Warforged, Kender, Multiverses, & Errata - An Eclectic News Summary!

WotC's Mike Mearls has confirmed that the D&D website articles will be starting up again - and that we should expect top see Warforged very soon. In response to a question about Warforged and Kender, he says "Yes, warforged will be up first - jury duty has messed with our plans, but stuff is moving along." In other news, Jeremy Crawford commented on the "default" setting of D&D and on upcoming errata documents slated for Spring.

He also commented briefly on the Adventurer's Guide rumours of later, confirming that "yes, the material will be available in the free PDF download" ; while some of the material in that download will also appear in the Princes of the Apocalypse hardcover, "there will be some exclusive stuff in the download". Regarding PotA, he says "I *think* it's in the 256 - 320 range - can't remember off the top of my head" - which sounds broad, as I mentioned to him, but he responded that "it's not so wide when you think in 32 page increments!" That's not all that's on his mind these days - we already know Chris Perkins is working on something slated for 2016, and Mike Mearls says that "I have the stuff we're doing in 2017 much more front of mind these days!"

[lq]Does the D&D tabletop RPG have one official setting? The answer is yes. That setting is the multiverse, which includes all D&D worlds.[/lq]

In other bite sized items, WotC's Jeremy Crawford commented on the concept of a "default" setting for D&D. "Does the D&D tabletop RPG have one official setting? The answer is yes. That setting is the multiverse, which includes all D&D worlds. The worlds occupy pockets of the Material Plane—sort of like planets but in a space shaped by magic and divine forces." This ties in with what Chris Perkins is working on for 2016, which he has previously stated as being non-Realms material.

Errata documents are also being prepared. Crawford confirms it -- "Errata documents are definitely on the way, starting with the Player's Handbook. They'll start coming out before the spring." He also commented briefly on the recent "announced/not announced" thing, indicating that "We won't announce products until they're ready. We do consider Greyhawk and others to be in 5E; they're in the core books!"

 

[Morrus]

You'll likely disagree, but it seems like you are splitting hairs.

Yes, you are correct in that the PHB and DMG don't have maps and references to a specific generic setting (like Nentir Vale), but if all the modules and other print materials produced are for a specific setting, to say there is no default setting may be technically correct, but still a cop out.

There is the baked-in assumption that every game incorporating Phandalin (Starter Set), HotDQ, RoT, D&D AL scenarios and Elemental Evil are all in the Realms. Everything is Realms-specific rather than generic such that it could be dropped into any setting, homebrew or otherwise.

I'm not saying this is "wrong" per se, but they should just own it rather than playing coy. Forgotten Realms is the defacto setting because that's where all of the cross-media sales opportunities are -- Neverwinter MMO, novels, Drizzt bobbleheads, etc.

Sure, there are rumors that "something" is coming in 2016 that may not be the Realms... but 2016 is a long way off. If it's a GenCon 2016 release, that's over 18 months out.

So... If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

If you like. You're not exactly known for positivity. I feel differently about things to you; I find relentless negativity hard to read.

 

[MartyW]

If you like. You're not exactly known for positivity. I feel differently about things to you; I find relentless negativity hard to read.

To the contrary, I'm quite a positive person. But I don't hesitate to call a spade a spade, and frankness makes people uncomfortable... but it also turns page views.

 

[Morrus]

but it also turns page views.

I figured.

 

[OpsKT]

Don't listen WotC, stick to your plans! The surveys told the truth, bloat is bad. The hardcore & the amateur press want monthly releases, but the hobbyists just want a healthy game!

Indeed! If I wanted to fight thru almost 2000 Feats, I'd play Pathfinder. There is a reason my #1 game is Savage Worlds, rules light, and this edition of D&D feels the most like that.

 

[Staffan]

You know, if we didn't advance timelines (or supported multiple timelines), how much crunch in each campaign setting book would there be to convert for 5e? Could they take the old Greyhawk boxed set, convert anything that needed converting, then publish it as the 5e update for Greyhawk, probably as a pdf? What about Eberron? Or even earlier timelines (i.e., earlier editions) of the Realms?

