D&D 5E Should the splatbooks to come be theme-based or class/race based?

[Kobold Avenger]

I know there will inevitably be splatbooks coming out, probably as early as 2015 once all 3 of the corebooks are out.

Generally there's 2 main approaches in previous editions to splatbooks:

There's being the class-based and race-based books such as: Complete Arcane, Divine Power, Races of the Wild, and so on.

And then there's being the theme-based books, which often are splatbooks too such as: Frostburn, Heroes of Shadow, Stormwrack, Heroes of the Feywild and so on.

Each approach has it's advantages and disadvantages, though I think the theme-based approach has more longevity but could run into the risk of being too niche for many groups.

 

[Jer]

Each approach has it's advantages and disadvantages, though I think the theme-based approach has more longevity but could run into the risk of being too niche for many groups.

If the do splatbooks at all (and I'm of the opinion that they should not do them at all), theme based is the way to go these days. Especially with how the game is structured - a theme based book would allow for related backgrounds, subclasses and feats to all be in one place.

The other way to do it would be to avoid splatbooks entirely and just have something like the 3e Player's Handbook II - a major rules expansion that adds a grab bag of options for everyone, rather than siloing options based on class or race or even theme.

 

[Mistwell]

I don't expect to see many, if any, splatbooks. I think it will be primarily campaign setting books, and adventures.

 

[Nebulous]

Id love to see a splatbook eventually. One great big one that combines all kinds of class and race stuff together. I guess like a PHB 2, but i do not want to see an endless run of 3, 4, 5, etc.

 

[steeldragons]

The other way to do it would be to avoid splatbooks entirely and just have something like the 3e Player's Handbook II - a major rules expansion that adds a grab bag of options for everyone, rather than siloing options based on class or race or even theme.

Like the 1e Unearthed Arcana, you mean? With all of the options being completely "pick n' choose/add on if you want" (as a big chunk of the design mantra claims to be).

This seems to be where I'd be likely to place my money. This and theme based books.

That said, there's no reason whatsoever that WotC has to do one or the other or the other. They could have a 5e Unearthed Arcana with all kinds of add-on rule/option expansion, a couple of themed splats and race or class specific splats...given the game structure, I would think this doesn't encompass more than a "Monster Races" book to do ALL WotC world [and from the MM] PC races, and then class-based splats with expanded sub-classes/backgrounds/skills/feats, a la, "Everything You Can Possibly Do With a [X class] and Still BE [X class]" book.

I would be surprised to see an "All Elves" book or the like, since they seem to be pushing the whole Multiverse/Cosmology/All Worlds of D&D thing. Doing so would mean they'd have [and I'd REALLY NOT like to see] a book that is "Chapter 1: Forgotten Realms Elves pages 1-200 here's everything about every variety of elf in FR. Chapter 2: Greyhawk Elves: pages 201-400. Chapter 3: Dark Sun Elves pages 301-302. Chapter 4..." and that, while perhaps a fun read or interesting novelty for collectors, would just be a manual full of stuff I don't/won't use...and others wouldn't either, beyond the world, or maybe two, they use at their tables. Lots o' wasted pages that.

Full Campaign World books/sets are more likely in the splat category...I hope.

 

[Thaumaturge]

Full Campaign World books/sets are more likely in the splat category...I hope.

I think this is the most likely thing we'll see. A big adventure/story arc, a possible campaign setting book, and a possible rules book to provide options for characters in the adventure or setting.

So next year, there will be another FR adventure/story, the FR book, and maybe a "Player's Handbook 2" or "Forgotten Realms Player's Guide" or something.

2016: An Eberron adventure/story, the Eberron book, and an Eberron Player's Guide (shifters, warforged, spellmarks, artificers, etc).

2017: Dark Sun adventure. Dark Sun Book, Dark Sun Player's Guide (psionics, muls, thri-kreen, preserving/defiling, etc).

I expect new rules options for characters to be tied to new adventures or jumping on points. If a table is keeping rough pace with WotC's stories, there will only be new character rules around the time they are making new characters. And the new rules will be pretty closely tied to the new story.

