmos years ago)





*“We have always been at war with Eastasia.”

 

[Corinnguard]

I've been pleading with the community to not beg for conversions of every single old setting just to be disappointed when they shoehorn 5e elements into it.

The community wanted these old settings to be brought into 5e for their own personal reasons.

 

[Yaarel]

Dragons CAN produce Dragonborn. Not Dragons ALWAYS DO produce Dragonborn.

As I said earlier, it's a reasonable thing to make up, but it's not written Realms lore. Going only by what is written for the Realms, they are all from Tymanther.

Sure. You can make that up. It's not written in the Realms lore, though.

Anything that is true in the Players Handbook, is also true in the ForgottenRealms, I think.

There are Dragonborn in Forgotten Realms that arent said to be from Tymanther. They can be assumed to be native of planet Toril. Thus, the Players Handbook explains these came from Dragons - the Dragons of Toril.

 

[Corinnguard]

There are Dragonborn in Forgotten Realms that arent said to be from Tymanther.

It's only a matter of time before we get to have the Dragonborn from Kara-Tur and Al-Qadim.