Same D&D, Different Themes

[mmadsen]

[/list]At least one or more of these are at direct odds with what Tweet was suggesting, which was virtually no change to the rules, and little to no design overhead. He wasn't proposing an alternate version of the rules, just shaving the serial numbers off and changing the presentation, slightly. Fat Hobbits, for example, is a distinct change from the current D&D halfling. There are no half-orcs in Thundarr's future, but there are Moks, which aren't in D&D. The Arthurian wizard is quite different from the D&D mold, with his charms, potions and little direct magic. Dark Sun? 'Nuf said.

I should have explicitly stated that those themes would not involve any mechanical changes -- even though they certainly could, if you were producing a d20 King Arthur game or a Dark Sun campaign book, for instance.

I certainly don't see fat hobbits as a meaningful change. Nor do I see tall elves as a meaningful change.

A licensed Thundarr setting would need Moks -- and would need to avoid half-orcs -- but a post-apocalyptically themed D&D Basic Set could present half-orcs as looking just like Moks, or generic mutants, or whatever. Characters could wield "maces" made from baseball bats and "shields" made from street signs. Ruins could look like a bombed-out New York City, not a Roman temple.

Who needs to change the rules for a Merlin-inspired wizard? Give him the pointy hat and surround him with mailed knights -- with no spikes on their armor.

Certainly the "real" Dark Sun setting changes many rules, but you can just as easily create a sun-baked world full of gladiators without changing any rules. You can even make the halflings cannibals without changing any rules.

 

[Ferret]

Fallout-esque, 1950's with blueprints and old guns etc. Cyber D&D in (not on) the net.

Seasonal books, with winter (snow, mountains, steel), Autumn (Dead leaves, rain and wood), Summer (Sun, fields, leather) and spring (Bunnys and chickens and easter! Yay! )

 

[MaxKaladin]

Romans. I'd like to see a Roman theme. That and an Arthurian theme. I'd like to see either.

 

[mmadsen]

Romans. I'd like to see a Roman theme.

Of course, a Roman theme raises the spectre of why would anyone use a shortsword?

 

[mmadsen]

Seasonal books, with winter (snow, mountains, steel), Autumn (Dead leaves, rain and wood), Summer (Sun, fields, leather) and spring (Bunnys and chickens and easter! Yay! )

And we could have a different color dragon on each one...