D&D 5E Iconic Settings; Iconic Mechanics; Iconic Stories

[I'm A Banana]

So there was an interesting side-convo begun over in the DMG preview thread about the settings that WotC might publish and how they might do it.

Mearls has indicated that in looking to publish settings, they're looking for what you can "put on your character sheet" that helps define the setting. Given their "adventure-focused splats" approach, it also stands to reason that they're looking to publish big adventure books along with their settings that help highlight the setting's unique flavor.

So I'd like to tease out what the folks at ENWorld imagine are the iconic mechanics and iconic adventures of the various settings.

For instance, EBERRON is about war and technology, so character options that allow anyone to interface with magitech (perhaps revolving around the Houses?) and an adventure that focuses around the Mournland and the simmerings of a Next Great War might be welcome!

For PLANESCAPE, I'd imagine mechanics dealing with reputation, organizations, and politics. Your character influences the kreigstanz! I'd imagine an adventure dealing with Sigil pretty intimately as a base of operations -- I could imagine a "big book of adventures" something like Tales from the Inifinite Staircase but based out of Sigil (perhaps with an optional plot connecting them, if one must).

In SPELLJAMMER, maybe you grab psionics (because SJ is totally comfortable with the science-fantasy/pulpy '70's new agey tone of psi!), and do a story about Illithids, Githyanki, and Githzerai battling it out in the Astral Sea aboard great Spelljamming galleons!

MYSTARA might take its que from the BEMCI model and include epic-level rules and supplements that allow the PC's to become immortal, and do exceptionally high-level adventures about slaying gods!

These are only initial ideas. I'm sure there's plenty more where those came from.

So tell me what you'd like to see in iconic mechanics and stories based on the settings you love. What would a particular setting add to your character sheet? What adventure would highlight what the setting does better than any other D&D setting? What are your ideas?

 

[Klaus]

Eberron: Artificers, Dragonmarks, Action Points
Planescape: Factions, Out-of-Plane Effects, Belief affecting surroundings.
Spelljammer: 3D combat and travel, Gith and Giff as player races.
Mystara: Immortality, dozens of new races, Red Curse/Cynnabril/Red Steel
Birthright: Mass combat, Domain rules
Dark Sun: Defiling, Advanced Beings, Psionics, poor materials.
Ravenloft: Fear/Horror/Madness, Powers Checks, Non-combat adventures.

 

[Blackwarder]

Dragonlance: dragon riding!

Warder

 

[Plaguescarred]

Dragonlance: The Moons of Magic, Knight of Solamnia, Kender Gully Dwarf, Minotaur, Ogre Irda, Draconians

Nentir Vale: Warlord!

 

[Dragonhelm]

Dragonlance: dragon riding!

And dragonlances!

Dragonlance: The Moons of Magic, Knight of Solamnia, Kender Gully Dwarf, Minotaur, Ogre Irda, Draconians

I have a few things to add to that list.

Knights of Neraka, Legion of Steel. Mystics.

Of course, I would have a very long wish list for Dragonlance.

Nentir Vale: Warlord!

Did you notice that Nentir Vale was not mentioned in the DMG preview with the known worlds? I am hoping that they're not abandoning it. I thought they might put it in an existing setting such as Greyhawk or the Forgotten Realms. Nerath (?) was never really developed as a world, but it could be a possible lost continent.

And yes, I would love to see the warlord. Though I think the battlemaster fighter is supposed to fill that role.

 

[Plaguescarred]

Yeah, hence why i was taking a taking a shot at it and proposing a unique class! : )

 

[Dragonhelm]

For instance, EBERRON is about war and technology, so character options that allow anyone to interface with magitech (perhaps revolving around the Houses?) and an adventure that focuses around the Mournland and the simmerings of a Next Great War might be welcome!

I think you would see a lot of support for dragonmarks and some mechanics or flavor depicting the various houses and their background. Warforged and other Eberron races are a must.

In SPELLJAMMER, maybe you grab psionics (because SJ is totally comfortable with the science-fantasy/pulpy '70's new agey tone of psi!), and do a story about Illithids, Githyanki, and Githzerai battling it out in the Astral Sea aboard great Spelljamming galleons!

I would like to see Spelljammer return to its roots some and explore wildspace and the crystal spheres, rather than just making it some form of plane travel. SJ's unique races are a must.

I am really surprised that 2nd edition didn't use psionics with Spelljammer more. That being said, I agree that they would be a good fit.

Really, what I would like to see with Spelljammer is making it into outer space swashbuckling adventures. Pirates are pretty popular right now, so a re-imagining of Spelljammer might be in order. Give Spelljammer a setting of its own, like what we see in Shadow of a Spider Moon.

The key thing mechanically will be the ships, and the Spelljammer itself. And I am good with that.

MYSTARA might take its que from the BEMCI model and include epic-level rules and supplements that allow the PC's to become immortal, and do exceptionally high-level adventures about slaying gods!

Mystara is a hard setting for me to figure out what the theme is. In some ways, it's a "generic" D&D world like Greyhawk. Yet the theme of the Immortals definitely sets it apart. Plus, it's a hollow world. And there are skyships. Thing is, I don't feel like there's a unified theme here. Granted, I don't know Mystara as well.


For DARK SUN, I am hoping to see iconic races, including the thri-kreen, mul and goliaths (half-giants). I want to see rules on preserving and defiling, as well as the elements. I liked 4e's presentation quite a bit. Of course, the big draw of Dark Sun is psionics, so this will probably be where psionics are introduced.

 

[ephemeron]

Mystara is a tricky one, because it evolved from a generic setting into a crazy freewheeling sort of thing with room for D&D-ized versions not just of various historical cultures, but of entire genres. On their way to becoming first rulers and then Immortals, PCs from a fantasy version of the Byzantine hinterlands could visit lands inspired by spaghetti Westerns and "lost world" pulp adventure stories.

I guess "awesome theme park that doesn't take itself too seriously" is an identity, but not the easiest one to market.

 

[aramis erak]

Mystara is a tricky one, because it evolved from a generic setting into a crazy freewheeling sort of thing with room for D&D-ized versions not just of various historical cultures, but of entire genres. On their way to becoming first rulers and then Immortals, PCs from a fantasy version of the Byzantine hinterlands could visit lands inspired by spaghetti Westerns and "lost world" pulp adventure stories.

I guess "awesome theme park that doesn't take itself too seriously" is an identity, but not the easiest one to market.

As I mentioned in the other thread, Mystara also has lots of mono-racial or bi-racial empires; demi-humans are rarely seen outside their homelands (tho' elves have several homelands to pick from...).

It's got flying boats, but not proper spelljammers - they don't hold the air in unless they're sealed.
And a barrier shield which holds the world's air in.
It's got cities in the clouds - populated by a whole different regime of "peoples"...

It's got one Kingdom whose king is an avatar of a fairly important immortal. Its got an Immortal who really doesn't believe he's an immortal (and whose first cleric is supposed to be a PC).

It's got the Hollow World, which really is a theme park... where the immortals preserve their favorite cultures, stagnant... save for a few oddballs who apparently made their save against the spell... (PC's and their ilk).

And then there's the Red Steel.

Yes, it's a kitchen sink, but it's a compartmentalized one.

 

[Viking Bastard]

And one of it's main empires is ruled by hundreds (or was it thousands?) of bickering max-level wizards, descended from alien invaders.

I love the Known World.