"Dust" and "Midway" - Codenames for Upcoming D&D Hardcovers

Tales from the Yawning Portal was codenamed Labyrinth. Curse of Strahd was Cloak, and Storm King's Thunder was Dagger (or vice versa). Now two new codenames have emerged, spotted by EN World member kettite. Dust is dated 19 Sep 2017, hardcover, $49.95, and Midway is dated 21 Nov 2017, hardcover, $49.95. These have both appeared over on edelweiss' catalog. They do not match the four unnamed RPG Accessories on Amazon. Engage speculation mode - two new hardcovers later this year!

Typically the September release has been an adventure, and the November release a rules book (Sword Coast Adventurers Guide; Volo's Guide to Monsters). WotC has been hinting at a "major rules expansion" for a while now.

My guess? Take it with a massive truckload of salt, but I'm going to guess that Dust is fey or fey wild related. Possible the thing Adventure Time's Pendleton Ward helped with. But it really is a wild guess.

"Dust"
Wizards RPG Team
FRONTLIST
On Sale Date: 19 September 2017
9780786966103, 0786966106
Hardcover
$49.95 USD, $63.95 CAD


"Midway"
Wizards RPG Team
FRONTLIST
On Sale Date: 21 November 2017
9780786966110, 0786966114
Hardcover
$49.95 USD, $63.95 CAD

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[bedir than]

A different thought for Dust. It's the dust of travels. And that's why it includes Al-Qadim, Kara Tur, Mazteca and the rest of Toril

 

[Staccat0]

I'm gonna be one of the odd ducks who thinks DUST is a Zarakhara adventure set in The Realms.

 

[flametitan]

Assuming that the codenames have relation to their products. I'm pretty sure Dagger was not designed to hint at SKT.

 

[Elrith]

Midway is a big battle-centic naval adventure, hence "Midway;" or a planar adventure, with Planscape's middle plane involved; or an eastern-themed psionics supplement whose codename is inspired by a play on The Middle Way. That last one is a stretch.

 

[hastur_nz]

Assuming that the codenames have relation to their products. I'm pretty sure Dagger was not designed to hint at SKT.

You are correct - the "code names" do not generally bear much relation to the actual product, except maybe in hindsight, so using the code-name to guess what it's about? Unlikely. Dust was released to beta-testers late last year; the next one has yet to get that far (as far as I know).

 

[ProgBard]

"Dust" as in "Stardust" as in "f-you Space Pathfinder, have some Spelljammer"

I thought "stardust" too, but my theory was that it would be an update of Barrier Peaks. Assuming the codename has any kind of relevant meaning, which is not a given.

(Er, SPOILERS, I guess.)

 

[TheSwartz]

I would sure like to get into some Feywild

 

[JasonZZ]

Chalk me up as another one who thinks "Dust" will be either Dark Sun or some other desert themed book. "Midway", though? I think Tony Vargas is on to something, though, and "Midway" is a war reference.

 

[TerraDave]

An adventure set in the Realms and a non-adventure book. Thats been the pattern for the last few years.

As for the rest...we will see. Last year we had CoS, which was basically setting neutral. Then SKT, which was very setting specific, along with the monster book.

This year we are getting TftYP, which is basically setting neutral...

Something psionic does make sense, but there is a lot of directions that could go in.

 

[ccs]

Dust will be a return to the Desert of Desolation or Dark Sun

Midway- "phb2"..halfway point to the next edition.

Agree.