D&D 5E Repercussions of the 'Story Arcs'

[Connorsrpg]

Okay, so initially I loved Adventure Paths, but having run one, I am not a huge fan. (I love to create a lot more for my games).

But that is not why am here. WotC are going ahead with them and I can see advantages in 'themed products'.

I am actually here to ask, "What happens to the setting when the story arc is done? What assumptions are there for the next story arc?"

I just read the small blurb on the Rise of Tiamat and it says something like 'no matter if you win or lose the Realms will be changed forever''.

So, how? I see the next story arc is set in the Realms close to the original one. So does the 'Elemental Eye' (Or whatever the 2nd one is called) assume:

1. The PCs defeated Tiamat and her cronies?
2. They lost and the land is overrun with dragons.
3. It completely ignores that story arc and takes place in a 'parallel Realms'?

I am just wondering HOW they will manage this change. Seems odd to have these regional wide-sweeping ideas and then ignore them for the next arc. A pretty disappointing perspective for players that 'won' (or even lost).

So how will the start of the next arc look? Will it discuss possibilities?

 

[Warmaster Horus]

In your game it should change the Realms forever in whatever way it turns out for you.

As a DM I never use a published item as written. I take what I want from it, add a little here, cut a little there and make it mine and my players'.

 

[Wolfskin]

There's no official word on this, but I suspect every big story arc will exist in a "parallel" version of the Realms or whatever setting it takes place in.

 

[Zardnaar]

Elemental evil will be set in the Dessarin river valley IIRC.

 

[Jester David]

I just read the small blurb on the Rise of Tiamat and it says something like 'no matter if you win or lose the Realms will be changed forever''.

Lose: Tiamat "escapes" from the Abyss and her dragon children overrun the world.
Win: Tiamat "escapes" from the Abyss and her dragon children go about their lives.

It seems like this story is all about adding Tiamat to the pantheon of the Forgotten Realms, so win, lose, or draw she escapes in some what and becomes a real goddess.

The effects of later stories might depend on what they're doing. We don't know enough about them yet.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

There's no official word on this, but I suspect every big story arc will exist in a "parallel" version of the Realms or whatever setting it takes place in.

The same can be said of any adventure which takes place in an official setting, though.

 

[delericho]

I am actually here to ask, "What happens to the setting when the story arc is done? What assumptions are there for the next story arc?"

I just read the small blurb on the Rise of Tiamat and it says something like 'no matter if you win or lose the Realms will be changed forever''.

Ideally, a home DM (assuming he's playing with the same group) will have changes made by his group in their previous campaign impact on the current one. This gives the players a sense of continuity, and lets that see that their adventures are important.

As to what WotC will do, I have no idea. They may use the results from an in-house playtest to decide, they might poll DMs in the Encounters programme, they might just make a decision. Or they could follow the Pathfinder model and assume that Adventure Paths are largely independent - with the exception of one 'sequel' path, none of the Pathfinder ones have made any assumption that other paths have even happened, never mind any consequences thereof (and this includes some world-changing cases, such as "Wrath of the Righteous").

(Actually, since the two announced paths are by different companies, I can make a somewhat informed guess as to what they'll do: most likely, the second path will assume the first was so far away as to have no meaningful consequence. It's just possible, I suppose, that they might use the results of an in-house playtest, but I find that doubtful.)

 

[Wolfskin]

The same can be said of any adventure which takes place in an official setting, though.

Sure, but that's what the was OP asking- if ToD will become metaplot for the Realms. Any published adventure whose events aren't referenced in future material doesn't "really happen".

 

[wedgeski]

There will likely be work for any DM wanting to run the campaigns in order. Hopefully subsequent products will provide help with that. But, we can't have our cake (branching outcomes, a sense of consequence) and eat it (not have to do any work).

 

[AmerginLiath]

Play an ongoing campaign in a different world where the characters are introduced, have them get plane shifted to Faerun for the Adventure Path and break the world in an effort not to die against Tiamat, sneak back home looking around embarrassed while dragons burn down the place...