Same D&D, Different Themes

[mmadsen]

The recent Dancey and Tweet on growing the hobby thread cited Tweet's (old) plan "to potentially increase core book sales without a huge design overhead":

His idea was to make an annual "theme" for D&D. The obvious example is "anime". The "Anime D&D" books would use all new Anime art, Anime iconic characters, etc. but would use the 3.5 game rules virtually unchanged. Similar "themes" could include "Gothic Punk", "Arthurian Fantasy", "Cosmic Horror", etc. Such products could induce "fence sitters" who would like to play D&D but don't like the baseline fantasy imagery to buy and play the game.

Ignoring the debate about whether this is a good idea or not, what theme would you like to see, and what would the product do to convey that theme? What kind of art would be on the cover? Who would the sample characters be? How would the sample gameplay section read?

(For the sake of argument, let's assume the product is a boxed Basic Set.)

 

[francisca]

I'd like to see HomestarRunner used as the art. Those crazy kids should really be down with that.

The text should be written such that it reads like Strongbad as the DM, delighting in the multitude of ways he can kill StrongSad and HomeStar's characters.

 

[RangerWickett]

Steam & Steel. Victorian outfits, fantasy magic, and steam-powered doomsday devices. It's something I haven't seen D&D do much.

Anime. Y'know, this would work best if WotC could get a Japanese company to produce a series based on D&D themes. And y'know, I speak Japanese. I could be, like, their consultant. Yeah.

Pirates of the Carribhoweveryouspellthatwordean. I wonder if this might encourage the D&D rulemakers to finally tweak the core fighter class so you aren't encouraged to wear platemail.

I don't have specific ideas for how it would work. But the best thing would be if they released something specific to my world. *grin*

Hmm.
2004 - Setting Search One
2005 - Anime
2006 - Setting Search Two
2007 - Mythic (Egyptian a la the Mummy, Eastern European a la Van Hellsing; in effect, not real myths at all, but rather modernized versions that are 'cooler.')
2008 - Setting Search Three
2009 - Planescape
2010 - Fourth Edition

 

[EricNoah]

Generic. With black text, no art, a big barcode on the front, and a title reading "One (1) Role-Playing Game Rulebook."

 

[Kesh]

Ah, so it would be art themes for the main rules then?

Anime certainly is an obvious one. 'Comic book' would be another, bringing out the heroic theme of D&D.

Gothic and Cosmic Horror could blend into the same theme, really.

 

[Psion]

Anime. Y'know, this would work best if WotC could get a Japanese company to produce a series based on D&D themes.

Cool idea. Hmm, what would we call such a series? I've got one... Record of Lodoss War.

 

[MDSnowman]

Cool idea. Hmm, what would we call such a series? I've got one... Record of Lodoss War.

Truer words have never been spoken, and if anyone anywhere is running a Record of Lodoss War campaign.... I call dibs on playing Orson.

 

[Wombat]

I'm not sure what art would draw me to such books, but I know what would drive me away, anime being at the top of that list, followed quickly by the cheesecake a la Avalanche Press. The leather-and-bondage look doesn't do much for me, either.

I guess the one style that might draw me in would be more realistic art, something like early 20th century illustrators or the early work by Eric Hotz, where the weapons are not of ridiculous size and questionable value, where armour makes at least some defensive sense, etc.

In the end I have seen little art for any game that actively drawn me in, but lots that has actively driven me away.

 

[DragonLancer]

I'd like to see an edition that came with a Mythic Greece theme. That or something resembling historical medieval appearences.

 

[Caspian Moon Prince]

Truer words have never been spoken, and if anyone anywhere is running a Record of Lodoss War campaign.... I call dibs on playing Orson.

Then I call Ashram...he was such a cool bad guy, but I'd be a repentant brooding Ashram.