D&D 5E DnDBeyond: on adapting genre to D&D

[Remathilis]

An interesting article appeared on DnDBeyond that address converting D&D to other genres. They cite Eberron and Ravenloft as examples, and I wager it's going to be controversial here.

The link: Adapting Other Genres to D&D

Some of the cliff notes parts.

* Adapt the genre to D&D, not D&D to the setting.

* Try to limit restrictions for your players, esp to magic and magic items.

* Add rather than subtract options when possible.

* Find where D&D and the genre cross and focus on those.

* If you're genre requires extensive rewriting of the game, consider a better suited RPG.

Thoughts on his suggestions?

 

[Yaarel]

I feel D&D − a game whose only limit is your imagination − does best when making the system easier to handle other genres.

So, the advice to turn everything into Forgotten Realms, regardless of the actual genre, seems unhelpful.

 

[Parmandur]

An interesting article appeared on DnDBeyond that address converting D&D to other genres. They cite Eberron and Ravenloft as examples, and I wager it's going to be controversial here.

The link: Adapting Other Genres to D&D

Some of the cliff notes parts.

* Adapt the genre to D&D, not D&D to the setting.

* Try to limit restrictions for your players, esp to magic and magic items.

* Add rather than subtract options when possible.

* Find where D&D and the genre cross and focus on those.

* If you're genre requires extensive rewriting of the game, consider a better suited RPG.

Thoughts on his suggestions?

As Haeck says, "As with all the advice to follow, this rule is a far-reaching generalization. If you think that breaking this rule will help make your game, your setting, or your adventure better, then go for it! These constraints will help you get a good, basic, and fun game—but like all other rules in D&D, these rules are made to be broken."

I'll take his advise with a grain of salt, though he has some good ideas.

 

[Yaarel]

Also, I feel, the main purpose of a setting is remove options. For example, if there are no dwarves in the setting, then remove dwarves from the options.

To be fair, I normally do a ‘soft ban’, meaning, the setting ‘normally’ lacks the dwarf, but if there is a player who is desperate to play a dwarf, I try to figure out how it might be possible for a dwarf to exist, or something like a dwarf, within the tropes and logic of the setting.

Also, many D&D players have a low magic or no magic setting (Lord of the Rings, Conan, etcetera), and this by definition would limit magic and magic items.

In short, it is good to ‘sculpt’ a setting for a genra by removing superfluous options.

 

[Parmandur]

Reading through the article, there isn't actually much in the way of good advise that I can see.

 

[MarkB]

Also, I feel, the main purpose of a setting is remove options. For example, if there are no dwarves in the setting, then remove dwarves from the options.

Except that settings can just as easily add options. If you're adapting D&D to a cyberpunk or urban fantasy setting, you're adding the options that come with modern technology - guns, computers, smartphones, cars etc.

 

[Parmandur]

Also, I feel, the main purpose of a setting is remove options. For example, if there are no dwarves in the setting, then remove dwarves from the options.

To be fair, I normally do a ‘soft ban’, meaning, the setting ‘normally’ lacks the dwarf, but if there is a player who is desperate to play a dwarf, I try to figure out how it might be possible for a dwarf to exist, or something like a dwarf, within the tropes and logic of the setting.

Also, many D&D players have a low magic or no magic setting (Lord of the Rings, Conan, etcetera), and this by definition would limit magic and magic items.

In short, it is good to ‘sculpt’ a setting for a genra by removing superfluous options.

Except that settings can just as easily add options. If you're adapting D&D to a cyberpunk or urban fantasy setting, you're adding the options that come with modern technology - guns, computers, smartphones, cars etc.

Both addition and subtraction are valid methods to mold the game.

Some of the most popular Settings ever (Dark Sun, Dragonlance, Ravenloft) were as much about limiting options as adding them.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Except that settings can just as easily add options. If you're adapting D&D to a cyberpunk or urban fantasy setting, you're adding the options that come with modern technology - guns, computers, smartphones, cars etc.

I think there's less involved with adding smartphones. I don't think it'll drastically change the rules if a Wizard can prepare spells from their spellbook app on their phone.

 

[MarkB]

I think there's less involved with adding smartphones. I don't think it'll drastically change the rules if a Wizard can prepare spells from their spellbook app on their phone.

But what if you can share spells online via a wizards' chat app, or use your smartphone camera along with a Monster Manual app to analyse creatures, or sign up to an Uber-style service that calls in adventurers on demand?

 

[Kobold Avenger]

But what if you can share spells online via a wizards' chat app, or use your smartphone camera along with a Monster Manual app to analyse creatures, or sign up to an Uber-style service that calls in adventurers on demand?

I think the app that involves calling in other adventurers would be more like Tindr/Grindr/whatever. And the Monster Manual app, it's probably not free...