D&D 5E 2020 Release Speculation Thread

[Mercurius]

I would be surprised to see a full-on Planescape book this November, but a Xanathar’s 2 with planar options makes sense to set the stage for Planescape next year.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Their hint of two books involving the Vistani are probably for Spring. One adventure and one book of player options. Unless they have been working on that long enough for those to be the Fall books. It is so hard to tell when they started on the various books. I just read the Dragon+ article about the Icewind Dale adventure and they said they started writing it in 2017 and finished it in 2018. Who knows what else is already finished and is now just sitting around waiting for a release window.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I think the Vistani could be mentioned in a Planescape book, either as a narrating character, or mentioned in the Shadowfell section in the Domains of Dread.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yeah. I was thinking about the "Planetouched" option that they could do, and I think it's going to end up as a supernatural gift similar to the ones in MOoT. The other option is a subrace similar to the Dragonmarks, that lets you be any race and take that subrace to give you planar powers.

Nyxborn would work fine for planetouched. If you don't want more powerful first level characters treat it as a 1st level only feat that vumans can select.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I would be surprised to see a full-on Planescape book this November, but a Xanathar’s 2 with planar options makes sense to set the stage for Planescape next year.

I'm now thinking it's very unlikely that the November book is Planescape anything. They only thing we know is in it is the variant race options, and WotC are wanting to present that as a core rules option. So the book will be a core rules extension book, either a Xanathar's 2 or a full blown PHB 2.

It will probably still have vistani as a player character option though.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I'm now thinking it's very unlikely that the November book is Planescape anything. They only thing we know is in it is the variant race options, and WotC are wanting to present that as a core rules option. So the book will be a core rules extension book, either a Xanathar's 2 or a full blown PHB 2.

Can't Planescape be a Xanathar's 2.0 book?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Can't Planescape be a Xanathar's 2.0 book?

I wouldn't say it's impossible, but I think if WotC want their alternative race rules to be viewed as a core rules they wouldn't want to stick any setting related labels on it.

And there is plenty of core rules content to fit in to make fluff padding unnecessary.

 

[Mercurius]

I'm now thinking it's very unlikely that the November book is Planescape anything. They only thing we know is in it is the variant race options, and WotC are wanting to present that as a core rules option. So the book will be a core rules extension book, either a Xanathar's 2 or a full blown PHB 2.

It will probably still have vistani as a player character option though.

Yes, we're on the same page. I think part of this is that there is plenty of material for X2--it is easier to compile and produce, and more risk-averse. MotP is a major undertaking--both because of its centrality to D&D legacy, and because it significantly expands the range of the game and thus would certainly involve further products--at least a story arc--to bring it to fruition.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yes, we're on the same page. I think part of this is that there is plenty of material for X2--it is easier to compile and produce, and more risk-averse. MotP is a major undertaking--both because of its centrality to D&D legacy, and because it significantly expands the range of the game and thus would certainly involve further products--at least a story arc--to bring it to fruition.

Also, I think WotC like setting books, and would want to do Planescape as a setting book, not a rules supplement.

 

[Lem23]

I'm now thinking it's very unlikely that the November book is Planescape anything. They only thing we know is in it is the variant race options, and WotC are wanting to present that as a core rules option. So the book will be a core rules extension book, either a Xanathar's 2 or a full blown PHB 2.

It will probably still have vistani as a player character option though.

I'm going for the opposite view myself - I didn't think there was much chance of a planescape book this year, but I'm changing my mind. Vistani as plane-hoppers would fit, and the different race options could be a sign that in different planes, different races have different abilities.