D&D 5E 5E Books Through 2021 and the Road Ahead (2022 and Beyond)

[JEB]

It is a wild thought, because this whole "pre-5E is not canon" looks too much as a set-up for a new FR book (besides the implications already discussed about lore scattered around many books over the decades getting in the way of new designers/ideas).

Agreed, I wouldn't be surprised at all if the likely Realms book reboots things about the setting to some degree. Besides the signaling on lore, some fans seem to have gotten the impression that SCAG is an unfavorite of Wizards, and such a book would allow them to route around SCAG for future Realms references.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yeah. As a new player, I read the first trilogy of Dragonlance books. It was fine and all, but nothing to go crazy about. They'd likely only bring it back because of nostalgia, and I'm not sure of Dragonlance nostalgia is as profitable as people like to pretend/think it is. It doesn't fill any setting niche that 5e hasn't already done through the Forgotten Realms or Wildemount. Heck, Wildemount even has the "the setting is divided by a huge war that the PCs can get involved in" that is kind of the whole hook to play in Dragonlance (again, besides nostalgia).

I think that the returning campaign settings are Dark Sun and Planescape. Both are really popular, and both have their own niches that are currently unexplored in 5e (post-apocalyptic and psionics, planar-travel and gonzo-setting), while also being able to get the nice gravy on top of the Nostalgia factor.

I expect both (along with Dragonlance) to also be radically changed to conform with the current zeitgeist. That means quicker, simpler mechanics, bite-size stories, and social-based lore changes. They'll try to keep the core of the setting the same, but a lot of the material will be different.

 

[Demetrios1453]

I know FR is the current safe bet for the setting they'll revisit, but I've being thinking about Eberron. Keith Baker is quite active at DM's Guild, and perhaps they're revisit the setting to ramp up the sales. I mean, FR sells well through the annual adventure paths already.

It is a wild thought, because this whole "pre-5E is not canon" looks too much as a set-up for a new FR book (besides the implications already discussed about lore scattered around many books over the decades getting in the way of new designers/ideas).

Honestly, FR lore is relatively thin on the ground (for the setting that is) for the past century or so of the setting's timeline. They could basically fill that in as they would want without messing with the pre-4e lore at all. SCAG (as well as other products to an extent) gives us a 5e baseline (and 5e products are definitively canon) that means that they aren't going to make too much of a radical change. And anything that is still fairly radical can be handwaved away as being due to the two catastrophic events in the last century (this also makes it easy to restructure the non-Faerûn parts of the setting so as to remove the more problematic issues with a built-in explanation).

 

[JEB]

and 5e products are definitively canon

Crawford said that all 5E RPG products were canon, in an off-the-cuff interview, but Perkins' post on the official blog confirmed only that the core rules were canon, implying anything else in 5E may be subject to change.

 

[JEB]

Something I just noticed re: Dragonlance. Those new novels that Weis and Hickman are working on? They're explicitly described as new "Classic Dragonlance" novels.

Now, this description came from Weis and Hickman themselves, so it might not mean anything from the Wizards side... but why did Weis and Hickman feel the need to be that specific? If there's a "Classic Dragonlance", that suggests there's another version of Dragonlance... one that doesn't include (as the press release notes) all 190 novels produced thus far.

 

[Mercurius]

Phase 1 was over when Tasha's came out. Phase 2 might end some time in 2024.

Here is what we actually know about what is coming in 2022 & 2023.

2 classic settings are certain, we know we are getting 2 classic in 2022, likely early on. They are also working on 3 other setting books, 1 a revisit (FR), and 2 new settings, but these 3 could still be cancelled if things go poorly, but so gar things are going great.

I know two classic settings are certain, but do we know we're getting them in 2022? I thought it was just in the next two or three years? (2021-23).

If we are getting 2 classics, 2 new, 1 revisit, and 1-2 Magic settings, that's 6-7 settings within the next two years. If we assume only 1 Magic setting, that's still 6, or three per year. I would think they would spread them out, so we'd see something like:

2022: classic, new, revisit (which is classic)
2023: classic, new, Magic

Or something like that.

Its also safe to assume that there will be at least 1 "Summer" adventure per year.

That doesn't leave alot of room for other types of books until later in 2023 if things continue to go great for those setting books.

My prediction beyond the obvious classic settings is no "splat" books, beyond the splat elements of settings. Next year will be very Setting heavy. I predict 3-5 setting books & 1 big adventure in 2022 and 2-4 setting books & 1 big adeventure in 2023.

As I said to Parmandur, I think a Manual of the Planes book could fill a splat slot, either in 2022 or 23. And I highly doubt we'll see more than 3 settings in 2022.

 

[Mercurius]

My revised prediction for 2022-23 would be, in some order:

2 Classic settings: Planescape, Dark Sun
1 Reprint: Forgotten Realms - possibly a box set
2 New settings: Maybe "First World" and something else; Asian-themed?
1 Magic setting: Who Knows
1 Splat: Manual of the Planes (including Spelljammer options, possibly planeswalking).
3 Adventures: two Story arcs, 1 compilation

That's 10 books, 5 per year. I think they'll stick with that, but could also see them adding 1-2 more.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I know two classic settings are certain, but do we know we're getting them in 2022? I thought it was just in the next two or three years? (2021-23).

If we are getting 2 classics, 2 new, 1 revisit, and 1-2 Magic settings, that's 6-7 settings within the next two years. If we assume only 1 Magic setting, that's still 6, or three per year. I would think they would spread them out, so we'd see something like:

2022: classic, new, revisit (which is classic)
2023: classic, new, Magic

Or something like that.

As I said to Parmandur, I think a Manual of the Planes book could fill a splat slot, either in 2022 or 23. And I highly doubt we'll see more than 3 settings in 2022.

None of the mentioned setting books they are working on are MtG books. I could see them taking a break on MtG setting books next year to get caught up on other setting books that they want to do.

And yes I'm certain at minimum the classic settings will be next year.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Crawford said that all 5E RPG products were canon, in an off-the-cuff interview, but Perkins' post on the official blog confirmed only that the core rules were canon, implying anything else in 5E may be subject to change.

Perkins contradicted himself in that blog post. Honestly I'd just ignore both Perkins and Crawford on this for now.

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

If we just get Planescape (holding thumbs) or something Manual of the Planes:ish, and Spelljammer (preferably as setting, but rules in a splat or adventure is good enough), then the edition is basically complete for me. Other fun stuff is a bonus, but I don't have to be worried about my blood pressure when yet another MtG setting is released.

With that said, I would buy a Forgottten Realms box set in a heartbeat, and am curious about the "new" settings - will WotC actually offer us a new and enjoyable original setting during 5e? From the track record so far I'm more than a bit sceptic, but who knows.