D&D 5E (2014) What would you want for a *new* 5E campaign world?

[Gilladian]

Lol@abdulalhazred. Dinosaurs FTW!

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

That is a very good premise that is surprisingly rarely used (correctly). The whole "you make the myths people will believe in the future" is a strong trope, and putting the setting in this ancient era lets you do some really weird and unusual stuff. Probably drop an ominous prophecy that the world is gonna turn more bland with time (resetting back to boring old humans and orcs), but just the fact you're all the way back there in time, you can have everything and anything INCLUDING anachronistic technology - because how many time do we hear Atlantis was supposed to have some kind of ancient computers?

It is a tricky one, and I like the Atlantis ref, I'll have to use that some day (I keep saying I'm going to run this sort of game, lol).

 

[Aeolius]

I don't want a new campaign world, I want more tools and better reinforcement for my own campaign world.

This. The first rule books should be a DMG, PH, MM, and World Builders Guide.Support for custom monsters, magics, and house rules should be a given from day 1.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

I dunno. The core books of every edition are festooned with info on building worlds. I'm not saying 5e can't have one too, but it seems fairly low priority, especially when things like the 1e DMG on being sold in PDF already.

 

[Aeolius]

...because how many time do we hear Atlantis was supposed to have some kind of ancient computers?

Behold, the Antikythera Mechanism

 

[Jester David]

I think I'd like them to expand and work on the many, many existing worlds first. If we're getting new books we should get Greyhawk and Mystara and Birthright first.
I only want a new campaign setting if it's tied to Organized Play, where its newness is a benefit as it allows fans to expand the world.

 

[Oligopsony]

I don't really have any positive requests - I really love the Sword & Planet suggestion, and there are tropes that I tend to go back to in my own world-doodles, but there's an infinite number of world premises that a determined person could do well. Rather, what I would want is (1) a strong authorial vision, (2) exclusion (in the sense that not everything makes sense in the world), and (3) in-setting conflicts that are ambiguous and compelling enough to inspire flamewars.

There's nothing wrong with settings like Greyhawk/Forgotten Realms/Golarion, but neither is there much more point in another one than there would be in "Dark Sun with the serial numbers filed off." Instead, entice me with something as distinct as Dark Sun is.

 

[odinfellhammer]

I would like a World of Greyhawk boxed set like treatment for any campaign setting. This set had poster maps, Detailed cultures, unique fauna, calender and much more.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Just thought of something to add. I want a 365 day calendar with 12 months and fourish weeks to the month. Or something very similar. Anything fancy-schmansy may look great, but I'll never use it because I'd have to stop and think about it every time I tried to. I'll take the Bloody Obvious for $500 Alex. (Yes, I've tried to use special calendars in the past, and it never worked.)

 

[Kalontas]

Behold, the Antikythera Mechanism

I reckon the Antikythera Mechanism is actually the prime inspiration behind all the "Atlantis had computers" stories.

The problem with a young world or "we are first" trope is that there are many fewer adventures. No dungeons, no ruins, no ancient rivalries or enmities. And in politics, how can you have a war over resources when one group can simply go elsewhere and find a new place?

The whole point of a young world is to break with those tropes - or should I say cliches - of RPGs. No dungeons? You're the ones killing the guy who constructed it, so you're the reason the dungeon stands. No ruins? How about making ruins by destroying an evil kingdom? And ancient enmities are overrated - if prejudices didn't have time to form yet, everybody can look at each other for what they are personally, not what their face looks like.