Ruin Explorer
Legend
So as the title says, what are the previous-edition (including OD&D, RC D&D, etc.) settings, classes, races, items, and so on that you think we definitely won't see in 5E, and if you like, why? Non-serious answers are entirely acceptable, but I am interested to hear the serious ones too!
Personally:
Settings:
Dragonlance - It's too generic, I think.
Taladas - It's too specific, ironically given it's also on Krynn. Just not many people down for it's weird mix of sort of 800AD Eurasia, wonderful fantasy lands like the Sea of Glass, and sort of Pacific Islands stuff.
Dark Sun - I think it doesn't fit the unspoken 5E requirement that essentially all 5E material is potentially usable there, especially core stuff. DS rejects and replaces core races/subraces as a key element of setting identity, and classes to some extent too, as well as having Defiling/Preserving. On top of all this you need Psionics, and 5E's designers seem to be finding Psionics extremely challenging (bizarrely, given WotC did fine in 3E and 4E with them).
Planescape - We might well see Sigil as a chapter in a Manual of the Planes, but I think that'll be it.
Classes:
Warlord - Battlemaster took some of it's stuff, and whilst I think plenty of people would happily play it, there are enough people who loudly hate it that it doesn't have a Paladin's chance in hell.
Psion/Psionicist - Six years and the closest thing to a working class for this was the Mystic. I don't think we'll see this make it within 5E.
Warden - Too wacky, too 4E. Only way it gets in is as a weird Druid subclass (which will probably be mechanically inferior to a Moon Druid anyway).
Invoker - Yeah you forgot about that one didn't you?! With good reason!
Races:
Bariaur - RIP extremely-sexually-dimorphic goat people. You were too beautiful for this world. Or possibly too hairy.
Daeva - I'm kind of still surprised they didn't just convert Aasimar into these and go with it, but, they didn't, and this wacky, awesome race is probably gone forever or until I bother to put one together on D&D Beyond.
Items/Weapons:
Fullblade - No-one misses you buddy. Well except one of my players, but it's very hard to come up with anything that's mechanically superior to a Greatsword but not actually OP so you can stay away.
Spiked Chain - Please tell me this didn't sneak back in somewhere!
Personally:
Settings:
Dragonlance - It's too generic, I think.
Taladas - It's too specific, ironically given it's also on Krynn. Just not many people down for it's weird mix of sort of 800AD Eurasia, wonderful fantasy lands like the Sea of Glass, and sort of Pacific Islands stuff.
Dark Sun - I think it doesn't fit the unspoken 5E requirement that essentially all 5E material is potentially usable there, especially core stuff. DS rejects and replaces core races/subraces as a key element of setting identity, and classes to some extent too, as well as having Defiling/Preserving. On top of all this you need Psionics, and 5E's designers seem to be finding Psionics extremely challenging (bizarrely, given WotC did fine in 3E and 4E with them).
Planescape - We might well see Sigil as a chapter in a Manual of the Planes, but I think that'll be it.
Classes:
Warlord - Battlemaster took some of it's stuff, and whilst I think plenty of people would happily play it, there are enough people who loudly hate it that it doesn't have a Paladin's chance in hell.
Psion/Psionicist - Six years and the closest thing to a working class for this was the Mystic. I don't think we'll see this make it within 5E.
Warden - Too wacky, too 4E. Only way it gets in is as a weird Druid subclass (which will probably be mechanically inferior to a Moon Druid anyway).
Invoker - Yeah you forgot about that one didn't you?! With good reason!
Races:
Bariaur - RIP extremely-sexually-dimorphic goat people. You were too beautiful for this world. Or possibly too hairy.
Daeva - I'm kind of still surprised they didn't just convert Aasimar into these and go with it, but, they didn't, and this wacky, awesome race is probably gone forever or until I bother to put one together on D&D Beyond.
Items/Weapons:
Fullblade - No-one misses you buddy. Well except one of my players, but it's very hard to come up with anything that's mechanically superior to a Greatsword but not actually OP so you can stay away.
Spiked Chain - Please tell me this didn't sneak back in somewhere!