D&D 5E The March D&D Book Will Be Announced Next Tuesday

As has become standard these days, the upcoming D&D book has appeared -- in an anonymous, secretive guise -- on various bookstores in advance of an announcement. In this case, Amazon, Penguin Random House, and Barnes & Noble, all of whom confirm that the book will be announced next Tuesday on January 12th, and released on March 16th. The book will cost $49.99. B&N has its dimensions as being...

As has become standard these days, the upcoming D&D book has appeared -- in an anonymous, secretive guise -- on various bookstores in advance of an announcement. In this case, Amazon, Penguin Random House, and Barnes & Noble, all of whom confirm that the book will be announced next Tuesday on January 12th, and released on March 16th.

The book will cost $49.99. B&N has its dimensions as being 6.5 x 9.5 inches, which is smaller than a standard D&D hardcover (but that information could just be a placeholder). B&N also indicates that the authors are Peter Lee and Rodney Thompson, but they also say that for Tasha's Cauldron and other WotC books, so that also looks like it's just their boilerplate for WotC. There's also an ISBN number: 978-0786967223.

This is almost an exact mirror of this time last year, almost down to the dates (last year it appeared on stores on Jan 6th, was announced as Explorer's Guide to Wildemount on Jan 9th, and released March 17th).

There's been plenty of speculation recently. Last year WotC said that three classic settings were getting active attention, and that the coming years would have a greater emphasis on settings, as well as more anthologies and Magic: The Gathering collaborations. And, of course, WotC has recently been involved in a Dragonlance lawsuit, which was voluntarily dismissed in December with Margaret Weis tweeting that there was exciting news in the weeks to come.

soon.jpg
 

log in or register to remove this ad


log in or register to remove this ad

Whizbang Dustyboots

Gnometown Hero
You're conflating "Dragon-themed" with "Dragonlance". Sure, DL has "dragon" in its name, but that doesn't mean that anything and everything dragon related fits into DL or that any Dragon-themed subclasses UA was definitely intended for a DL setting. I don't know much about Dragonlance, besides reading the original trilogy, but I know enough to see that neither of the "dragon subclasses" of last year's most recent UA fit into that setting at all. DL doesn't have monastic orders that shoot dragon breath into people's faces, or wandering rangers that summon "drakes". Those just aren't a part of the setting.

Dungeons and Dragons in general has more in common with these subclasses than Dragonlance does. If these subclasses are being officially published in the next release, it's not going to be as a setting book for Dragonlance. IMO, it's most likely going to be for a Volo's type monster book on Dragons. If not in this release, it probably will be in a later one.

The Dragon UA has next to nothing to do with Dragonlance other than the word "dragon". These subclasses wouldn't fit in the world any better than Gem Dragons would.
Yeah, a 5E Draconomicon seems like a good candidate for a the next monster book.

(Please be Meepo's Draconomicon, please be Meepo's Draconomicon, please be Meepo's Draconomicon ...)
 

GarrettKP

Explorer
You're conflating "Dragon-themed" with "Dragonlance". Sure, DL has "dragon" in its name, but that doesn't mean that anything and everything dragon related fits into DL or that any Dragon-themed subclasses UA was definitely intended for a DL setting. I don't know much about Dragonlance, besides reading the original trilogy, but I know enough to see that neither of the "dragon subclasses" of last year's most recent UA fit into that setting at all. DL doesn't have monastic orders that shoot dragon breath into people's faces, or wandering rangers that summon "drakes". Those just aren't a part of the setting.

Dungeons and Dragons in general has more in common with these subclasses than Dragonlance does. If these subclasses are being officially published in the next release, it's not going to be as a setting book for Dragonlance. IMO, it's most likely going to be for a Volo's type monster book on Dragons. If not in this release, it probably will be in a later one.

The Dragon UA has next to nothing to do with Dragonlance other than the word "dragon". These subclasses wouldn't fit in the world any better than Gem Dragons would.

