D&D 5E What Main Themes Would You Want a New Official Setting to Focus On?

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

We recently got news that 2 completely new, non-M:tG settings are currently being worked on by Wizards of the Coast. Assuming neither of them are dropped, and both of them are completely new to D&D as a whole (not a collaborative project, like the Wildemount and Acq. Inc. books were), this could be adding some entirely new themes to the current official cast of D&D 5e settings. There is a lot that these new settings could cover, the possibilities are literally limitless, but as D&D is a fantasy game, they're almost definitely going to be tied back to the main identity of the hobby. In this thread's poll, I have included many different possible themes that could be covered by a new setting, ignoring themes that have been largely covered by already official D&D 5e settings (like no "Base D&D-type" settings, as the Forgotten Realms and Exandria are already official). Choose up to 3 of those themes that you would prefer a future official D&D setting book to focus on, and feel free to speculate, explain your reasons for the options you chose, and otherwise discuss this topic below.

(If you have any suggestions for other options to add to the poll, feel free to comment below recommending them. I put up all main unexplored themes that I could think of, but am undoubtedly missing a few possible options.)

 

[Parmandur]

I want 5E Urban Arcana, such a cool concept for a Setting.

 

[Yora]

What made me get into worldbuilding was a lack of settings that are dominated by largely unexplored wilderness with new strange creatures and magic phenomenons to be discovered.
Of course I now have my own which I am working on, but there's still very little that has been done in that regard.

 

[Mind of tempest]

I always wanted space travel aliens and crazy magic and psionics.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I believe if you want a great main theme you bring in Kenny Loggins.

Maybe the next setting's theme could be be 'Footloose', or 'I'm Alright'. I suspect 'Danger Zone' might be a little too on-the-nose.

 

[aco175]

I found that none of the concepts excited me that much. I voted water world thinking that a pirate feel with lots of islands and factions may be ok. I would not want D&D underwater though.

 

[Tonguez]

None of those are particularly interesting to me, although Im not sure what Alternate reality world is.

I’d like something that either emulates Eternia ie Masters of the Universe or promotes a more modernesque 17th Century setting - maybe focus of the Gunpowder Empires (Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal India, China) but with dragons, djinn and magic

 

[Mind of tempest]

I found that none of the concepts excited me that much. I voted water world thinking that a pirate feel with lots of islands and factions may be ok. I would not want D&D underwater though.

any idea what you do want?

 

[Bitbrain]

A new Fantasy Asia world. Probably be High Magic and World-with-Heroes, assuming it takes any inspiration from the wuxia c-dramas on Netflix and YouTube.

An Ice Age, Prehistoric world could be fun. WOTC might think it’s too much of a concept overlap with Tomb of Annihilation and Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden though.

An Urban, Futuristic world could work, but I’d rather see a Shadowrun conversion to D&D 5th edition.

Similarly, an Alternate Reality, Post-Apocalyptic world... I’d rather WOTC update Gamma World to D&D 5e. Advertise it as Dungeons & Dragons meets Fallout.

Of course, what I really want is Dark Sun 5e, so that would be a Psionics and Post-Apocalyptic world.

 

[GuyBoy]

I’d like to see a historical post-apocalypse setting, retaining the medieval fantasy aspects of D&D. For me, the ideal would be the demonic apocalypse of Jan 1st 1000, that was so feared in Europe in the run-in to the first millenium.
My other wish would be some form of modern setting, though my definition of modern would be loose enough to cover Victoriana through to the near untrue from 2021. I’m not fussed whether some form of apocalyptic war, alien invasion or supernatural event has made dramatic changes in the world we know.
My final wish ( the OP said three votes, so I’m interpreting this as three suggestions) would be Sword and Sorcery done right. This means keeping the baby of action, setting and story, but throwing out the extremely dirty bath water of prejudice, misogyny, homophobia etc.