WotC 5E 2020 Book Clue - I need your help!

[3catcircus]

Any thoughts as to whether or not this is a tie-in to the new The Border Kingdoms? The 3e era articles on the Border Kingdoms on the WotC website included specific things like "The badge of Alamontyr is a full-face silver shield held aloft by two white wings, on a dun background. The shield displays a rampant red griffon facing the dexter, and its base (bottom tip) drips three large, crimson teardrops of blood."

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Ok, joke aside, I'm betting on....

X primer to the Nentir Vale

1) Welcome to the Vale!
2) Barony of Harkenwold (with the militia/friendliness/etc info for the 8 towns)
3) Fallcrest/Winterhaven and Hammerfast
4) Player stuff: Sharmind race, Turathi Hell-knight fighter, Dragon domain cleric, Feywild ranger
5) Improved rules for wilderness travel
6) Reprint of Reavers of the Harkenwold/ Keep of the Shadowfell/ The slaying stone/ stonefang pass
7) Threat to the Nentir Vale: small bestiary for the vale

 

[Parmandur]

I just find it odd that Perkins mentioned towns for gazetteers. Makes more sense to say regions or cities like Wildemount if it was actually for a whole setting.

That's where the Icewind Dale possiblity is intriguing: Icewind Dale is a sizeable yet limited region, populated by quarrelsome towns (not cities, towns) with boss figures leading militias. The Legacy of the Crystal Shard had a 64 page Gazeeter on the region, which would be outdated slightly: something comparable to what was down to Baldur's Gate for Descent to Avernus seems highly likely sooner or later.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

That's where the Icewind Dale possiblity is intriguing: Icewind Dale is a sizeable yet limited region, populated by quarrelsome towns (not cities, towns) with boss figures leading militias. The Legacy of the Crystal Shard had a 64 page Gazeeter on the region, which would be outdated slightly: something comparable to what was down to Baldur's Gate for Descent to Avernus seems highly likely sooner or later.

It's possible. I haven't heard any other hints that seem linked to Icewind Dale though.

 

[Parmandur]

It's possible. I haven't heard any other hints that seem linked to Icewind Dale though.

Lareal Silverhand's Explorer's Kit has cards detailing areas featured in previous Adventure books, plus Icewind Dale and Neverwinter. There is an Icewind Dale centered video game, Dark Alliance, coming down the pipeline.

 

[gyor]

You put a new FR sourcebook as your #1 possibility... which I find optimistic.

I just find it odd that Perkins mentioned towns for gazetteers. Makes more sense to say regions or cities like Wildemount if it was actually for a whole setting.

I actually don't think it's Cormyr anymore... these gazetteers remind me of Welch's book, which could be all over Forgotten Realms.

Cormyr has cities so if the use of the word town is important as you think, then Cormyr doesn't fit.

Having finally listen to it for myself I noted several things.

1. He said he's doing three things right now and at least one is an Adventure, one has the text done, one is in second draft, and the third is just starting, I think they could be all for this year.

2. He briefly mentioned in connection to the Adventure I think a minor Gazeeteer he'd done, which suggests that the AP might be the one with the text finished.

3. He later on mentions that he is currently working on a Gazetteer with multiple sections. He mentions doing towns with this section with stuff like leaders, militia, heraldry, comfort ratings and RIVALS towns, which these towns aren't apart of the same nation! My first thought when putting all this together was Zendikar, but there aren't that many towns in the setting to have major rivalries, so my second and much better thought was he is writing a section on Chessenta, it's towns/cities have huge rivalries with each other, each city/town has it's own leader, and their own seperate Militias, and because they are cities/town states they could have their own Heraldry.

The only issue is that Chessenta is the Forgotten Realm's Greece, although with Mesopotamian/Canaanite/Egyptian elements, so I don't see the book being just Chessenta because that would step on the toes of Theros, hardcore, so a FRCG/Sea of Fallen Stars is a distinct posdiblity.

Another possibility is ten towns, which do have rivalries in an AP designed to tie in with Dark Alliance which is coming out this year, although I really, really hope I'm wrong as it's my least favourite part of the Forgotten Realms, and another AP for the Swordcoast is upsetting. But it's a distinct possibility sadly.

 

[gyor]

That's where the Icewind Dale possiblity is intriguing: Icewind Dale is a sizeable yet limited region, populated by quarrelsome towns (not cities, towns) with boss figures leading militias. The Legacy of the Crystal Shard had a 64 page Gazeeter on the region, which would be outdated slightly: something comparable to what was down to Baldur's Gate for Descent to Avernus seems highly likely sooner or later.

Oh of it's a strong possibility, but it's sure as hell not intriguing, Icewind Dale is boring, and the ten towns are the most boring part of it. I mean set it literally anywhere else then Icewind Dale. I'm a hardcore FR fan, maybe the biggest FR fan on these Forums,
who occasionally enjoys a Drizzt novel and even I hate Icewind Dale. Yuck.

 

[gyor]

Lareal Silverhand's Explorer's Kit has cards detailing areas featured in previous Adventure books, plus Icewind Dale and Neverwinter. There is an Icewind Dale centered video game, Dark Alliance, coming down the pipeline.

Your depressing me, literally anything on my list would be better then that, a tie in AP to what looks to be an awful game, set in the dullest part of an otherwise exciting Forgotten Realms.

4e nuked the wrong parts of the Realms, it should have nuked Icewind Dale.

 

[Parmandur]

Your depressing me, literally anything on my list would be better then that, a tie in AP to what looks to be an awful game, set in the dullest part of an otherwise exciting Forgotten Realms.

4e nuked the wrong parts of the Realms, it should have nuked Icewind Dale.

I'm not trying to depress you, that's just my gut-check take on the tea leaves: it makes business sense. I haven't ever read a Drizzt book, though my wife enjoys them, ao I don't have any emotional investment one way or the other. Though for vanilla sandbox, classic D&D campaigning it's pretty straight to the point: which makes it a good fit for starting a big Adventure that can be ported around.

 

[Parmandur]

He said he's doing three things right now and at least one is an Adventure, one has the text done, one is in second draft, and the third is just starting, I think they could be all for this year.

Actually, based on all this, it sounds like the September Adventure storyline is what is already done textually (they'd be in layout by now), so while Icewind Dale feels like what he is talking about for the Gazetter material, that might be what's further down the line.