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

[Snapdragyn]

My preference would be for theme books. Some of my favorite 3.5 splats were the 'environment' series (Frostburn, Stormwrack, etc.) & the 'heroes' series (Heroes of Honor & the other one).

I do think trying to do both theme & class-focused books is NOT a good idea, at least from what I saw in 3.5. I played in several campaigns where it was 'core + Completes'. I never played in ONE campaign that was 'core + (any of the themes)', nor even an 'anything published by WotC'. The more lines they put out, the greater the chance a DM will exclude an entire set of books sitting on my crowded bookshelves.

WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE BOOKSHELVES?! *sob*

 

[KirayaTiDrekan]

From what they've hinted at so far, there is going to be a major story-event type thing every year or twice a year (not sure on the frequency). Mike Mearls stated that he wanted new releases to be anticipated and built up to in the same way Magic sets or video games are.

Let's also look at what the major areas of rules expansion are - subclasses, primarily. Also feats. To a lesser extant (at least from a rules perspective) backgrounds. These subsystems seem to cover the major ways in which player character options expand. They also provide means by which a character can be customized to fit a campaign setting. A Red Wizard subclass of the wizard, a Cooperative Magic feat, or a Thayvian background all give a character a distinct Forgotten Realms - Thay feel. The same could be done for any nation or culture in any setting.

So, I suspect that expansion of the game will tie into the big story events, with 1 or 2 big hardcovers a year covering the setting of the story-event and tying directly into it in some way, while the rest of the releases are adventures and other media related to the event (Neverwinter expansion or whatever). The big setting hardcover will include new subclasses, feats, backgrounds, and, perhaps, new rules options. For example, a Ravenloft book might include rules option for including horror in a campaign. Psionics might be introduced in a Dark Sun book. And so on.

That's my analysis/prediction anyway. Its also what I'd like to see, so maybe I'm a little biased.

 

[Xodis]

I think it'll be both honestly.
PHB2 is that grab bag that everyone can jump onto. Players of all types can benefit from this book, its just more options and abilities for everyone. Its hard to argue about more choices, but they have to walk a fine line here and make sure to avoid the power creep, so expect no more than 2 of these in the lifetime of 5e, unless they really hit the nail on the head.
Settings and campaign series are going to be the bread and butter though. Settings get everyone interested and get creative juices flowing and can hook any groups that have been drifting away due to stagnation. Settings also apply to players since there will most likely be Setting specific Subclasses, Backgrounds, Equipment, Feats, etc.. This leads into a Campaign Series, its already been proven how effective these can be on the market. Start low level, make it an "Official" adventure and let your DMs out there just reel them in. Players want to make that character and watch them grow to the top tier levels, with the Campaign Series adventures they know its going to happen, there is no "take a break" while the DM writes more story/adventure.

Expect no more than 3-5 book releases a year, including adventures. D&D has stated they want to slow the flood and pace it so there is new information out and groups have time to absorb it and integrate it into their games. It seems very apparent they are playing the long game here and not the quick buck.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I could see campaign books being a source of some new subclasses and stuff, but then there's the problem of certain campaign settings, and those who don't care for particular settings. I generally think campaign books should be campaign gazetteers/atlases with only a bit of very campaign specific rules material.

 

[Eirikrautha]

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.

No, NO, NO, a thousand times NO!!!!!!

No splatbooks. Ever. At all. Give me adventures. Give me adventures with flavors (and perhaps an archetype related to that setting/adventure. Maybe a one-off archetype listed in the basic rules as a bonus. Or in a magazine). But NO SPLATBOOKS (with their ever-increasing power levels, the constant rules "clarifications" necessary to make it work, the game-breaking and game-limiting feats added on)!!!

Capice?

 

[wwanno]

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

This!
And a single giant monster manual with all the monsters ever published from A to Z. I know it would be a BIIIIIG book, but it could be made of various tomes. The only one thing I care is the alphabetical order, I am sick of trying to remember where stats of every creature are.
Otherwise....

NO SPLATBOOKS (with their ever-increasing power levels)

 

[Nikosandros]

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

The focus will be certainly on story material, but (MHO) the language that Mearls used in describing the available sub-classes strongly hinted at further expansion in that sector.

 

[Tony Vargas]

The 3.5 approach is probably best: even when you have a book that's nominally directed at a class or set of class or race or theme or whatever, be sure include feats, items, and other options that could be leveraged for a wide range of 'builds,' so that the maximum number of players will want to buy it get new stuff to make their characters better.

(Obviously, I mean 'best' in the sense of selling books.)

 

[Agamon]

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

I hated quoting a post and just adding, "This" to it...but This.

 

[Vael]

One option would be the themed splatbook+adventure omnibook. For example, a nautical themed adventure with nautical player material in the front. Pirate background, corsair and weather mage subclasses, firearm rules for an Age of Sail piracy-focused campaign, more ocean monsters. Follow that up with a sea based adventure.

Other themes:
- Intrigue: an urban political adventure. More spying and stealthy subclasses.
- Kingdom: 5e's take on Pathfinder's Kingmaker AP. Courtier background, rules for managing a city or nation.
- Feywild: Much like Heroes of Feywild, but include an adventure with a strong fairy-tale theme.