D&D 5E (2014) D&D classic settings or new worlds to explore?

[Gnarl45]

I think they should stick to classic and try new worlds if they have the budget/stomach for it. Original ideas just don't pay the bills.

 

[Quickleaf]

The catch being, WotC really wants every book to be a must-buy.

Absolutely that's what they want.

But what after the PHB, MM, and DMG do folks consider to be "must buy" D&D books?

 

[bedir than]

Absolutely that's what they want.

But what after the PHB, MM, and DMG do folks consider to be "must buy" D&D books?

The setting book that gets a big budget movie or tv series.

 

[Jester David]

Absolutely that's what they want.

But what after the PHB, MM, and DMG do folks consider to be "must buy" D&D books?

And that's the big question.

I think they can get away with one big accessory. But then it's diminishing returns.
The player's guides might be a better way to trickle that out, especially if they continue to make them Print on Demand for interested people.

I'd like to say Manual of the Planes, but the older ones still function.

I wonder if they could silence some of the complaints on absent content by releasing a playtest document of new classes and slowly updating them as needed.

 

[pogre]

Would supporting or creating multiple settings or new settings serve their branding efforts?

My instincts say no, but I don't know the first thing about branding and marketing.

 

[Jester David]

The setting book that gets a big budget movie or tv series.

Any movie that gets made is almost certain to use a custom world or adapted version of a setting, because there's no way the writers will familiarize themselves with the setting, let alone the producer and director.
If they do release it as a book, it will be as "canon" as the TV or comic sequel to a film.

 

[Umbran]

oh, I don't disagree Umbran.
I think the problem is that they are trying to have their cake and eat it too.
They want to make it generic enough so people can pug it elsewhere and use it...
but they alsoo want to set it in the Realms to sell to Realms fans.

I don't see any issue with that at all. I mean, back in the day, all the modules were set in Greyhawk, and that didn't really present an issue to homebrewers trying to use the material.

As settings go, the Forgotten Realms and Greyhawk are both, in terms of the rules they use, generic - you can play a game in either setting using only the core rules, and the organizations and assumptions are pretty basic generic fantasy (no offense intended to the settings - I think this is one of their strengths). Yes, if you want to use it in your own world, you do have to file off the serial numbers in place names and organizations, but if you buy the generic D&D fantasy concept of the adventure, there's a minimum of retooling that needs to be done.

 

[Cristian Andreu]

One thing I'd love to see is either a series of short books or a hefty 400-page hardcover giving a general take on classic settings, such as Dark Sun, Planescape, Ravenloft, Spelljammer, Birthright, and Mystara, enought to get the ball rolling but focusing mostly on the fluff. I'm thinking of Forgotten Realm's 1e level of detail, so that a lot can fit in without having to delve too deep.

No story updating, but more like a snapshot (after all, save for a few modules here and there, none of those settings undertook any considerable update like, say, FR got in 4e). Some of us have the good books of old to keep us company, but for many newcommers (or people who missed them back in the day) they are a bit of a rarity, specially in far-off markets where these things either came by in too few numbers or never showed up at all.

As for OP's question: I'd like to revisit old settings (I'm personally not at all bothered by FR being chosen as the default. I think it's the most practical and reasonable choice), but I have to say I'd be thrilled to see new stuff.

 

[S_Dalsgaard]

I think they would be crazy to release books for anything other than FR. I don't really see how a campaign guide (or similar) for Spelljammer, Birthright, or even Greyhawk could ever sell enough to make it worth it for WotC. It is much better to use FR as a good base for their APs, a world where almost any story can fit, instead of confusing next gen players by suddenly having the next AP set in Greyhawk (different gods, etc.)

I doubt we will see anything other than web articles for the other worlds for the foreseeable future.

That doesn't mean I wouldn't love to see an update for Planescape or Birthright, but I highly doubt either campaign will get much official support.

 

[AriochQ]

I run my current campaign in Greyhawk and am pleased to find much of the prior source material available in pdf format either for free, or relatively cheap.

There is so much information out there for all the campaign settings, I personally don't want to pay $30 for an updated 5E stat block. I am more than happy to use the already published source material as a starting point and evolve the world to my liking as the campaign progresses.