What's This Mysterious D&D Book? [UPDATED!]

As long as it's not 5.5...

 

[machineelf]

I think that cover is gorgeous. But if it's just a reprint of the same player's handbook with new cover I'm not interested. My first one fell apart and I got it spiral bound. The second one I have is doing just fine.

Now I would be interested in a 5.5 edition with the same core ruleset with fixes to aspects of the game that seem to have been rushed and don't work well. But I don't think we're there yet?

 

[Charlaquin]

Maybe.
But, really, a PHB with a fancy cover is basically just free money. No extra layout costs or development time. They just need to pay for the art and another small print run and collectors will snatch it up.

Plus, if they were going to do some kind of variant rules for classes, we’d have likely seen them in UA.

Very true. I was just speculating as to why the title might be covered up but not the spine.

Planescape PHB, maybe?

 

[Jester David]

Very true. I was just speculating as to why the title might be covered up but not the spine.

Planescape PHB, maybe?

I doubt the spine would have a different title. He likely just didn't want to reveal the full cover.
Given the simplest answer is likely the most obvious, Stewart likely shifted and repositioned the picture to cover the main title and adjusted the rest of the papers and exposed the spine by accident.

Again, the problem with a "Planescape Player's Handbook" is we haven't seen enough content for such a book. And that title makes it sound like a different game; you don't want someone to buy a book expecting a full game and only getting a setting.

-edit -
The cover is also very clearly of King Snurre, from Hall of the Fire Giant King and the enemy being confronted on the cover of the existing PHB. And while his dragon pelt is of a white dragon, here it is red, matching the red cover scheme of the existing PHB.
This all really suggests its the same book with a fancy cover. Again, like the did the prior two editions, only just a little late.

I imagine we'll see a blue/green beholder cover for the MM and a purple lich cover for the DMG.

I think that cover is gorgeous. But if it's just a reprint of the same player's handbook with new cover I'm not interested. My first one fell apart and I got it spiral bound. The second one I have is doing just fine.

They've done collector's editions for 3e and 4e prior. I imagine there's a lot of people who just want a fancy shelf copy to place beside those or "complete the set" of the other fancu copies. Perhaps one they can get signed at cons.

Now I would be interested in a 5.5 edition with the same core ruleset with fixes to aspects of the game that seem to have been rushed and don't work well. But I don't think we're there yet?

I doubt they'll do that again. It wasn't particularly well received when they tried it with 3e and 4e.

 

[Shawn Robert Johnson]

Just a fancier version of the current players handbook probably. Notice its the same Giant as the current cover. But they also are announcing the new setting material that they said back in June thy were going too.

 

[HawaiiSteveO]

Whatever it is, hope it is available for right away,not March 2019 or something goofy like that...

 

[Scott McFarland]

'Just' a limited edition cover for the PHB IMHO.

What I'm really hoping is forthcoming in the July announcement is a series of independently published setting guides for 5e. I'm hoping Keith Baker has indeed quietly been putting together an Eberron 5e book, that Wolfgang Baur has written a Sigil Guide for 5e (can't see a full Planescape conversion, much as I'd love it) but with new DiTerlizzi art and, in a moment of flagrant 'that could never happen' optimism, that somehow Eric Mona's written a City of Greyhawk 5e book too...

 

[Inchoroi]

The only thing that would get me to buy a second copy of the PHB is if it were digest sized, in softcover. Same for Monster Manual and DMG; I'd buy them in a heartbeat if they were smaller and lighter.

 

[Fore Shame]

seems mildly pathetic to try and rain or pathfinder's parade, but then pathfinder did screw them hard over 4th

 

[schneeland]

I think that cover is gorgeous. But if it's just a reprint of the same player's handbook with new cover I'm not interested. My first one fell apart and I got it spiral bound. The second one I have is doing just fine.

Mine is still good, thankfully, but I guess I will skip it, too. I already pay way too much for RPG books without going for special editions

Now I would be interested in a 5.5 edition with the same core ruleset with fixes to aspects of the game that seem to have been rushed and don't work well. But I don't think we're there yet?

Agreed. There's a few things that don't seems fully fleshed out or could need revision, but I don't think we are at a point where a revision is needed. Besides, with the positive reception 5e gets, I guess it will be more like a 5.1.

 

[Eltab]

PHB with necessary proofreading / typos / &c fixed, and errata included?

This doesn't look anything like it, but a re-release of Hoard of the Dragon Queen with all the "we haven't finalized all the rules yet!" errors fixed would be a good thing. Timing it for the 5-year anniversary of HotDQ's original release date would be appropriate.