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

 

[Vinicius Lessa]

Anyone knows if Gate Towns are confirmed in the outlands?

Looks official. Polygon reported on it: D&D’s next adventures are being designed to come apart at the seams

Sad. Looks more a mock or parody than a serious take on Sigil, IMO.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Anyone knows if Gate Towns are confirmed in the outlands?


Sad. Looks more a mock or parody than a serious take on Sigil, IMO.

There really hasn't been any info other than the book will cover Sigil and the Outlands. Presumably yes, as why include the Outlands if not, but with the minimal amount of info we've gotten, virtually nothing has been outright confirmed.

Also, check the DM screen art if you need to get the glum, gritty aesthetic. Just because that's the general feel of the city doesn't mean everything in the city is that way, though.

 

[Quickleaf]

Anyone knows if Gate Towns are confirmed in the outlands?

Don't know. The way that the adventure "Turn of Fortune's Wheel" is described, it sounds like they're talking about the Hinterlands – that infinite mysterious region at the edge of the Outlands (i.e. beyond the gate towns) – but really we don't have more info than this right now.

"A plot to undermine the rules of reality has caused a glitch in the multiverse. Contend with mighty immortals and chronicle the farthest reaches of the Outlands to uncover the truth of this conspiracy."

Sad. Looks more a mock or parody than a serious take on Sigil, IMO.

Well, there's a lot to like about Vicki Pangestu's piece – it has lush details, she's got good representation, there's an interesting diversity of monsters, the scene really comes to life. And there often was a touch of whimsy to Diterlizzi's artwork for Planescape.

I know that others have differing views, and someone mentioned the look of Sigil should be more like Arcane: League of Legends.

For me, however, Vicki's piece fails to capture what drew me to Sigil and Planescape. The recent Diterlizzi landscape piece (maybe for the GM screen?) & the cover of "Sigil and the Outlands" by Tyler Jacobson? Those scream Sigil / Planescape to me. Love them. I think the difference between Vicki's piece and those paintings is that those paintings (1) have more diffuse light that feels more painterly, (2) the buildings are more baroque and imperfect (sagging roofs, excessive ornamentation, non-symmetry to the blades), and (3) there is a stylization to the creatures and Lady of Pain that distinguishes it from "standard fantasy art."

I also want to add that I enjoy seeing the dial pushed when it comes to original interpretations of older D&D material/settings. So this is not just being stuck in the 90's (I'm sure I'm there in other ways). I really want this product to be great and artistically feel like Planescape.

But this is just one piece and it's too early to say what the final product will be like.

 

[Vinicius Lessa]

Agree on all accounts, @Quickleaf . That piece of art is not my jam (too cheerful, the blades on buildings feel even out of place with the vibes) but if it's one of the few whimsy pieces to make the book, fine, as I'm okay with some mood-breaking pieces here and there to enlighten things a bit. I just hope the overall tone and aesthetics is more aligned to the other two pieces you cited (the official cover and DiTerlizzi ones).

I hope the gate towns make the cut, always loved the concept. And more exploration of the Hinterlands would be great, yes.

 

[Demetrios1453]

"A glitch in the multiverse" in the adventure description really hints at modron involvement, even the Great Modron March as has been speculated

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Sigil is the core of the setting, despite Monte Cook wanting to move away from it with Faction War before it got cancelled.

I could see going into greater detail about the other planes in other books. Not necessarily a Manual of Planes, but something similar. They've had parts of individual planes become the focus of other books with: Ravenloft (Shadowfell), Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel (Ethereal) and Wild Beyond the Witchlight (Feywild), and feel that they're going to continue with that approach. As I don't think a single Planescape campaign setting book can adequately cover all of the planes in great detail, beyond what the DMG or the initial boxed set covered.

For the most part Sigil and Outlands should be the main focus of any Planescape setting initially. But with the ideas of "the Multiverse is the D&D setting" and how campaign settings seem to be "one and done". Then Sigil and the Outlands needs to be in Planescape, it's what's the most special about the setting.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

Anyone knows if Gate Towns are confirmed in the outlands?

The section on Sigil and the Outlands in the DMG mentions the Gate-Towns, complete with a table pairing each town with their associated Outer Plane, so I can only assume they'll be in the Planescape book.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

Why is Bigby a gnome?

While Bigby was a human in Greyhawk canon, all those archmages were. The rules of the game didn't allow for other races to be archmages at the time. Even Melf Brightflame was an "elf" (fighter/wizard) class, originally. I have no problem altering canon for diversity of species, personally. Especially in a Multiversal setting.

However, there was a point when the entire Circle of Eight (except Mordenkainen) was destroyed by an agent of Vecna (Oooooh). They all had to be brought back.

I like the idea of a multiversal version of Bigby who was reincarnated into a gnome. A gnome who loves to use a giant hand spell. It sounds... right. It's playful. Also, anyone else think there is a potential correllation of another now-legendary gnome that uses a "Hand" spell? Maybe that is why it sounds good to me.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

A gnome who loves to use a giant hand spell. It sounds... right. It's playful. Also, anyone else think there is a potential correllation of another now-legendary gnome that uses a "Hand" spell? Maybe that is why it sounds good to me.

Horny wizards are the Forgotten Realms' thing, not Greyhawk's.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

Horny wizards are the Forgotten Realms' thing, not Greyhawk's.

Tasha/Iggwilv has a bone to pick with that statement.