Proposed settings and themes for D&D 5e game, April 2020 -Ā
The settings I am currently interested in running are Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Ravenloft, Dark Sun, Spelljammer and Planescape. The focus and basic themes of each are:Ā
Forgotten Realms - This setting is classic D&D, the realm of Elminster and Drizzt Do'Urden, of Cormyr and Shadowdale and the Underdark, of Mystara and Llolth. If I were to hold a game here Iād probably sim for some time in the relative past of the setting, around the time of 2nd edition when there was extremely well-developed settings information. Iām totally open to the cultural background of the game, but Iād probably sim for classically heroic themes of tackling an evil conspiracy. Quick ideas are trying to run down murderous plots in Waterdeep and stopping an invasion in a border region, but Iām open to things like delving into ancient ruins or classic dungeon crawls if thatās what people want.Ā
Dragonlance - Drama and romance, more than simple high fantasy, are what characterize Dragonlance. It is larger-than-larger-than-life, where Forgotten Realms is about swords and horses Dragonlance is about riding silver dragons into battle and rescuing innocents from harm. Even when itās grounded it is more evocative and emotional than most high fantasy - if it were a painting it would be more Monet than Audubon, more impressionistic than hyper-realistic. If I were to run a game in this setting Iād want to lean into that, focusing on rescuing innocents, upholding codes of honor, uprooting corrupting in ancient orders, and toppling ancient evils. This would also be set around the 2nd edition time line, since thatās what I best know and the myriad conflicts provide plenty of raw fodder for a campaign.Ā
Ravenloft - This setting is very different from the prior two. Again, going by the version circa 2nd edition, Ravenloft is a shard realm where unseen Dark Powers have decided to create a menagerie of the worst and most terrifying figures from across the D&D universe, and give each of them a bit of land to play out their dark melodramas, tragedies, mysteries and/or slasher flicks in. That means that there are figures that emulate Dracula, Dr. Moreau, Frankenstein, Lord Soth (think a medieval-era Darth Vader), evil warlords, dark wizards, etc etc⦠all mixed with things like the Phantom of the Opera, almost Addams Family-adjacent stuff and other Goth Memorabilia. If I were to run a game here Iād lean on all of that, frankly, because Iām interested in the horror elements of it as well as the goth fantasy elements of it. My original plan for a campaign here was MUCH more hypnokinky, but without a ton of setup and buy-in Iād not implement those parts as much. It would ultimately be about dealing with corruption and insanity and questioning reality, while at the same time trying to uncover the monsters in your midst.Ā
Dark Sun - Again, very different from the prior three (this is going to become a theme). This time we are in a low-fantasy (and yet very high fantasy in ways weāll explore) desert world, post-apocalyptic setting. The climate catastrophe caused by the unrestricted use of destructive magic brought about the state the world is in, and ultra-powerful Sorcerer-Kings are now fighting over the remaining pools of water and arable land. The plot here is figuring out how to survive, and also solving the mysteries of the world to get to the almost Forgotten Realms-level high fantasy mysteries that are at the heart of everything. It starts off very, very grounded - āwhere am I going to get my next drink of water?ā - but winds up being very epic - ālets bring the gods back to the world and usher in an age of plenty.ā A campaign here COULD be very long, but thatās not what Iām planning. If I were running a game here Iād want a very defined goal, and keep the campaign restricted to that goal only. It would pull together the many unique and unexpected elements of the world - absence of deific priests, elves as untrustworthy desert dwellers, half-dwarves as an enslaved population, etc - and weave a story through them to take everyone on a brief tour of what itās like to live in a desolate land, and then the sweet taste of victory as you manage to survive another day.Ā
Spelljammer - If at this point I said this was very different from the foregoing, would you be surprised? Well, it is. Basically, Spelljammer asks āWhat if we did swashbuckling pirates in big galleons⦠but in space?ā Itās a fun, wacky setting that doesnāt take itself altogether seriously, but has nevertheless given us some of the best antagonists in Dungeon & Dragons history. Youāve got mindflayer pirates, neogi pirates, beholder pirates, crews of lizard men or goblin space-junkers or sentient asteroids⦠and basically no over-arching theme besides āitās pirates, dudeā tying it all together. Youād think that incoherence would keep it from being very deep⦠and youād mostly be right⦠but damnit if itās not super fun despite all that. If I were to run a game here, Iād take some from Star Wars, some from Pirates of the Carribbean, some from Warhammer 40K, and meet somewhere in the middle with a cutlass and a smirk. Or, thatās the notion.
Planescape - Nope, not gonna say it. You know what Iām not saying, and itās true, but Iām not gonna say it. Anyway, Planescape basically answers the question āwhat if London (renamed Sigil) were an inter-dimensional hub of trade and commerce that welcomed every sentient species imaginable and stuffed them all into a chaotic, cramped, haphazard faux-Steampunk fantasy space with mild BDSM overtones?ā You might not have ever thought to ask, or answer, that question⦠but clearly someone (or several someones) at TSR did. Thatās basically what Planescape is, and it can be a ton of fun. The big difference between it and the others is that Planescape is by design a 95% urban setting, with occasional field trips to the bizarre realms that lay beyond the many portals in the city. If I were to run a game there Iād keep that fundamental balance, with the game mostly focused on urban mysteries and only occasionally diverting to do something in a far-flung locale.Ā
Anything in there interest you folks? Respond, Reblog or DM me about it!