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.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

It occurs to me that some of the new AFR "Planeswalkers" not only might all show up in this new book, if it survives and it probably will, but also in all the other 4 setting books too, to tie them all together like the Planeswalkers such as the Gatewatch in the Blind Eternities settings do. I think this is the real purpose of Ellywick Tumblestrum and her crew, a interasetting meta story for D&D, MtG style.

Kill me now if so.

I don't want D&D to turn into more of that "ALL OUR SETTINGS ARE ONE SETTING!!!!" drivel, I mean, fine, let it technically be possible, but not mandatory and with "multi-setting lore" and all that trash. He said, glowering at his Brandon Sanderson novels.

 

[Michael Linke]

"in a new format"

We haven't really gotten an Atlas since the days of TSR's "Trail maps" series. Maybe they're gonna present a setting with a focus on geography rather than game mechanics.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

The safest approach to avoid most of the subject on colonialism, is really just go all in on the French Revolution (and Reign of Terror and Napolean), which I'm aware is towards the end of that era. As there's a lot of things to draw from that happened during that time too. A bunch of novels of the Flintlock Fantasy sub-genre strongly draw in from those sources.

I was thinking Three Musketeers myself but that could work, though the Reign of Terror is definitely too complex and grey for D&D to deal with (if you look at it in depth).

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I will be surprised. Some of the richest mythical stories are of Indian origin. Just sadly, many white creators in America are too reliant on Norse myth..

I agree, I just don't think the appreciation of them is widespread. Even Persian stories are a little more known (Japan has the Heroic Legend of Arslan stuff for example). I suspect, weirdly, earlier in the 20th century it might have been a better time. But all it would take is one mass-appeal videogame or movie to blow it wide open though.

Also yeah is there anything more boring than Norse myth? Because I have yet to come across it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Box sets in and of themselves aren't necessarily exciting. The useful thing about them is that they open up the possibility of including assorted maps, handouts, and other cool stuff. For example, I could imagine a deluxe adventure coming with a deck of cards with pictures of all the important NPCs – that's the type of thing that would justify a boxed set. Or several maps, or things like that.

I'd rather have those be optional add-ons rather than required purchases. I picked up the Tarokka set and Strahd screen, but I think this stuff should be available at various price points for people who don't want or can't afford a big boxed set full of stuff.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Or it could simply be the structure and contents of the books are different, not the actual form the book takes.

This would mean the least friction for the publishing and distribution chain.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

"in a new format"

We haven't really gotten an Atlas since the days of TSR's "Trail maps" series. Maybe they're gonna present a setting with a focus on geography rather than game mechanics.

An atlas or almanac would be interesting, but those typically were done for highly detailed settings. I don't know that we have anything we could considered highly detailed in 5E, unless people want trail maps of the Sword Coast, which I think would make a lot of FR fans' heads explode in frustration.

 

[Yaarel]

Kill me now if so.

I don't want D&D to turn into more of that "ALL OUR SETTINGS ARE ONE SETTING!!!!" drivel, I mean, fine, let it technically be possible, but not mandatory and with "multi-setting lore" and all that trash. He said, glowering at his Brandon Sanderson novels.

Heh, why not? The Forgotten Realms multiverse invaded every other setting. Even settings like Eberron and Dark Sun. Now Forgotten Realms can experience the same punishment by an invasion from Magic The Gathering.

 

[Yaarel]

FR basically goes through radical surgery every edition, it's just appears it's going to be twice in one edition with 5e .

I wonder if this new FR setting book will come with its own Realms Shaking Event too. WotC clearly has been planes.

I hope Forgotten Realms downplays the mechanical move of the ability score improvement from lineage to ability score generation.

No Realms Shaking Event.

Heh, I dont want some bizarre reason for why Elves stopped being dexterous.

 

[Staffan]

Spelljammer is ripe for re-imagining as an updated steampunk-style setting with sci-fi aspects like the living mind flayer ships shown in the BG3 trailer. I can't believe they haven't already jumped on it, myself.

I would love to see updated versions of all the old spelljammer ship designs. Despite the fact that they were fantastical-looking, most of them seemed very mundane. The elven ships, for example, were supposed to be made of living plant-like crystal, but I never really got that sense from the art.

This is a thing I, in retrospect, see a lot of in old D&D: dulled down concepts. The planes are one of the main culprits, possibly due to the box-checking nature of their design. So we get things like the Plane of Fire, which is all fire all the time oh so much fire hahaha burn burn burn. And maybe a tiny bit of non-fire but only a wee little bit. And save vs breath weapon or die, and even if you save you take 4d10 damage/round. That's not very conducive to good adventures. You either make sure everyone involved has a lot of protection which negates the danger entirely (and probably negate like half the damage of all the monsters on the plane), or you die.
Compare this to the description in the 5e DMG, which has the plane of fire being hot like a hot desert, not hot as in burn you alive. It also describes a number of geographical features like the Cinder Plains or Fountains of Creation. This is a lot more interesting and useful. It is also not immediately lethal, which means you get to survive it while still suffering from the heat and stuff.