No idea about Greyhawk.

Forgotten Realms, in 3e at least, had a lot of setting-specific crunch (I remarked in a thread around here somewhere how about 25% of Unapproachable East, which was supposedly a book covering particular regions, consisted of player options and monsters). Some of that, e.g. certain subraces, has been brought into the core rules, and much of the other stuff is IMO too "fiddly" for 5e ("I'm a Dalelands half-elf, so I can take the Artistic feat which gives me +2 on Perform and some Craft checks.")

Eberron, on the other hand, has plenty of different setting-based crunch. New races (shifters, warforged, changelings, kalashtar) and new spins on the old ones, Dragonmarks, druidic traditions, barbarian totems, psionics (not exactly setting-based, but important to parts of the setting).

In many ways, FR crunch served mainly to add depth and nuance to the setting. A human fighter from Waterdeep has mechanical differences compared to a human fighter from Cormyr or Mulhorand. Eberron's crunch, on the other hand, added new crunch to the game. There's no mechanical difference between a human fighter from Sharn and a human fighter from the Lhazaar principalities, at the other end of the continent.

 

[lvl20dm]

We do have the possibility that the Adventurer's League will stick to Forgotten Realms, even when a non-realms setting specific adventure or book is released. As an example, maybe they introduce Psionics alongside a Dark Sun module (or boxed set, or whatever). The Adventurer's League then has a series of adventures incorporating Psionics (through a mindflayer plot, perhaps) that's still set in the Realms.

 

[Trickster Spirit]

You'll likely disagree, but it seems like you are splitting hairs.

Yes, you are correct in that the PHB and DMG don't have maps and references to a specific generic setting (like Nentir Vale), but if all the modules and other print materials produced are for a specific setting, to say there is no default setting may be technically correct, but still a cop out.

There is the baked-in assumption that every game incorporating Phandalin (Starter Set), HotDQ, RoT, D&D AL scenarios and Elemental Evil are all in the Realms. Everything is Realms-specific rather than generic such that it could be dropped into any setting, homebrew or otherwise.

I'm not saying this is "wrong" per se, but they should just own it rather than playing coy. Forgotten Realms is the defacto setting because that's where all of the cross-media sales opportunities are -- Neverwinter MMO, novels, Drizzt bobbleheads, etc.

Sure, there are rumors that "something" is coming in 2016 that may not be the Realms... but 2016 is a long way off. If it's a GenCon 2016 release, that's over 18 months out.

So... If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

They've release a grand total of two campaigns so far. Both have been set in the Forgotten Realms, but so what? We don't know if the fall 2015 campaign will be set in the Forgotten Realms or not. We do know that WotC have repeatedly stated that FR is not the default setting. The core books reference all the classic settings, not just FR, and odds are that we'll be seeing products set in other campaign settings down the line. Did you really expect them to announce a Greyhawk sourcebook a month after the DMG just came out?

 

[lvl20dm]

I'm excited for the warforged, but I suspect they won't work completely the way I'd like. Which is fine - if I use them I can just implement a house-rule. I like the idea of them being immune to poison and disease, not having to make death saves, and so on, but also not being healed by spells like cure wounds.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Warforged is going to be a big test for how well they can adapt 3e and 4e stuff that was a bit odd...

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Speaking of the Warforged and Kender, I'm not surprised they are in the first article. I was expecting either that or maybe Battlesystem. Personally, while I do want the rules for those races, it's pretty low on the priority list for me. I'm guessing they will put out material in the articles based on perceived popularity/demand more than on concept completion. (By concept completion, I mean more along the lines of putting out the expanded modules for mimicking the feel of earlier editions--which is necessary to complete what we given to expect from 5e.) But at least it gives me a bit of info to help my future guesses on what will come out in the articles.