D&D 4E A Change I'd Like to see in 4E Campaign Guides

[Calico_Jack73]

I'm really jazzed about the "Points of Light" concept for 4E. That said I think it is time for an overhaul on how Campaign Setting Guides are produced. In keeping with POL mentality we no longer need to have tomes such as the 3E Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting Guide. There is no need to cover an entire continent. I'd like to see a new format where a campaign setting is more like the 2E Volo's Guides. As a DM I don't really care about the regions outside the scope of where my game is taking place. I'd find it much more helpful to know about individual towns and cities. I'd like to know what the local populace knows about the surrounding area. Without radio, internet, or some form of rapid communication the civilized areas will be microcosms where nobody will really know or care what is going on outside of it unless it somehow threatens their own little world.
As the DM I'll develop the world around the town/city... it would just really help to have detailed information about the starting point. All of this information could take the space of your typical D&D softcover module and could be marketed between $10-$15. By making the guides non-setting specific you could pick and choose the guides you want to provide detailed info on your own home-brew setting.

Just my $0.02. Feel free to tell me if this is just crazy-talk.

 

[Ceresco]

I like that idea too. It makes sense to have seprate books that detail specific cities/geographical oddities.

The thing I like most about POL is that it's exactly how I played oh, so long ago. When my group first started in junior high school We would just take a world atlas, randomly open a page and wa la', instant setting. Then we'd place towns and dungeons how ever we wished. Something like that as a product, just a physical geographic map and descriptions of sites of importance, would make me happy.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

The problem with city region specific guides is the sales are too small. Only a fraction of people will be playing in any given city in a campaign setting like Eberon or FR so you need to target everyone playing in the setting to really make money. So I doubt there will be a return of locality books but rather a continuation of player guides and magic and monster books.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

That's just crazy talk!

Actually, I like the idea as well, but Brown Jenkin has a good point about sales.

We will probably still continue to see a campaign setting book as it will be the place for all those things that are common across the setting - cosmology, how races and classes fit into the world and a broad overview of the different regions.

We will probably then continue to see regional books. They can give some good details about a selection of cities and towns in a region, some commonalities that might link them, information about how much or how little contact there is between the different cities and towns etc. Not really that different than what we get now, I guess.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

The problem with city region specific guides is the sales are too small. Only a fraction of people will be playing in any given city in a campaign setting like Eberon or FR so you need to target everyone playing in the setting to really make money. So I doubt there will be a return of locality books but rather a continuation of player guides and magic and monster books.

On the contrary... I think that if you had smaller "City Guides" with a smaller sales cost more people would be inclined to pick them up. I'd certainly spend more money on several $10-$15 city/town guides than on a single $40-$50 campaign setting guide. But then again, that is just me... I can't vouch for everyone.

I really like the idea of the non-setting specific cities though. But then again I loved the Volo's Guides.

 

[mhensley]

Not surprisingly, this was exactly the way The Wilderlands by Judges Guild was presented. Maps done in 5 mile hexes, setting books about small areas, and city books.

 

[Counterspin]

I'm not particularly fond of this idea for a variety of reasons, and I see it working particularly poorly in Ebberon, where fast travel is commonplace, dramatically increasing what is within easy reach of your group.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I'm not particularly fond of this idea for a variety of reasons, and I see it working particularly poorly in Ebberon, where fast travel is commonplace, dramatically increasing what is within easy reach of your group.

I wonder if that will change with 4e and the "points of light" idea, or if Eberron will be more of an exception.

 

[Najo]

I'm not particularly fond of this idea for a variety of reasons, and I see it working particularly poorly in Ebberon, where fast travel is commonplace, dramatically increasing what is within easy reach of your group.

Agree. I also like the feel of being able to pick different regions to start my campaign in. I also like the option of far travel being there. A simple gate or portal found in some ruins can bring two areas together without losing your points of light.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Mystara was built one regional sourcebook at a time. I think this is a great way to build, and would love to see the system revived.