D&D 4E New 4e Info! GAMA Tradeshow Scoop

[MaelStorm]

Old settings I wish WotC would released for 4E: AlQadim and DragonLance.

 

[SSquirrel]

*blink* *blink* Evil. Space galleons. Neogi. Dark Lords... Mindflayer Nautiloids. Lady of Pain. Far Realm.
Vicotorian Giff... GithYanki.

PlaneRavenJammer

Or that evil astral menace. Giffyanki!! With their giant hamster mutant pets

 

[Shemeska]

Despite its popularity, I really kind of doubt that PS will be released since it so much of it has been re-purposed in the new cosmology, it gained a lot of its effectiveness as a rather open meta-setting, and there does seem to be a measure of antipathy towards some of its more outre elements among the WoTC R&D staff.

I have to agree with you there. Having invented the new 4e cosmology for the PoL default, I can't see them releasing something to directly compete with it (especially when the new model has become a pinata to a lot of fans of the Great Wheel cosmology). And while Michelle Carter is awesome, I'm not sure how well otherwise WotC would do with 4e Planescape setting book (using the 3e Planar Handbook and Book of Exalted Deeds as past efforts by the current 4e design team).

Now if they brought in some of the original Planescape team (Cook, Baur, McComb, Vallese, etc) or folks (Mona, Jacobs, etc) who have proven that they can really tackle the material and remain faithful to the themes, then it might work. But I worry we'd see a second coming of the 3e PlHB and BoED, or we'd see happen to Sigil and the planes like what happened to FR in 4e. It might be unrecognizable.

But, we'll see I'll suppose.

 

[Zil]

Oh and by the way, Greyhawk, Ravenloft and Dark Sun are definately getting 4e campaigns down the line as well as Planescape and Spelljammer (which they just started working out). They assured us that we can look forward to most of the old campaign setting being remade, and mentioned the above by name.

They are actually going to come out with 4E Planescape after they demolished the Great Wheel cosmology and changed so much about things planar? I'm very surprised. I'm also thinking this may be something to get me to actually look at 4E at some point. I'm curious what they'll do with it given their new cosmology.

 

[Zil]

Now if they brought in some of the original Planescape team (Cook, Baur, McComb, Vallese, etc) or folks (Mona, Jacobs, etc) who have proven that they can really tackle the material and remain faithful to the themes, then it might work. But I worry we'd see a second coming of the 3e PlHB and BoED, or we'd see happen to Sigil and the planes like what happened to FR in 4e. It might be unrecognizable.

That would be interesting - seeing some of the old Planescape alumni working on it. Sadly though, I suspect the folks calling the shots won't want that. The 4E team seems to really want to put their stamp on things and make a clean break from the past.

Perhaps you're right and we'll just get the 4E equivalent to what was down for the planes in 3E, but hopefully it won't come to that. In 3E they were really hung up on the idea of going back to 1E for influences (Manual of the Planes, Deities and Demigods, etc). Maybe for 4E Planescape setting they will actually go back to the 2E setting and somehow keep the tone and themes, even with the Great Wheel gone.

Regardless, I know I'll buy their 4E Planescape product simply because I'm a collector of all things planar - even if I never play 4E. This all assumes they get along far enough in the one setting per year plan before they come out with a new version or some other shift in plans.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

They are actually going to come out with 4E Planescape after they demolished the Great Wheel cosmology and changed so much about things planar? I'm very surprised. I'm also thinking this may be something to get me to actually look at 4E at some point. I'm curious what they'll do with it given their new cosmology.

My general preference is to use the cosmology that fits your setting.
The 4E core rulebooks have an implied setting with a specific cosmology, and it seems as if the FR will adopt this. But the same will apparently not happen for Eberron, so there is room for a Planescape with its traditional cosmology - if that is really that important for the feel of the game. I don't know, I am not really familiar with most D&D settings.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

The Great Wheel isn't too too important to Planescape, but a lot of it was built off of things from the Great Wheel.

And if the focus is solely on Sigil, then the Great Wheel isn't that important.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Thanks!

And I know you're on the inside for some WotC work, so if you have any chance to pass this idea to the right people, consider this permission (and a request!) to do so!

Well, I'm pretty sure that at least the basics are already written, since the Manual of the Planes is in the catalog, and that means it's pretty far along in the process. So any suggestions I were to make now are likely too little, too late.

But on the off chance the MoP doesn't specify, I'll keep it in mind.

 

[Staffan]

I seen to recall that back in the day I had a doorway in sigil that led to half a spelljammer floating in an asteroid belt somewhere. The players didn't know what to make of it.

One Planescape book (I think it was In the Cage, but I'm not sure) was mostly written as an in-character guide. Said guide had an amusing anecdote about a company who could procure anything for the right price. Some scribe had hired them to get a "squid", and then gotten slightly upset when they charged him tens of thousands of gp for a Squidship.

 

[Nightchilde-2]

One Planescape book (I think it was In the Cage, but I'm not sure) was mostly written as an in-character guide. Said guide had an amusing anecdote about a company who could procure anything for the right price. Some scribe had hired them to get a "squid", and then gotten slightly upset when they charged him tens of thousands of gp for a Squidship.

I remember that.

I also liked the quote in one book, don't remember which, talking about the statue of "some Primer named Bigby." I always thought that was funny, referring to Bigby as "some Primer."

Ah, Planescape, how I miss thee. I might have to load up Planescape: Torment and play it now....