Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercule" data-source="post: 7166014" data-attributes="member: 5100">I'd say "a setting should refine the game, not just add more stuff". One of the first things you have to teach kids in art class -- or authors in writing class -- is that more is not always better. Sometimes, the picture is better without showing the sun. Sometimes (most of the time) you don't need five page descriptions of each character as they're introduced. The big pile of "D&D lore" is a toolkit from which to build settings, adventures, characters, and stories. I honestly don't think any setting should include everything in the books. Something like the Realms or Greyhawk can probably include the core three books (though, I'm not completely sold that dragonborn -- which I like -- actually fit well with either setting). Other settings may need slightly different filters. Any given setting can probably accommodate various new ideas that are added to the toolkit after the setting is released (barbarians in Athas, warlocks in the Realms, etc.).Anyone who would cram every bloody thing into a setting, though, lacks the vision necessary to be trusted with a professionally published setting. I suppose if that's the raison d'etre for the Realms, so be it. The others really have no need of them. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_space" target="_blank">Negative space</a> is a very important concept and it helps to frame things.</blockquote>