D&D 5E (2024) WotC Should Make 5.5E Specific Setting

[Maxperson]

3E was the first edition to have detailed magic item crafting rules in the core book. "Crafting" in TSR editions was essentially all GM fiat, what with having the capture the breath of a falling star or the sound of a distant moon or whatever.

Enchant an Item and Permanency are literally 1e PHB spells explicitly for the creation of magic items. The 1e DMG doesn't say it requires the breath of a falling star and the like to make magic items. This is what it says.

"With respect to the former, you must determine which spells and ingredients are necessary to the manufacture of each specific magic item. For example, a player character wizard of 15th level desires to make a ring of spell storing. He or she commissions a platinumsmith to fashion a ring of the finest quality, and pays 5,000 g.p. for materials and labor. He or she then casts the enchant an item spell according to the PLAYERS HANDBOOK instructions. As DM, you now inform him or her that in order to contain and accept the spells he or she desires to store in the device, a scroll bearing the desired spells must be scribed, then a permanency spell cast upon the scroll, then the scroll must be merged with the ring by some means (typically a wish spell). As all of that could not be done in time, the ring would have to be prepared with the enchant an item spell again. Of course, you could tell the player before, if you are soft-hearted or he or she is intelligent enough to ask before starting the ball rolling."

So, you need to know the spells, just like with 3e. Then you need to have the finest materials to use, just like 3e. And then you need to spend the money and time, just like 3e.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I see two big problems with settings, one is that most people here do not really need them they have solved the setting issue and a new setting has to attract their attention by offering something new and be something they have the time to read and use. If one has a number of settings sitting on a shelf then each new setting is less attractive.
Then there is the problem from the publisher perspective, each new setting, dilutes all the other existing ones, making any particular one less attractive.

 

[Maxperson]

Because only adventurers would need to switch that often.

Actually it's the opposite. Only adventurers would be time pressed to the point where the hour might be problematic. Non-adventurers could have many useful magic items that they switch about as needed.

A noble who does not primarily use a shield would not carry around an unattuned Shield

A noble could afford a dozen magic shields of various types, attuning to a new one every day to flaunt wealth, power and personal whim.

 

[Minigiant]

I see two big problems with settings, one is that most people here do not really need them they have solved the setting issue and a new setting has to attract their attention by offering something new and be something they have the time to read and use. If one has a number of settings sitting on a shelf then each new setting is less attractive.
Then there is the problem from the publisher perspective, each new setting, dilutes all the other existing ones, making any particular one less attractive.

Supporting additional settings for sale is smart.

Actively supporting additional setting lines is stupid.

 

[Minigiant]

Actually it's the opposite. Only adventurers would be time pressed to the point where the hour might be problematic. Non-adventurers could have many useful magic items that they switch about as needed

Not at the cost and potential gain from sale that these items would be. The majority of people would not just hold these items.

It's like simply having a $2 million sword in your living room. Most people won't keep it.

A noble could afford a dozen magic shields of various types, attuning to a new one every day to flaunt wealth, power and personal whim.

They could but they would more likely sell adventure items and trade them for specific civilian items.

Our billionaires don't collect tanks

 

[Remathilis]

It is a pretty fluid system thwt can adapt to multiple Settigns: it doesn't cause much friction with diverse Settings.

I think what it comes down to is what we are calling the system. You can take the base mechanics of 5.x (d20 vs TN, advantage/disadvantage, proficiency bonus, etc) and build all sorts of games with it it. One Ring and Doctors & Daleks proves that. But you can't take the 5e Players Handbook and say "we're going to play Harry Potter or Game of Thrones with this". Your still going to get halflings and paladins and Vancian magic. Not you can take that PHB, strip out the magic system and replace the classes and species and add gritty resting or modernistic skills to the game, but your no longer playing Dungeons and Dragons , your playing a 5e compatible d20 game.

Which is why I say D&D is really only good at modeling D&D (in a variety of flavors), because the Core Rulebooks have never been about building different types of fantasy RPGs, just tweaking the core expectations a little. You need to utterly rebuild the system to do anything other than play D&D with horror/pulp/s&s/in space influences.

 

[Maxperson]

Not at the cost and potential gain from sale that these items would be. The majority of people would not just hold these items.

It's like simply having a $2 million sword in your living room. Most people won't keep it.

Um, the game goes out of its way to say that magic item sales are very rare and that few can afford them. The vast majority of those few would be nobles.

They could but they would more likely sell adventure items and trade them for specific civilian items.

Our billionaires don't collect tanks

I don't think you appreciate or understand the noble mindset. Magic items = works of art, not tanks. Billionaires will buy and collect several multi-million dollar paintings to keep at their house for their own personal viewing.

Nobles would view magic items, even war items, the same way. The king would have a dozen powerful swords in his vaults, even if he never picks one up. He wouldn't sell all but one.

 

[Scribe]

I am a little surprised at how new-setting averse folks here are. No wonder WotC won't ever do anything new.

Agreed. Very strange to me.

 

[Minigiant]

Um, the game goes out of its way to say that magic item sales are very rare and that few can afford them. The vast majority of those few would be nobles.

I don't think you appreciate or understand the noble mindset. Magic items = works of art, not tanks. Billionaires will buy and collect several multi-million dollar paintings to keep at their house for their own personal viewing.

Nobles would view magic items, even war items, the same way. The king would have a dozen powerful swords in his vaults, even if he never picks one up. He wouldn't sell all but one.

Well then again there would be a magic item economy as nobles would searching for and buying items.

Or creating vaults and contracting security banks to store their extra magic items.

 

[Reynard]

Enchant an Item and Permanency are literally 1e PHB spells explicitly for the creation of magic items. The 1e DMG doesn't say it requires the breath of a falling star and the like to make magic items. This is what it says.

"With respect to the former, you must determine which spells and ingredients are necessary to the manufacture of each specific magic item. For example, a player character wizard of 15th level desires to make a ring of spell storing. He or she commissions a platinumsmith to fashion a ring of the finest quality, and pays 5,000 g.p. for materials and labor. He or she then casts the enchant an item spell according to the PLAYERS HANDBOOK instructions. As DM, you now inform him or her that in order to contain and accept the spells he or she desires to store in the device, a scroll bearing the desired spells must be scribed, then a permanency spell cast upon the scroll, then the scroll must be merged with the ring by some means (typically a wish spell). As all of that could not be done in time, the ring would have to be prepared with the enchant an item spell again. Of course, you could tell the player before, if you are soft-hearted or he or she is intelligent enough to ask before starting the ball rolling."

So, you need to know the spells, just like with 3e. Then you need to have the finest materials to use, just like 3e. And then you need to spend the money and time, just like 3e.

Excuse my hyperbole. But the point remains: in AD&D, the GM determines what is needed. In 3E, the system was codified in a player facing manner.