D&D (2024) What Should A New Core Setting Look Like?

[Micah Sweet]

Well, they said they are, first of all. Also, I don't see the downside. They have a whole "multiverse" to play with. Why should they continue to rehash the same 5 settings that were created no less than 20 years ago, and most of which are closer to 30 years old (and according to Ben Riggs' data, didn't generally sell especially well in the first place).

When did WotC say they were making a new setting?

 

[Umbran]

Because it's better than forcing the old ones to conform.

That's not the only other option.

 

[Micah Sweet]

With Faerun, Greyhawk, Dragonlance, and Wildemount as four relatively standard fantasy worlds already available, and the other settings covering many of the other genres (Eberron and magitech, Dark Sun and post-apoc, Theros and ancient greek, Ravenloft and gothic horror, Strixhaven and potter-esque, Spelljammer and space/scifi, Planescape and world-hopping, Ravnica and urban sprawl, etc.)... a completely new setting would have a harder time justifying its own existence and reason for the team to spend money and time to make it.

Is there something missing in the four standard fantasy worlds that a completely new setting would be needed to fill in? I can't think of any off-hand. And if it's going to be a different genre (and thus less popular and less requested by players)... by reinvigorating old material already done before or by adapting material and story bibles from Magic: The Gathering settings already written and had art made... a lot of time, money and design has already been spent and thus the product can be made cheaper and faster (and thus won't cause as much of an issue if it turns out not to be universally purchased.)

So I'm not sure what can be gained by making an entirely new setting and world that is worth spending the time and money on to design-- other than giving veteran players something "new" to have. But then again... those veteran players can just go searching through the hundreds of settings already made by other Third Party designers if they need something new. There's an entire thread that lists all the different settings you can pick up right now for 5E.

Does WotC have access to Wildemount?

 

[Micah Sweet]

That's not the only other option.

Awesome! What's option 3?

 

[DEFCON 1]

Does WotC have access to Wildemount?

Not per se, but it's there and published for people to use... thereby reducing the need for WotC to create an entirely new standard fantasy setting.

 

[Yaarel]

A "default" setting needs to be a fantasy world. Not Forgotten Realms (but I have little to no hope they wouldn't just keep up the branding and marketing for FR that they've steeped so many years into).

Exactly, the D&D movie, Honor among Thieves, guarantees Forgotten Realms is the default setting for 5e 2024.

There is no chance of any other setting.

But the core rules need to be useful for diverse official settings − and especially useful while actively encouraging DMs to worldbuild their own setting for the players at a particular table.

Exandria is a distinct possibility. And would appeal to a modern player base sensibility, I would expect.

Probably, the 2024 version of Forgotten Realms will incorporate inspiration from Exandria.

I, personally, would rather something more "generic fantasy."

This where the distinction between "core rules" and "default setting" comes in. The rules themselves need to be generic, setting-neutral.

A setting guide as a separate book, such as for Exandria, can go into more exacting detail to finetune mechanical rules for specific setting concepts. Classes in a specific setting can refer to specific in-world institutions.

More "Good vs. Evil" based. A forces of Good and forces of Evil being tangible, known. Have their godly entities, their in world champions, their kingdoms/despots/would-be world conquerors, and their enslaved/ensorcelled/or just plain made BAD adherrants/soldiers/minions.

At least for me, the 2014 alignment system, where it is a biographical narrative and never a mechanic, is working well enough.

I am uncomfortable with "gods" but comfortable with "celestials", that are angellike immortals that personify various flavors. These celestials have nothing to do with animism. But the celestials and fiends are interesting to explore the "Jungian archetypes" of the Astral Plane.

As someone said, "known places where evil comes from."

I avidly disagree with the "modern game culture" sentiment of "no inherently evil humanoid races." That's just ridiculous. The game requires cannon fodder. You're never going to make Level 2 worrying about if every kobold/bugbear/troll you encounter is another one of those "special individual" type monsters, with a soul and a conscience and a free will to choose goodness. Another chance to rehabilitate some creature looking to flay your flesh from your bones, burn your farms and homes, and bathe in their blood... if you could just give them a kind word and maybe a little food. Just show them how there's "a better way"....and you'll have a friend forever.

