Lots of bare-bones settings? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Lots of bare-bones settings?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
caeruleus
Mar 06, 2008 15:38:16 I've always really liked the original Greyhawk Folio of 1980, and the more recent D&D Gazetteer. While I also like the '83 Greyhawk boxed set and the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, I tend to prefer the simpler bare-bones presentation of the campaign setting. It's enough to draw one into it, without overwhelming a newcomer with lots of information.

One thing I would like to see is the publication of a large number or short (say, about 32-page) campaign setting booklets. You could use one of the settings, filling in your own details, or you could mine them for ideas for your own campaign. It could be a great way to introduce new ideas, or revisit old settings.

I'm not sure if this is something WotC would do, but I'm wondering how many people might be potentially interested in seeing something like this. I don't think big settings like the Forgotten Realms should be done this way, as there's some demand for fleshed out settings, but those of us who like to do the fleshing out ourselves on a basic skeleton might enjoy the shorter campaign booklets.

Thoughts?
#2
rozendoo
Mar 26, 2008 22:00:28 Personally, I would love that! When I have used a ready-made setting in the past i have rarely used more than a small portion of the campaign world anyway (I have a sort of fascination with microcosms), so having a "readers digest" version of the overall world, and a gazetteer-style breakdown of one or two regions would be perfect for my purposes. I think 32 pages might be a bit lean, although Mystara began as a 2 page prologue at the beginning of the Isle of Dread adventure way back when the Expert set came out and I know it saw a lot of use as a campaign world in the early days. A bare-bones setting could be made on the cheap and sold for about the same price as an adventure module, so I'm sure should be a market for them given the high price of hard-cover books these days. In fact, it makes me wonder why some third party publisher hasn't already tried it.
#3
the_ubbergeek
Mar 28, 2008 7:58:43 isn't it the point of the core PoL wordlet?
#4
caeruleus
Mar 31, 2008 14:39:41 Ubbergeek: Sure, that would be an example of what I'm talking about, except done as a separate book rather than assumed throughout the core rules. Plus, I'd like to see a variety of such settings with different assumptions in each one.
#5
the_ubbergeek
Mar 31, 2008 16:55:55 On PoL - someone will probably task himself on compilating the bones of it, one day...
#6
ace_the_dead
Apr 05, 2008 9:41:20 While I have zero interest in a fully fleshed out setting, I'm not sure that this is a good idea.

I mean, I wouldn't mind having a few of those gazettes, because even if I don't use the setting, reading them will give me ideas and allow my worldbuilding experience to grow.

But I'm not sure how much I'd be willing to spend on one though. Probably not enough for Wizards to turn much of a profit.

And Wizard's releasing products that lose them money is bad for them and their customer base.
#7
caeruleus
Apr 06, 2008 15:29:52
But I'm not sure how much I'd be willing to spend on one though. Probably not enough for Wizards to turn much of a profit.

And Wizard's releasing products that lose them money is bad for them and their customer base.

I'll leave it to WotC to do the relevant market research. I'm just saying I'd like to see this sort of thing.

But they don't need to be in separate booklets. The little campaign modules in the d20 Modern rulebooks would be great.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 caeruleus Mar 06, 2008 15:38:16	I've always really liked the original Greyhawk Folio of 1980, and the more recent D&D Gazetteer. While I also like the '83 Greyhawk boxed set and the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, I tend to prefer the simpler bare-bones presentation of the campaign setting. It's enough to draw one into it, without overwhelming a newcomer with lots of information. One thing I would like to see is the publication of a large number or short (say, about 32-page) campaign setting booklets. You could use one of the settings, filling in your own details, or you could mine them for ideas for your own campaign. It could be a great way to introduce new ideas, or revisit old settings. I'm not sure if this is something WotC would do, but I'm wondering how many people might be potentially interested in seeing something like this. I don't think big settings like the Forgotten Realms should be done this way, as there's some demand for fleshed out settings, but those of us who like to do the fleshing out ourselves on a basic skeleton might enjoy the shorter campaign booklets. Thoughts?
#2 rozendoo Mar 26, 2008 22:00:28	Personally, I would love that! When I have used a ready-made setting in the past i have rarely used more than a small portion of the campaign world anyway (I have a sort of fascination with microcosms), so having a "readers digest" version of the overall world, and a gazetteer-style breakdown of one or two regions would be perfect for my purposes. I think 32 pages might be a bit lean, although Mystara began as a 2 page prologue at the beginning of the Isle of Dread adventure way back when the Expert set came out and I know it saw a lot of use as a campaign world in the early days. A bare-bones setting could be made on the cheap and sold for about the same price as an adventure module, so I'm sure should be a market for them given the high price of hard-cover books these days. In fact, it makes me wonder why some third party publisher hasn't already tried it.
#3 the_ubbergeek Mar 28, 2008 7:58:43	isn't it the point of the core PoL wordlet?
#4 caeruleus Mar 31, 2008 14:39:41	Ubbergeek: Sure, that would be an example of what I'm talking about, except done as a separate book rather than assumed throughout the core rules. Plus, I'd like to see a variety of such settings with different assumptions in each one.
#5 the_ubbergeek Mar 31, 2008 16:55:55	On PoL - someone will probably task himself on compilating the bones of it, one day...
#6 ace_the_dead Apr 05, 2008 9:41:20	While I have zero interest in a fully fleshed out setting, I'm not sure that this is a good idea. I mean, I wouldn't mind having a few of those gazettes, because even if I don't use the setting, reading them will give me ideas and allow my worldbuilding experience to grow. But I'm not sure how much I'd be willing to spend on one though. Probably not enough for Wizards to turn much of a profit. And Wizard's releasing products that lose them money is bad for them and their customer base.
#7 caeruleus Apr 06, 2008 15:29:52	But I'm not sure how much I'd be willing to spend on one though. Probably not enough for Wizards to turn much of a profit. And Wizard's releasing products that lose them money is bad for them and their customer base. I'll leave it to WotC to do the relevant market research. I'm just saying I'd like to see this sort of thing. But they don't need to be in separate booklets. The little campaign modules in the d20 Modern rulebooks would be great.