Chris Perkins: Reintroducing Settings in Ways that Surprise People

WotC's D&D Story Manager, Chris Perkins, was the subject of an interview by a chap called Chris "Wacksteven" Iannitti. One of the topics covered is campaign setting books; Perkins says that they want to reintroduce settings in "surprising" ways, and that they're not guaranteed to be books. (thanks to Mistwell for the scoop)

The video is below, but if you can't watch it right now, here are the highlights as listed by pukunui on WotC's website:

• He can't talk about products that haven't been announced yet
• They value all of their worlds, as each one has "tons of fans"
• They are focusing on specific areas within settings to detail and "codify" via their story bibles
• Their goal is to "challenge people's expectations" re: sourcebooks
• They're "not interested in releasing books for the sake of releasing books anymore"
• They want book releases to be events that will "surprise and delight people"; they also want to put out books that people will actually use rather than books that will just get put on a shelf to "stay there and slowly rot"
• "One of our creative challenges is to package [setting] material - reintroduce facts and important details about our worlds - in a way that we know that DMs and players are going to use, that's going to excite them, that's actually going to surprise them. We may get that content out, but I'm not going to guarantee it's going to be a book. I'm not going to guarantee that it's going to be anything that you've seen before. But it will be something."

[video=youtube;alnwC34qUFs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alnwC34qUFs&feature=youtu.be[/video]
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[TarionzCousin]

"Surprise: the Free City of Greyhawk was buried under tons of water as the nearby lake expanded."

"Surprise: the Open Lord of Waterdeep declared allegiance to Bane and turned all of his servants (other lords, guards, city watch, etc.) into Lawful Evil intelligent undead."

"Surprise: on Athas, it rained for forty days and forty nights."

"Surprise: all the dragons on Krynn went away forever and were replaced by gigantic rats."


/brainstorming.

I don't believe that "reintroducing a setting in a way that surprises people" is necessarily a good thing. However, I am hoping to be pleasantly (ahem) surprised by whatever Mr. Perkins and company give us.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

This.

Or, specifically, this.

Great. Now I will have to buy them all. Especially The Will and The Way and Dragon Kings.

Somehow I wasn't aware that dnd classics had quite so much AD&D material. Thanks!

 

[jrowland]

Well, I'm hoping for something "Gazetteer" -like for the "Known World" but rebooted for ALL settings. So we might get a little Free Web Download about the Kron Hills in Greyhawk, and a Booklet style print about Halruaa in FR, and perhaps a full on book about Solomnia in Krynn.

Detached, separate bits, full of detail and flavor about a PLACE that is inspiring and I want to use it now.

That would be cool.

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

Many CS supplements are also out of print. What should be done for people new to the hobby who want to run a Darksun campaign?

When did I become the authority?

But since you asked: Ebay, Amazon, used book stores, the internet and patience until WotC produces something for Dark Sun.

That was easy. Give me another one.

The grim reality is that this book is the 3rd Edition FRCS.

Don't get me wrong, I supported the concept of the Spellplague too, and it appears that WotC are reverting the Realms back to a facade matching 3E or even earlier.

I'd say Ed Greenwood Presents: Elminster's Forgotten Realms is as close as we'll get for now to a CS. I don't think this is "grim," it's just all we have in terms of new CS-like material until WotC figures out just what they're doing.

 

[Jester David]

Interesting that in an 8 hour workday, he spends 2 hours doing the job he's paid to be doing. If they separated the D&D team from WotC as a whole and limited meetings they could double the efficiency of the staff (or swap them to part time).

 

[DMZ2112]

Somehow I wasn't aware that dnd classics had quite so much AD&D material. Thanks!

Spread the good word, brother!

 

[neobolts]

Regarding settings...

We may get that content out, but I'm not going to guarantee it's going to be a book.

What isn't a book that provides what would be in the book...hmm...

Maybe a web enhancement for the default setting of a module? That wouldn't be so bad.

Or an official fan-led wiki, like Guild Wars 2 runs.

A board game? I'm not quite sure how that would work, but maybe.

The MMO doesn't make any sense for delivering tabletop rules content. So probably not that.

As long as it isn't some sort of proprietary subscription digital reference guide to the settings. I can't, WotC. I just...you...me...digital...once again...I, just...no. Sorry.

 

[Jester David]

Many CS supplements are also out of print. What should be done for people new to the hobby who want to run a Darksun campaign?

DnDClassics.com, eBay, Amazon, or Noble Knight games.
Or athas.org
There are no shortage of places.

Realistically though, how many players who are new to the hobby, are going to even know about Dark Sun, let alone care enough to want to buy a product set there?

 

[TwoSix]

Their goal is to "challenge people's expectations" re: sourcebooks
They're "not interested in releasing books for the sake of releasing books anymore"

I see cross-promotional opportunities here, to expand on people's expectations of the settings without the traditional "reference book".

-Coming to the CW in Fall of 2016, "Circle of Eight", the story of eight wizards and witches in an epic love circle of magic and danger, until they are betrayed by one of their own. Starring Zachary Levi as "Mordenkainen", Kiernan Shipka as "Tenser", and Jenna Dewan-Tatum as "Rary the Traitor".

-Infinite Planes, a novel of philosophy, swordfights, and demons, published posthumously by David Foster Wallace. Footnotes by Shemeska. Released Spring 2017.

-"Phineas and Ferb save Caramon and Raistlin", a Phineas and Ferb/Dragonlance crossover event. Coming to Disney Channel, Spring 2016.

-In the 2017 block of Magic cards, every booster contains 1 "Ravencard", a card describing one NPC or location within the Ravenloft world. Collect all 894!

-Ken Burns presents "The Last War", a 20 hour documentary on the civil war between the Five Nations that changed the face of Khorvaire, and all of Eberron. Coming to PBS in 2018.

 

[Trickster Spirit]

Or an official fan-led wiki, like Guild Wars 2 runs.

Oh man, my personal D&D wishlist has it as monthly setting articles in a resurrected Dragon e-zine, but an official wiki with ongoing content additions would be SO MUCH BETTER.