D&D 5E WotC: 5 D&D Settings In Development?

WotC's Ray Winninger spoke a little about some upcoming D&D settings -- two classic settings are coming in 2022 in formats we haven't seen before, and two brand new (not Magic: the Gathering) settings are also in development, as well as return to a setting they've already covered in 5E. He does note, however, that of the last three, there's a chance of one or more not making it to release, as they develop more than they use.

Two classic settings? What could they be?​

So that's:

• 2 classic settings in 2022 (in a brand new format)
• 2 brand new settings
• 1 returning setting

So the big questions -- what are the two classic settings, and what do they mean by a format we haven't seen before? Winninger has clarified on Twitter that "Each of these products is pursuing a different format you've never seen before. And neither is "digital only;" these are new print formats."

As I've mentioned on a couple of occasions, there are two more products that revive "classic" settings in production right now.

The manuscript for the first, overseen by [Chris Perkins], is nearly complete. Work on the second, led by [F. Wesley Schneider] with an assist from [Ari Levitch], is just ramping up in earnest. Both are targeting 2022 and formats you've never seen before.

In addition to these two titles, we have two brand new [D&D] settings in early development, as well as a return to a setting we've already covered. (No, these are not M:tG worlds.)

As I mentioned in the dev blog, we develop more material than we publish, so it's possible one or more of these last three won't reach production. But as of right now, they're all looking great.

Of course the phrase "two more products that revive 'classic' settings" could be interpreted in different ways. It might not be two individual setting books.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Are there any classic settings that never had a boxed set? I know TSR was obsessed with them, so likely the answer is no.

 

[Steampunkette]

Yes please!

5e Dark Sun boxed set leak!

And now I've made myself sad knowing that it won't be that...

awwww....

 

[Zaukrie]

That makes me think by "different format" he may even just mean as different as Ravnica or Eberron are from Theros or Ravenloft. Bespoke to each Setting, not formulaic.

My wife and I drink every time they say "bespoke" on Escape to the Country......

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Maybe it is finally time we get that mythical 5E update for D20 Modern!

 

[darjr]

5e Dark Sun boxed set leak!

And now I've made myself sad knowing that it won't be that...

awwww....

Stealing this!

 

[Parmandur]

Now to specific speculation:

- 2 new Classic Settimgs, my money is on Planescape and Dark Sun. Perkins for Planescape, Schneider for Dark Sun after his recent success with remaining Ravenlofts Dark fantasy

- returning 5E Setting, probably FR.

- 2 all new Settings, this is genuinely exciting. I'd like to see something the Feywild similar to how Ravenloft tes into the Shadowfell: Alice in Wonderland type stuff. A non-European Setting would be great.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

Classic Settings:
Desperately want it to be Dark Sun (With a full Psionic Class) and Planesjammer. I know Planescape is its own beloved thing and so is Spelljammer but, really, with the way they're often used at the table, and even in videogames look at the Baldur's Gate 3 premise, it just feels -so- right to have them together.

The new format thing is interesting as well. I suspect that it could mean we'll see an Adventure-Path-Setting-Thing for Dark Sun, specifically. Due to the way the setting is written and the smaller quantity of places to visit you could really put most of what is Dark Sun in a handful of pages of the adventure and flesh out just specific bits as the story progresses.

Not sure how you'd get a new format for Planescape or Spelljammer. But slamming them into one setting would be "New"? >.>

New Settings:
I'm hoping for something new in a stylistic sense. Specifically Steamfantasy or Prehistoric or involving Aliens rather than normal Monsters. Something that isn't just another High Fantasy Realm type thing.

Returning Format:
Gonna guess it is Exandria. With the new campaign starting soon there's going to be a lot of interest in Exandria Unlimited and the other design spaces in the world that Mercer has left open for the new DM. Seeing her ideas become a canonical expansion would be pretty flipping huge.

Great call on a Dark Sun adventure path. A sandbox-style adventure like Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden would be a great fit for Dark Sun.

 

[darjr]

Wow!

 

[Parmandur]

My wife and I drink every time they say "bespoke" on Escape to the Country......

The deadliest game.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

Clearly there will be a tie in to the D&D movie, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a campaign setting. Could be an adventure. Could be a boxed set for Target. Could be a single-volume Rules Cyclopedia-style product that combines PHB, DMG, and MM. Etc.