Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
Not exactly. They were region books that provided more setting content than 5e adventures and didn't have wasted adventure space that I wouldn't use. I wasn't paying for a book that I wouldn't be using 80-90% of.
D&D 5E Greyhawk: Why We Need Mo' Oerth by 2024
- Thread starter Snarf Zagyg
- Start date
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
A lot of DMs guild stuff isn't physical or the same quality as what I get from a 5e hardcover.
And while it only covered a few major cities outside of the Heartlands, Forgotten Realms Adventures is an excellent resource for playing in the Realms, to this day one of my all time favorite books.
It's cool that big adventures give details about regions, but an overview of a setting would be really nice. Or even something like the grey box, which not only provided that overview in great detail, but also had adventures!
I'm with Maxperson here, I want more of a setting than "here's one coast of a continent, and if you want more, well, buy these adventures!".
Some people want adventures and can make up their own setting info.
Other people want setting info and can make up their own adventures.
I don't see why WotC can't support both types of DM's.
It's cool that big adventures give details about regions, but an overview of a setting would be really nice. Or even something like the grey box, which not only provided that overview in great detail, but also had adventures!
I'm with Maxperson here, I want more of a setting than "here's one coast of a continent, and if you want more, well, buy these adventures!".
Some people want adventures and can make up their own setting info.
Other people want setting info and can make up their own adventures.
I don't see why WotC can't support both types of DM's.
Yes, a definite consideration.
I'm biased on that front because 1) I HAVE most of the early stuff (certainly if it's Greyhawk) and 2) I'm running out of physical display space so tend to get the electronic versions of supplements unless I REALLY like the artwork etc.
Vaalingrade
Legend
Some actual setting books would be nice.
Books with focus at all would be nice.
Books with focus at all would be nice.
Helldritch
Hero
Are you me?
I bought every single PDF of GH exactly because of that. I have just about everything (even Fate if Istus...) So having the PDF for me was very important as I do not want to wear down my physical copies of books I can't find anymore.
Yeah, I loaded up on the old digital supplements for that reason AND really loaded up when the pandemic hit since we moved to Zoom/Roll20.
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
I hate PDFs except when I'm prepping. For game play I use the physical copies that I have. If a product doesn't have a hard copy, I almost never buy it.
Demetrios1453
Hero
They weren't similar in extent to 5e products - 2e regional books would cover a much wider area, with more pages being solely dedicated to setting info. The only ones that were similar were the Waterdeep books, as both 2e and 5e cover a single city, and Chult.
The main thing is that it would be nice to break free from the northwesternmost eighth of the setting and see other regions. That's only been done with Chult so far, and it would be nice to see popular regions like Cormyr and the Dalelands start getting coverage too...
MichaelSomething
Legend
What Greyhawk needs is a Magic The Gathering set!
Helldritch
Hero
Hey! Just print the pages you need! I have a portable comp a projector and a tablet just to use the PDF and I still print the pages. I bought cardboard to make the cover and print either the whole book or exactly what I need. Just put what you printed with your physical copy and you can reuse your print out ad nauseam!
Yet, again - EXACTLY what I do. My son laughs at me because I print out the pages instead of using the tablet right next to me when I DM. But it just works for me that much better.
Parmandur
Book-Friend
Return on investment: the population of people buying books want both, largely, but are more likely to buy a single book. WotC can't make everything for everyone.
Parmandur
Book-Friend
I think we have entered a post-Realms phase, instead, under Winninger. It seems that Icewind Dale in 2020 was the last FR regional sandbox adventure. In the two years since, all we have is the Candlekeep secof Candlekeep Mysteries.
Urriak Uruk
Gaming is fun, and fun is for everyone
Seems like a confirmation that the secret "Ed Greenwood sold the Realms to WotC under the promise they must print an FR book every year to the end of time," was complete boompf.
And of course it is, no company, even an incompetent one, would be crazy enough to sign a contract like that.
Levistus's_Leviathan
5e Freelancer
Explorer's Guide to Wildemount (in my opinion, probably the single best written/designed D&D 5e setting book) has a giant gazetteer for Wildemount in it. Every single town and settlement that it details gets at least one adventure hook for the party if they visit it. Many of them can be the basis for a full campaign.
In my opinion, every D&D 5e setting book should do this in their gazetteer section.
This is how the (circa 3e) Greyhawk Gazetteer was written as well. Every area had multiple adventure hooks.
Mercurius
Legend
I haven't kept up with the thread, so am not sure if anyone has suggested this, but one way I could see them approaching Greyhawk is in a more limited manner: A book not unlike Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, with a bunch of info on the city of Greyhawk, and then a Castle Greyhawk dungeon-delve.
Doing this would both check off the box of doing honor to Greyhawk, but also not open up the can of worms that a full setting treatment might lead to (too classic vs. too contemporary).
Doing this would both check off the box of doing honor to Greyhawk, but also not open up the can of worms that a full setting treatment might lead to (too classic vs. too contemporary).
Parmandur
Book-Friend
At the very least, I'm sure that WotC closed any loopholes when they bought D&D.
Parmandur
Book-Friend
That's actually closer to how, say, the Greyhawk Folio was written back in the day.
