I'm semi-excited about D&D Next. It seems to be a game I won't hate running and also be the game people expect to play (unlike S&W, LL, Rolemaster, heartbreaker of the week, etc.) Although I give even odds that WoTC/Hasbro fuck it up, I'm still thinking about what campaign I'll start.
I had 20 immediate ideas... Kind of paired down to two. The Word of Greyhawk or Mystara (or as I know it, BECMI World). Kind of reinforcing the point that D&D Next is actually "D&D Back to What Was an Awesome Game Before we Fucked it."*
Undecided. Any thoughts?
Good
- Name sounds cool, it matters.
- It was the first (for me), I know it best.
- I've been able to run some of the classics, I still long for Giant/Drow/Queen series (although looking over it semi-recently it seemed less cool than I "remembered" it to be), ToH, Barrier Peaks. I also really dig U1-3, Sentinel & Gauntlet. But, those seem less GH iconic and can really put'm anywhere. btw breezing through A1-4 I thought "what like a piece of rail roady crap", am I wrong?)
- S&S style of course, and pre greyhawk wars and all that 2e crap. Although I've never really read any of that and this "From the Ashes" description makes it sound pretty cool.
- Get to use my new DragMag set of giant maps.
Bad
- Would nix my "Greyhack (Hackmaster 5e Greyhawk)" campaign idea.
- I've already done T1-4 (which is the lead in to G1-3), other smaller GH games.
Good
- I've never run any Known World campaign, ever!
- I so want to run "X1 Isle of Dread", second module I ever owned.
- I spent too much money getting every damn Gazetteer and box set, other than Hollow World.
- Get to use my trail maps!
Bad
- Setting is kind of dorky/campy/silly. Starting with name and moving on to super stereotyped cultures to the point they invented dues ex machina to explain it all. [btw this silliness reinforced idea that Basic was for kiddies and AD&D was for sophisticated 14-15 year olds such as my self]
- Not really all that jazzed about any of the other B/X modules (proly cause I don't know them so well. After B1-B2-X1 seemed very story/rail roady. Any recommendations?), C/M/I are right out.
*/ btw I'm not just a 4e hater. The fucking up of D&D started with 2e. The splatbooks, railroad modules written by wanna be novelists rather than game players/designers and the greedy, passionless mismanagement that led to TSR's deserved death.
I liked 4E a little bit because it seemed to be streamlined (however the players were constantly looking at their character sheets, not roleplaying), but I think D&D got derailed by 2.5E, not necessarily 2E. After a hiatus I found 3E and was so disappointed I didn't touch D&D for quite a long time (about halfway between 4E's run).
ReplyDeleteGreyhawk was my first "real" setting and I loved the boxed set. I didn't mind the Greyhawk wars setting much and didn't play the From the Ashes era at all (I was already in my gaming hiatus). As much as I liked GH, I found the setting either too large or focused too much on Greyhawk (the city) and the Circle of Eight. When I discovered Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, GH become my second favorite setting.
If you are more familiar with GH, I'd run it. You can always alter your Mystara modules and shoehorn them into your version of GH.
I always liked the Mystara stuff, but being a wargamer before RPGs, I prided myself with playing with all the rules, so I avoided playing "basic" D&D. I think I thought of D&D more of an introductory game and AD&D as the full game.