D&D 5E One Campaign To Rule Them All

[Umbran]

I, for one, agree with Astrosicebear above: this smorgasbord campaign idea might be kind of fun in way, but would tend to leach each setting of its unique flavor and feel.

Having played something similar in the past (not hopping official settings, but hopping worlds) the trick is to make the point of each hop to specifically interact with the unique flavor and feel of the setting. It helps a lot if you start the adventure in one of the "vanilla" settings, like Greyhawk or FR, so that the characters from that place don't clash tropes too badly.

 

[Will Doyle]

Yes, but the whole concept of traveling from one plane/reality to another is the very basis of those settings. I, for one, agree with Astrosicebear above: this smorgasbord campaign idea might be kind of fun in way, but would tend to leach each setting of its unique flavor and feel.

Planescape is indeed the meaty pudding that would hold the whole smorgasbord together. But each adventure would be designed to showcase the very best of its setting as quickly as possible - and in isolation, in a way. Sure, you wouldn't have time to get fully immersed in the setting, but you'd hopefully leave with a good impression of what makes it tick

 

[jrowland]

Campaign Name: Montage
Campaign Music: 80's Eurotrash

 

[Ranes]

I think adventure paths are greater in theory than they sometimes are in play. Clearly, Paizo and their PF APs have done great work; I don't want to denigrate that. I do, however, sometimes wonder about their inherently prescriptive format. To work at their best, they almost require the tacit prior agreement of the group that this is something they're going to buy into from the outset. That's not a bad idea in some respects but it is a trade-off between thematic and plot strengths on the one hand and player freedom on the other. I've started a couple of APs/mega-adventures with my groups over the last decade or more but they've always ended up wandering far from the script. Thankfully, it's usually worked out all right.

Right, that out of the way, I like the idea but, with the concerns above in mind, I would prefer to see one of the following, as opposed to an AP:

A single adventure that traversed the different campaign worlds in the space of a few levels. In other words, keep it tight and make every campaign world really shine for an evening's play. Set the level at the system sweet spot. This would be of the greatest appeal to me.

Alternatively, produce a series of adventures that pay homage to each of the classic campaign worlds but make each stand alone. To facilitate the AP option, set each adventure at a different level spread, thereby enabling narrative tessellation by DMs looking to build an AP (and AP development could be further developed in online supplements to the adventures). That would seem, to me, to grant those with clear likes and dislikes the opportunity to still find value in buying selective modules.

 

[Eric V]

I like the idea as a sort of "capstone" game after all the settings are published and have a chance to shine in their own rights.

Something like this at the end of the 2E era would have been a lot of fun. Not that it wouldn't be fun now, I would just prefer to see in-depth setting information as opposed to snippets.

Was 'Die, Vecna Die!" sort of like this?

 

[Riley37]

You might borrow some thematics, though not actual setting or mechanics, from the TORG TRPG.
Entering a new domain can increase or decrease your abilities, depending on how they match that domain's nature.

 

[Beleriphon]

"Crisis of Infinite Oerths"

"Product Identity Crisis" is of course the follow up.

Yes, but the whole concept of traveling from one plane/reality to another is the very basis of those settings. I, for one, agree with Astrosicebear above: this smorgasbord campaign idea might be kind of fun in way, but would tend to leach each setting of its unique flavor and feel.

You can always allow a character rebuild to reflect each settings unique features. For example character might end up a warforged in Eberron and a Tri-keen on Athas. Think of it as the Quantum Leap of D&D.

 

[Negflar2099]

I for one like this idea a lot. I think it would help if the players were familiar with all the settings. That way you wouldn't have to lay so much track so to speak.

I couldn't help but think of the first dozen or so issues of the comic Exalibur from Marvel. The mutant team acquired a strange sentient little robot dude that when pumped full of energy could jump them to different realities. Some they were only in for a single issue. Others they lingered for a while. I think a similar setup could be very interesting for a campaign.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Meh.

I'm not really personally interested in mashing together the settings for some cornball tourism. Almost every time it is done, it is done poorly ("WHAT IF DRIZZIT HAD TO RIDE A KANK THROUGH THE STREETS OF SHARN YOU GAIZ?!", or when FR invaded Eberron in DDO), and though mashups can be done pretty well, the mashup itself becomes the setting when that happens (see: Kingdom Hearts, arguably Planescape/Spelljammer in some modes). A game hopping from experience to experience like that would get so schizophrenic, it wouldn't have time to be enjoyable. No chance to feel out, say, the deep history of FR and how it affects the present, nope, just do some ruins, talk to some elves, and its on to the next thing!

For me, each of these settings offers a unique way to play D&D, a different direction to take your game experience in. You could spend years in the sands of Athas or the City of Doors and not explore 1/10th of what those settings offer. Why cheapen it by putting it in an It's A Small World ride that the players can zoom through? These settings should be deeper experiences than that, experiences that allow you to see the variety and complexity of the creatures, villains, heroes, and locations therein.

It might sound nice on paper, and you could pull it off, but I don't think I'd be interested in it, and there's a HUGE propensity for screwing stuff up while you're at it. And for what reward? A montage of IP names?

Pfffft.

 

[SoulsFury]

I love this idea. I'd probably run this campaign, but I think I could change it so that both the first, and last parts ended in my homebrew world. I actually played a character that linked the Forgotten Realms with my homebrew world through a deck of cards. My character in another DMs game (we alternated weeks as DM so he played in my homebrew world) drew the card that gives you a keep. He gave us a keep on my homebrew world that had a permanent portal to a small village outside of Waterdeep. The portal was only the size of your standard door. We never really used the portal in game play, so I would love to start a campaign off this way.