D&D 5E Planescape, Bigby, Phandelver and the Deck of Many Things: Covers & Details Revealed!

The covers of the upcoming D&D books — including Planescape, Glory of the Giants, and the Deck of Many Things have been revealed.

• August 15th -- Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants ($59.95)
• August 15th -- The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons ($39.95)
• September 19th -- Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk ($59.95)
• October 16th -- Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse ($TBA)
• November 14th -- Book of Many Things ($TBA)

Coming August 15th with two variants. Lore about giants, 76 stat blocks, feats, and a giant subclass.

3 hardcovers in a boxed set-- 96 page guide to Sigil, 64-page bestiary, and 96-page adventure, along with a poster map and DM screen. Coming October 16th.

224-page adventure for levels 1-12, poster map, 16 new monsters. Coming September 19th.

66 illustrated cards, 192-page book with lore, character options, magic items, and monsters, 80-page card reference guide, all in a slipcase. Coming November 14th.​

These Are Dungeons & Dragons' New Products For 2023

New books for the fantasy role-playing game include Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants, and a look at the legendary Deck of Many Things.

themessenger.com

 

[Demetrios1453]

With 96 pages, it has the space to give a solid location gazateer for Sigil and the Outlands while going in-depth on those Factions.

I'm guessing that 20 - 25% or so of the book will be on the Factions.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

There's been a Manual of the Planes type product for like almost every edition, hasn't there? Is there anything they could possibly put in a 5E version that wouldn't merely be a duplicate of stuff we can already get from all the other books? Is any of it worth getting your hopes up or bent out of shape over?

The only thing I want from a 5e planes book is a guide to the multiverse that explores the D&D multiverse, including places you can adventure in the various planes and how to build and build on them, and worlds and how to build and build upon what already exists for them.

That, with an adventure that has you world-hopping and dealing with (space) dragons and other creatures that are of the planes and the multiverse.


All that, preferably from the perspective of letters back and forth between the Wizards Three, or the MtG Gate Watch, or the Greyhawk mages if we really have to.

Epistolary commentary between more than two writers, is the point.

Oh, and I want primordials and titans and primal spirits, and I’m fully open to the idea of Dragons being the primal spirits. Like that is one way an ancient dragon can go, is joining their soul with the world and becoming a power that puts their material world first.

 

[Parmandur]

I was about to say exactly this. In fact, I pretty much expect something similar in this book.

(Remember how when Ravnica was published, there were lots of posts here stating that it meant we would never see Planescape because of the similarities? Pepperidge Farm remembers...)

I still don't get that, other than having Real Big Fantasy Cities and Factiona, there is nothing in common. And neither of those is strictly unique (though the Ecumenopolis of Ravnica is still one of my favorite bits of 5E).

 

[ersatzphil]

I still don't get that, other than having Real Big Fantasy Cities and Factiona, there is nothing in common. And neither of those is strictly unique (though the Ecumenopolis of Ravnica is still one of my favorite bits of 5E).

Eh, I mean - I understand the impulse. 5e has had a habit of touching on worlds and concepts, and then (with one or two specific counterexamples) never touching them again. I don't think anyone is holding their breath for another Eberron or Dragonlance book.

 

[Parmandur]

Eh, I mean - I understand the impulse. 5e has had a habit of touching on worlds and concepts, and then (with one or two specific counterexamples) never touching them again. I don't think anyone is holding their breath for another Eberron or Dragonlance book.

Yes, but Ravnica and Planrscape are different concepts...?

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

Yes, but Ravnica and Planrscape are different concepts...?

It's the same general argument that was used by people saying to just merge Planescape and Spelljammer. They seem somewhat similar at a (very, VERY superficial) glance, so what need is there for both? It's akin to asking why we need both Mythic Odysseys of Theros and Odyssey of the Dragonlords (published by different companies, obviously, but for the sake of argument) if we're looking for a game inspired by Greco-Roman Epic Fantasy?

Of course, scratch beneath the surface even a little and their distinctions start appearing quite quickly, but that type of argument was only ever concerned with the surface level pitch.

 

[Parmandur]

It's the same general argument that was used by people saying to just merge Planescape and Spelljammer. They seem somewhat similar at a (very, VERY superficial) glance, so what need is there for both? It's akin to asking why we need both Mythic Odysseys of Theros and Odyssey of the Dragonlords (published by different companies, obviously, but for the sake of argument) if we're looking for a game inspired by Greco-Roman Epic Fantasy?

Of course, scratch beneath the surface even a little and their distinctions start appearing quite quickly, but that type of argument was only ever concerned with the surface level pitch.

Yeah, I know that was the argument, but that always felt weird to me. A very, bwry superficial look at either Setting. Like saying that Waterdeep Dragon Heist menas no Planescape book, because theybalready put out a book that has a big city with a government and factions.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

Yeah, I know that was the argument, but that always felt weird to me. A very, bwry superficial look at either Setting. Like saying that Waterdeep Dragon Heist menas no Planescape book, because theybalready put out a book that has a big city with a government and factions.

Oh, to be sure. Never said it was an argument I agreed with, even remotely - just that I understood where they were coming from.

Had an extensive argument with someone in the comments to some Youtube video back during the run-up to Spelljammer over why I felt Planescape was still worth an update despite 5e Spelljammer and Ravnica supposedly making it obsolete.

Of course, they were also making the pitch for all MtG settings all the time, because they could be paired up with MtG card set releases for maximum corporate synergy... "The thing you like isn't popular anyway and they already have something superficially similar to it from another brand in their portfolio that they could just replace it with and make more money than they would have otherwise, so why should they even bother to bring it back in the first place?"

Always a fun line of discussion...

 

[Parmandur]

Oh, to be sure. Never said it was an argument I agreed with, even remotely - just that I understood where they were coming from.

Had an extensive argument with someone in the comments to some Youtube video back during the run-up to Spelljammer over why I felt Planescape was still worth an update despite 5e Spelljammer and Ravnica supposedly making it obsolete.

Of course, they were also making the pitch for all MtG settings all the time, because they could be paired up with MtG card set releases for maximum corporate synergy... "The thing you like isn't popular anyway and they already have something superficially similar to it from another brand in their portfolio that they could just replace it with and make more money than they would have otherwise, so why should they even bother to bring it back in the first place?"

Always a fun line of discussion...

I'm honestly surprised that we didn't see a Dominaria setting book for the 30th anniversary of Magic. I don't get that zero sum attitude: we can have new Settings, old Settigns, and Magic Settings.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

I'm honestly surprised that we didn't see a Dominaria setting book for the 30th anniversary of Magic. I don't get that zero sum attitude: we can have new Settings, old Settigns, and Magic Settings.

More or less the same on my end...

Not a Magic player, so my familiarity with Magic settings is minimal at best, but I'm certainly not averse to getting them from time to time, particularly when they add in new subsystems that can be used to beef up aspects of other settings - requires work (or 3rd party supplements) but I love the idea of using Theros-style Piety to reward religious PCs for acts of faith, even though I have no real interest in Theros itself as a setting.