Every group of adversaries or plot a party encounters doesn't need to incorporate a half dozen different species just to make everyone "feel good" and pretend "not all goblins (orcs/drow/what have you) are evil." Every species has its enlightened singularities who are balking their evil society/system (or just saving their own skins) and gonna show you how everyone (ergo, noone) is special.

I have no interest in a game where the only things to worry about are beasts, goo's and blobs, or full out "aberrations." So we/players don't need to feel "bad" about slaying "humanoid" make believe monsters.

Because every humanoid "race" relates to reallife ethnicities, directly and indirectly, to demonize a Humanoid species inevitably runs afoul.

I am comfortable with certain "factions" supplying the canon fodder. Not every Orc, but the members of a certain Cult of Gruumsh can be "typically" Evil. Same goes for certain Human factions, like a fantasy version of a drug cartel or other tyranny can be "typically" Evil.

Magic needs to be well thought out, with areas of more or less readily available magicality. What might be a "common household item" in one region seems a remarkable magical treasure in another. The differences between studied sorcery, god-granted divine magic, natural primordial/elemental energies, demon-/fae-/dragon-pacted occult powers, and innate psychic abilities all need be represented and differentiated within the world to supply more flavor (and hopefully mechanical support) to make the various casters all "feel" (and play) differently within the setting.

Good point about different cultures having different access to technology, as well as developing alternate kinds of technology.

ummmm...what else....Whatever the default setting, keep your technology OUT of my fantasy. Firearms, clockwork, steampunk, whatever... If there are "machines," or "factories" or "air ships," "mass transit," etc... it should be based on magic or the use of fantastical creatures. Make "tech" a supplement/add on for the game type of thing. Not a default setting thing. ...OR as in my homebrew, things that are from lost/forgotten/layered upon civilizations that no longer exist, "indistinguishable from magic."

For core rules, there is less difference between a Fireball and a grenade.

Each setting flavor determines the feel.

The default setting − Forgotten Realms − is medievalesque. It tends to be historical medieval, or comparable to it. Its advanced technology is magitech.

However, its social structures tend to be modern, such as gender egalitarianism. Cities that include diverse ethnicities from around the planet tend to be the typical gaming experience, even tho there are more isolated regions that feature a specific ethnicity.

 

[Reynard]

When did WotC say they were making a new setting?

They announced 2 original, not MtG settings a couple years ago. Some people think Radiant Citadel was one in the end. We know the new DMG includes a setting as a way to teach GMs how to create a campaign setting, but we don't know what it is. It may be an existing setting or something new.

 

[Yaarel]

They announced 2 original, not MtG settings a couple years ago. Some people think Radiant Citadel was one in the end. We know the new DMG includes a setting as a way to teach GMs how to create a campaign setting, but we don't know what it is. It may be an existing setting or something new.

Ah.

Creating a new official setting is different from creating a new default setting. I assume the default remains Forgotten Realms, albeit a 2024 version of it.


I view Radiant Citadel as part of Forgotten Realms − but I also view Planescape and Spelljammer as such. These are different regions in the Forgotten Realms setting.


I suspect the mystery setting in the 2024 DMs Guide will be Greyhawk. Hopefully it features Blackmoor and Greyhawk City as local regional settings.


As far as I can tell, we havent seen actual new settings yet.

 

[Reynard]

I view Radiant Citadel as part of Forgotten Realms − but I also view Planescape and Spelljammer as such. These are different regions in the Forgotten Realms setting.

That feels like quite a stretch of the definition of both "setting" and "The Forgotten Realms."

I suspect the mystery setting in the 2024 DMs Guide will be Greyhawk.

People say this. I don't see it.

As far as I can tell, we havent seen actual new settings yet.

Like I said, some folks believe Radiant Citadel was one of the settings.

it is also possible that they both got cut in the end and WotC will do the safest, boringest thing and just stick with FR forever.

 

[Umbran]

I avidly disagree with the "modern game culture" sentiment of "no inherently evil humanoid races." That's just ridiculous. The game requires cannon fodder.

Cannon fodder is made up of low value units that the commander does not feel concern about expending. The game does not need that status defined by race. That status can be defined by allegiances or behaviors.

Kill that bunch of humanoids because they wear the livery of the Evil Overlord, or because they've been seen raiding local villages and outposts, not "because they are orcs".