Dave certainly tried to frighten us with the haunting image of a live-action Monopoly movie on his poll last week, but it looks like you are even more scared by the concept of a serious Yahtzee movie. Checkers came in at a close second place, with Scrabble in further behind at third scariest game-to-movie adaptation. Monopoly actually came out tied for the lowest numbers with the “other” option, which is surprising because it is probably the movie from our poll that is closest to becoming a reality. I suppose we have all accepted the inevitable, or maybe Yahtzee is just THAT scary.
This week what I’d like to ask everyone relates back to Dave’s Friday post about Wizard’s December playtest articles, where he noticed the Mercykiller listed and mentioned his favorite D&D campaign setting Planescape. While it’s fairly common knowledge that Wizards is publishing the Eberron setting for 4th Edition in spring of 2009, I believe there have been no announcements as to which settings may follow. At GenCon Dave and I attended a panel with most of the D&D developers and almost every single one of them listed Dark Sun as the next setting they’d like to see. This brings me to our Inquisition of the Week:
[poll id=”103″]
Clearly we can’t include every D&D campaign setting or the poll would become insanely long, so if your favorite has been left out please let us know which one you’d like to see in the comments.
My longest running game was Dark Sun inspired and I have to say that it offers a lot. The Sorcerer Kings have a very unique flavor both in their background and the types of magic they use (combining magic and psionics for a new more powerful force) and the setting is uniquely dystopian. The notion of magic scarring the landscape around it also changes the usual view of wizardry in great ways.
Bring it on.
Nice to include Kingdoms of Kalamar in this list. The thing that’s already out from Kenzer might at first sight look like Kalamar 4e but just one look at the npc list shows it’s just 3.x with badly filed off serial numbers and a new paintjob to make it look like 4e.
Not that it matters to me anyway. The Kalamar adventures I played in 3.x turned me off Kalamar (or at least off the published adventures)
My vote is for Mystara. This way I wouldn’t have to do it myself.
I’d absolutely adore an official 4e Birthright Campaign setting. Alongside Dark Sun it’s one of the most original settings ever released for D&D, and I reckon it would suit 4e’s game design philosophies down to a tee.
greywulf´s last post: Character du Your: Over to you
Selganor: I removed it, both because of the fact there is some kind of conversion already done, and it’s not a WotC setting.
Mystara I’d want as long as there were rules included for RED STEEL!
But surprising no one, I voted for Planescape. While some would argue the change in cosmology works against Planescape, if there’s any setting that could easily altered, it’s the “nothing is true” philosophy behind Planescape. Plus no more wonkiness like “portal to the positive energy plane, where you regain HP until you explode”, but plenty of places to explore.
Voted for Planescape, but with the new cosmology, I’m less than enthusiastic.
@TheMainEvent: I knew you’d say Dark Sun, because when you ran your game it was probably one of the only official campaign settings we ever really played in. I definitely enjoy the dystopian aspect, but I don’t so much enjoy dying every adventure and making a new PC every time. 😀
@Zac: Isn’t that one of the whole points of new campaign settings, to use different / new cosmologies? Either way, I have high hopes like Dave that a 4E Planescape could be quite interesting.
I voted for Ravenloft, because it’s always been the setting that most excites me. Dark Sun and Planescape would probably be in a close second.
I voted Planescape. I’d like to see what they do with it given the new cosmology.
I would have voted for Mystara, but the question specifically asked for which one we’d like to see “next” and I don’t think that after FR and Eberron any of the more traditional fantasy settings would be a good thing to run to next. Eventually I’d like to see a Mystara revamp (one that includes the Savage Coast setting of Red Steel as well as the Known World and what’s left of Alphatia), but not right after Eberron. Something a bit different is needed, so any of Planescape, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, or Spelljammer might fit the bill and my natural bias is towards Planescape.
I voted Birthright, because much as I still love Planescape (play in a bi-weekly game of it still in 2nd Ed) the new cosmology lowers my hopes. And Birthright would be an excellent conversion for the game, either offering new or more powers.
Planescape! I would love some Planescape!
