New D&D Adventure Reveal On 17th May at 'The Descent'

GarrettKP · May 9, 2019

Parmandur said:
Shelly works for Nate too, so if anything D&D is coming from Avalon Hill, that would also be his domain.

We do not know that those first three are seperate products: the Blood War/Baldur's Gate thing might be the boxed set, or the setting might be the boxed set, or the boxed set might be an Avalon Hill product. We'll find out soon enough.

While you are technically correct, it is very easy to use context clues to rule some of this out. There is a history of big Hardcover adventure books, and they are consistently popular and profitable. It makes little sense for them to go away from this model for their big adventures, especially since Beadle and Grimm is doing premium box sets. You don't want to step on the toes of your partners.

They have also spoken openly about possibly doing a setting book for Eberron. While this could possibly be a box set, it still makes more sense for them to present it as a core hardcover book, especially since it will contain new rules for players.

Finally, during the Stream of Many Eyes they reserved the big announcements for hardcover books directly related to the core RPG, even tho they also "announced" a new board game during the stream (Vault of Dragons).

There is one constant here: the main product announcements focused on the core RPG, not on branded side ventures like board games or card games. It would be extremely out of character for them to take the focus of the game of D&D by making a big announcement on a D&D Branded Board Game.

Also, while Shelly is primarily associated with Avalon Hill and the games she has help produce there, it should be noted she is credited in every D&D book this edition as a member of the D&D Team. She could have easily contributed to a product without it having been a board game. Even if it wasn't as a writer.

Whatever the case, we will find out soon. But I don't expect any of the big announcements to be Avalon Hill branded, and I do fully expect 4 D&D branded products related directly to the TTRPG to be announced.

Parmandur · May 10, 2019

GarrettKP said:
While you are technically correct, it is very easy to use context clues to rule some of this out. There is a history of big Hardcover adventure books, and they are consistently popular and profitable. It makes little sense for them to go away from this model for their big adventures, especially since Beadle and Grimm is doing premium box sets. You don't want to step on the toes of your partners.

They have also spoken openly about possibly doing a setting book for Eberron. While this could possibly be a box set, it still makes more sense for them to present it as a core hardcover book, especially since it will contain new rules for players.

Finally, during the Stream of Many Eyes they reserved the big announcements for hardcover books directly related to the core RPG, even tho they also "announced" a new board game during the stream (Vault of Dragons).

There is one constant here: the main product announcements focused on the core RPG, not on branded side ventures like board games or card games. It would be extremely out of character for them to take the focus of the game of D&D by making a big announcement on a D&D Branded Board Game.

Also, while Shelly is primarily associated with Avalon Hill and the games she has help produce there, it should be noted she is credited in every D&D book this edition as a member of the D&D Team. She could have easily contributed to a product without it having been a board game. Even if it wasn't as a writer.

Whatever the case, we will find out soon. But I don't expect any of the big announcements to be Avalon Hill branded, and I do fully expect 4 D&D branded products related directly to the TTRPG to be announced.

Setting boxes have a very stories history, as do Adventure box sets. I wouldn't discount either possibility too hastily. I suspect one of the products will be a new Dungeon Mayhem release (which Stewart straight spoiled is coming a couple months ago), and I see no reason to think Shelly's 2 products are not part of the 4 mentioned on Spoilers & Swag.

Paul Farquhar · May 10, 2019

Boxed sets used to have a purpose when most D&D stuff was sold through specialist hobby shops. These days, with most stuff being sold through Amazon and general booksellers or digitally, I see no point in putting something in a box unless it contains dice or playing pieces. I.e. a starter set or board game.

Parmandur · May 10, 2019

Paul Farquhar said:
Boxed sets used to have a purpose when most D&D stuff was sold through specialist hobby shops. These days, with most stuff being sold through Amazon and general booksellers or digitally, I see no point in putting something in a box unless it contains dice or playing pieces. I.e. a starter set or board game.

Up Avalon Hills alley, yes, indeed.

vecna00 · May 10, 2019

gyor said:
You mean like a time travel story, because Zariel fell long before the current in game time period.

