Dungeonosophy
Legend
D&D Next: A Setting for all Settings...
...A gathering and reconciliation of the splintered worlds.
The next D&D Setting is a gateway world where all the D&D worlds ever published may be reached:
The D&D Next meta-cosmology includes the concept that different depictions of a Setting by different rules iterations are different Realities of the same World, from “Up, Away, and Beyond” by Bruce Heard, in Dragon Magazine #161, with commentary here.
In the different Realities, the cosmologies are palpably different. For example, in the CD&D (BECMI) Reality, Mystara has the BECMI Multiverse cosmology. While in the AD&D 2e Reality, Mystara sits in the Great Wheel and Spelljamer paradigm shared by all the other Settings. In the 3e Reality, the different Settings each have their own unique cosmology which touch each other only through the Plane of Shadow. The D&D Next meta-cosmology encompasses all these (along with the 1e Reality and SAGA Reality), and offers a new 5th Edition Reality of each Setting, while notionally leaving the other Realities intact.
Another radical reconciliation is that the D&D Next website provides a way for DMs to make their own versions of the published Settings, and also their homebrew Settings, an official part of the meta-continuity. Please see “Worlds of the Nexus" . This was written with only Mystara in mind, but the World Serpent Inn might serve an equivalent role for the 5e meta-cosmology..
Likewise all the other WotC-owned RPG settings may be reached through gates (like the genre-hopping Alternate World Gates from Frank Mentzer's AC 4, Book of Marvellous Magic):
Wizards makes mass-market Adventure Games for key Intellectual Properties of Wizards and Hasbro, such as Duel Masters D&D and Transformers D&D. The Adventure Games use the most simple array of D&D rules, but are still fully compatible with full-blown D&D.
WotC pushes through the "freeze zone" and makes a Magic: The Gathering D&D setting book.
Beyond its own IPs, Wizards makes some key Big Name licensed D&D games:
Wizards makes a Middle-earth D&D game, in cooperation with the current licensees, or whenever the license is available.
Wizards makes a Marvel Superheroes D&D game.
OGL Next:
The OGL is open like it was in the first d20 renaissance under Ryan Dancey. "OGL Next" is such a satisfying, customizable Edition of Editions, that it remains steady for decades (so no 5.5e to bust up the player network again). The smaller game publishers come back, and there is a renaissance of new and licensed OGL Next game settings...reuniting the player base of old school settings through yet another golden age: Empire of the Petal Throne D&D, Glorantha D&D, Wilderlands D&D, Aerth D&D, Aquaria D&D, Starstrands D&D, Kalibruhn D&D, Talislanta D&D, Shadow World D&D...
...along with a renewal of the settings from d20-era companies: Freeport D&D, Blue Rose D&D, Northern Crown D&D, Nyambe D&D, Dragon Fist D&D...
...and expanding into vast networks of imaginal communities through a World of Warcraft D&D, Dune D&D, Star Trek D&D, Harry Potter D&D, Narnia D&D, The Dark Tower D&D...
OGL Next: An Open Game for all Imaginative Worlds...
...A gathering and reconciliation of the splintered worlds.
The next D&D Setting is a gateway world where all the D&D worlds ever published may be reached:
- Nentir Vale
- Forgotten Realms
- Eberron
- Greyhawk
- Ravenloft
- Dark Sun
- Dragonlance
- The Known World/Mystara/Blackmoor/Red Steel/Savage Coast/Hollow World/Thunder Rift/Ghyr/The Dream Lands (of the Hebrew BD&D modules)/Karawenn (of the First Quest rules and novels)
- Pelinore
- Birthright
- Jakandor
- Ghostwalk
- Council of Wyrms
- The Realm of the D&D Cartoon Show
- The World of the Endless Quest gamebooks
- Spelljammer
- Chronomancer
- Planescape
The D&D Next meta-cosmology includes the concept that different depictions of a Setting by different rules iterations are different Realities of the same World, from “Up, Away, and Beyond” by Bruce Heard, in Dragon Magazine #161, with commentary here.
In the different Realities, the cosmologies are palpably different. For example, in the CD&D (BECMI) Reality, Mystara has the BECMI Multiverse cosmology. While in the AD&D 2e Reality, Mystara sits in the Great Wheel and Spelljamer paradigm shared by all the other Settings. In the 3e Reality, the different Settings each have their own unique cosmology which touch each other only through the Plane of Shadow. The D&D Next meta-cosmology encompasses all these (along with the 1e Reality and SAGA Reality), and offers a new 5th Edition Reality of each Setting, while notionally leaving the other Realities intact.
Another radical reconciliation is that the D&D Next website provides a way for DMs to make their own versions of the published Settings, and also their homebrew Settings, an official part of the meta-continuity. Please see “Worlds of the Nexus" . This was written with only Mystara in mind, but the World Serpent Inn might serve an equivalent role for the 5e meta-cosmology..
Likewise all the other WotC-owned RPG settings may be reached through gates (like the genre-hopping Alternate World Gates from Frank Mentzer's AC 4, Book of Marvellous Magic):
- Gamma World D&D
- Alternity D&D
- Star Frontiers D&D
- Boot Hill D&D
- Gangbusters D&D
- Top Secret D&D
- Bughunters D&D
- For Faerie, Queen, and Country D&D
- The Galactos Barrier D&D
- Kromosome D&D
- Magitech D&D
- Once and Future King D&D
- Tabloid! D&D
- Shadow Chasers D&D
- Urban Arcana D&D
- Greyhawk 2000 D&D
- Agents of Psi D&D
- Mecha Crusade D&D
- Pulp Heroes D&D
- Thunderball Rally D&D
- Dark•Matter D&D
Wizards makes mass-market Adventure Games for key Intellectual Properties of Wizards and Hasbro, such as Duel Masters D&D and Transformers D&D. The Adventure Games use the most simple array of D&D rules, but are still fully compatible with full-blown D&D.
WotC pushes through the "freeze zone" and makes a Magic: The Gathering D&D setting book.
Beyond its own IPs, Wizards makes some key Big Name licensed D&D games:
Wizards makes a Middle-earth D&D game, in cooperation with the current licensees, or whenever the license is available.
Wizards makes a Marvel Superheroes D&D game.
OGL Next:
The OGL is open like it was in the first d20 renaissance under Ryan Dancey. "OGL Next" is such a satisfying, customizable Edition of Editions, that it remains steady for decades (so no 5.5e to bust up the player network again). The smaller game publishers come back, and there is a renaissance of new and licensed OGL Next game settings...reuniting the player base of old school settings through yet another golden age: Empire of the Petal Throne D&D, Glorantha D&D, Wilderlands D&D, Aerth D&D, Aquaria D&D, Starstrands D&D, Kalibruhn D&D, Talislanta D&D, Shadow World D&D...
...along with a renewal of the settings from d20-era companies: Freeport D&D, Blue Rose D&D, Northern Crown D&D, Nyambe D&D, Dragon Fist D&D...
...and expanding into vast networks of imaginal communities through a World of Warcraft D&D, Dune D&D, Star Trek D&D, Harry Potter D&D, Narnia D&D, The Dark Tower D&D...
OGL Next: An Open Game for all Imaginative Worlds...
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