One new setting a year?

[Glyfair]

Ghostwalk was popular? Really? I've been on these boards for a while and I cannot recall a single thread about it. I'm sure they are out there, but, I'm thinking the setting was perhaps not terribly successful.

Popular would be the wrong word. Well liked would be a better description.

It suffered from coming out while leading up to 3.5, and not having the conversion put out for quite a while. However, I've read a lot of comments about using it and how to fit it in various settings (including a number about fitting it in Eberron).

My impression is that a large percentage of those who were exposed to it really like it. However, not too many have been exposed to it.

 

[Hussar]

Define success.

I'd say that Greyhawk is wildly successful. It's had two modules in the 3E era.

Umm, what??

Three Adventure Paths in Dungeon. Never mind a bazillion stand alone modules as well.

There's a reason it's being renamed Paizohawk.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Umm, what??

Please define what constitutes a successful setting.

 

[fabneme]

So, I'm guessing Eberron fans are going to hold off buying 4e next year because it is, dare I say it, FR-themed? That would KILL their sale. Even Hasbro suits are going to look at this bottom line saying "WTF?!?!!!"

Bad decision. It's a gimmick.

Worst case scenario: If I want to run FR, EB, Ravenloft, Dragonlance and the brand-new PoL setting... should I buy one core rulebook set for each one?

Of course this each year a PHB release has been misinterpreted. It's too ridiculous to be true.

 

[Simia Saturnalia]

Spelljammer: Sorry, but the "non-goofy" one in Polyhedron just didn't work out. It lost the flavor that it had. It didn't have a bar on an asteroid and hanging with beholders and mind flayers. It didn't have the Giff. I'm sorry, but the Giff are a GREAT and FUN race of gun toting hippos.

I'm afraid I must disagree. Shadows of the Spider Moon was, IMO, pretty much excellent as an art-nouveau spacefaring fantasy. Or maybe I'm just partial to drow corsairs with ornately decorated ebony-and-silver muskets and leashed displacer beasts.

It was the 'comedy' that kept me out of 2e Spelljammer altogether. Scro? Come on now.

 

[Hussar]

Please define what constitutes a successful setting.

I would define a successful setting as one which continues to be supported. A setting that has fallen by the wayside, is, by definition, not successful, since, if it were successful, it would be popular enough to receive continued support.

Greyhawk got 29 adventures in 3e (according to Dungeon 150) as well as 36 more adventures in the Adventure Paths as well as at least three adventures that I can think of from WOTC (Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, Expeditions to Castle Greyhawk and Demonweb Pits) and I'm sure I'm missing some.

Nearly 70 adventures for Greyhawk. Isn't that pretty close if not more than what it received during the 1e days?

To me, the best 1/year campaign book would be 300 pages long. About 100 pages of setting background and material and 200 pages of adventures. That's enough for about 8 good length adventures, which should last about a year. Next year rolls around, I pick up the next setting book and start again. Fantastic.

We already know the average campaign lasts about a year, why not sell settings based on that idea? Sending orphan settings out to perish in the wilderness without any support is a complete waste of time.

 

[Zweischneid]

Well, I'm pretty sure that Wizard will keep low on fully-fledged Settings but'll run alot of generic things that might or might not include Setting-info and can easily be plugged into the "point of light" thing, i.e.



4.0. Heroes of Horror, incl. some rules (spells, items, classes), generic talk about how to make "horror" in D&D, a little setting (village under the shadow of a vampire castle that may or may not be named "Ravenloft"), a short scenario.

4.0. Heroes of the High Seas, incl. some rules (spells, items, classes), generic talk about how to do "sea-faring" in D&D, a little setting (pirate cove + cursed ship showing up every 101 years), a short scenario (with the the cursed ship above showing up).

4.0. Heroes of Chivalry, incl. some rules (spells, items, classes), generic talk about how to be a "proper knight/noble king" in D&D, a little setting (may or may not include Birthright elements), a short scenario.


etc...

 

[SSquirrel]

I don't want my setting books to be 2/3 adventures and only 100 pages of setting. I want the whole thing to be setting. Give me more information about the world. Would you really want say FR to be just 100 pages of info and 200 pages of adventures? I much prefer lots of setting and along the way providing adventure hooks, but nothing completely fleshed out. Remember, they want to sell these books to players too and if 2/3 of the book is DM info, that doesn't work so well.

 

[megamania]

A published book of Darksun for 4e would GUARENTEE my buying 4e Core books

 

[PeterWeller]

A published book of Darksun for 4e would GUARENTEE my buying 4e Core books

I feel that, man. The question becomes, should it be a pre-Prism Pentad book, or take place after the changes?