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.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The big selling point for Exandria is that it's the Critical Role world. Otherwise, it's a kitchen sink world similar to what many home DMs have.

The Tal'Dorei book is now out of print and publication rights have apparently reverted to Critical Role, so if they had previously been talking to D&D Beyond, it's not impossible that we'd be seeing it there. Personally, if I were Critical Role, I'd want a second, updated edition to come out in time for the Amazon show, with concept art, etc., from that.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

The big selling point for Exandria is that it's the Critical Role world. Otherwise, it's a kitchen sink world similar to what many home DMs have.

The Tal'Dorei book is now out of print and publication rights have apparently reverted to Critical Role, so if they had previously been talking to D&D Beyond, it's not impossible that we'd be seeing it there. Personally, I'd want a second, updated edition to come out in time for the Amazon show, with concept art, etc., from that.

I know some folks like Wildemount for disentagling a lot of races from their alignments, to make a more politics driven, "Everyone nation is both bad and good" kind of plot. But that's specific to Wildemount, I don't know anyone interested in Tal'Dorei, it is really just generic fantasyland.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I know some folks like Wildemount for disentagling a lot of races from their alignments, to make a more politics driven, "Everyone nation is both bad and good" kind of plot. But that's specific to Wildemount, I don't know anyone interested in Tal'Dorei, it is really just generic fantasyland.

I think that's probably also a reflection that Mercer, like a lot of us, is part of the discussion about always-evil races and likely tweaking his campaign setting as it goes on. I suspect a future take on Tal'Dorei might look a little different than it did last time around.

 

[Parmandur]

I know some folks like Wildemount for disentagling a lot of races from their alignments, to make a more politics driven, "Everyone nation is both bad and good" kind of plot. But that's specific to Wildemount, I don't know anyone interested in Tal'Dorei, it is really just generic fantasyland.

Actually, I like that it is a generic fantasyland: the selling point is that there is no selling point. Tal'Dorei is a craft project Mercer made for his friends to enjoy, not as a product to sell. And as such...it is enjoyable.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think that's one of the main reasons so many home campaigns are kitchen sink settings: It's the easiest way to make player concepts work at the table.

 

[overgeeked]

I think that's one of the main reasons so many home campaigns are kitchen sink settings: It's the easiest way to make player concepts work at the table.

That and players get really worked up if they can't do whatever they want. It's generally easier to just destroy whatever sense of cohesion or backstory the DM had for their world that would result in a potential option being taken off the table than it is to convince an intractable player that even the notion of less options isn't somehow bad or wrong (especially if they weren't planning on using that option).

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Actually, I like that it is a generic fantasyland: the selling point is that there is no selling point. Tal'Dorei is a craft project Mercer made for his friends to enjoy, not as a product to sell. And as such...it is enjoyable.

Oh I've got nothing wrong with generic fantasyland. But if that's what I need, I'll probably pick something up like FR or Greyhawk instead. No offense to Mercer, but Tal'Dorei is both kind of boring and too familiar for big fans for me to want to use.

 

[CleverNickName]

That and players get really worked up if they can't do whatever they want. It's generally easier to just destroy whatever sense of cohesion or backstory the DM had for their world that would result in a potential option being taken off the table than it is to convince an intractable player that even the notion of less options isn't somehow bad or wrong (especially if they weren't planning on using that option).

The easiest way to get my players to use certain character options (races, classes, subclasses, whatever) is to send them all an e-mail and let them know that I'm banning those options from the game for balance reasons. Suddenly, they will trample themselves trying to talk me out of it, and several of them will roll up new characters out of spite.

ME: So I took a look at the Hollow One and the Echo Knight from Wildemount and we won't be using these in our campaign. They are just too overpowered.​

​

LITERALLY EVERYONE ELSE: Noooooo! I want to play one of those! You can't do this to us! Why do you hate fun?! If I can't play a Hollow Echo Knight I will quit! Look, I already rolled one up!​

​

ME: [evil laugh]​

Okay, I'm exaggerating but not by much. The truth is if I put anything on a ban list in my game, I'm only putting a spotlight on it. It could be anything -- a race, class, spell, feat, potion, a pet -- and my players will completely ignore it until they think it's out of reach. Once it's off the table they can't stop obsessing about it, wondering what prompted me to make such a decision, and wondering if there is some kind of overpowered combo or trick that I don't want them to exploit. And they live for that thrill of finding a hidden exploit.

TL;DR: it's fun to mess with min/maxers.

 

[overgeeked]

The easiest way to get my players to use certain character options (races, classes, subclasses, whatever) is to send them all an e-mail and let them know that I'm banning those options from the game for balance reasons. Suddenly, they will trample themselves trying to talk me out of it, and several of them will roll up new characters out of spite.

ME: So I took a look at the Hollow One and the Echo Knight from Wildemount and we won't be using these in our campaign. They are just too overpowered.​

​

LITERALLY EVERYONE ELSE: Noooooo! I want to play one of those! You can't do this to us! Why do you hate fun?! If I can't play a Hollow Echo Knight I will quit! Look, I already rolled one up!​

​

ME: [evil laugh]​

Okay, I'm exaggerating but not by much. The truth is if I put anything on a ban list in my game, I'm only putting a spotlight on it. It could be anything -- a race, class, spell, feat, potion, a pet -- and my players will completely ignore it until they think it's out of reach. Once it's off the table they can't stop obsessing about it, wondering what prompted me to make such a decision, and wondering if there is some kind of overpowered combo or trick that I don't want them to exploit. And they live for that thrill of finding a hidden exploit.

TL;DR: it's fun to mess with min/maxers.

Exactly. The best way around that, I've found, is to have players submit several character concepts and I pick one. Explain it away as making sure we don't have double ups or too similar concepts or lack of a healer, etc. And, as if by magic, none of the stuff I've banned ends up in the game. Seems to work well enough.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

CR is very popular, but I guess Matt Mercer would rather total creative freedom for the future campaigns. Other reason is better to keep all the new elements in the lore for the show to can cause surprise in the audence. The books only should show things appeared in the serie.

I wonder why WotC doesn't broadcast shows set into other world, not only FR and Ravenloft.