The default campaign world - new article

[MerricB]

Points of Light by Rich Baker
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drdd/20070829a

Ok... this is a surprise. And, after my first shock, I really liked the idea.

"Another implication of this basic conceit of the world is that there is very little in the way of authority to deal with raiders and marauders, outbreaks of demon worship, rampaging monsters, deadly hauntings, or similar local problems. Settlements afflicted by troubles can only hope for a band of heroes to arrive and set things right. If there is a kingdom beyond the town’s walls, it’s still largely covered by unexplored forest and desolate hills where evil folk gather. The king’s soldiers might do a passable job of keeping the lands within a few miles of his castle free of monsters and bandits, but most of the realm’s outlying towns and villages are on their own."

This really looks like the type of setting the D&D game would thrive in. I'm impressed.

Enough to make me leave my beloved Greyhawk? Possibly not... but, then again...

Cheers!

 

[outsider]

This really sounds like alot of fun. I'd sure love playing in a setting like that.

 

[Visceris]

So, they are ditching city adventures and political intrigue in this new version of Dungeons and Dragons, eh? Why not just call it Diablo PnP. That is what it looks like it is becoming. One lone town, dungeon after dungeon of critters with phat loot.

Not impressed in the slightest.

 

[A'koss]

While that's all well and good (and sounds interesting) - what does that have to do with... anything?

Is WotC suddenly going to change all their campaign settings in 4e to follow this style? Is a new setting on the way to highlight this new philosophy? Are they expecting people who play their own homebrew campaigns to change over to this style of game?

 

[MerricB]

While that's all well and good (and sounds interesting) - what does that have to do with... anything?

Is WotC suddenly going to change all their campaign settings in 4e to follow this style? Is a new setting on the way to highlight this new philosophy? Are they expecting people who play their own homebrew campaigns to change over to this style of game?

What we'll probably see is the default flavour text in the PHB and MM being written with this sort of game in mind. This sort of setting isn't original - it exists in The Lord of the Rings, and in tales of the Wild West, and of the Dark Ages - but it is a very, very good setting for core D&D.

Cheers!

 

[Visceris]

If this is the design philosphy for all their campaigns and are going to try to force that mold on homebrews then they are freakin' nuts.

 

[Patlin]

So, they are ditching city adventures and political intrigue in this new version of Dungeons and Dragons, eh?

Doesn't seem to me that this follows. There's no reason that cities wouldn't exist in such a campaign world, and you get political intrigue as soon as the population rises above 1. Wish humanity was such that the latter wasn't so....

 

[Visceris]

What we'll probably see is the default flavour text in the PHB and MM being written with this sort of game in mind. This sort of setting isn't original - it exists in The Lord of the Rings, and in tales of the Wild West, and of the Dark Ages - but it is a very, very good setting for core D&D.

Cheers!

Correction, it may be a good setting for core D&D 4e. 3.5e allows a bit more complexity than this simplistic design.

 

[MerricB]

If this is the design philosphy for all their campaigns and are going to try to force that mold on homebrews then they are freakin' nuts.

Err... no.

However, if you read the core books in 1e, in 2e, or in 3e, there are certain assumptions about the campaign world. This just sets forward the assumption for the 4e campaign world that we know about.

That doesn't stop anyone from running D&D in completely different settings.

Cheers!

 

[Green Knight]

D&D in the Warhammer Fantasy world. Sounds great!