D&D 4E 4E PHB II & DMG II 1 year after release (and a new one every year after that)

[vongarr]

I love this idea. A new year, a new campaign.

Couple this idea of having three new core books each year with the fact that WOTC/Hasbro is reigning in all of their old lines, and you get

Year 1: FR
Year 2: Eberron (PHB featuring warforged, changelings, shifters, etc)
Year 3: Dark Sun (PHB featuring muls, thri-kreen, cannibalistic halflings, elves that look a lot
different from those seen in prior PHBs; gladiators, defilers, templars- a lot of
different power sources there.)
Year 4: Ravenloft
Year 5: Planescape

and on and on and on. Each year could even feature a different artist/style of art. Not sure that it'll play out this way, but its a thought...and like the rest of fourth edition, I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I guess time will tell.

Chad

 

[Mouseferatu]

I love this idea. A new year, a new campaign.

As do I. Setting design is still one of my favorite parts of D&D, as a gamer and a writer both. The notion of a new setting every year, even if it's just a core book, makes my mouth water.

 

[Glyfair]

As do I. Setting design is still one of my favorite parts of D&D, as a gamer and a writer both. The notion of a new setting every year, even if it's just a core book, makes my mouth water.

Something I was thinking about today while browsing the Incarnum book I got in the mail today (bought cheap just before the announcement).

Something like Incarnum is pretty odd in standard fantasy. This model could allow them to introduce something like it, and the same year release a setting that uses it. Instead of an experiment that sticks out like a sore thumb in most established setting, they can create one where it is integrated (but not essential) and a setting sandbox for fans of the system to play in.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Something I was thinking about today while browsing the Incarnum book I got in the mail today (bought cheap just before the announcement).

Something like Incarnum is pretty odd in standard fantasy. This model could allow them to introduce something like it, and the same year release a setting that uses it. Instead of an experiment that sticks out like a sore thumb in most established setting, they can create one where it is integrated (but not essential) and a setting sandbox for fans of the system to play in.

Yep. Other people have suggested the same thing, and I think it's a fantastic idea. (It's why I fully expect to see gnomes and psionics come out just in time for Eberron 4E.) I'd love to see WotC carry this on to future settings, both revised classics and brand new ones.

 

[MerricB]

Yep. Other people have suggested the same thing, and I think it's a fantastic idea. (It's why I fully expect to see gnomes and psionics come out just in time for Eberron 4E.) I'd love to see WotC carry this on to future settings, both revised classics and brand new ones.

One of the designers - forget which one - has confirmed that Psionics will be part of D&D, if not the PHB, and will end up in the SRD. It's on gleemax somewhere, IIRC.

Cheers!

 

[Mokona]

Battlefield control spells, debuffs, etc. The controller is the set up man.

Controller is still a terrible name for a debuff character class (while leader is pretty obviously a buffs class). Battlefield "control" could as easily be buffs. Dare I mention an MMORPG? City of Heroes has a better split where buff/debuff is the same class while the other three are equivalent to Defender, Melee Striker, and Ranged Striker.

Thinking about it a little more, debuffs seem particularly workload intensive for the Dungeon Master. I wonder how D&D 4th Edition solves this because otherwise a debuff focused class is going to be a real pain for the game as a whole.

 

[TwinBahamut]

Wow, so much to try to guess at... I do like all of these ideas though. Three core books per year plus a setting, roles, power sources, etc...

My guesses:

Year 1: Arcane, Divine, Martial, and Forgotten Realms. All the classics (as has been announced)

Year 2: Psionics, Artifice, Song, and Eberron. Bringing back the bard (as the leader role of a whole new power source), along with the stuff to make Eberron work. Gnomes and warforged.

Year 3: Totems/spirits, Binding, Ki, and Oriental Adventures. New classes and powers sources which break down the barriers between Arcane, Divine, and Martial. Stuff like Dragon Shamans, Binders, Ninjas, and Swordsages.

Year 4+: Who knows? Maybe bring in some of the other winners from the Setting Search? Rich Burlew's setting and associated rules? Incarnum? Greyhawk?

Does anyone else get a feeling that this all is similar in structure to the block format of Magic the Gathering? A yearly shift in product, trying to bring forward a wave of integrated material? I think I advocated such an approach to D&D supplements before on these boards, and I think WotC might have gotten a similar idea...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Or look at the race series: Wizards of the Coast combined halflings with elves (in Races of the Wild) because they understood that not enough people are interested in paying $29.99 for a book dedicated 100% to hobbits.

Races of the Wild is 100 percent hobbit free.

You're thinking of 2E's Complete Book of Gnomes & Halflings, which combined hobbits and gnomes because TSR figured no one would spring for a book just about one of them. (Given how lackluster the book is overall, I think the problem was more one of execution than concept.)

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Eberron.

"Utter stupidity" means he doesn't like it, in internet-speak.

No. Please don't put words in my mouth, particularly when you're flat-out guessing about what someone else is saying.

"Baker" was the codename for the monster developed on the WotC site with input from fans. It was a mess and never appeared in Monster Manual V like it was supposed to. Silk purses and sows ears and all that.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It seems weird that they'd wait a whole year to release a Monster Manual II... Other than that, this sounds like a pretty cool idea.

MM1 has more monsters in it, and new monsters. Why the rush for yet more? If 4E follows the model of every other edition, the new adventures will also feature new monsters as well.