The default campaign world - new article

[Aristotle]

You can love or hate the idea, but c'mon..."brilliant"? It's pretty much the path of least resistance, and as others have pointed out, it's not all that novel. The wheel has not been invented just now.

I don't know that I can completely explain why I feel brilliant is the correct term, at least in my opinion. You are certainly welcome to use whatever words you like to make your own known.

I think I like it mostly as a marketing tactic. It isn't new at all, yet there are a ton of DMs who won't use new content for fear of somehow damaging the campaign setting. Worse yet are the players who refuse to allow their DM to deviate from a settings clear message. I've never understood either mind set, but if a generic game space has to be implied to allow DMs (and players) a little freedom as to what content they make use of... then I'm glad it's being done. I think, if folks actually make use of the implied setting, it would make 3rd party adventures, or drop-in settings like Freeport, viable to a larger audience. Of course that assumes everyone won't be grabbing a setting book and ditching the implied one on day one.

And if everyone thinks it's crap? No big deal. It was only an implied setting. They won't lose much word count on it, and a selection of "real" settings will likely be available pretty quickly for those that need one and don't feel like detailing one of their own design.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

No Elric?

It's not sword and sorcery, IMO. If D&D is changing gears somewhat, now would be a good time for people to read some stuff that doesn't feature long-lived magic users with bitchin' magic items. Grubby, desperate and scared of the dark (for good reason) would be a better call.

Plus, Dark Horse is rereleasing the whole Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser run by December.

 

[Lanefan]

It's beginning to look like I'll have to kill 4e and take its stuff setting.

Lane-"how many ExP is an entire edition worth, anyway?"-fan

 

[TwinBahamut]

It's beginning to look like I'll have to kill 4e and take its stuff setting.

Lane-"how many ExP is an entire edition worth, anyway?"-fan

I don't know how much XP a level-0 edition is, but it can't be very much. Wait until it levels up and gets the PHB2, maybe? Better XP that way, and you might get a psionic item in the loot.

Regardless, I know how you feel. Ever since I read this "Points of Light" article my mind has been blazing with setting ideas that are nothing like what I have ever thought of before. Usually I am very much of the "top-down" design approach, but this time...

I really like the concept. Anything that gives me new ideas is good.

 

[Branduil]

I like it. It's very much in the vein of Tolkien, Howard, and historical mythology, not to mention its practicality.

 

[pogre]

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

A Grim World of Perilous Adventure. I'm in.

 

[The Cardinal]

This is looking like THE WILDERLANDS OF HIGH FANTASY a lot

indeed!

...which is why I'm now pretty much sold on 4E!!!

 

[Kaodi]

I eagerly await the release of the full list of deities in the 4e implied pantheon. I think they would go a long way to helping flesh out a more specific feel of what the implied setting is supposed to look and feel like.