D&D 5E (2024) Preferences in a New Official 5.5e Specific Setting

[Yaarel]

Which, bases on the original premise of this thread, is all an official D&D S&S setting would do. No low magic, rewritten classes, or radical overhauls. D&D with a taste of the S&S flavor. Anything else requires more rewriting than an official product would dare and probably is needed.

The D&D game engine is versatile and has tools to play differently.

Banning fullcaster classes for low magic and banning high tiers for reallife relatability, making combat encounters more lethal, are nondrastic but effective.

A setting might also offer a new character option (subclass, species, lineage, feats, backgrounds, spells, magic items) or a new monster, to emphasize certain themes mechanically without interfering with the game engine.

D&D can do much to adapt convincingly for diverse genres, in convenient ways without anything drastic.

 

[Yaarel]

You are just flat out wrong. Arioch directly creates an entire race on a planet in order to wipe another out completely. He was not restricted. They do not negate each other. They strive AGAINST each other, and sometimes one or the other gains supremacy, which is why the Eternal Champion exists. If they negated each other, there would never have been any books as there would be no need for a champion to right the imbalances.

Cosmic Balance is a force, but it only steps in if Law or Chaos gains superiority, and even then not for thousands of years.

I vaguely remember a scene where Arioch is speaking in the form of a golden mask, and seems quite limited and dependent on Elric.

Presumably, it is when Humans behave lawfully or chaotically that opens the door for the alignment to seize more influence.

(Similarly Good and Evil increase from Human actions.)

 

[Yaarel]

The Moorcock alignments emphasize three:

Neutral (Good)
Lawful (Evil)
Chaotic (Evil)

 

[Maxperson]

I vaguely remember a scene where Arioch is speaking in the form of a golden mask, and seems quite limited and dependent on Elric.

Presumably, it is when Humans behave lawfully or chaotically that opens the door for the alignment to seize more influence.

(Similarly Good and Evil increase from Human actions.)

No, that's wrong. He CREATED humans in that universe to kill Corum's people. He didn't influence humans already there.

As for Elric, Arioch is bound to the agreements made with Elric's ancestors, so the limitations he shows there likely stem from those bargains. Or just as likely, it was Arioch's whim. Chaos is chaos after all.

 

[Yaarel]

As for Elric, Arioch is bound to the agreements made with Elric's ancestors, so the limitations he shows there likely stem from those bargains.

For a D&D translation, this can be a Warlock pact. There might also be alignment Clerics and oath Paladins. But Elric summons various beings. Arioch is only one of them, even if a cosmic force.

Moorcock Law and Chaos as cosmic forces are something like the alignment planes of Acheron versus Pandemonium.

 

[tetrasodium]

I mean...

I guess I have to use harsher language..

It was Empowerment for selfish GMs. They didn't want advice, guidance, or even clear math. They wanted control. Writing down rules guides players expectations they didn't want. 2013's flawed survey use overrepresented them.

I think that the disconnect is that you are presenting magic item churn as some kind of player entitlement rather than a toolkit for the GM to manage player engagement via actions having consequences/benefits that are critically important to players and things like unobtrusively putting their gm thumb on the scale when there is what they view as problematic disparities in CharOp across the party.

 

[Maxperson]

For a D&D translation, this can be a Warlock pact. There might also be alignment Clerics and oath Paladins. But Elric summons various beings. Arioch is only one of them, even if a cosmic force.

Moorcock Law and Chaos as cosmic forces are something like the alignment planes of Acheron versus Pandemonium.

You can't translate some parts of Elric, but not other parts and have a D&D translation of Elric. Either you translate them all, and the PC has access to a god that can act directly in the world, or you don't have an Elric translation, but instead an off brand copy. Elric is Corn Flakes, and your D&D translation is Flat Corn Pieces that don't taste as good.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

D&D translation is Flat Corn Pieces that don't taste as good.

There is no reason a character inspired by Elric can’t be a great character. They don’t need to be an exact copy to be cool.

And many supermarket own brand products are better than the big brands.

Not to mention the number of D&D inspired RPGs that are excellent.

 

[Minigiant]

I think that the disconnect is that you are presenting magic item churn as some kind of player entitlement rather than a toolkit for the GM to manage player engagement via actions having consequences/benefits that are critically important to players and things like unobtrusively putting their gm thumb on the scale when there is what they view as problematic disparities in CharOp across the party.

I'm not saying I think that way.

I'm saying WOTC oversampled people who think that way. WOTC oversampled people who think open purposefully mathematical design is abhorrent.

 

[Maxperson]

There is no reason a character inspired by Elric can’t be a great character. They don’t need to be an exact copy to be cool.

And many supermarket own brand products are better than the big brands.

Not to mention the number of D&D inspired RPGs that are excellent.

I agree. Inspired by isn't the same as based on, as movies show us all the time. You can have a cool character inspired by Elric, but if you want to base the character on Elric for a close recreation, you can't do it.