Would it need to be time travel? Could the adventure just be set during that time? Or, and more likely, do we just witness it through a storytelling mechanism? Think the Ravenloft adventure "A Light in the Belfry," the one with the CD that would play out important moments with visions and phantasms.*

*Note: I've never actually run or played through the adventure, a friend of mine had it and we listened to that CD a crapton. So I don't know exactly how those scenes played out, I just know that they did play out for the PCs to see, and I could see them trying something similar for this. Not exact, but similar.

gyor · May 10, 2019

vecna00 said:
Would it need to be time travel? Could the adventure just be set during that time? Or, and more likely, do we just witness it through a storytelling mechanism? Think the Ravenloft adventure "A Light in the Belfry," the one with the CD that would play out important moments with visions and phantasms.*

*Note: I've never actually run or played through the adventure, a friend of mine had it and we listened to that CD a crapton. So I don't know exactly how those scenes played out, I just know that they did play out for the PCs to see, and I could see them trying something similar for this. Not exact, but similar.

I guess we will find out, but I have no idea.

vecna00 · May 11, 2019

gyor said:
I guess we will find out, but I have no idea.

We definitely will! Hopefully, it'll at least be pretty good.

Parmandur · May 11, 2019

Listening to the latest Dragon Talk:

- 4 PM PST on 5/17 will be the announcement of the new Adventure product specifically.

- "many, many, many products" will also be discussed.

- They will discuss the Young Adventurer Guides during D&D Live, particularly the two coming in the Fall that haven't been announced yet

- Perkins went into detail on the political hierarchy of the city of Baldur's Gate: focused on the city's distinctive as being a bloody, dangerous place. Discussed the Grand Dukes and the Parliament of Peers. Division of wealthy and cut-throat slums. The Flaming Fist mercenary company controlled by the Dukes. Rampant corruption and intrigue, murder and power struggle, pirates and smuggling. Contrasted it with the law-abiding and fairly safe city of Waterdeep. Proximity to Candlekeep. Relations with Amn, membership in the Lord's Alliance, relationship with Port Nyunzaru against Amn. The events and outcome of "Murder in Baldur's Gate" and the current situation. Went into detail about how one might set up a party starting in Baldur's Gate. Went into the possibility of a violent revolution sweeping through the city if a major disaster were to occur. Really sounds like Baldur's Gate will play a part in an upcoming product.

GarrettKP · May 11, 2019

Parmandur said:
Listening to the latest Dragon Talk:

- 4 PM PST on 5/17 will be the announcement of the new Adventure product specifically.

- "many, many, many products" will also be discussed.

- They will discuss the Young Adventurer Guides during D&D Live, particularly the two coming in the Fall that haven't been announced yet

- Perkins went into detail on the political hierarchy of the city of Baldur's Gate: focused on the city's distinctive as being a bloody, dangerous place. Discussed the Grand Dukes and the Parliament of Peers. Division of wealthy and cut-throat slums. The Flaming Fist mercenary company controlled by the Dukes. Rampant corruption and intrigue, murder and power struggle, pirates and smuggling. Contrasted it with the law-abiding and fairly safe city of Waterdeep. Proximity to Candlekeep. Relations with Amn, membership in the Lord's Alliance, relationship with Port Nyunzaru against Amn. The events and outcome of "Murder in Baldur's Gate" and the current situation. Went into detail about how one might set up a party starting in Baldur's Gate. Went into the possibility of a violent revolution sweeping through the city if a major disaster were to occur. Really sounds like Baldur's Gate will play a part in an upcoming product.

Pretty sure the Lore you should know is talking about Baldurs Gate because of the DMs Guild Hardcover that was just released, written by the guy that did the video games.

Parmandur · May 11, 2019

GarrettKP said:
Pretty sure the Lore you should know is talking about Baldurs Gate because of the DMs Guild Hardcover that was just released, written by the guy that did the video games.

Alternatively, I would suggest that DMs Guild book might be designed to lead into something else. Perkins has been alternating discussing Baldur's Gate & environs (The Dead Three definitely has nothing to do with the DMsGuild product, as he is discussing the status of the three gods post-Spellplague in the Baldur's Gate area, while that book is set in the 2E era: the government actors as outlined in this podcast are different from the DMsGuild product as well, for the same reason) and Blood War material. Hardly incompatible, in the context of an Adventure Path.

New D&D Adventure Reveal On 17th May at 'The Descent'

GarrettKP

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Parmandur

Book-Friend

Paul Farquhar

Legend

Parmandur

Book-Friend

vecna00

Speculation Specialist Wizard

gyor

Legend

vecna00

Speculation Specialist Wizard

Parmandur

Book-Friend

GarrettKP

Explorer

Parmandur

Book-Friend

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