That's my guess.

Thaumaturge.

 

[jgsugden]

My preferences:

* Fewer books or greater length, even if they cost more.

* Don't split a concept over several books. Give us one book on martial classes and be done with it. Not MP I, MP 2, MP 3, MP: Electric Bugaloo.

* Psionics as a separate single book with everything you need for it (classes, races, items, feats, monsters). It should be the first splat book/set.

* Campaign worlds should get one box set, not several different books (player guide, bestiary, map set, etc...).

* Mini expansions should coincide with the book release schedule. Release psionic minis with the psionic book, Dragonlance minis with the Dragonlance book, Martial minis with the Martial Book.

* Outside of psionics, minimize new classes. You can do most class concepts not represented in the PHB by builds of those classes. Invokers can be a type of cleric. Wardens can be a primal themed fighter (like Eldritch Knight is an Arcane themed fighter). Swordmages could be built on Warlock or Fighter bones.

* New races should have all of their support in one book, not split out amongst several books.

 

[TDarien]

I honestly don't think we'll see much in the way of player options (new classes, subclasses, races, feats, spells, equipment, etc) for AT LEAST a year, possibly two, if then. We may see a smattering of setting specific PC options (notably psionics) with the various campaign setting books.

I say that because this will be the most robust PHB we've seen for D&D, ever. There's already more class/race possibilities than we saw in TWO PHBs from 4E. I know there's some options some people think should be there that aren't, but if you can't at least 3 characters you're interested in building from the current options, you're not looking hard enough.

EDIT:

My preferences:

* Fewer books or greater length, even if they cost more.

* Don't split a concept over several books. Give us one book on martial classes and be done with it. Not MP I, MP 2, MP 3, MP: Electric Bugaloo.

* Psionics as a separate single book with everything you need for it (classes, races, items, feats, monsters). It should be the first splat book/set.

* Campaign worlds should get one box set, not several different books (player guide, bestiary, map set, etc...).

* Mini expansions should coincide with the book release schedule. Release psionic minis with the psionic book, Dragonlance minis with the Dragonlance book, Martial minis with the Martial Book.

* Outside of psionics, minimize new classes. You can do most class concepts not represented in the PHB by builds of those classes. Invokers can be a type of cleric. Wardens can be a primal themed fighter (like Eldritch Knight is an Arcane themed fighter). Swordmages could be built on Warlock or Fighter bones.

* New races should have all of their support in one book, not split out amongst several books.

I like all of this, though I will add I think the only exception to the setting boxed set rule is that there can be adventures published outside the box.

 

[Jer]

I think this is the most likely thing we'll see. A big adventure/story arc, a possible campaign setting book, and a possible rules book to provide options for characters in the adventure or setting.

So next year, there will be another FR adventure/story, the FR book, and maybe a "Player's Handbook 2" or "Forgotten Realms Player's Guide" or something.

2016: An Eberron adventure/story, the Eberron book, and an Eberron Player's Guide (shifters, warforged, spellmarks, artificers, etc).

2017: Dark Sun adventure. Dark Sun Book, Dark Sun Player's Guide (psionics, muls, thri-kreen, preserving/defiling, etc).

My guess is along those lines, except that I don't expect them to be quite so aggressive with the setting releases. I strongly suspect that setting releases are going to be tied to other media releases/events. So I can see a Forgotten Realms setting push next year, and an Eberron push quickly as well because both of those settings have other media presences since DDO has both an Eberron and a Realms setting in it. If Dark Sun or another setting comes out in 2017, I'd expect it would be because they want to do something with that setting - a setting expansion for DDO, a new mobile game or standalone PC game, a new board game that is tied to that setting etc.

 

[GrumpyGamer]

If we must have splat books I would prefer that they are campaign based. Everyone has their own favorite campaign worlds that they would like to see back in print. For me it would be Darksun, Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Al-Qadim, Mystara, and Spelljammer.

Even a limited number of campaign settings would allow them to create a fair number of splat books with additional races, subclasses, backgrounds, spells, treasure and monsters (mini PHB+MM+DMG).