D&D General Ch-Ch-Changes

[AbdulAlhazred]

I predict that @Garthanos and @TonyVargas* will continue to feel betrayed and angry.

(*Funny, there was no autocomplete on Tony. Did he delete his account?)

I think there's a space in it, @Tony Vargas, but it still doesn't pop a link. Maybe he did head for warmer climes.

EDIT: Aaaannnnd I am wrong too, the space in the name just confuses autocomplete.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I'll put my chips down on the opposite. It's taken a bit of a beating recently, but I think the 3x3 alignment will still be there.

Maybe for cosmology, but definitely not for the base game, IMO

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Actually Christmas tree PCs was more a multi edition thing. 2e presented the idea of someone possibly being a Christmas Tree. 3e promoted the idea of a Christmas Tree being an ideal and gave players and DMs the tools to made them. And 4e codified it into the rules as a base part of the game. 5e just makes them not required and says it's just a style of play.

So by 7e, D&D will likely formally make and name "High Magic D&D" and have Christmas Trees be the base assumption in "High Magic D&D".

Well... actually in 4e you took a pretty decent hit by converting your items back and forth to residuum to make them into 'whatever'. Also the default items you were assumed to have at a given level were 2-5 levels ABOVE your level, and thus not subject to being reenchanted into something else. So this was really a non-issue. Anyway, item rarity did away with that, giving the GM a vote on what you could make (and the default is no, you cannot do it). Enchantment rules in 4e are there simply to let you create some weird items you just really wanted and the GM for some reason never got around to, or if there was some specific item that was going to be REALLY beneficial in a specific plan or something, so you could make it just to use that one time.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

I don't think 'race' will be a term used in D&D in 20 years, or heck, probably in 2 years at this rate! Good riddance too, though it was an innocent choice of words when we used it back in the 1970s...

Hard to say much else. I'd imagine the game will have been 'digitalized' to a high degree, so whatever form PC abilities take, they will be heavily keyworded card-like 'things' (dare we say powers, perhaps not). Given that computers can track stuff easily that will probably bring about some significant changes in the balance between playability and certain forms of complexity, with unpredictable results.

I think the classes will be pretty much the same. Hard to say much else. More modern RPG styles and techniques may force D&D to adapt, to a degree. This might particularly be true if there's a sort of hybridization between curated GMed play and video-game like formats. I'd expect those to become a lot more sophisticated as well, with AIs being capable of running NPCs, generating content, etc.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I don't think 'race' will be a term used in D&D in 20 years, or heck, probably in 2 years at this rate! Good riddance too, though it was an innocent choice of words when we used it back in the 1970s...

Species, Heritage, or Lineage will probably replace it. I would prefer Species, but the others would be fine.

I think the classes will be pretty much the same. Hard to say much else. More modern RPG styles and techniques may force D&D to adapt, to a degree. This might particularly be true if there's a sort of hybridization between curated GMed play and video-game like formats. I'd expect those to become a lot more sophisticated as well, with AIs being capable of running NPCs, generating content, etc.

They're assuredly will be changes in what classes there are in the next 20 years. Probably gain a few and lose a few.

 

[Minigiant]

Well... actually in 4e you took a pretty decent hit by converting your items back and forth to residuum to make them into 'whatever'. Also the default items you were assumed to have at a given level were 2-5 levels ABOVE your level, and thus not subject to being reenchanted into something else. So this was really a non-issue. Anyway, item rarity did away with that, giving the GM a vote on what you could make (and the default is no, you cannot do it). Enchantment rules in 4e are there simply to let you create some weird items you just really wanted and the GM for some reason never got around to, or if there was some specific item that was going to be REALLY beneficial in a specific plan or something, so you could make it just to use that one time.

Yeah. In 4e, You could go old school and get powerful items but your DM picks.
OR
You go new school and melt down the magic to get weaker items you wanted.

And that's how I see 7e going. It will put the options up front and not have you figure it out.

There was be different levels of magic item assumptions and different levels of magic item assumptions.
In 7e, there will be no default mode. The system will have a core and the setting will get modules and variants assumed based on tags or descriptors.

After 20 more years, D&D wont be able to handle a default setting. It barely can now.

 

[Khelon Testudo]

You'll be able to create characters online. Not just their stats and abilities, but their likeness, too. You can then print it off as a 3d bust or a miniature figure - which for an additional fee will be articulated. Possibly automated.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Species, Heritage, or Lineage will probably replace it. I would prefer Species, but the others would be fine.

They're assuredly will be changes in what classes there are in the next 20 years. Probably gain a few and lose a few.

I'm going with species, though it sounds a bit sciency.

 

[FireLance]

I don't know if I'm being cynical or facetious, but:

In 20 years' time, D&D will be rebranded as Demonstrations and Demagogues. The default setting will be Athas during the time of the Cleansing Wars. The objective of most campaigns will be to fight racial discrimination/genocide as represented by Rajaat and his Champions and the ecological damage caused by defiling magic.

The basic gameplay relies heavily on the Birthright domain management system to represent petitioning rulers to enact the necessary laws and persuading the general population to care about and support the right issues and to do the right things. Classes are revamped to focus more on the social pillar instead of the combat pillar and will have abilities like "Visit the ignorant and uncaring with explanatory pamphlets" and "Smite the corrupt lackeys distributing propaganda and lies with cunning arguments".

There will be no races and characters will pick just one trait which can be inherited or which can represent culture.

 

[Khelon Testudo]

I don't know if I'm being cynical or facetious, but:

Why not both?

Anyway, Dogs in the Vineyard has already been invented.