D&D 5E Greyhawk: Player Options for a Campaign Setting

[Yaarel]

look as the resident new guard player who is online, your not really selling me anything that is player facing that is not something unmakeable by a dm from stuff already there, piety mechanics was done in the greek mtg setting, what does Greyhawk have that is cool that can have mechanical wight put behind it?

Heh, who do you mean by "you"?

For me, I mention earlier that "backgrounds" are the mechanic to focus on each of the flavorful features that exist in a particular culture.

Backgrounds (and lots to choose from), are the mechanic that brings the Oerth setting to life.

 

[Yaarel]

Rhennee would need a serious re-think, or, at minimum, a very careful revision.

Yeah. Everything in 1e needs doublechecking and vetting.

For example, the 1e continent of Flanaess comes from the name of the people called Flan.

These Flans are the fantasy version of Indigenous Americans, like Inuit, Cherokee, and Aztec.

The setting needs to sensitively dignify the 50th Anniversary version of the Flan.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Heh, who do you mean by "you"?

For me, I mention earlier that "backgrounds" are the mechanic to focus on each of the flavorful features that exist in a particular culture.

Backgrounds (and lots to choose from), are the mechanic that brings the Oerth setting to life.

but that seems more like something 2024 is going to do anyway and you would need half a book of them for the verity needed?

 

[Yaarel]

but that seems more like something 24 is going to do anyway and you would need half a book of them for the verity needed?

Yes.

At the same time, the Oerth setting can present each culture by means of the backgrounds for it.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Yes.

At the same time, the Oerth setting can present each culture by means of each background for it.

okay, assume people do not dig the backgrounds offered what else can greyhawk sell itself on other than legacy?

 

[Yaarel]

okay, assume people do not dig the backgrounds offered what else can greyhawk sell itself on other than legacy?

That is what this thread asks. If the backgrounds that they come up with arent what you need for your own character concept, what do you want the Oerth setting to have, that would help you build your concept?

 

[Hussar]

okay, assume people do not dig the backgrounds offered what else can greyhawk sell itself on other than legacy?

To be fair, that's an argument you can make about just about any setting. Strip the backgrounds (where a significant percentage of setting flavor is found) out of any setting, and you're not left with very much. What does Darksun offer if you strip out all the backgrounds? A big desert setting? Thri-Kreen?

Again, I'll go back to the well of theme and tone. Could you run that War of the Wielded (where sentient weapons are fighting a long forgotten war against each other) adventure in Forgotten Realms? Yeah, probably. Would it fit? Kinda/sorta. It's not really what FR does very well. Would it work in Ravenloft? Maybe. But, again, it's not really a good fit there. Even Eberron doesn't really fit very well since in Eberron, if you're going to do a "past war" themed adventure, it's obviously going to be tied to the Mournland and the Last War. You could make it fit, but, it would be a very different sort of adventure.

Settings are driven by the story of the setting. Mechanics simply reflect that story. It's not "I play Dragonlance because of the mechanics around the Knights of Solamnia" it's "I play Dragonlance because I want the stories that fit with Dragonlance and the mechanics of the Knights of Solamnia follow from those stories".

 

[Eltab]

The 'beginning adventure chapter' for the Greyhawk AP could begin at the Keep on the Borderlands map. I really enjoyed the Next adaptation of the evil-chaos temple cave; try to use that as the final quest for the chapter.

 

[Hriston]

Xvart as a playable race!

 

[Parmandur]

I agree that Free Feat Backgrounds with some quirky flavor are a good way to go here, as the PHB will need to focus I'm fairly generic options, this would provide an opportunity for some more flavorful options.