D&D 5E Is 5e being too stingy on fluff?

[DND_Reborn]

I think the fluff is fine...

In fact, in many ways I think there is too much junk. For instance, a player at our table picked up CoS and wants to run it. We all thought that was a good idea when we are ready for a break. So, he asked me if he needed to pick up a copy of the DMG. I told him, not really, other than the magic items you hardly need it. And even for those you can always just make up your own unique items anyway. So, over half the book is completely unnecessary IMO. The sad thing is, there are magic items from 1E that aren't even in 5E and would have been nice to have.

 

[Doug McCrae]

5e books have too much fluff for my taste. I didn't buy Volo's Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes for this reason, instead getting Tome of Beasts and Creature Codex by Kobold Press.

 

[Tallifer]

Google for old and canonical fluff; improvise for crunch and your own fluff.

 

[Shiroiken]

I think they're being a bit stingy on the fluff because not all fluff works for all games. There's been a lot of fluff from 5E that I've just flat out ignored, because it's changed from what I know and love. For example, in every previous edition, elves averaged 5 ft in height, except in the Realms and the Valley Elves of Greyhaw where it was a setting specific change, but in 5E all elves are as tall as humans, because reasons. Gnolls are now demonic descendant, ignoring the prior editions gnoll deities. There are other examples, but those were the ones that jumped out at me.

 

[JeffB]

I don't know if it's just me, but I wonder how the others feel about it.

IMO, Wizards has NEVER done a good job on revisiting anything that was created during the TSR era, Their "rewrites" of Dark Sun, FR (3 times), GH since the buyout of TSR have been awful**. I think it's a generational thing- "younger" authors just don't "get" the material. The Bruce Cordells, the Monte Cooks, the Chris Perkins'. They just don't know how to portray a fantasy setting in the mind with words like the Ed Greenwoods, Steven Schends ,Jeff Grubbs, Roger Moores, etc can.

HOWEVER- When WOTC have done their own thing-Eberron, Nentir Vale- The lore for 4E in general They have done a bang-up job.

I can pick up my copy of Volos Guide to the Dalelands, or the OGB, or The Adventure Begins and read them near through in a sitting if I have time. When I pick up the FRCS, or SCAG, of the LGG, within 5 minutes it's hit my face cause I fell asleep.

**Exceptions- EGtoFR (Greenwood), The Adventure Begins (Roger Moore).

EDIT- I would also add that the Bruce Cs, Monte Cooks, etc also do a bang up job on their own creations.

 

[R_J_K75]

I think they're being a bit stingy on the fluff because not all fluff works for all games. There's been a lot of fluff from 5E that I've just flat out ignored, because it's changed from what I know and love. For example, in every previous edition, elves averaged 5 ft in height, except in the Realms and the Valley Elves of Greyhaw where it was a setting specific change, but in 5E all elves are as tall as humans, because reasons. Gnolls are now demonic descendant, ignoring the prior editions gnoll deities. There are other examples, but those were the ones that jumped out at me.

I dont see why the needless changes that add absolutely nothing.

FYI: the elven entry states, Size. Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. I think here they were trying to cover all the elves in all campaign settings, from your generic 4'-6" elf, to your hman size FR elf and the 6'+ towering Athasain Elf, only they forgot to add context to it. The human entry in the PHB is even more hilarious, they added all their sub-races which mean absolutely nothing without context. If you were new to the game you had to wait for the SCAG for this to mean anything.

 

[R_J_K75]

The Bruce Cordells, the Monte Cooks, the Chris Perkins'. They just don't know how to portray a fantasy setting in the mind with words like the Ed Greenwoods, Steven Schends ,Jeff Grubbs, Roger Moores, etc can.

The last 2 years or so of 2E Forgotten Reams books, especially those written by Dale Donovan and Steven Schend were some of the best Ive ever read.

 

[JeffB]

The last 2 years or so of 2E Forgotten Reams books, especially those written by Dale Donovan and Steven Schend were some of the best Ive ever read.

I remember talking to Schend, either here or on the old WOTC boards about how much I loved Lands of Intrigue. He was curious, as apparently it had not moved a lot of copies. Sadly I ended up selling my copy about 14 or 15 years ago along with most of my other 2E materials (laid off from my job)

 

[R_J_K75]

I remember talking to Schend, either here or on the old WOTC boards about how much I loved Lands of Intrigue. He was curious, as apparently it had not moved a lot of copies. Sadly I ended up selling my copy about 14 or 15 years ago along with most of my other 2E materials (laid off from my job)

Lands of Intrigue and Empires of the Shining Sea and Calimport were my all time favorites. I still have my copies but I can sympathize. I too have sold off lots of RPGs due to lay offs and moving over the years which I regret.

 

[Wiseblood]

I think it is because WotC hires mechanics authors instead of creative authors. Also their tone is weird. I mean the books read like a Buffy script. Only semi serious like they’re afraid of serious stuff so they break tension with jokes. I like Buffy because it is lighthearted and weird but I would like something heavier.