D&D 4E 4E PHB II & DMG II 1 year after release (and a new one every year after that)

In this post someone who supposedly was at the R&D seminars states:

Ok, I was at the unvailing and at the semonars on both friday and saturday. With that and some well asked questions by me and my friend (Fallenangel359) we know that Gnomes are not in the Players Handbook 1 (as it stands now). This has been comfermed by R&D members.

They also told us that 1 year after the Core 3 are released there will be a Players Handbook 2, DMG 2, and Monster Manual 2 and a new one every year after that. In this they told us each will have a new set of races and classes. The More dificault Classes and Races to balance will be released in the later PHBs. My speculation would be Gnome would be in PHB2 4e.

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I haven't heard this before and since it was supposed to be info from the seminars I am taking it with a large grain of salt. For this thread, I am going to assume it's true.

Edit: Another thread mentions this, so it's looking more official.

Now, I know this will immediately cause cries of "rules bloat." Hold on, though.

This could be a nice way of handling some of the roles of splat books. Take the alternate classes and new races and keep them in one series.

This doesn't mean an end to the splatbooks. It could just mean they get to be focused on expanding the options for a character type (Warriors, dwarves, etc) instead of introducing new ones. You might even need that extra rooms for additional "talent trees" (or whatever ends up being used).

I would much rather have additional classes and races added in such a fashion (like the 3.5e PH2) than the usual class- or race- focused splatbook style. There is a much better chance that I'll actually use more of the material in the book than if it's a book on Arcane Magic and there is one Wizard in the party. Probably a lot less filler this way too.

Wow. I hadn't heard this before, but I desperately hope it's true. Using PHBs/DMGs/MMs to introduce new, more complex, and/or more niche options is, I think, an absolutely brilliant way to handle things.

Hmmm...

PH Series: Races + Bloodlines (it would only makes sense, IMO), Base Classes + Talent Trees, Skills + Skill Tricks (I very much doubt that they are going to abandon the concept which was only introduced last year, while 4E was in full development), Feats, Spells

DMG Series: Prestige Classes, Environments, Traps and other Challenges, Magic Locations, Magic Items, Lairs (?), Pre-Made Encounters

MM Series: Monsters. Duh.

The big questions is... what sort of other books are they going to offer? So far, we have...

One setting book per year (starting with FR, Eberron in 2009, Greyhawk in 2010?)

Setting supplements

Behind the scenes series (mostly fluff?)

I am also willing to bet on Optional Rules supplements, such as Psionics and Planar Adventures.

Either I am unimaginative, or the product schedule won't be as diverse as it is right now. Actually, that makes sense... if we take into account the extra income from D&Di and the extra development resources they will have to assign to online-only stuff.

I can't imagine they would plan on cranking out enough new material to fill an additional PHB, DMG and MM every year. Maybe they will release one of the three each year? That seems more reasonable.

Keldryn said:

I would much rather have additional classes and races added in such a fashion (like the 3.5e PH2) than the usual class- or race- focused splatbook style. There is a much better chance that I'll actually use more of the material in the book than if it's a book on Arcane Magic and there is one Wizard in the party. Probably a lot less filler this way too.

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Except if I'm primarily playing a Wizard, I don't want to buy a book filled with stuff about other classes and races I probably won't use.

Sammael said:

The big questions is... what sort of other books are they going to offer?

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As I said, they could still release the splatbooks. They just focus on more options for the existing (core?) classes and races.

One of the things I found most annoying about the Complete Mage was how much was centered on the warlock and other Complete Arcane classes and ideas. This was even though I use the warlock. I just felt it reduced the usability of the book.

I think the PHB II, and to a lesser extent the DMG II, were among the strongest products WotC has produced. If they duplicate that success and use it to move stuff away from the other books, and give those books more focus, I'm on board.

This has some merit. I wonder at sustainability, though. If they keep those things the exclusive province of the PHB (et al) line, what goes in the splat books?

Then again, maybe with the DDI and Dragon/Dungeon being official content, that will be the sustainability modal. We only see one MM per year, as it is, plus a couple of PHB/splat book suppliments. So, it's more like a 25% scale back than 50% or more. Plus, it clears the schedule to release more Fiendish Codex or Tome of Magic type suppliments. That would be awesome.

Thornir Alekeg said:

Except if I'm primarily playing a Wizard, I don't want to buy a book filled with stuff about other classes and races I probably won't use.

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As Glyfair said, I don't imagine this would replace splatbooks. I imagine the PHB would contain:

1) New material (classes, races, etc.)

2) New rules.

While splatbooks would contain new options for existing material (spells, feats, etc.)

While there would certainly be some thematic overlap (such as new feats in the PHBs), the focus would be heavily different.

Again, I'm just guessing, but it seems to make the most sense.

I'm thinking about this some more and I am now convinced that the traditional splatbooks will either disappear or be published as compilations of D&Di (Dragon Online) stuff.

I actually like that idea. Lets hope I like 4e enough to buy it.