People keep saying this, yet the Dragonlance Campaign setting in 2003 has the Dragon Rider Prestige Class which is functionally the same as the Drakewarden Ranger, right down to having a (usually starting young) Dragon companion that grows to the point of being rideable. So from what I am seeing, Drakewarden very much fits into the setting. If "summoning" vs "designating a Cohort" is the sticking point, then I think you're probably being a bit too strict here as the summoning was obviously done for mechanical balance more then actual theme.

As for the the Ascendant Dragon Monk, you're correct that there is not a precedent for such an option in Dragonlance... YET. But that doesn't mean there will not be. Especially given how little established Monk (in the D&D sense) lore is in the setting.
 



Levistus's_Leviathan

5e Freelancer
People keep saying this, yet the Dragonlance Campaign setting in 2003 has the Dragon Rider Prestige Class which is functionally the same as the Drakewarden Ranger, right down to having a (usually starting young) Dragon companion that grows to the point of being rideable.
The Drakewarden =/= Dragonrider. A dragon rider gets to freaking ride a dragon before level 25. A dragon is born with wings, not given the choice of wings at level 7. A dragon doesn't have to drain a spell slot in order to be summoned. A dragon doesn't start out as an overgrown cat familiar with scales, it starts with the real deal: wings, breath weapon, blindsight, and permanence.
So from what I am seeing, Drakewarden very much fits into the setting. If "summoning" vs "designating a Cohort" is the sticking point, then I think you're probably being a bit too strict here as the summoning was obviously done for mechanical balance more then actual theme.
No, it wasn't done for mechanical balance. Beast Master Companions and Steel Defenders don't have a time limit or require you to summon it using spell slots.

Dragon Riders are a fighter archetype, IMO. Not a ranger. Rangers prowl the wild and protect it from enemies. Dragonriders ride the backs of flying dragons and stab enemies with Dragonlances (this last part isn't really 100% a requirement, but it is for Dragonlance's Dragonriders, and Drakewardens should not be using lances if they're rangers that can't even ride the "drake" until level 15).

Drakewardens fit into the setting just about as much as an Aberrant Mind Sorcerer fits into Dark Sun. Sure, "psionics" is Dark Sun's gimmick, just like dragons are Dragonlance's gimmick, but the mechanics and theme of the Aberrant Mind Sorcerer doesn't fit Dark Sun, just as the mechanics and theme of Drakewardens don't fit Dragonlance.

Similar theme =/= fits into the setting
As for the the Ascendant Dragon Monk, you're correct that there is not a precedent for such an option in Dragonlance... YET. But that doesn't mean there will not be. Especially given how little established Monk (in the D&D sense) lore is in the setting.
If they invented a UA subclass to introduce a base class to a setting, they're doing something wrong. Theros gave advice of reskinning monks as spear-slinging, Spartan Hoplites. I'm sure a possible Dragonlance setting book could do something similar without changing the lore of the world by introducing a brand new draconic monk subclass.
 



Urriak Uruk

Gaming is fun, and fun is for everyone
People keep saying this, yet the Dragonlance Campaign setting in 2003 has the Dragon Rider Prestige Class which is functionally the same as the Drakewarden Ranger, right down to having a (usually starting young) Dragon companion that grows to the point of being rideable. So from what I am seeing, Drakewarden very much fits into the setting. If "summoning" vs "designating a Cohort" is the sticking point, then I think you're probably being a bit too strict here as the summoning was obviously done for mechanical balance more then actual theme.

As for the the Ascendant Dragon Monk, you're correct that there is not a precedent for such an option in Dragonlance... YET. But that doesn't mean there will not be. Especially given how little established Monk (in the D&D sense) lore is in the setting.

Fair. Still, Gem Dragons are almost certainly being released this year (the Sapphire Dragon was released last year, with the promise of more coming), and it really doesn't seem on brand for Dragonlance. Seems like a Dragonomicon, or at least a Monster Book, is more likely.

I'm not saying that Dragonlance isn't happening this year, but the certainly some folks have on it seems premature.
 

Weiley31

Legend
As much as I would love for it to be something we want, 5 platinum says it won't be Dragonlance or something we're looking forward too.
 

Remove ads

Remove ads

Top