D&D 5E How should 5th edition introduce the remaining classic settings?

[atanakar]

Top Secret NWO was kickstarted by TSRGames back in 2017. I don't know the copyright details but Merle Rasmussen was the author, the original author for 1st edition.

Wiki says : «A new TSR was founded by Jayson Elliot, who co-founded the Roll for Initiative podcast. Elliot found that the TSR trademark had expired around 2004 so he registered it in 2011.»

 

[JeffB]

Let them Rest in Peace for pity's sake.

 

[S'mon]

Dragonlance - conversion of the original AP.

'Open' worlds like Greyhawk & Mystara - hardback sourcebook.

 

[Marandahir]

Several of the setting's designers are still alive. I'd like to see them given permission to create 3PP to create the setting books. This puts the risk on the third party, rather than on WotC (as the glut of settings during 2E was a financial problem). As for settings who's authors have passed (Greyhawk, Blackmoor), either open them up in the DMGuild or pick someone with experience to pick it up (Rob Kurtz). Given that WotC has decided not to go into detail on the settings (1 book), I think giving Ed Greenwood and Keith Baker permission to print more detailed products would also be a good thing.

They already have. We have Ed Greenwood DMsGuild products, and we are getting Keith Baker's Exploring Eberron supplement in the next month or so (after he contributed to the DMs Guild product "Morgrave Miscellany").

 

[cmad1977]

They shouldn’t.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

To be frank I don't really want another iteration of the original Dragonlance adventures. We've had at least three conversions of them and rarely is it worth the time, especially since the big dungeons in them are mostly out of fashion with today's players. And honestly, I am really tired of the War of the Lance era. (And it perpetuates the nonsense that the original adventures should be somehow "central" to the setting) There is much more to Dragonlance, and if you really want to just play the original modules, just buy the pdfs on DMSGuild. I'd rather an original Dragonlance adventure, to be honest, like the one Sovereign Press/MWP did at the end of 3rd Edition.

Curse of Strahd isn't a good example as a setting book, either. Whatever its merits as an adventure, it is a terrible setting guide for Ravenloft. It omits most of the setting-specific rules that make the setting (changes to magic, changes to monsters, powers checks, fear checks, horror checks) and at the same time happens in Barovia only. And a really weird version which takes its cues entirely from the original module, not the setting. Luckily they opened up Ravenloft on DMSGuild, so others can convert that stuff now and make things more in tune with the setting.

I'd say the only pre 5E settings we've really got setting books for so far as Forgotten Realms and Eberron. CoS has little to do with the Ravenloft setting, and Ghosts of Saltmarsh is pretty barebones (and didn't even open up Greyhawk on DMsGuild).

That being said I run entirely homebrew these days so I don't tend to buy settings books. So none of those products is for me. If I want to run Ravenloft, I'll use the Red Box or the 3rd edition campaign guide, and steer clear of CoS.

 

[fearsomepirate]

I like the new Eberron campaign book a great deal and think they should print one for Greyhawk and Mystara. Spelljammer and Dark Sun will take quite a bit more work, though.

 

[Dire Bare]

WoTC actually has a small in-house team. Even if they out source setting books to a third party, they still need to review everything. There is so much they can do in a year. I believe they are already doing as much as they can. Kickstarters would mean even more work for a small team.

Well, yeah . . .

I doubt that the D&D team at WotC has the time and manpower to run a Kickstarter, design the product, and get it out to backers (in addition to their existing workload and plans for D&D). They would need to partner with another company, which they have done already for some of the official books produced by WotC. Even with a partnership taking on the bulk of the workload, the WotC D&D team would certainly be involved to some degree, so, yes, it would mean more work for them.

Would such an arrangement be worth their time? Only Mearls and crew know the answer to that one . . . but I think they could make it work with the right partners.

 

[Dire Bare]

Top Secret NWO was kickstarted by TSRGames back in 2017. I don't know the copyright details but Merle Rasmussen was the author, the original author for 1st edition.

Wiki says : «A new TSR was founded by Jayson Elliot, who co-founded the Roll for Initiative podcast. Elliot found that the TSR trademark had expired around 2004 so he registered it in 2011.»

Sounds like Elliot poached the lapsed trademarks for both "TSR" and "Top Secret". Which is totally legal if WotC let those trademarks lapse, which they likely did. But still, for some reason, it makes me uncomfortable. On the other hand, getting Rasmussen involved is pretty cool.

 

[Dire Bare]

To be frank I don't really want another iteration of the original Dragonlance adventures. We've had at least three conversions of them and rarely is it worth the time, especially since the big dungeons in them are mostly out of fashion with today's players.

I realize the original Dragonlance adventures have been converted multiple times already for 2E and 3E . . . . but I would love a quality reimagining of the series for 5th Edition alongside a new setting book. I'd buy that!

But, like EVERYTHING else in this thread, it isn't going to happen . . . at least, it isn't very likely.