D&D (2024) WotC Reveals The Confirmed Release Dates of 2024's D&D Slate

We now have the actual release dates of the upcoming slate of Dungeons & Dragons books, as shared by WotC via a press release emailed out a few minutes ago.

• Vecna: Eve of Ruin (May 21)
• The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons: 1970-1977 (June 18)
• Quests from the Infinite Staircase (July 16)
• Player’s Handbook (Sept 17)
• Dungeons Master’s Guide (Nov 12)
• Monster Manual (Feb. 18, 2025)

Vecna: Eve of Ruin

• Adventure Campaign
• For characters of levels 10-20
• A high-stakes adventure in which the fate of the entire multiverse hangs in the balance. The heroes begin in the Forgotten Realms and travel to Planescape, Spelljammer, Eberron, Ravenloft, Dragonlance, and Greyhawk as they race to save existence from obliteration by the notorious lich Vecna who is weaving a ritual to eliminate good, obliterate the gods, and subjugate all worlds.
• Release Date: May 21, 2024

The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons: 1970-1977

• History of D&D
• The ultimate book showcasing D&D’s inception, including Gary Gygax’s never-before-seen first draft of D&D written in 1973, a curated collection of published fanzine and magazine articles contribute to D&D’s origin story. Each document is introduced, described, and woven into the story by one of the game’s foremost historians, Jon Peterson.
• Release Date: June 18, 2024

Quests from the Infinite Staircase

• Adventure Anthology
• For character levels 1 to 13.
• This anthology weaves together six classic DUNGEONS & DRAGONS adventures while updating them for the game’s fifth edition. The Infinite Staircase holds doors leading to fantastic realms. It’s home to the noble genie Nafas, who hears wishes made throughout the multiverse and recruits heroes to fulfill them.
• Release Date: July 16, 2024

Player’s Handbook (2024)

• Player resource
• Take your game to the next level with the revised 2024 Player's Handbook. More player options, enhanced organization, and engaging additions to the fifth edition rules, make this a must have for your next Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
• Release Date: September 17, 2024

Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024)

• DM resource
• It's never been easier to become the Dungeon Master than with the revised 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide. Learn the craft from the experts in a cleverly crafted and accessible approach to running your own game. With more tools than ever before, becoming the master of your own multiverse will be a snap.
• Release Date: November 12, 2024

Monster Manual (2025)

• DM Resource
• The revised 2025 Monster Manual brings you the greatest selection of foes to face off with your player's characters than ever assembled in the history of the game. More options at all levels of play means more ways to provide the challenges that will keep them coming back to the table again and again.
• Release Date: February 18, 2025

 

[Starmaster]

This is because the word 'Advanced' had already been taken by Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition.

I'll go for Revised 5th Edition.

My own preference is "5.0e" for the original rules, "5.5e" for the revised rules, and "5e" if you're referring to 5th edition as a whole.

 

[Mistwell]

I don't think so? WotC allowed Goodman to publish a hardcover Barrier peaks book - I'm looking at it over on my shelf. And at the time, they explicitly did not allow for an electronic version of it

But I could be wrong - not the first or last time for that

If they are willing to repeat things Goodman has done I definitely think Barrier Peaks will be in there. Amber maybe too.

I know they won't do the Slavers A-Series. But it's a great series. And I never thought "kill slavers" was a bad story idea, even today.

 

[Mistwell]

I don't care about what calls, I not typing in 5e 2024 every time. I'm going with 1D&D, you folks know what I mean, and One D&D is what they called it at first so its completely reasonable to call it that to avoid confusion, and keeping it effient.

5e24

 

[Corinnguard]

5e24

That would make a nice license plate.

 

[Starmaster]

Just to zoom in on this a bit:

Quests from the Infinite Staircase

• Adventure Anthology
• For character levels 1 to 13.
• This anthology weaves together six classic DUNGEONS & DRAGONS adventures while updating them for the game’s fifth edition. The Infinite Staircase holds doors leading to fantastic realms. It’s home to the noble genie Nafas, who hears wishes made throughout the multiverse and recruits heroes to fulfill them.
• Release Date: July 16, 2024

So, it seems that the character that Perkins teased at Pax was this "no le genie" named Nafas, who is the frame story for the anthology bringing together some D&D multiverse Avengers. As with prior anthologies, this will lobvioauly not have much to do with the Adventures themselves.

Now, as to those Adventures, we have 6 of them, from Level 1-13. What do y'all think we may see here? Are there many classic intro Adventures available? T1 or N1, perhaps?

You mention T1 and N1. I think T1 should remain a part of T1-4, as it works best that way, but N1 is an excellent choice. I consider it one of the best 1e adventure modules.

I would also like to see UK3: The Gauntlet updated and reprinted. Although it never received much acclaim, I've always considered it one of the most unusual and fun adventures for 1e. The party has a limited amount of time to explore a fortress before they have to defend it against a besieging army that show up part way through the adventure.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I'm not interested in realism, I'm interested in fun (which I understand for some requires realism). It's really hard for anyone to fight in a 5 foot wide hall, or 10x10 room.....really hard.

I don't know...it always looks pretty darn cool on camera.

 

[Zaukrie]

I don't know...it always looks pretty darn cool on camera.

Sure. but not for a party of five PCs fighting NPCs.

 

[Micah Sweet]

You know, in retrospect one of the worst decisions TSR ever made was starting the tradition of having a major in-world event to explain minor in-game changes (at least in the Realms). The Time of Troubles was cover to explain why suddenly there are no assassins (Bhaal's dead) and the new specialty priest class (after spending some time among mortals, the gods have lifted some weapon restrictions... for reasons), hell there's probably some obscure avatar-related reason there were suddenly a lot less polearm in the Realms!

They skipped 3E (WotC were still getting the bearings I guess), but then with 4E they figured players couldn't just separate mechanics form lore, so they had to create a reason for Vancian magic to not work any more, so... Spellplague. And 5E was an attempt at a half-baked reset with the Sundering, maybe it's time to go fully baked.

At the end of the adventure, the PCs use the Rod of Seven to travel back in time to knock some sense into the TSR game circa 1986! Total reset to pre Time of Troubles Realms! (Sorry Drizzt fans, like 30 novels are getting de-canonized.)

I liked the Time of Troubles. But I'm on record as liking metaplot for the narrative set in a D&D world that it's meant to be.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Lost Library of Kwalish.....which is not a reprint, clearly...

An awesome supplement/adventure, from which I've pulled quite a bit for my own game.

 

[Zaukrie]

An awesome supplement/adventure, from which I've pulled quite a bit for my own game.

Yes, big fan of this one.