D&D 5E What is WotC working on now?

[Zaran]

I just find it far fetched that the movie rights have anything to do with what they are working on. They tried to tie the 4e Book of Elemental Evil to the third DnD movie and that didn't work out. Why would they have any faith that the next movie would be any better?

 

[Parmandur]

As to the original question: they have promised free conversion guides, so "this is how you convert a 2e module" sort of thing, which meshes well with D&D Classics pretty well.

Probably some form of setting support.

I'd like to see more boxed sets, things they could sell in Target.

Maybe a Manual of the Planes?

 

[Nebulous]

That's insane. I mean, it really is. And kind of sad.

 

[SigmaOne]

I just find it far fetched that the movie rights have anything to do with what they are working on. They tried to tie the 4e Book of Elemental Evil to the third DnD movie and that didn't work out. Why would they have any faith that the next movie would be any better?

Did they? I thought WotC essentially had nothing to do with those movies, since Sweetpea had the rights to them.

 

[Zaran]

Nope, WotC even had a contest where the winner would be a character in the background of the film. But I'm pretty sure they had to cancel the contest.

 

[halfling rogue]

I'd like to see more boxed sets, things they could sell in Target.

Yes, this!

I think it would be really cool to continue the "Starter Set" model (can you call it a model?) in that you offer a generic softcover adventure (ala Lost Mine) that isn't tied to any of their story arcs, but comes with pregenerated characters that tie into the story. No need to include a rulebook, simply direct players to Basic PDF and promote the corebooks via advertisement. A small adventure (including monster stats at the back) and pregens would be enough. But they could include handouts (like player maps). Sell them without dice and charge $10.

I could be wrong (since I'm relatively new at this) but did I just describe how they released old school modules? Well, if so. That.

 

[Wrathamon]

story bibles

 

[I'm A Banana]

Movie rights to resolve. Rights to make D&D movies were in court back in September. The judge told both sides that resolving the issue may take some time, and that it may end with nobody happy, and suggested they come to some settlement before she ruled on the case.

I suspect the product plan with a movie in the works is much different from the product plan without said movie.

They may also be waiting for the legal department to hash through the license they'll be using. Again, the product plan probably changed depending on license terms.

I just find it far fetched that the movie rights have anything to do with what they are working on. They tried to tie the 4e Book of Elemental Evil to the third DnD movie and that didn't work out. Why would they have any faith that the next movie would be any better?

Well, I don't imagine that they're just paying Mearls & Crawford to sit around tweeting pictures of their dogs all day. Whatever rights might be in limbo, the D&D team is getting work done on something that presumably WotC hopes to sell to someone at some point, and it's not clear what that something is. I don't imagine we'll hear anything before next year at this point (honestly, wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the D&D team is taking a well-earned vacation, by all accounts this launch was pretty successful for them!), but it'd be a little insane to just have 17 people sitting around waiting for some lawyers to stop bickering.

Wild Guessing:

• Psionics was left out of the core, but we know they did some work on them. Maybe they're in the early stages of development on what will be the Fall release: a science-fantasy Spelljammer romp that pits the party against Mind Flayers In Space, and features psionics as character options including Githzerai and Githyanki (fully embracing the cornball pulpy science-fantasy vibe that created them in the first place via Spelljammer).
• Undoubtedly, someone is putting together some "Unearthed Arcana" articles for DMG rules that missed the boat. Again, we know they did some work on a lot of things that didn't appear in the DMG ultimately.
• Finally getting serious about that My Little Pony campaign setting.

....that list didn't get very long before it disappeared into insanity, so honestly, no idea. You know they're being thorough and they're avoiding bloat, but they're doing something, and they've been silent on what that something is.

I'm afraid I'm just going to have to shrug and Tom Waits this for now.
[video=youtube;nMqxNPsfN50]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMqxNPsfN50[/video]

 

[Parmandur]

Yes, this!



I think it would be really cool to continue the "Starter Set" model (can you call it a model?) in that you offer a generic softcover adventure (ala Lost Mine) that isn't tied to any of their story arcs, but comes with pregenerated characters that tie into the story. No need to include a rulebook, simply direct players to Basic PDF and promote the corebooks via advertisement. A small adventure (including monster stats at the back) and pregens would be enough. But they could include handouts (like player maps). Sell them without dice and charge $10.



I could be wrong (since I'm relatively new at this) but did I just describe how they released old school modules? Well, if so. That.

My thought is that could include rules modules, too; say, a "BattleSystem" boxed set with an adventure, and developed mass combat rules; maybe even light weight wargame stuff, counters and a board or something.

That sort of thing would be awesome, and right up Hasbro's alley, I would think.

 

[Parmandur]

story bibles

Chris Perkins seems very busy with those, and everyone is probably on vacation right now. Bit Mearls and Crawford are not doing much with the story bibles.