D&D 5E How are you doing the classic settings

[Arawn76]

So I've just finished running an intro game using LMoP and my gaming group are definitely on board with using 5e as our edition of choice.

not sure where I'm going with the next game yet but I'll definitely use one of the classic settings (Greyhawk or Birthright probably).

got me thinking though how are you representing the unique things from each setting?

psionics in Darksun, Knights of Solamnia or wizards of High Sorcery etc?

 

[MerricB]

Thankfully, Greyhawk doesn't have that much in the way of unique features.

If I were doing Dark Sun, then I'd adapt the playtest psionic rules (mystic).

I'm not actually a fan of the previous incarnations of the Dragonlance elements - I'd just do them mostly as backgrounds/role-playing features.

Cheers!

 

[Arawn76]

Yeah I think Greyhawk and Mystara (Nentir Vale) etc pretty much run as is. I could see Knights of the Crown and Knight of the Sword being fighter and cleric archetypes or even class neutral archetypes. Knight of the Rise not so sure, maybe a prestige class if they reintroduce them.

Planescape could probably run straight from the box but Spelljammer might need a few tweaks to fit the ship mechanics

Birthright you need blood power, realm rules, realm spells but still doable if you keep it at the adventurer level. Darksun would definitely need the most work though.

 

[steeldragons]

If you're interested in running Mystara, you probably want to give this a serious look-see...and, really, it's a great mine for anyone using any other setting or homebrew. Some really great stuff in here.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?483182-All-New-Mystara-Player-s-Handbook

 

[steeldragons]

Oh, as for working with other settings...as others have said, Greyhawk doesn't really need anything specific. Maybe a few nation/culture-specific backgrounds...but there's really not anything class wise that comes to mind.

For Dragonlance, as the only other setting I have any real knowledge or interest in, I think you have most of the pieces you need. Unearthed Arcana has given you kender and minotaur PC races, right?

The Wizards of High Sorcery and Solamnic Knights both strike me as Backgrounds, not subclasses or prestige classes. They give you a particular "place" in the world...that's about it. If you want to follow the White/Red/Black Moon magic effects of the 1e setting, then that's a magic-use sub-system to be houseruled, rather than the mess of having to come up with individual wizard subclasses.

Everything else is...pretty much there for you. Rock gnomes are already designed after tinker gnomes. Kagonesti elves are wood elves. Qualinesti and Sylvanesti are High elves. No drow, obviously.

Draconians need a little work. I'd probably use Dragonborn as Baaz, Kapak and Bozak, replacing their breath weapon with their particular "death throes" (commensurate damage). Then use the MM's Half-dragons for Sivak and Aurak.

That's about it. I'd leave the Irda and sea elves (even minotaurs, personally...but I know they're a huge expectation for DLers) as non-playable races.

 

[Shiroiken]

I've been running a Gygaxian Greyhawk campaign, using the 1983 Boxed Set as my primary source, along with adventures that are listed within. I've pulled some ideas from the Gord novels, Dragon Articles, and a bit from Robilar's interviews in the Oerth Journals, but those are secondary sources.

The biggest issues is race restriction. There are no forest gnomes, but the rock gnome of 5E doesn't fit the bill, so I swapped their feature. There are no Drow on the surface, and Aarakocra at not a playable race. The appearance of Half-breeds (including Planetouched) are changed to reflect AD&D, and except for the Half-Elf, they suffer severe social problems. Dragonborn and Goliath are half-breeds instead, suffering the same stigma previous listed. Oh, and elves are 5' tall again.

I also converted monsters back to their classic appearances (especially kobolds and orcs), removed the Hand Crossbow (Drow only), and changed some fluff to fit back to the classic setting. It really hasn't been too hard, because my players are willing to accept the restrictions placed.

 

[Bad Fox]

Here's a pretty comprehensive effort by someone to compile a 5e Dark Sun Player's Handbook (98 pages?!):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4jZ_-uYQxf8XzFpX2x6VVlicEk/view

Running through it, one significant issue I have with it is how defiling/preserving works. A cool effort, but I prefer a system based off the 2e rules - specifically, the optional rules originally designed by Richard Baker and printed in Dragon Magazine #202. If anyone knows of any other fan-written takes on Dark Sun magic, please point me in that direction!

Hmm... maybe I'll just have to take a stab at them myself.

 

[Azzy]

I run a Greyhawk campaign, and I haven't altered anything other than to add monsters. I might create custom backgrounds at some later date, but it's not something that's terribly pressing.

 

[steeldragons]

Draconians are mentioned as Dragonborn but with different powers in the PHB, since the death throes aren't exactly a thrilling racial ability for a PC (no one wants to die), I would have to look at changing them or removing them as a player race.

Woah! No no. I was unclear, I suppose. In no way whatsoever was I suggesting [or intending to suggest] Draconians have any place as a PC race! Just how I would work them to use as monsters/enemies.

I REALLY dig the playing with Arcane Recovery idea for the moon magic. Nice n' simple.

 

[meomwt]

For my current Temple of Elemental Evil campaign set in Greyhawk, I said that Tieflings were not allowed (not native to the setting), and Dragonborn would be aesthetically more like Half-Dragons (people with traits akin to their heritage) than a full-blown race.

Assuming you can match deities to domains (or build one!), Greyhawk is pretty much good to go.