The default campaign world - new article

[Malhost Zormaeril]

"

If that's the way it's going to be in 4e then why bother mentioning it at all since it will have zero impact on the text? I assumed that if they were actually making an effort to point out this new concept, then it would play a bigger role or at least get reflected in one of the books where they actually do have cities, kingdoms, and terrain.

From what I've heard, the core books are shifting in prose style from "textbook" in 3e to "magazine" in 4e, apparently so that the text would seem less dry, or something. If that's the case, they will indeed need a default setting to base those magazine article texts from...

 

[Remathilis]

I love it!

Its trying to answer some fundamental questions about the D&D world (like, where was the kings army during that orc invasion?) It also is a retreat from the "Modern Europe" map phenomenon (where every inch of land is under some national control) and return to the "medieval Europe" map (where large cities DID exist: Paris, London, Rome, but much of the land was small feudal kingdoms and city-states without a large standing army, long distance travel, or flushing toliets) It also makes Adventurers (those that travel for gold and glory) look more like accomplished (and sometimes welcomed) troubleshooters to a world that cannot completely hold its own against the forces of darkness (and their multiple eyestalk-rays )

 

[Sun Knight]

It would work if 4e stresses on being low magic and gritty style instead of a high magic cinematic style. Less King Arthur and more Gladiator sort of thing.

 

[Baby Samurai]

It would work if 4e stresses on being low magic and gritty style instead of a high magic cinematic style. Less King Arthur and more Gladiator sort of thing.

Well, they have said characters will be less gear dependant.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

I'll be interested to see if/how they change the Forgotten Realms to fit into this model, since I suspect that must be where the points of light are going to be implemented. I can't imagine it making any significant difference in the core books. Otherwise they ought to have a new campaign setting in the works.

Like Ari says, I seriously doubt they will make any changes at all to FR or Eberron or any other extant campaign world despite this being the model for the core. These are just the default assumptions behind anyone picking up and playing the game in a vacuum from the other worlds (or homebrews) out there. That's all.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

This would be a good Christmas to get everyone's D&D group a complete set of the Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser reprints from Dark Horse, methinks.

No Elric?

 

[Sun Knight]

Well, they have said characters will be less gear dependant.

That is a step in the right direction, but so would be removing over dramatic backflips, sword swings, and spells that can tear down mountains.

 

[grimslade]

No Elric?

Alas, he was a thousand more times evil than you.

 

[McBard]

[The Points of Light approach] also makes Adventurers...troubleshooters to a world that cannot completely hold its own against the forces of darkness

Agreed. In this Points of Light setting, the good-leaning PCs are saviors, whereas in the Kingdom/Civilization approach even good-leaning PCs often fall into a pesky trouble-maker mold (e.g. "look, here, we've got all these highly structured kingdoms and countries for a reason...we don't need you PCs to go off and stir up trouble...").

I suppose you could call the Points of Light setting "post-apocalyptic"...except that I'm not even sure you need the "post" part. It's just simply apocalyptic. Which is cool.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Like Ari says, I seriously doubt they will make any changes at all to FR or Eberron or any other extant campaign world despite this being the model for the core. These are just the default assumptions behind anyone picking up and playing the game in a vacuum from the other worlds (or homebrews) out there. That's all.

I'm not entirely sure about that. They've said that the 4e FR book is going to jump forward 10 years. Plus, they are focusing on Organized Play as one of the 4 parts of 4e with their flagship campaign as Living Forgotten Realms.

Seems to me it might be wise to throw a large shake up in the realms in that 10 years to make there a lot more "darkness" between the points of light in order to make it easier to write adventures for the Living Campaign and make it more suitable for 4e.