D&D 5E Which Classic Settings do you think WotC will publish?

[jmartkdr2]

I don't doubt it would sell (all D&D 5E books seem to sell very well) but I'm not confident that a 5E FRCS actually would sell better than Planescape, Dark Sun or Dragonlance. Looking at the Amazon sales right now, the SCAG is roughly neck-and-neck with both Theros and Ravnica (#21, 22, 23). But Eberron is running way ahead (#14). Makes me think that people are more interested in D&D legacy settings that explore their own niches (Ravenloft is of course releasing next week, but it is sitting at #1 right now).

I've heard folks say that if the SCAG was more like FRCS it would have sold better, but I'm not so sure about that. I don't know which FR fans would buy a 5E FRCS but not the SCAG.

I think a big factor in these sales is player options. SCAG had exclusive cantrips, Eberron had the Artificer, and those kept those books in the conversation and made them useful even if you don't care about the setting. The MtG books offer all new races, at least, and they also bring in new audiences. A pure classic setting/lore book is the weakest option, IMO.

This is why I think a book with Planescape is likely, but a pure Planescape book is unlikely: they could include Spelljammer, and magical airship rules will sell books to a lot more people than Bariaurs.

 

[Mercurius]

My point is: they don't have to draw the line. They can just ignore that direction entirely and focus more on new stuff.

Some settings won't be hurt by this (Greyhawk, FR), other are dead in the water because of it (Kara-Tur), but anything on the edge? Not worth the effort - bad ROI.

You may be right, although this would be tragic with regards to Dark Sun, because it presents flavors of fantasy that are woefully under-represented in 5E (sword and sorcery and post-apocalyptic).

If it's two settings (new or old) per year, I'd only question Greyhawk or Dragonlance making the cut, but it's possible. If Greyhawk doesn't happen in 2024, it sure ain't happening. And it won't be classic Planescape, just a book of planar settings including Sigil (and probably/hopefully spelljammers.)

I keep going back and forth on whether they'll do Greyhawk or Dragonlance. I agree re: GH and 2024, though. The same might be true of DL this year or the next, as it would make most sense to publish it with the new novels. On the other hand, they might wait to see how the novels do and then have it ready to go for late 2022, to keep in the wake of the 1st book of the new series.

 

[Weiley31]

Like it or lump it: your best bet for Forgotten Realms/Faerun is the 3.0 campaign setting book.

But that's okay cuz everybody and their mutter says its the absolute Bee's Knees if you need a campaign setting book for Faerun.

 

[darjr]

Those aren't official, even if their original creators (Ed Greenwood, Douglas Niles) worked on theme. Exploring Eberron isn't official either. Doesn't mean they aren't good supplements, but they need to be worked on by the main D&D-WotC team to be official releases.

EDIT: The best quality FR books on the DMsGuild IMO, are Darkhold: Secrets of the Zhentarim, and The Border Kingdoms: A Forgotten Realms. Campaign Supplement

The Zhentarim book isn’t “official” but is cannon by the fact it’s from Ed.
The Border Kingdoms is part of WotCs living campaign, Gameholecon was given rights to develop for it for the living AL campaign. So yes it’s official.

The Eberron book is not WotC sanctioned for the living campaign, so yea it isn’t official, also he does t get what Ed has, that it’s not “cannon” either. Though it is to me and a fantastic book.

 

[Mercurius]

The Zhentarim book isn’t “official” but is cannon by the fact it’s from Ed.
The Border Kingdoms is part of WotCs living campaign, Gameholecon was given rights to develop for it for the living AL campaign. So yes it’s official.

The Eberron book is not WotC sanctioned for the living campaign, so yea it isn’t official, also he does t get what Ed has, that it’s not “cannon” either. Though it is to me and a fantastic book.

It's not cannon, either. But it may be canon.

 

[jmartkdr2]

You may be right, although this would be tragic with regards to Dark Sun, because it presents flavors of fantasy that are woefully under-represented in 5E (sword and sorcery and post-apocalyptic).

Of the old settings, Dark Sun might actually be the safest: the bad guys are slavers. You don't have to worry about the implications of fighting orcs because they're orcs: you're fighting them because they're slavers.

They just need to stop trying to make a psionic system everyone will love (since a not-small group will reject any psionic system as "not fantasy") and make one that works for people who want psionics in their DnD.

 

[jmartkdr2]

It's not cannon, either. But it may be canon.

Can the book hurl a 90kg projectile 300m?

 

[Nikosandros]

Other: They'll want to push new settings rather than classic ones.

1. Far too many old setting have stuff in them that would be problematic today but are core to the setting's identity or structure. Things that, if left in, will cause bad press, but if removed will kill the nostalgia value. Brand-new settings can work in whatever new ideas / changes they want.

Winninger has stated that in 2021-22 there would be three classic settings. Raveloft will be out next week, so that leaves another two in the next year and a half (unless they change plans).

 

[darjr]

It's not cannon, either. But it may be canon.

Look at the Candlekeep book from Ed and others. Then look at the one from WotC. The map, which was very different before either book, is now the same terrain but different artists. The reason is the Ed stuff is cannon.

but yea... “sort of”

 

[darjr]

And my phone typing skills are atrocious!