D&D General How far from the source can we stray?

[Voadam]

Another conceit of the setting idea is that all magic is believed to come from Lovecraftian-elder-god-style monstrosities - magic is feared and distrusted even moreso than it is (or should be) in most settings.

It's an idea I like but is on the chopping block; it has the real potential to derail the whole setting from a playability perspective. After all, it isn't exactly fun to play a character nobody trusts, even if the player "knew what they were signing up for" going into the role.

It also changes the flavor for 90% of the classes, thinking of paladins and monks in particular.

 

[Remathilis]

Another conceit of the setting idea is that all magic is believed to come from Lovecraftian-elder-god-style monstrosities - magic is feared and distrusted even moreso than it is (or should be) in most settings.

It's an idea I like but is on the chopping block; it has the real potential to derail the whole setting from a playability perspective. After all, it isn't exactly fun to play a character nobody trusts, even if the player "knew what they were signing up for" going into the role.

record scratch

See, this is what I was saying about "advertising your changes up front". That is a huge tonal shift from D&D, esp with how much magic the game actually has. Again, it's doable, but I tend to lump those types of settings as d20 System vs. D&D; you're basically challenging any assumptions players may have about the game and it's rules and lore.

If your players are down, go for it, but to answer your op, you're starting to head away from "D&D setting" and more towards "fantasy game compatible with the D&D rules".

 

[Mind of tempest]

I am not well versed in d&d mechanics but even can see having magic be really feared is a problem if you want to run it in D&D. why do you want magic to be fear so much what does it add?

 

[cbwjm]

I think running a setting with humans as the base or even only race is fine. Astonishing swordsmen and sorcerers of hyperboria does this, the world of xoth does as well. The old Conan rpg, naturally due to it being based on the world of Conan, also only had humans. You can add in other weird races to expand the options but I think that having a single race as the only option is fine.

 

[Ath'kethin]

I think running a setting with humans as the base or even only race is fine. Astonishing swordsmen and sorcerers of hyperboria does this, the world of xoth does as well. The old Conan rpg, naturally due to it being based on the world of Conan, also only had humans. You can add in other weird races to expand the options but I think that having a single race as the only option is fine.

Entertainingly, my home campaign (from which this idea developed) is a hybrid of Mystara, Primeval Thule, Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperboria, Conan, Xoth, Swords & Wizardry, the D&D Rules Cyclopedia, and Dungeon Crawl Classics.

I often restrict my campaigns to human only. My intention for the published setting is that humans are the default, but a handful of other options are available as well. Tolkien archetypes are a well-worn path and frankly I don't see any reason I need to include them if I don't have to.