D&D 5E 2020 Release Speculation Thread

[Urriak Uruk]

Now that we have seen the Icewind Dale announcement, but nothing else teased at all, except for the vague comments in their diversity announcement, it is time to bump this back to the top and get speculating again.

Very well... I guess the Q4 book is another Volo's Guide/Xanathar's style book, with a mix of new racial options, class options, and monster statblocks. Not quite a new player's Xanathar's and not quite a monster book of Volo's, but something in-between.

I'll give it a planescape theme as well, though I don't really think it's an actual setting book (though i guess it could be).

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Now that we have seen the Icewind Dale announcement, but nothing else teased at all, except for the vague comments in their diversity announcement, it is time to bump this back to the top and get speculating again.

They did tease another book, but not in this announcement. They're coming out with a book with player options later this year.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I'll give it a planescape theme as well, though I don't really think it's an actual setting book (though i guess it could be).

Yeah, it's probably not going to be a true setting. It's looking like an amalgamation of a semi-setting, monster book, player options book, and DM tips book. I think it will look like if you were to take Eberron: Rising from the Last War and smush it together with Xanathar's Guide to Everything.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I am thinking about a planar handbook/planescape, close to a Xanathar 2, but now I am thinking about something like an updated version of Savage Species. Maybe it's a mixture of these.

And we know this epidemic has delayed a lot of titles were going to be published.

In the past I kidded some times about a Dragonlance produced by Disney, but I guess Paramount have got the exclusive rights and Hasbro will want something like a CGI cartoon by Dreamworks to sell toys and other products of merchadicing. There are plans for Dragonlance, but not in this phase yet. Other matter is too known thanks the novels, and this means a "frozen" metaplot, and a serious limit to create new stories. A really good seting has to allow fandom to create their own stories. Dragonlance isn't a setting easy to be into a game-live show.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

And we know this epidemic has delayed a lot of titles were going to be published.

I think that they're not likely to delay anything a ton as long as it can be released digitally as well.

 

[Parmandur]

Very well... I guess the Q4 book is another Volo's Guide/Xanathar's style book, with a mix of new racial options, class options, and monster statblocks. Not quite a new player's Xanathar's and not quite a monster book of Volo's, but something in-between.

I'll give it a planescape theme as well, though I don't really think it's an actual setting book (though i guess it could be).

Yeah, it's probably not going to be a true setting. It's looking like an amalgamation of a semi-setting, monster book, player options book, and DM tips book. I think it will look like if you were to take Eberron: Rising from the Last War and smush it together with Xanathar's Guide to Everything.

Real talk, though, if they have a book with Xanathar's style Class options and also race material, DM tools, and Monsters, and throw in a Gazeeter...that's basically the same as Ravnica or Eberron.

Indeed, if they include every option from every UA since September, and throw in about 20 pages of the origins enhancements they have now discussed, that's less PC material in page count than Eberron...

I'm feeling this is a straight Planescape Setting book, in the style of Eberron.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Real talk, though, if they have a book with Xanathar's style Class options and also race material, DM tools, and Monsters, and throw in a Gazeeter...that's basically the same as Ravnica or Eberron.

Except it won't be. Two major differences:

• More character options, similar in numbers to Xanathar's Guide to Everything.
• Planescape is more useful, and isn't a true setting.

Now, let me explain. All the setting books ever in 5e (not including SCAG) has not had more than 3 subclasses. It will also be for literally everyone to buy, like XGtE. You don't see players walking around buying Mythic Odysseys of Theros, do you? Maybe a few do, but the vast majority of the sales are to DMs.

Second, it's not really a true setting. Yes, it has important places, distinct NPCs, and plots going on in the background, but Planescape isn't exclusive. Now, what I mean by this is that planescape adds on to another setting. Say you're playing in Wildemount, and you go to the Abyss. You can then make use of Planescape. If you're playing in the Forgotten Realms, the lore from Theros isn't going to help much when you're learning about the other planes, but Planescape does help there.

Indeed, if they include every option from every UA since September, and throw in about 20 pages of the origins enhancements they have now discussed, that's less PC material in page count than Eberron...

They could add in the Artificer, more spells, feats, races, and subclasses from other setting books. (Like they took SCAG subclasses for XGtE)

I'm feeling this is a straight Planescape Setting book, in the style of Eberron.

No, if it was a straight setting book, they couldn't market it to players. They want this book marketed to players and DMs so the sales go up.

 

[Parmandur]

Except it won't be. Two major differences:

• More character options, similar in numbers to Xanathar's Guide to Everything.
• Planescape is more useful, and isn't a true setting.

Now, let me explain. All the setting books ever in 5e (not including SCAG) has not had more than 3 subclasses. It will also be for literally everyone to buy, like XGtE. You don't see players walking around buying Mythic Odysseys of Theros, do you? Maybe a few do, but the vast majority of the sales are to DMs.

Second, it's not really a true setting. Yes, it has important places, distinct NPCs, and plots going on in the background, but Planescape isn't exclusive. Now, what I mean by this is that planescape adds on to another setting. Say you're playing in Wildemount, and you go to the Abyss. You can then make use of Planescape. If you're playing in the Forgotten Realms, the lore from Theros isn't going to help much when you're learning about the other planes, but Planescape does help there.

They could add in the Artificer, more spells, feats, races, and subclasses from other setting books. (Like they took SCAG subclasses for XGtE)

No, if it was a straight setting book, they couldn't market it to players. They want this book marketed to players and DMs so the sales go up.

Planescape is definitely a "real Setting," even if it ties into every other Setting, well ..so does every other Setting. The character they initially were going to put on the Eberron book's cover actually lives in Sigil, per the text of the Eberron book!

The number of Subclass options on hand, realistically, is probably going to be closer to SCAG.

They don't market books to players. Every one of their books has a pretty explicit DM appeal, with anything with player material having more DM material, except the PHB.

But we'll find out in the next few months.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Planescape is a "transitional" setting, like Spelljammer and Ravenloft, to a lesser extent. Some times I suggest to add a new setting based in the chronomancers and time spheres to allow fandom to create their own mash-up of known worlds.

For 2021 we will know something about gothic horror and psionic powers.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Real talk, though, if they have a book with Xanathar's style Class options and also race material, DM tools, and Monsters, and throw in a Gazeeter...that's basically the same as Ravnica or Eberron.

Indeed, if they include every option from every UA since September, and throw in about 20 pages of the origins enhancements they have now discussed, that's less PC material in page count than Eberron...

I'm feeling this is a straight Planescape Setting book, in the style of Eberron.

Yeah, maybe. But getting three setting books in a year seems ambitious, even with WotC new interest in the format. And I really think Planescape covers way too much setting material to be able to smoosh alongside all this other stuff, unless your breezing through the planes in a similar way to the DMG already doing.