D&D 5E Assuming Dark Sun is on the horizon, what are your worries?

[Ruin Explorer]

I'm worried about having to listen to how WotC ruined the setting because they gave people permission to use it in whatever way was fun for them.

That's not going to happen. Literally no-one has ever complained about that.

What's much more likely to happen is that WotC eliminates a large number of ways people could use it simply by changing the lore and rules of the setting in such a way that they might as well have not bought it, and that they have to homebrew together an entirely different version.

But what's even more likely to happen is WotC doesn't do Dark Sun, they do Spelljammer. Which is virtually unsinkable.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

That's not going to happen. Literally no-one has ever complained about that.

Good. So when they only strongly discourage X, Y, and Z races, classes, etc. instead of banning them (as if they have the power) we'll hear nary a peep from anyone.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Good. So when they only strongly discourage X, Y, and Z races, classes, etc. instead of banning them (as if they have the power) we'll hear nary a peep from anyone.

I don't think "banning" has ever been a thing that can happen. Not since the TSR Rules Enforcement Death Squads got disbanded after the fourth RPG War.

But what they should be doing is, by default only including the stuff that actually fits the setting, then having a big sidebar, or several paragraphs, or even a chapter on "alternate takes" on the setting, supporting you in including whatever!

 

[Tony Vargas]

We could debate what classes are or aren't needed (that's a rabbit hole I don't intend to get lost in) but I maintain that WotC is going to go for the widest tent possible

I'd think a variety of quite different settings, options, modules &c would ultimately cast the widest net, overall, but... OK...

and the best way to get as many people as possible interested is to not remove large swaths of options, esp when you're not replacing them with new options. I mean, Ravnica was the perfect place to test limiting a few class options from the setting and they opted to include them all.

OTOH, WotC has removed options (maybe not large swaths, per se, but compared to the sheer volume of just plain stuff that was out for 2e and the prior WotC editions, I suppose there's some significant swathing left out, even if it was stuff I never paid much attention to) from 5e, and seems equally reticent to put 'em back in, too.

WotC has embraced the notion that the multiverse of D&D more or less contains the stuff from the PHB, though some exclusions on race seems to be ok. I expect the 5e Dark Sun will find the somewhere for the 12 PHB classes and most of the PHB races (save for drow, gnome and half-orc).

Well, that theory is certainly upheld by the emphasis, so far, on high-magic (the PH is weighted heavily towards magic-using classes) "kitchen sink" settings, FR and Eberron.

It might not bode well for Darksun, Krynn, or any other much-differentiated setting, though.

But I can't disagree with the assessment, it does make sense from the PoV of Brand Identity, for instance.

 

[Remathilis]

It might not bode well for Darksun, Krynn, or any other much-differentiated setting, though.

Does it? WotC has a very different view of the settings than TSR did. Just looking at the setting since WotC took over...

Greyhawk (WotC) in 3e was turned into the "default" setting, introducing all of 3e's core assumptions like sorcerers.
Dragonlance (MWP) in 3e allowed all the core classes in the 3.5 PHB, plus all the races but half-orc and halfling.
Ravenloft (Arthaus) in 3e allowed all the core classes in the 3.x PHB plus all races but half-orc.
Dark Sun (Paizo) in 3e allowed all the core classes in the 3.5 PHB, all the psionic races and classes in the XPH, and all the PHB races but gnome and half-orc.
Dark Sun (WotC) in 4e allowed all the classes in PHB 1-3 (except for divine classes) and most of the races (save gnome, half-orc, and a few more that escape me.)

Even ignoring the obvious kitchen sinks like Forgotten Realms and Eberron, WotC has a pretty solid track record of allowing nearly all core classes and most races into a setting rather than strictly following only what was in the TSR versions. The days of setting re-writing classes or disallowing large swaths of the PHB ended when TSR filed bankruptcy in '97.

But I can't disagree with the assessment, it does make sense from the PoV of Brand Identity, for instance.

At the end of the day, that is something WotC has to worry about. WotC doesn't want to create a dozen clones of its own game to compete with each other like TSR did, they have been pretty consistent with keeping settings mostly using the same rules and only occasionally differing on lore or minor mechanics like races. It does homoginize the settings to a degree, but it also means the game remains familiar regardless if you are on a lightning, exploring a gothic castle, or surviving the silt sea.

 

[Vael]

Honestly, I only worry it'll suck, or that it doesn't feel right. But I never played OG Dark Sun, my first exposure to Dark Sun was 4e. And I liked the setting and liked the implementation in 4e. It got me into playing the 4e equivalent of Adventurer's League, I played in Organized Play campaigns for quite awhile.

 

[Larnievc]

I'm worried about having to listen to how WotC ruined the setting because they gave people permission to use it in whatever way was fun for them.

That would be the wrong kind of fun, though. You start letting people have the wrong kind of fun and who knows where we will end up.

 

[neogod22]

One thing I've always thought would be better is if the distances were MUCH longer from place to place. In my mind's eye I'm thinking x5 the distance between places.

And then say that you cannot recover HD out in the desert under normal circumstances. Back in the day my players (to be fair we were only about 19 odd) thought northing of walking half the way across the map.

Boy howdy, I surely like to finish the Dragon Crown module.

Distances don't have to be farther. In our world 50 miles is an hour drive or less, but if you think about it, the walking distance of infantry is about 25 miles a day. That would be the same distance a caravan can go. So something 50 miles away will take 2 days to make the the trip one way. That's almost a half a week to make that round trip, and that's if conditions are good and there are no complications.

 

[Larnievc]

Distances don't have to be farther. In our world 50 miles is an hour drive or less, but if you think about it, the walking distance of infantry is about 25 miles a day. That would be the same distance a caravan can go. So something 50 miles away will take 2 days to make the the trip one way. That's almost a half a week to make that round trip, and that's if conditions are good and there are no complications.

Yeah, that’s true. Purely my own preference to have the distances much wider.

 

[neogod22]

Yeah, that’s true. Purely my own preference to have the distances much wider.

I've thought about changing the map grids to 2.5' squares instead of 5ft squares, it seems more realistic when you use minis