D&D 5E Am I no longer WoTC's target audience?

[Sadras]

I'm not familiar with those threads. But I've run 4e Dark Sun. We didn't need to change any rules. Though we did have psionic and primal PCs - these weren't a feature of our main campaign.

Good grief man! You pretty much skipped 2e DS as you were playing RM and made your D&D return when 4e came out and now you tell me you didn't change any rules? Just exactly what were you going to change them to, given that upthread you specified you were not very familiar with 2e DS?

 

[pemerton]

Good grief man! You pretty much skipped 2e DS as you were playing RM and made your D&D return when 4e came out and now you tell me you didn't change any rules? Just exactly what were you going to change them to, given that upthread you specified you were not very familiar with 2e DS?

I know that 2nd ed AD&D Dark Sun had a lot of rules changes. I've read them - I have a copy of the 2nd ed Dark Sun boxed set. But some of the changes are obviously unnecessary (like restating armour and weapons - if everyone is using bone and chitin then there's no need to worry about it, as the 4e book recognises). And others - like the changes to starting level and stat - also seem unnecessary, which even the 3E fan conversions recognised.

As far as the classes and races are concerned, in 4e that was covered by themes and backgrounds, and I would expect that something similar would work in 5e. Of course psionics rules are needed, but (as I posted upthread) I think there have already been multiple versions of these in UA.

Frankly if someone owns 2nd ed Dark Sun and wants to run Dark Sun in 5e, it seems straightforward to me. And if they don't own 2nd ed Dark Sun, they can buy 4e Dark Sun - which will make it even more straightforward - for US $14.99 on DM's Guild.

I'm not seeing the big issue here.

 

[Parmandur]

I totally don't get the notion that somehow Planescape is less well known or less potentially popular than Dark Sun for the broader, new D&D player base. Planescape is not only inherently connected to whatever setting you already run in, including your homebrew, it is the basis for one of the most celebrated CRPGs of all time that is still played today thanks to a recent remaster and consistently tops the Best RPGs lists. It is almost certain that Planescape has a bigger D&Dpop culture adjacent footprint than Dark Sun.

By the way, I also advocate for Planejammer. Spelljammers, crystal spheres, and phlogiston are unnecessary when you have the Astral Sea that fills exactly the same story function.

Yeah, Planescape is baked into the PHB and DMG as it stands.

 

[Sadras]

Frankly if someone owns 2nd ed Dark Sun and wants to run Dark Sun in 5e, it seems straightforward to me. And if they don't own 2nd ed Dark Sun, they can buy 4e Dark Sun - which will make it even more straightforward - for US $14.99 on DM's Guild.

I'm not seeing the big issue here.

The issue (and I repeat more plainly) the people who are really asking for DS in 5e are not the 4e crowd so suggesting a 4e book is not the solution. Furthermore such crowd would likely be far more dogmatic about the rule changes.

Not to pick on @Coroc, but I quote part of his post which might illuminate what I've been trying to say over the last few pages.

What I do not want on Athas at all are things like magic weapons callable when lost etc etc. That is why I never would allow a blade pact warlock pc not even for an npc like a Templar.

There are other things which ruin your DS campaign that are:
-spells that create food or water,

• Easy movement spells or feats like teleport fly etc,
• Feats, especially ones like resilience constitution,
• Classes like monk or barbarian or whatever can whisk away the environmental challenges, or is not really affected by them or gives big damage reduction.

If you allow any of these in your campaign then you are playing a wussified version of darksun not true to the originals imho.

Bold emphasis mine.
Coroc, Zardnaar and others like them are the type of people who would be asking for a 5e DS, so your 4e game IS but a wussified version of Darksun not true to the originals (EDIT: to them. In case it was not clear), and your suggestion that they pick up 4e DS is unhelpful at best.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Well, when I say "I would like to see Dark Sun" I am thinking of the original 2nd edition version, not 3rd or 4th edition versions.

When it comes to Dragonlance, it was the 1st edition campaign setting book that contained the interesting stuff.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Well, when I say "I would like to see Dark Sun" I am thinking of the original 2nd edition version, not 3rd or 4th edition versions.

When it comes to Dragonlance, it was the 1st edition campaign setting book that contained the interesting stuff.

Any of those versions is available, and you can use them to convert to 5E. I believe that’s @pemerton’s point. The lore is available.

A good chunk of my 5E campaign took place on Athas, and although I’m probably not as dogmatic in my approach to the material, I wouldn’t call it a “wussified” version of the setting.

I like Athas a lot, which is why I incorporated it into my campaign. And while I wouldn't mind seeing official 5E material for the setting, I don’t agree that it’s necessary, nor do I think it should be a priority for WotC.

 

[Sadras]

Any of those versions is available, and you can use them to convert to 5E. I believe that’s @pemerton’s point. The lore is available.

To be clear, I was not disputing that point.

 

[Parmandur]

It's not entirely academic: I've heard Perkins point out that all previous edition Settings are available through the DMsGuild when asked. With the 5E Setting books, it's not just about updating, but about providing a product that can help old school players, introduce new players, and be useful to homebrewers with no intention of using the Setting as such.

 

[JeffB]

As is demonstrated here, and in a gazillion other threads since message boards were thing- the reason why WOTC is hesitant to re-publish campaign settings- None of the fans can agree about the setting itself.

In complete opposition to how the CR book has been received- it seems the fans are united in wanting the book, no matter what it may hold. In 10 years I suspect Wildemounte will get the same treatment when a portion of the fanbase feel it is time for a updated version.

As I said somewhere else, consider it a blessing that WOTC doesn't want to touch your beloved version of X, otherwise you may get the equivalent of Tieflings hanging around a port town in Keoland selling magic items and buying food for Iuz

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Wildemount is very comparable to Dragonlance - it's not radically different, it's popularity stems from it's media presence.