D&D 5E Announcement Next Week--What Hints For Upcoming D&D Books?

WotC uses Unearthed Arcana to playtest D&D material which often ends up in a later hardcover book. Mages of Strixhaven was in Unearthed Arcana in June 2021, and Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos was published in December 2021. Draconic Options was in Unearthed Arcana in April 2021, and Fizban's Treasury of Dragons came out in October. The same applied to Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, and other books--the lead time appears to typically be somewhere around 6 months. So what have we had recently which might give us an insight into upcoming books?

WotC is holding a press event this coming Friday, with an embargo for March 22nd (which is Tuesday next week), meaning that an announcement is around the corner.

Unearthed Arcana has slowed in the last year or so, but there have been two notable articles:

• August 2021 -- Travelers of the Multiverse. 6 months after this was February, so if the 6-month lead time theory holds true, a multiverse-themed book would be imminent. The amount of speculative chatter about Spelljammer, Planescape, and 'Planejammer' is at a high.
• March 2022 -- Heroes of Krynn. This UA was released last week; six months would put a Dragonlance hardcover roughly about September, around the same time that Weis & Hickman's new Dragonlance novel releases.

So these two appear the most likely--some kind of multiverse book, and a Dragonlance book.

We know that a new starter set--Dragons of Stormwreck Isle--is on its way this year. WotC has spoken about two brand new settings, and two classic settings in 2022 (which fits the theory!)

They also spoke about a 'brand new format' for the 2 classic settings--WotC's Ray Winninger said in June last year 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.

 

[Morrus]

The Monstrous Compendium was a good idea in theory, but the fact that you had two unrelated monsters on each side of a page pretty much destroyed the main utility of that format.

I loved those!

(runs to check eBay)

 

[Willie the Duck]

Perhaps written in cuneiform on clay tablets (the real 'old school' experience)?

 

[zsoltilla]

Liz Schuh let slip on Dragon Talk that upcoming products would have trays inside the box. I don't know what that looks like but sounds like something more utilitarian.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

There could be a arguement that Astral Elves could be Planescape race, I mean the Astral Plane is more traditional Planescape turf then Spelljammer.

Planescape traditionally discouraged planar versions of the 2e core races (other than Human or Half-Elf) insisting that if someone was of the 2e core races they'd be a prime. That was mostly done to encourage the playing the races that were new to PS.

Astral Elves also don't resemble the Celestial Eladrin like Coure, Bralani, Ghaele, Firre and so on, as those generally had the themes of elements + alternate forms. If the article was hinting Planescape content, it would have included the Bariaur and (Rogue) Modron the only PS races left that aren't Tieflings, Aasimar, Genasi, Githzerai or Githyanki, and no only really cared about the Nathri or Nethlings (though those could be either Plasmoid or Changelings). While Autognome might have been a disguised version of Modron, they'd really need to fix and test the Bariaur. Like having the same abilities for both genders: which had a thing like female Bariaurs don't have horns (partially based on the untrue idea that female goats don't have horns) but get resistances and other bonuses instead.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Planescape traditionally discouraged planar versions of the 2e core races (other than Human or Half-Elf) insisting that if someone was of the 2e core races they'd be a prime. That was mostly done to encourage the playing the races that were new to PS.

Astral Elves also don't resemble the Celestial Eladrin like Coure, Bralani, Ghaele, Firre and so on, as those generally had the themes of elements + alternate forms. If the article was hinting Planescape content, it would have included the Bariaur and (Rogue) Modron the only PS races left that aren't Tieflings, Aasimar, Genasi, Githzerai or Githyanki, and no only really cared about the Nathri or Nethlings (though those could be either Plasmoid or Changelings). While Autognome might have been a disguised version of Modron, they'd really need to fix and test the Bariaur. Like having the same abilities for both genders: which had a thing like female Bariaurs don't have horns (partially based on the untrue idea that female goats don't have horns) but get resistances and other bonuses instead.

The lore for Celestial Eladrin will have to be updated given back in Planescapes time their weren't any none Celestial Eladrin. Maybe "Astral" Elves will be the base version with Bralani, Ghaele, Firrie, and Courtes being the more powerful noblity.

 

[Parmandur]

There could be a arguement that Astral Elves could be Planescape race, I mean the Astral Plane is more traditional Planescape turf then Spelljammer.

Here's the thing: they lie about flavor in UA (see Owlin, Centaur, Minotaur). And there isn't anything "Astral" about those Elves, which seem more like a replacement for Drow, Wood Elves, and High Elves rolled into one option. Perfect for an Elven Star Empire.

 

[darjr]

Here's the thing: they lie about flavor in UA (see Owlin, Centaur, Minotaur). And there isn't anything "Astral" about those Elves, which seem more like a replacement for Drow, Wood Elves, and High Elves rolled into one option. Perfect for an Elven Star Empire.

Wait? How so, again please?

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Here's the thing: they lie about flavor in UA (see Owlin, Centaur, Minotaur). And there isn't anything "Astral" about those Elves, which seem more like a replacement for Drow, Wood Elves, and High Elves rolled into one option. Perfect for an Elven Star Empire.

Your right there is nothing Astral about those elves, it's much more celestial, say Aborean about them. They seem like a mix between Aasimar and Elves mechanically.

 

[Parmandur]

Wait? How so, again please?

The Trance Proficiency and the Cantrip with the ability to choose the spellcasting ability, along with Tasha's ASI modification, basically invalidates the need for multiple Elf Subraces (particularly with Mordenkainen's Multiverse making Shadar-Kai, Sea Elves and Eladrin full Races). The difference between Wood Elves, High Elves and Drow (ignoring the light sensitivity for a second) boils down to Proficiencies, Cantrips and ASI distribution. I'm pretty sure this part was the first test for the 2024 rules update, to replace the core Elf from 2014.

Your right there is nothing Astral about those elves, it's much more celestial, say Aborean about them. They seem like a mix between Aasimar and Elves mechanically.

Not even Celestial: just hyper Elvish.

 

[Dire Bare]

Here's the thing: they lie about flavor in UA (see Owlin, Centaur, Minotaur). And there isn't anything "Astral" about those Elves, which seem more like a replacement for Drow, Wood Elves, and High Elves rolled into one option. Perfect for an Elven Star Empire.

Lie? No.

Does the flavor sometimes change? Yes.