Planescape 5 New D&D Books Coming in 2023 -- Including Planescape!

At today's Wizards Presents event, hosts Jimmy Wong, Ginny Di, and Sydnee Goodman announced the 2023 line-up of D&D books, which featured something old, something new, and an expansion of a fan favorite.

The first of the five books, Keys from the Golden Vault, will arrive in winter 2023. At Tuesday's press preview, Chris Perkins, Game Design Architect for D&D, described it as “Ocean’s Eleven meets D&D” and an anthology of short adventures revolving around heists, which can be dropped into existing campaigns.

In Spring 2023, giants get a sourcebook just like their traditional rivals, the dragons, did in Fizban's Treasury of Dragons. Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants will be a deep dive into hill, frost, fire, cloud, and storm giants, plus much more.

Summer 2023 will have two releases. The Book of Many Things is a collection of creatures, locations, and other player-facing goodies related to that most famous D&D magic item, the Deck of Many Things. Then “Phandelver Campaign” will expand the popular Lost Mine of Phandelver from the D&D Starter Set into a full campaign tinged with cosmic horror.

And then last, but certainly not least, in Fall 2023, WotC revives another classic D&D setting – Planescape. Just like Spelljammer: Adventures in Space, Planescape will be presented as a three-book set containing a setting guide, bestiary, and adventure campaign in a slipcase. Despite the Spelljammer comparison they did not confirm whether it would also contain a DM screen.

More information on these five titles will be released when we get closer to them in date.

 

[jerryrice4949]

I actually don't want a First World book. I like the idea of a vague common history before time, a place lost to myth and legend, a glory never to be found. A place that only exists in the songs of the dwarves, the lore of the elves, and the memories of the dragons. A place full of contradictions, obscure references and conflicting details that each species has carried over but nobody knows or can prove as true. A place even the Gods dare not speak about anymore.

Keep the First World as a nebulous idea to explain why Tiamat exists in multiple campaign settings or two PCs who both killed Vecna separately can meet in a bar. Any attempt to make it a real setting to explore would ruin the mystique.

I think this nicely illustrates the situation WoTC finds themselves in. They have such a large base no matter what they release a lot of people complain. Some people want more lore and fluff some don’t. Even those that do cannot agree on what lore or fluff they would like to see etc.

But also it is far easier to ignore released materials or books than it is for me to create one. There is nothing to keep you from just disregarding a First World book if released but I certainly am not going to write one.

Finally it would be an improvement over all these rehashed ideas currently being peddled. I would much rather have a First World book than Planescape light book.

 

[Remathilis]

I think this nicely illustrates the situation WoTC finds themselves in. They have such a large base no matter what they release a lot of people complain. Some people want more lore and fluff some don’t. Even those that do cannot agree on what lore or fluff they would like to see etc.

But also it is far easier to ignore released materials or books than it is for me to create one. There is nothing to keep you from just disregarding a First World book if released but I certainly am not going to write one.

Finally it would be an improvement over all these rehashed ideas currently being peddled. I would much rather have a First World book than Planescape light book.

I don't see the appeal of making the First World a setting. Once it has a map, kingdoms, NPCs, deities, and lore, it just becomes another generic kitchen sink. What does it bring? Mythic? Theros covered that. Primal/Lost World? Maybe doomed setting as clearly the First World is now lost amongst the multiple primes and echoes. It has to explicitly exist as a setting lost to time or the whole idea fails.

I think there is a place for D&D to do a mythic world of thewy barbarians, flourishing cultures and epic adventures. A Hercules-like setting, an anti-Dark Sun. But the First World is a bad choice for that.

 

[jerryrice4949]

I am not sure how that would be knowable based on the minute amount of information teased thus far.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I was not even born when 1e was created. So why should anyone who is born after me care what the true history of a setting created back then was?

Giving old things a new spin seems quite cool.

They probably wouldn't, unless they really like history the way I do. But I'm speaking about myself here, and what I like and don't like. And there are plenty of franchises that people love and follow the continuity for, that also predate them. I mentioned several upthread. Not everyone disregards anything that isn't new.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Are you saying in my setting or published settings? I am not a real big setting historian, so specific details will be difficult for me. However, conceptually they absolutely change the history a setting. I think @Remathilis described it better than I could.

A quick example for me would be the Shadowfell/Feywild. These planes connect to all worlds and previously didn't exist in the lore (with some precedent - but not original - for the demiplane of dread). If you can't see how that changes the history of a setting I don't know what to tell you.

As a follow up I would say Spelljammer (with the whole crystal sphere and phlogiston) was way more damaging than the First World. That is something that was supposed to be a part of all worlds too - but was an active thing. The First World, if true, is ancient history with not practical impact.

The Shadowfell existed as the Demiplane of Shadow since at least 1e, and fey stuff always came from somewhere, so I don't see either of those as disruptive to setting history.

 

[Micah Sweet]

While I agree with you. @Micah Sweet was specifically setting the First World apart from the Feywild and Shadowfell as being more damaging than those. When, IMO, those to planes are much more intrusive to D&D lore than the First World at this point. Even if WotC talks more about the lore of the First World - it has no functional impact on the game. The Shadowfell and Feywild do. And of course the inclusion of Spelljammer and Sigil/Planescape had more of an impact than either of those. Those are the ones that still bug me.

However, to clarify, I still like all of those inclusions in D&D lore. I don't agree with all parts, and change them as needed, but I see them as tools to create the lore of my D&D. Honestly, I haven't figured out how or if I will integrate the First World in my Cosmology yet. However, it has similarities to 4e's Dawn War, so if I use a part of it I will probably wrap it up into that concept.

That's part of my problem: I never liked 4e's cosmology for D&D as a whole. Something like would be fine for a specific setting, like how Eberron's cosmology is unique, but not for everything. Imposing this idea on everyone is the problem. I think there's an excellent chance the 2024's new edition will feature the First World in it's DMG, for example, which forces it on the general game.

And that's another thing. I believe the entire reason the First World was invented (again, just a couple years ago) was as a marketing tactic to fuse all of WotC's IP together. Its not about creativity, its about legalities and money.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I think this nicely illustrates the situation WoTC finds themselves in. They have such a large base no matter what they release a lot of people complain. Some people want more lore and fluff some don’t. Even those that do cannot agree on what lore or fluff they would like to see etc.

But also it is far easier to ignore released materials or books than it is for me to create one. There is nothing to keep you from just disregarding a First World book if released but I certainly am not going to write one.

Finally it would be an improvement over all these rehashed ideas currently being peddled. I would much rather have a First World book than Planescape light book.

WotC doesn't really care about lore beyond sweeping marketing statements like the First World, so it's unlikely any setting they make at this point will be satisfying (particularly since they refuse to use their design team to make anything new).

 

[UngeheuerLich]

They probably wouldn't, unless they really like history the way I do. But I'm speaking about myself here, and what I like and don't like. And there are plenty of franchises that people love and follow the continuity for, that also predate them. I mentioned several upthread. Not everyone disregards anything that isn't new.

Who does?

Also not everyone disregards everything that is not old.

 

[SteveC]

After reading this thread I want to create a 100% unfounded rumor that WotC is going to be licensing the Amber universe by Roger Zelazny. Specifically that Greyhawk was created by Corwin when he made a pattern modelled after a day on the Champs-Élysées. And Corwin met Gary Gygax as well.

So I hope that the two of you who got that reference enjoyed it.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Who does?

Also not everyone disregards everything that is not old.

Who does?

Certainly not me. Level Up is a pretty new game, and there are plenty of other new game products I like as well. WotC just hasn't been among them for a while.