Spelljammer. I want more goofy space beholders, and I want an excuse to dick around as an Abh from Crest of the Stars. Space elves filled with racial superiority? Hell yeah.
Wyatt´s last post: Paizo Watch: Prestige Classes, Ice Is Still Cold
I would love to see someone finally do Greyhawk some justice. Would be a nice move, marketing wise, too, with the resurgence of all things old school right now.
I voted Planescape, because that is a gem long overdue for reprint. However, I have to add in that Ravenloft is also a favorite, as are Mystara and Birthright. Hell, any of them would be awesome.
The Pretentious Fool´s last post: Scream Queens
It’s pretty weird that they keep saying they love Dark Sun since that setting would require the most new material in terms of races and classes – in fact, it would necessitate a complete overhaul. Which would, of course, be really cool, but heaven forbid the freaking “Eladrin” start showing up on Athas.
@Capyboppy If they did, the halflings would eat them. So I wouldn’t worry.
greywulf´s last post: Twi’lek Warrior Woman
Doesn’t anyone make their own settings anymore? We have our own world, our own pantheon, and our own legends.
Avaril´s last post: Twilight: My Version
When it comes to making me own setting, I usually take a relatively generic setting and stack the effects of campaign after campaign on top of one another…
EXAMPLE: The nation of Sorsil has had the same human king for the past 600 years…sort of…he is actually a long series of dopplegangers who have usurped the throne one after another…
This fact is common knowledge in the nation of Sorsil, but every now and again a traveller will encounter a mad beggar who shouts, “The king is one guy!”…
pfft…crazy hobos…
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@Capyboppy: We can infer then that the Wizards crew is eager to do a LOT of work on a setting, or at least we hope so! 😀
@Avaril: I believe a lot of people play in their own, home-made settings. Dave and I are running in a home brew setting right now, and I asked around to a few friends yesterday morning before posting this Inquisition which campaign settings were, and most of them mentioned custom settings first. Nonetheless, I believe people tend to take an existing setting and modify it rather than creating their own entire world/cosmology from scratch. In that case I’d say your group is probably more a rarity than you think.
@Rev. Mike: I really love the idea of stacking campaigns onto a minimal setting to create a history and unique feel to a setting!
Truth be told, I would LOVE to see the 4E engine take on star frontiers. There aren’t enough “good” sci-fi games out there. I think 4E d20 future would redefine awesome.
In lieu of that, would have to go with either spelljammer or Dark Sun. Both were big when I first started gaming, and both had that great tossed-on-it’s-hat feeling when you played them.
Donny_the_DM´s last post: How a SWEET Science fiction Quotable fueled my Fantasy game.
The comment has been made a few times that people are unsure about Planescape with the new cosmology.
Why is this?
If anything, is seems to me like the new cosmology would be better for a Planescape game than the old one.
Can anyone explain this to me?
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I also vote Planescape, although I detest 4e it may be enough to get me back into my group…but not likely. I also downloaded the ‘Official’ 3.5 Planescape setting from Planewalker.com and the Kinko’s price to print up all 750 pages double-sided with 3-ring binder holes punched is still under $60, a little late but I thought some may want to know seeing the apparent interest in Planescape.
Give us Dark Sun! Hopefully they will attempt to put out the campaign settings fairly quickly. If you’re preferred setting is down on the list and not due out till 2012, that would suck.
Samuel Van Der Wall´s last post: Themed Adventures
@Bartoneus – I guess we’re somewhat of a rarity also because we’re a group that’s been together for >12 years. We have history buffs, wargamers, a screenwriter, teachers, a literature major, a computer programmer, and a martial arts expert to draw from in creating our world.
If you want an idea of how far we’ve gone, check out http://the5kingdoms.com/wiki
Eberron
I doubt it will be Planescape. They already published a 4E manual of the planes that can handle some of the Planescape genre. It has a bunch of pages on Sigil even.
I voted Dark Sun, and the fact that they are reprinting the Dark Sun novels may be a good hint at things to come.
Time will tell I suppose. Although Birthright would totally rock as well.