In case you missed it: WotC 2010 Spring Catalog

Herschel · 22nd July 2009, 08:42 PM

January:
Underdark Sourcebook
PHB Races Handbook: Dragonborn (softcover, $10 price point)

February:
Martial Power 2
Reavers of Harkenwold (HS1 Module levels 1-3)
Divine Power Cards
Minis: PHB Heroes: Series 3 (2 Arcane & Primal, 1 Divine & Martial)

March:
PHB 3
Dungeon Tiles: Howling Halls

April:
Hammerfast (Fully detailed dwarven town/outpost, $12 price point)
The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea Sourcebook (looks like spelljammer ships on cover)
Minis: Monster Manual: Streets of Shadow

Rechan · 22nd July 2009, 08:53 PM

I was hoping they weren't going to get into the racial books. But I guess they are inevitable. Interesting that they're only $10.

I guess that Manual of the PLanes was just a "Planar Overview, before we start getting specific!" Wonder what they'll call the Shadowfell/Feywild books? "The Plane Next Door"?

Deverash · 22nd July 2009, 08:53 PM

Interesting line up. I'm guessing their module line did fairly well, if they're starting another one. And 12 bucks for a fully detailed town might be worth it, depending on how modular it is.

Deverash · 22nd July 2009, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rechan

I was hoping they weren't going to get into the racial books. But I guess they are inevitable. Interesting that they're only $10.

But as I understand it, they're really, really short. Someone else probably has the specific numbers, but it was like ~30 pages was all.

Quote:

I guess that Manual of the PLanes was just a "Planar Overview, before we start getting specific!" Wonder what they'll call the Shadowfell/Feywild books? "The Plane Next Door"?

Pseudopsyche · 22nd July 2009, 08:57 PM

I'm particularly glad to see new adventures (besides the initial HPE series and the campaign-specific modules) and the sourcebooks near the $10 price point, in contrast to the $35 books we've seen. However, I do have to wonder how WotC will differentiate these products from what they offer in the DDI magazines. Do we have details, for example, on how precisely the Hammerfast book will go beyond what might appear in a Backdrop article or how the Dragonborn book will go beyond an Ecology Of article?

Rechan · 22nd July 2009, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pseudopsyche

However, I do have to wonder how WotC will differentiate these products from what they offer in the DDI magazines. Do we have details, for example, on how precisely the Hammerfast book will go beyond what might appear in a Backdrop article or how the Dragonborn book will go beyond an Ecology Of article?

My first guess? There's just MORE of it. 30+ pages for teh Dragonborn book vs what, 10 pages for an Ecology article?

Also, keep in mind that DDi is great, but it's a subscription model. Many, many D&D players aren't really hot on the internet, let alone subscribers. So, WotC has to capture that part of the market.

Rechan · 22nd July 2009, 09:05 PM

If they've all ready released their spring catalog, I wonder what they'll be announcing at GenCon? Aside from the next campaign setting.

avin · 22nd July 2009, 09:52 PM

A set of miniatures named after Streets of Shadow looks interesting.

Hammerfast intrigues me. Hope there is a tile map of it.

Herschel · 22nd July 2009, 10:00 PM

And it appears minis set size will stay at 40 vs. the old 60, at least per the write up and match the Star Wars line.

Alikar · 22nd July 2009, 10:05 PM

The idea for racial cities is also interesting. I'm all for more fluff.

Peraion Graufalke · 22nd July 2009, 10:22 PM

It's interesting to see support for the Nentir Vale (Hammerfast) in a sourcebook. Thus far they only did that with some of the adventures. Does anyone want to bet on the PoL setting getting more of an "official" campaign setting treatment?

Also, pirates in (astral) space? Count me in, I love spelljamming ships.

morgul97 · 22nd July 2009, 10:30 PM

I've generally been a big fan of the 4e release structure that WotC has been using. However, I'm not getting this racial book thing at all. It strikes me as a way to overcharge for something that should be more compact and a lot less expensive overall. My vote would be for them to follow the same sort of format they've been doing and do like a 120 page book called PHB1 Races and charge $30 for it. The next year, they could do PHB2 Races. The schedule they have allows them to charge $10 for each racial book, which would be about 3 or 4 times what it should cost. I'm not a fan and unless those books are really great, I see no reason to buy each one individually, whereas I probably would buy it if it were a $30 hardcover.

morgul97 · 22nd July 2009, 10:33 PM

I've generally been a big fan of the 4e release structure that WotC has been using. However, I'm not getting this racial book thing at all. It strikes me as a way to overcharge for something that should be more compact and a lot less expensive overall. My vote would be for them to follow the same sort of format they've been doing and do like a 120 page book called PHB1 Races and charge $30 for it. The next year, they could do PHB2 Races. The schedule they have allows them to charge $10 for each racial book, which would be about 3 or 4 times what it should cost. I'm not a fan and unless those books are really great, I see no reason to buy each one individually, whereas I probably would buy it if it were a $30 hardcover.

amysrevenge · 22nd July 2009, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morgul97

My vote would be for them to follow the same sort of format they've been doing and do like a 120 page book called PHB1 Races and charge $30 for it. The next year, they could do PHB2 Races. The schedule they have allows them to charge $10 for each racial book, which would be about 3 or 4 times what it should cost. I'm not a fan and unless those books are really great, I see no reason to buy each one individually, whereas I probably would buy it if it were a $30 hardcover.

I feel more or less the same way.

ggroy · 23rd July 2009, 02:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rechan

I was hoping they weren't going to get into the racial books. But I guess they are inevitable. Interesting that they're only $10.

I wonder if this is WotC's response to Goodman releasing several 4E racial books.

- Dragonborn
Goodman Games

- Eladrin
Goodman Games

- Tiefling
Goodman Games

- Orc
Goodman Games

On a tangential topic, I wonder if PHB4 will consist of similar classes to Goodman's "Scythe and Shroud" book of 4E "death" power source classes (ie. shadow power classes).

Goodman Games