To Mike Mearls: C'mon, bring back the whole D&D Multiverse!

[Satyrn]

But what I'm saying is that D&D was based on intricate stories and mastery of details from the start.

D&D was never that for me. Even the few games where I played in a published setting, none of the details mattered, none of the stories in that setting had any impact on how the table played.

The only thing about the Maztica campaign I ran that had anything to do with the novels was more like setting details to establish that the adventurers arrived from Amn, and the Nexal was overriden by monsters. Beyond that, nothing.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

...
Maybe you're saying that if Mearl's team had a larger budget (like the Transformers department of Hasbro) they could gather and unify the various D&D continuities. But no, that's a cop out. Surely they have enough money to hire somebody like Brian James or Echohawk to gather it all together and synthesize it.

That is what I'm saying. Saying something is a cop out when you're spending someone else's money is hardly a convincing argument.

Someday it would be very cool to have something like a comprehensive, game-able universe of the Worlds of D&D. However that task likely requires a sizable market and more than a little IP wrangling (aka lawyers) to make happen.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

True. And comics and merchandise and so forth.

But what I'm saying is that D&D was based on intricate stories and mastery of details from the start. Whereas Transformers started with just some toys with a stat card and paragraph-long bio on the back of each card.

But Mearl's team has only half-heartedly synthesized the vast D&D legendarium, whereas Hasbro's Transformers team (largely via the "Ask Vector Prime" at the Hasbro website) has lovingly gathered every scrap of continuity and beautifully shaped it into an intricate story of hundreds of distinct continuities and continuity families, all within the Transformers Multiverse and Megaverse (which includes cross-overs with non-Transformers universes, such as GI Joe and Star Wars).

Maybe you're saying that if Mearl's team had a larger budget (like the Transformers department of Hasbro) they could gather and unify the various D&D continuities. But no, that's a cop out. Surely they have enough money to hire somebody like Brian James (author of the Grand History of the Realms) or Echohawk (the master of monster histories here at ENWorld) to gather it all together and synthesize it into an in-house Reference Guide, and publish it as a chronology.

What value would any of that bring to the average D&D group playing in their homebrew setting and/or the recent adventure paths? You're describing something aimed at collectors and diehard fans, not gamers.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

I want special places like Dark Sun smushed into those.

I have not, and am not, proposing that Dark Sun be hamhandedly smushed into FR or something, like: "Hey we'll just plop the Sea of Dust next to Faerun! Kewl!"

There are many references to Athas' place within the D&D Multiverse, as a crystal sphere, and sharing the same Great Wheel as the other D&D Worlds.

For example: Kalidnay is a former city-state of Athas which was drawn into Ravenloft.

I'm simply proposing that this all be brought to mind again in a systemic and thorough way.

I'm not proposing watering down the Dark Sun setting, except for introducing Alternate World Gates to and from Athas for those DMs who wish to use it, along with a "Pathfinder Society"-sort of planewalking organization which can serve as a campaign model for hopping from world to world even as a low-level party. And the proposed "Crisis on Infinite Oerths" novels would include some key characters from Athas.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

Someday it would be very cool to have something like a comprehensive, game-able universe of the Worlds of D&D.

I agree.

However that task likely requires (...) a little IP wrangling (aka lawyers) to make happen.

WotC owns most of those D&D worlds I mentioned in the OP. I didn't include D&D settings that were licensed to them (Lankhmar, Kalamar, Diablo). But yeah, James Wyatt's Petroyeska only partly appeared in DRAGON magazine, so would need further input and approval from the author.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

What value would any of that bring to the average D&D group playing in their homebrew setting and/or the recent adventure paths? You're describing something aimed at collectors and diehard fans, not gamers.

I don't have to present market-studies in order to share what I'd like to see as a consumer and patron of D&D. I'm sharing what I would like to see. I can't speak for you or anyone else. Neither should I self-censor myself, otherwise, my viewpoint is not heard. I like what I proposed. And there's surely a certain number of others who like what I like. Whether that number is small or large, I cannot calculate.

 

[MarkB]

I'd love to see some Eberron setting-specific material. I'd detest seeing it integrated into the classic D&D multiverse.

Eberron's planar cosmology is unique, evocative, and very specific to that particular setting. Attempting to integrate it into another cosmology would be detrimental.

 

[Gradine]

They've already done that. The great majority of the D&D back catalog is already available on the DMs guild.

Yes, but what they haven't been allowed is for fans to build upon those worlds and release them on the DM's Guild. Those worlds are static, and any fan-released works in those world can't really be released anywhere because WotC owns the IP. We can share minor little things on message boards and reddit and the like, but nothing with anything close to approaching an official presentation.

I couldn't give a fig's leaf if WotC ever releases a "Player's Guide to Athas" or an Eberron-set AP or what have. But let fans have a go at those worlds on the DM's guild, at least.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

...
WotC owns most of those D&D worlds I mentioned in the OP. I didn't include D&D settings that were licensed to them (Lankhmar, Kalamar, Diablo). But yeah, James Wyatt's Petroyeska only partly appeared in DRAGON magazine, so would need further input and approval from the author.

Even though WotC owns the IP there's always a fly in the soup in these things that requires a careful eye to make sure you preserve your IP the way you want it and don't cross any thresholds you may not of been aware of.

 

[AmerginLiath]

Despite Dragonlance being my main D&D love, I fully understand and sort of support them not releasing the usual sort of sourcebook for Krynn (or for Oerth). As others have noted, it’s better from an IP standpoint to not fragment the line like they did in 2nd edition by world (just as it’s better not to fragment the line by splatbook category like they increasingly did in 3rd edition). The way that different worlds were described by genre in the DMG (and since by WotC folks) suggests that we might eventually see something of these settings when different modes of play or storytelling systems are introduced (Dark Sun or Eberron with a finalized psionics system, Dragonlance with a finalized mass combat/seasonal war system).

That said, I wouldn’t be opposed to some Unearthed Arcana entries similar to that Eberron first-past or the DL Minotaur (in the Waterborne entry) along the way that give quasi-official suggestions on how to use those worlds’ unique elements in 5e. But that’s distinct from designing a distinct space from FR for these worlds to have as products in the 5th edition line.