D&D 5E New survey from WotC about boxed sets

Parmandur · Jun 16, 2019

Matthia05718273 said:
Sorry I didn't phrase my post very well. What I meant is that even if this boxed set was a campaign setting, I'm not sure how much more incremental value it would add compared to the products currently released.

So let's say you're correct and it's a FR campaign box. The lore would have to be spread out over the entire world, otherwise it's just rehashing the stuff already released in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. And if it's the entire world, they need to spread it thin to cover everything in Toril. Plus some of this info is already covered in Out of the Abyss and Tomb of Annihilation that cover areas beyond the Sword Coast.

Now they could still do a campaign box, there's enough remaining content (and they can repackage already released content), I just don't think it's very smart on their part to do this. More likely IMO, they're going to keep releasing new Adventure books with each one covering a different area of the world of Toril (like Al-Qadim or Kara-Tur).

If it's a new starter box, the choice to me is Greyhawk because it doesn't require new rules and can function as a baseline default setting, much like FR does. And at the same time they can release content for that world that is completely new for FR.

If it is truly a campaign box, I think it's Dark Sun or Eberron. Both require new rules for their worlds to actually work, plus the obligatory world lore would be completely new.

So, there are 7 items in the box set that the are floating there to test people's reactions:

1- Special Dice
2- "Poster map of the campaign setting"
3- "A campaign or adventures that capture the flavor of a D&D setting"
4- Mini-handouts (they call out spell cards as a possibility)
5- Character sheets
6- Basic rules
7- A campaign specific DM screen

Of those 7 items, WotC released ancillary products that hit 1-4 alongside Ravnica (Dice and "Maps & Miscellany").

Given what they have revealed about Target wanting board game style packaged D&D TTRPG material, making an Eberron box to compliment or stand in for the book, and sell in Target board game sections makes sense.

Arnwolf666 · Jun 16, 2019

I hate boxed sets with a passion. I love Hardback books. Just my taste.

doctorbadwolf · Jun 16, 2019

Parmandur said:
So, there are 7 items in the box set that the are floating there to test people's reactions:

1- Special Dice
2- "Poster map of the campaign setting"
3- "A campaign or adventures that capture the flavor of a D&D setting"
4- Mini-handouts (they call out spell cards as a possibility)
5- Character sheets
6- Basic rules
7- A campaign specific DM screen

Of those 7 items, WotC released ancillary products that hit 1-4 alongside Ravnica (Dice and "Maps & Miscellany").

Given what they have revealed about Target wanting board game style packaged D&D TTRPG material, making an Eberron box to compliment or stand in for the book, and sell in Target board game sections makes sense.

I think you’re right, and also I really think that Eberron has the broadest potential appeal to people just diving in to dnd.

It it doesn’t matter to such a person who hat the history of dnd is, so “most generic form of dnd” is irrelevant. It hits fantasy notes in a way that is very popular today, especially in cartoons and video games, mixing genres, not running on medieval sensibilities, etc, it’s a fun setting that can also be played as dark or gritty as you want, and it facilitates the sort of weird, flashy, adventures we see in stuff like She-Ra, Adventure Time, Guardians of The Galaxy, etc.

And a lot of people come to fantasy gaming via more general gaming and nerd culture, and so are more/just as familiar with steampunk, noir fantasy, sci-fantasy, and other fantastical genres of speculative fiction that Eberron takes inspiration from.

Basically, I think that an Eberron box set with the classic image of the warforged hanging off the side of an airship, or the aerial battle in Sharn, on the cover, in big box stores like Target, would sell like hot cakes after a hunger strike.

Mercurius · Jun 16, 2019

Parmandur said:
In terms of planning a product, they asked what people would want in a box set last year in the big product survey. This seemed more like fine-tuning something they already have lined up, based on the weird specificity of the questions. Seems like an Eberron companion set, for my money.

OK, maybe. An Adventures in Eberron box set makes sense. That said, is it the best choice for Target (if that's what they're going for)? Wouldn't a more vanilla offering like the Forgotten Realms make more sense for the Target crowd?

