Marathon, Broadway, and Catacomb: Upcoming D&D Products?

GarrettKP · Apr 11, 2018

I have a working theory for all 3 books.

Obviously I’ve said for months now that Waterdeep and Undermountain would be Broadway and Catacomb, and I’m more confident in that prediticion now more than ever.

As for the 3rd fall book, Mearls mentioned awhile back that it was unlike anything they have done for 5th edition. My guess? Spelljammer Campaign Guide.

We’ve seen Spelljammer ships mentioned in Volos, we actually see one (tho one that is decommissioned) in Storm Kings Thunder, and we have confirmation that more than a few Spelljammer monsters are in Tome of Foes (Giff just got confirmed a few weeks ago). I think they have been laying ground work for Planar travel for awhile now and this is how they open up the multiverse. Spelljammer Guide and follow up next year with new settings like Darksun, Greyhawk and Eberron.

Acolyte of Zothique · Apr 11, 2018

Dried said:
Was it confirmed this 4th release is a physical book?
Could it not be a digital supplement like the Tortle Package?

When Nathan Stewart asked Kate which releases for this fall she's worked on Kate stated that she's done editorial work for the first and second but not for the third.

It's pretty clear the third autumn release is a major product rather a digital release.

Demetrios1453 · Apr 11, 2018

Dried said:
Was it confirmed this 4th release is a physical book?
Could it not be a digital supplement like the Tortle Package?

They haven't counted those as "releases" before.

Quickleaf · Apr 11, 2018

I assumed the 4th release is Dungeons and Dragons Art and Arcana: A Visual History as a licensed/collaborative product coming out in October 2018.

Acolyte of Zothique · Apr 11, 2018

Quickleaf said:
I assumed the 4th release is Dungeons and Dragons Art and Arcana: A Visual History as a licensed/collaborative product coming out in October 2018.

Pretty sure it's not that; WotC are keeping quiet about this release - pretty certain it's an rpg supplement. Nathan Stewart didn't want to spoiler any of the upcoming releases just yet.

Mearls has also stated that they (WotC) don't want to be predictable which is the reason why the rules supplement - Tome of Foes - is coming out this spring instead of November as in previous years. For the same reason it might be a mistake to assume there are not going to be more than three rpg related releases this year.

Another compelling reason why the release is not (likely) to be the art book is that the 4th release is being worked on by the design team. I don't know the people mentioned on the front of the art book but I know they aren't on the D&D design team. In D&D news Greg Tito just announced the art book so it's no secret.

Ibrandul · Apr 11, 2018

Broadway = Waterdeep (mega-adventure part 1)

Catacomb = Undermountain (mega-adventure part 2)

So Secret We Can't Reveal Its Codename = Stranger Things Setting/Adventure

I have no inside info but I'll lay money these are correct.

briggart · Apr 11, 2018

Demetrios1453 said:
They haven't counted those as "releases" before.

As Mearls said: they want to surprise people!

Parmandur · Apr 11, 2018

jeremypowell said:
Broadway = Waterdeep (mega-adventure part 1)

Catacomb = Undermountain (mega-adventure part 2)

So Secret We Can't Reveal Its Codename = Stranger Things Setting/Adventure

I have no inside info but I'll lay money these are correct.

If Waterdeep/Undermountain are done, I would see that as being one book, not two.

The Stranger Things idea is pretty brilliant, but the interesting thing to note about the third book is that WotC hasn't said anything about any codenames: the community deduced the codenames by trawling third party bookseller information. If the third book is not the art book (which it may be still), it might not have blipped anybodies radar because it is not being pre-sold as a D&D book. Stranger Things: the RPG, Star Frontiers, Gamma World, Magic: The Gathering: The RPGening, etc. would be worked on by the D&D design team, but they might not be billed as "Dungeons & Dragons Supplement" in the catalogs...

Demetrios1453 · Apr 12, 2018

Parmandur said:
If Waterdeep/Undermountain are done, I would see that as being one book, not two.

The Stranger Things idea is pretty brilliant, but the interesting thing to note about the third book is that WotC hasn't said anything about any codenames: the community deduced the codenames by trawling third party bookseller information. If the third book is not the art book (which it may be still), it might not have blipped anybodies radar because it is not being pre-sold as a D&D book. Stranger Things: the RPG, Star Frontiers, Gamma World, Magic: The Gathering: The RPGening, etc. would be worked on by the D&D design team, but they might not be billed as "Dungeons & Dragons Supplement" in the catalogs...

The Stranger Things idea is indeed a good point. The thing that gets me is that Release Number Four (by which I will refer to it from now on) is shrouded in such secrecy. Mearls and Crawford weren't "allowed to talk about it" yet, and now we are hearing that it may not be being edited in-house by WotC (as Kate isn't involved with that editing). That heavily implies to me that there is some third-party involvement that is tying hands and shutting mouths until everything is 100% official. A Stranger Things tie-in would definitely cause that, as would a setting book produced by a third party (perhaps said third party wanted to produce a guide to a classic setting as they are fans, asked to take it on, and WotC, otherwise too overworked to produce one, agreed).

LordEntrails · Apr 12, 2018

Quickleaf said:
I assumed the 4th release is Dungeons and Dragons Art and Arcana: A Visual History as a licensed/collaborative product coming out in October 2018.

Nice to see this, but are any of the authors actually very closely related with WotC?

by Michael Witwer (Author),‎ Kyle Newman (Author),‎ Jon Peterson (Author),‎ Sam Witwer (Author),‎ Joe Manganiello (Foreword)

Joe is the only name I recognize, but that's not saying much as I rarely pay attention to author names.

Marathon, Broadway, and Catacomb: Upcoming D&D Products?

GarrettKP

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Acolyte of Zothique

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Demetrios1453

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Quickleaf

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Acolyte of Zothique

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Ibrandul

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briggart

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Parmandur

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LordEntrails

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