physicscarp
Explorer
Everyone keeps talking about "one book settings", but I'd like to suggest a single book for all settings. Let's call it Campaign Classics (real original, huh?). It's a single hardcover book that retails for $39.95. In this single 300-page tome, a large number (6-8) of the old campaign settings are covered.
Let's pick the following: Dark Sun, Planescape, Birthright, Al-Qadim, Spelljammer, and Mystara. This means that we can devote an average of 40-50 pages to each campaign setting, allowing us to cover how races, classes, skills and spells are different in each, while only including how stats may change. Each setting is only allowed to introduce (or stat up) two new races and classes. A section containing the requisite four to six prestige classes unique to the setting is appropriate, as well as a section discussing how running this setting is different than the core setting (ala the first section in Eberron).
Next we'll choose a single core region (city, country, location) to detail where these campaigns may be based, but we'll go on to provide a few pages providing brief descriptions of the surrounding areas to allow for DM customizability. Of course, we'll need a few setting specific monsters (maybe 8) and finally, if we can produce the room, we'll include a rather short adventure (6 pages max), that introduces the players to the flavor of the setting in a very specific way.
As a bonus, rather than providing web support for the product, as WotC typically does, we'll place a link to the old electronic editions sold on RPGNow, that can be purchased for a discount, to intice people to use this material, while at the same time generating some additional revenue (I'm assuming WotC gets some revenue fromt eh sale of those PDF's).
Now, you have to ask yourselves, especially those of you who like only Dark Sun, or only Planescape, or maybe just Birthright and Mystara, would you pay $40.00 to have this product? I would. In fact, I'd prefer it this way, as opposed to a single 256 page book detailing a whole campaign setting. I think this format is the only way to go if WotC choose to pursue old campaign settings, as it eliminates the multiple "start up cost" for them, appeals to the nostalgic fans, and provides some alternatives to players while not detracting from their core settings, any more than Ghostwalk did.
Let's pick the following: Dark Sun, Planescape, Birthright, Al-Qadim, Spelljammer, and Mystara. This means that we can devote an average of 40-50 pages to each campaign setting, allowing us to cover how races, classes, skills and spells are different in each, while only including how stats may change. Each setting is only allowed to introduce (or stat up) two new races and classes. A section containing the requisite four to six prestige classes unique to the setting is appropriate, as well as a section discussing how running this setting is different than the core setting (ala the first section in Eberron).
Next we'll choose a single core region (city, country, location) to detail where these campaigns may be based, but we'll go on to provide a few pages providing brief descriptions of the surrounding areas to allow for DM customizability. Of course, we'll need a few setting specific monsters (maybe 8) and finally, if we can produce the room, we'll include a rather short adventure (6 pages max), that introduces the players to the flavor of the setting in a very specific way.
As a bonus, rather than providing web support for the product, as WotC typically does, we'll place a link to the old electronic editions sold on RPGNow, that can be purchased for a discount, to intice people to use this material, while at the same time generating some additional revenue (I'm assuming WotC gets some revenue fromt eh sale of those PDF's).
Now, you have to ask yourselves, especially those of you who like only Dark Sun, or only Planescape, or maybe just Birthright and Mystara, would you pay $40.00 to have this product? I would. In fact, I'd prefer it this way, as opposed to a single 256 page book detailing a whole campaign setting. I think this format is the only way to go if WotC choose to pursue old campaign settings, as it eliminates the multiple "start up cost" for them, appeals to the nostalgic fans, and provides some alternatives to players while not detracting from their core settings, any more than Ghostwalk did.