Mercurius · Jun 16, 2019

Matthia05718273 said:
Sorry I didn't phrase my post very well. What I meant is that even if this boxed set was a campaign setting, I'm not sure how much more incremental value it would add compared to the products currently released.

So let's say you're correct and it's a FR campaign box. The lore would have to be spread out over the entire world, otherwise it's just rehashing the stuff already released in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. And if it's the entire world, they need to spread it thin to cover everything in Toril. Plus some of this info is already covered in Out of the Abyss and Tomb of Annihilation that cover areas beyond the Sword Coast.

Now they could still do a campaign box, there's enough remaining content (and they can repackage already released content), I just don't think it's very smart on their part to do this. More likely IMO, they're going to keep releasing new Adventure books with each one covering a different area of the world of Toril (like Al-Qadim or Kara-Tur).

If it's a new starter box, the choice to me is Greyhawk because it doesn't require new rules and can function as a baseline default setting, much like FR does. And at the same time they can release content for that world that is completely new for FR.

If it is truly a campaign box, I think it's Dark Sun or Eberron. Both require new rules for their worlds to actually work, plus the obligatory world lore would be completely new.

This all makes sense. I'd like to see a mega-FR box (or any campaign setting box, really), but based on your logic it makes sense to keep covering the FR as the default for their hardcovers and start a new line of "other D&D settings."

On the other hand, it also makes sense for them to offer an FR set for those who want to go "off-roading." They could do something similar to the 2nd edition box, which included a 128-page world-book, 96-page region/adventure book, and 64-page DM's book, and other stuff.

Another thought is Dragonlance, even a Dragonlance campaign. Ansalon is simple enough that it could be covered decently well in a 96 page world-book, then you have a 128-page campaign book, 64-page monsters and items book, maps, and other gizmos and voila: a Dragonlance mega-box.

thundershot · Jun 16, 2019

Man, I miss the 2E days of opening a box and taking out books, monster pages, and HUGE COLORFUL MAPS with numbered areas... Dragon Mountain...

Parmandur · Jun 16, 2019

Mercurius said:
OK, maybe. An Adventures in Eberron box set makes sense. That said, is it the best choice for Target (if that's what they're going for)? Wouldn't a more vanilla offering like the Forgotten Realms make more sense for the Target crowd?

Based on the direct wording they used in this survey, Forgotten Realms can be rules out: why would anyone need example adventure material to demonstrate how to campaign in the Realms? Eberron, however, is more exotic: but it fits well with modern aesthetics just fine, so I think it would fit the Target crowd.

The most leading part, though, is that they released similar material last year to dovetail with the Ravnica book, and asked the community last year about box sets in detail. Not much of a stretch. And the Essentials Set was made because Target came to WotC to make more products because of how well the Starter Set has continued to sell, and Target wanted boxes for the board game section rather than game books...

gyor · Jun 16, 2019

I'd prefer FR first then Eberron and other settings, I want a full map of FR dang nabbit. We shall see.

DEFCON 1 · Jun 16, 2019

Mercurius said:
OK, maybe. An Adventures in Eberron box set makes sense. That said, is it the best choice for Target (if that's what they're going for)? Wouldn't a more vanilla offering like the Forgotten Realms make more sense for the Target crowd?

If you are a unknowledgable D&D Target person... neither the names of FR or Eberron will mean anything to you. Thus the only thing that will impact you is the box cover art design. And seeing as how the Starter Set follows the FR design and takes place in the FR, it already essentially is a FR boxed set already.

Whereas an Eberron boxed set will have a much different look, what with an airship and a robot on the cover (assuming standard Eberron art direction.) Thus it would make for a better comparison product next to the Starter (and probably Essential) boxes.

BronzeDragon · Jun 16, 2019

Arnwolf666 said:
I hate boxed sets with a passion. I love Hardback books. Just my taste.

You have neither a heart nor a soul.

P.S.: Regarding the Campaign Setting, I'm praying it's not FR/Eberron/Ewwvnica. Birthright would melt my heart and essentially force me to buy two copies. Planescape would be next best, then Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Dark Sun, Mystara/Hollow World, Al-Qadim, Ravenloft, all of which would be instant buys.

Alas, it's gonna be FR or Eberron, because meh is the favorite flavor these days.