Spelljammer Dark Sun confirmed? Or, the mysterious case of the dissappearing Spelljammer article...

[Faolyn]

I may be misremembering, as it is a long time since I read it, but I think the original I6 version of Ravenloft also had joke names in that crypt.

It's probably a good thing I didn't read that module first, since it would have killed my interest in the setting immediately.

 

[Charlaquin]

It reverses the Spellplague - mostly - but it doesn't ignore it and pretend it never happened. SCAG's Realms is the same Realms from 4E, and 3E, and 2E, and 1E, just updated with metaplot changes. Unlike Ravenloft, which reboots the setting from scratch, and only nods to old lore as Easter eggs.

It kind of acknowledges the spellplague as a thing that happened, but it rolls back a lot of the changes with no explanation. This is seen most strongly in pre-spellplague characters just being alive again, despite the massive time skip.

 

[Parmandur]

It kind of acknowledges the spellplague as a thing that happened, but it rolls back a lot of the changes with no explanation. This is seen most strongly in pre-spellplague characters just being alive again, despite the massive time skip.

Their design goal was to unify the Forgotten Realms fanbase as much as possible. They discovered that metaplot did the same thing to their fanbase that publishing a number of Settings did: every time they advanced the world, they lost a slice of customers to those who stuck with the previous timeline, rather than growing the overall numbers. Ao, SCAG is meant to work with 1E, 2E, and 3E Setting products, or appeal to those who wanted to keep "up to date." Then, cut out the metaplot, and let the Setting stay stable.

They really want people using the 3E FRCS and the 1E Grey Box to be able to run the official Adventures in 5E.

 

[Charlaquin]

Their design goal was to unify the Forgotten Realms fanbase as much as possible. They discovered that metaplot did the same thing to their fanbase that publishing a number of Settings did: every time they advanced the world, they lost a slice of customers to those who stuck with the previous timeline, rather than growing the overall numbers. Ao, SCAG is meant to work with 1E, 2E, and 3E Setting products, or appeal to those who wanted to keep "up to date." Then, cut out the metaplot, and let the Setting stay stable.

They really want people using the 3E FRCS and the 1E Grey Box to be able to run the official Adventures in 5E.

Yeah. Hopefully the metaplot trend stays dead and buried.

 

[vecna00]

Yeah. Hopefully the metaplot trend stays dead and buried.

I enjoyed the metaplot, but I completely understand those that don't.

 

[Parmandur]

I enjoyed the metaplot, but I completely understand those that don't.

Aestheticly, no reason not to: the problem for the game is that it is not sustainable for a game world the same way it is for, say, the MCU.

 

[Charlaquin]

I enjoyed the metaplot, but I completely understand those that don't.

I think most people do, up until the metaplot takes a turn in a direction they don’t like and they get left behind.

 

[Charlaquin]

Aestheticly, no reason not to: the problem for the game is that it is not sustainable for a game world the same way it is for, say, the MCU.

Exactly

 

[overgeeked]

Aestheticly, no reason not to: the problem for the game is that it is not sustainable for a game world the same way it is for, say, the MCU.

Practically, every reason to not like the metaplot. It gives players a false sense of expectations that will inevitably butt heads with the referee's version of the setting. It's great if your only engagement with the setting is to read it. But if you're going to actually play in that setting...forget it.

 

[Parmandur]

Practically, every reason to not like the metaplot. It give players a false sense of expectations that will inevitably butt heads with the referee's version of the setting. It's great if your only engagement with the setting is to read it. But if you're going to actually play in that setting...forget it.

Yeah, exactly. It's not even possible to "keep up" with it, because every table will always be diverging itown way.

I can say from several years experience that mixing the 3E FRCS with SCAG is quite doable, if one is willing to fudge certain details.