D&D (2024) Are we going to see DMG previews?

FitzTheRuke

Legend
So... the FLGS release of the DMG is 5 weeks and the full release 7 weeks away.

Have we even seen any Previews yet?

They did a SLEW of videos and promotions for the PHB (after months and months of playtesting).

DMG? So far, Crickets. Even after they promised UAs, they only delivered the Bastions one. (Which needed a LOT of work).

What do you think? Are we going to see anything at all? Or is the book just going to show up?
 

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bedir than

Full Moon Storyteller
They announced chapter themes during D&D Direct, talked about the poster map, the instructions on how to create a campaign via Greyhawk examples and the Bastion rules.

There's already a limited print run in the hands of WotC staff, who are sharing the covers already.

Based on their typical timeline we'll see that in influencer and media hands (hopefully with better descriptions on what and how to share!) next week.
 

FitzTheRuke

Legend
I suppose my concern as a retailer is this: The players handbook had a TON of preview content, and yet, a LOT of customers were not (or only vaguely) aware of it coming. I saw a lot of "Oh, this is out now?"-type comments, and the book took some time to start really moving. All this is fine, as it is moving very well!

BUT... the DMG is already a tougher sell. Do I expect it to take a further hit from a relative lack of promotion? Or will it get caught up in the momentum? Will the fact that the 2014 DMG is not all that great, and this one looks to be better, make MORE people want to pick it up, or less? Did they not show us much of its contents because they were too rushed... again? Is it going to be as much better than the old one as we expect, or not?

And as a player, I just want to see some of it. I'm personally looking forward to it, and the MM, more than I was the PHB.
 

Parmandur

Book-Friend, he/him
So... the FLGS release of the DMG is 5 weeks and the full release 7 weeks away.

Have we even seen any Previews yet?

They did a SLEW of videos and promotions for the PHB (after months and months of playtesting).

DMG? So far, Crickets. Even after they promised UAs, they only delivered the Bastions one. (Which needed a LOT of work).

What do you think? Are we going to see anything at all? Or is the book just going to show up?

  • Vecna: Eve of Ruin FLGS Street date: May 7th
  • First detailed Vecna YouTube preview: April 15th

So, 5 weeks.

  • Quests from the Infinite Staircase FLGS release: July 9th
  • First signifivant official YouTube preview of QftIS: May 28th

So, 6 weeks from first preview to FLGS release.

Given that the designers have started showing off their hard copies of the DMG on Twitter...I reckon they will start doing serious previews next week-ish.
 



  • Vecna: Eve of Ruin FLGS Street date: May 7th
  • First detailed Vecna YouTube preview: April 15th

So, 5 weeks.

  • Quests from the Infinite Staircase FLGS release: July 9th
  • First signifivant official YouTube preview of QftIS: May 28th

So, 6 weeks from first preview to FLGS release.

Given that the designers have started showing off their hard copies of the DMG on Twitter...I reckon they will start doing serious previews next week-ish.
My theory is that we'll see things ramping up around October 1st, give or take a few days. So next week could definitely be a possibility.
 

FitzTheRuke

Legend
There are ads for the PHB everywhere on social media, I know that ads are catered towards my habits, but I think they're hard to miss if the algorithms know you have some interest in D&D.
Sure. I think that's where the "vaguely" familiar probably get it from. We'd be surprised here, because we live and breathe it (I know I do) but "casual" D&D fans are barely aware of it, which is fine.

My theory is that we'll see things ramping up around October 1st, give or take a few days. So next week could definitely be a possibility.
Yeah, that's probably right. They'll probably ramp up next week and we'll be overwhelmed with previews.

We're still in the same week that the PHB hit stores. They probably don't want to step on its publicity by marketing a second product quite yet.
Yeah, that's a good point. The PHB lead-up was longer, but that's probably due to, 1) It's the PHB; and 2) GenCon.
 

Parmandur

Book-Friend, he/him
Yeah, that's a good point. The PHB lead-up was longer, but that's probably due to, 1) It's the PHB; and 2) GenCon.
The first big PHB preview started about 7 weeks before they started selling at GenCon, and they had weeks of videos. Then about a month till general FLGS release...

That's going to be their biggest release of the decade, though, so the comparison is hard.

The books last year after the new preview regime rolled out did not have an early FLGS date:

  • Bigby had a 5 week window, from the day of the first big preview until the book dropped
  • Shattered Obelisk had 4 weeks
  • Planescape had 4 weeks
  • Deck of Many Things had 3 and ahalf weeks, even though the physical release was delayed.

So, anytime in the next few weeks would be in line to start giving detailed previews, particularly given that it is less previewable than the PHB or Monster Manual (look, kids, tables!).
 

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