D&D 4E Too many settings for 4E?

[catsclaw227]

Which settings have been announced? Necromancer Games is putting out a players handbook to add back in things that will be left out. Paizo is still weighing options, but they are pretty invested in Golarion (coool setting by the way). I'm not aware of any other major setting plans, but I'm curious.

I think FFG hinted at one, but that would likely be a revision of Midnight. And while it's certainly a PoL style setting, the one thing it might have going against it is the low-magic part. Maybe they will re-envision some of the martial maneuvers as non-magical, but stiff effective.

If Paizo goes 4e with Golarion, I am ALL OVER THAT.

 

[catsclaw227]

I really don't want to see a bunch of FR/Greyhawk clones.

The setting has to be different to gain my attention, Midnight and Iron Kingdoms are examples of something that is different.

There has to be a big premise that grabs my attention, something like Kingdoms of Kalimar or Dawnforge isn't sufficient. I played a little Dawnforge, and yeah it's different...it's just not different enough.

Oathbound was pretty different, and I think it would really work well under 4e. Unfortunately, the Bastion team has dissolved and I am not sure who has the Oathbound IP.

 

[Hussar]

Well, again, this was an issue in 3e as well. Everybody and their mother cranked out a new setting to show off the spiffy new rule books that they were cranking out. Usually the OGC was crippled so no one else could use it and, even if it wasn't, nearly no one actually shared. Thus we got 4 or 5 different naval combat supplements, some with their own settings in tow.

I don't see any change in that plan in the future.

 

[Incenjucar]

This is more a matter of over-specific writing styles than too many options.

If a product has mechanics that don't balance properly with default D&D, then you can't mix and match them without effort (say, oh, Dark Sun characters). If the mechanics are tied too closely to the setting (ley lines or something), then you have a similar problem.

Really, with the new categorization of monsters, you could easily have adventures designed with thematic "skins." Have your basic adventure outline with generic plot elements, hooks, and so forth, but without references to specific monsters, classes, and so on.

Say you want to design a generic "damsel in distress" adventure.

Adventure synopsis would be "high-ranking commoner-classed individual at lower range of young adult status is held by solo monster themed combative organization and held prisoner in dangerous maze-like with hazardous terrain features, inside a tall structure. Individual is ultimately guarded by solo monster of theme."

You could just as easily have:

"Tomboy samurai princess willing goes with noble ronin hobgoblins in stylized "dragon" armor seeking tax relief from tomboy's evil uncle, watched over by a silver dragon holed up in a mountain filled with natural hazards."

or

"Scottish Village Mayor's son who has dreams of being a great artist is kidnapped by a horde of lesser demons and taken into an abyss-warped tower that sits on top of a trap-filled maze, held by a terrible uberdemon who wants to use the boy's talents in a terrible ritual."

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

The key challenge with a setting is to make it different enough to catch people's interest, but not so different that the core books can be used in a standard D&D game. If any 4E settings that come out follow through with that basic idea as a core strategy, than I'll be fine with them.

 

[Frostmarrow]

I think third parties should play by the book and create mini-settings/locations completely compatible with Points of Light. To get the attention they deserve they should season the supplements with their own particular flavor yet remain within the boundaries of PoL. Green Ronin did this with Freeport last time around. -A fantasy city flavored with pirates and Cthulhu mythos. Pirates and Cthulhu-mythos makes me think of Chris and Nicole every time. We had a blast in Freeport (set in Greyhawk at the time) and I think it can be pulled off again.

 

[Acid_crash]

I hope that someone does a Scarred Lands 2nd edition campaign setting because I think it would really fit with the new direction that 4th edition D&D is going in. I'd be all over that.

 

[glass]

aybe they will re-envision some of the martial maneuvers as non-magical, but stiff effective.

Er, martial manoeuvres are supposed to be non-magical-but-still-effective.



glass.

 

[Zweischneid]

Say you want to design a generic "damsel in distress" adventure.

Adventure synopsis would be "high-ranking commoner-classed individual at lower range of young adult status is held by solo monster themed combative organization and held prisoner in dangerous maze-like with hazardous terrain features, inside a tall structure. Individual is ultimately guarded by solo monster of theme."

You could just as easily have:

"Tomboy samurai princess willing goes with noble ronin hobgoblins in stylized "dragon" armor seeking tax relief from tomboy's evil uncle, watched over by a silver dragon holed up in a mountain filled with natural hazards."

or

"Scottish Village Mayor's son who has dreams of being a great artist is kidnapped by a horde of lesser demons and taken into an abyss-warped tower that sits on top of a trap-filled maze, held by a terrible uberdemon who wants to use the boy's talents in a terrible ritual."

Yes, yes.. but in order to explain all those new spiffy Dragonborn running around... the classic version of "oversized, firebreathin flyin lizard headin off with the kings virgin daughter" will have a HUGE comback

 

[catsclaw227]

Er, martial manoeuvres are supposed to be non-magical-but-still-effective.

Well, if you look at Bo9S, there are some martial maneuvers that certainly appear to be magical. Burning Blade, Shadow Step, etc. I mean making martial maneuvers that don't look like there's a magical component. I didn't read Iron Heroes, but it sounds like Mike Mearls did some of that with his book.