WotC D&D Direct--Learn About Upcoming D&D On April 21st!

D&D Direct is a 30-minute video which WotC will be releasing on April 21st at 9am Pacific Time (5pm BST, if I have my time zones correct). They'll be using it to reveal stuff about upcoming D&D projects (including video games and entertainment). The video will be presented by Anna Prosser and B. Dave Walters.

This is being billed in an emailed announcement entitled "Learn Everything That’s Happening This Year for Dungeons & Dragons" as the "first ever D&D Direct", so presumably there are more planned.

​

The D&D Team at Wizards of the Coast is excited to debut D&D Direct, a jam-packed thirty-minute video presentation on April 21 at 9:00 AM Pacific Time.

Tune in to see exclusive reveals from the world's greatest roleplaying game, including video games, entertainment, and more, guided by hosts Anna Prosser and B. Dave Walters.

D&D Direct will be broadcast on the D&D YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/DNDWizards) and Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/dnd) channels.

To find out more on D&D Direct go to dnd.wizards.com and follow the official D&D social media accounts for more updates.

See you on April 21 at 9:00 AM PT for the first-ever D&D Direct!

 

[Parmandur]

I disagree. You would need 40 - 50 pages tops, outside the bestiary, which would be the same, adventure or setting.

Yeah, the question is, will they have Gazateer material for various Ceystal Spheres? I think that is more likely than an extended campaign.

 

[Demetrios1453]

They will at minimum need to covet Realmspace, Krynnspace, Greyspace and Clusterspace and will definitely want to cover more crystal Spheres then that, where will they get the space for more then an intro adventure?

I mean the whole point of publishing a Spelljammer Campaign Book, in part, is to connect all the different Prime Material Campaign settings and that will take space to do so.

Realmspace (and the Rock of Bral) would be covered during the adventure, as would the bestiary.

Using VRGtR as an example, they'll give like 3 - 4 pages for the other crystal spheres they would want to give some detail (probably the other three you mentioned as well as maybe a couple more), and then a page or two on other crystal spheres that get a paragraph or two each (like the other Domains in VRGtR). And a page or two of tables to create your own crystal spheres. So, about 25 pages overall for crystal spheres. Give about 10 pages for races, and that leaves 15 pages for ship descriptions and travel/combat rules. So, about 50 pages. I guess you could have a few extra pages for magic items, so I'll go up to maybe 60.

256 page book: 60 pages for setting, 50 pages for bestiary, 146 pages for adventure. Strixhaven only need 142 for a full 1 - 10 adventure (and that was with 20 pages of rivals/relationships/extracurricular stuff, so it really only had 122 pages for the adventure). Bulk it up to the Icewind Dale/Eberron 320 pages, that gives room for 210 pages for adventure, although some of that could be moved back to setting stuff if they wanted.

Edit, well, VRGtR actually uses about 5 pages for each of the Domains, but it still doesn't move the needle much.

 

[overgeeked]

Realmspace (and the Rock of Bral) would be covered during the adventure, as would the bestiary.

Using VRGtR as an example, they'll give like 3 - 4 pages for the other crystal spheres they would want to give some detail (probably the other three you mentioned as well as maybe a couple more), and then a page or two on other crystal spheres that get a paragraph or two each (like the other Domains in VRGtR). And a page or two of tables to create your own crystal spheres. So, about 25 pages overall for crystal spheres. Give about 10 pages for races, and that leaves 15 pages for ship descriptions and travel/combat rules. So, about 50 pages. I guess you could have a few extra pages for magic items, so I'll go up to maybe 60.

256 page book: 60 pages for setting, 50 pages for bestiary, 146 pages for adventure. Strixhaven only need 142 for a full 1 - 10 adventure (and that was with 20 pages of rivals/relationships/extracurricular stuff, so it really only had 122 pages for the adventure). Bulk it up to the Icewind Dale/Eberron 320 pages, that gives room for 210 pages for adventure, although some of that could be moved back to setting stuff if they wanted.

So no rules on Spelljammers? Seems like a problem.

 

[darjr]

So no rules on Spelljammers? Seems like a problem.

I’m sure there will be rules if it happens.

 

[Omand]

So no rules on Spelljammers? Seems like a problem.

Ummm ... he mentions 15 pages or so on ship descriptions and travel rules as part of his theoretical book. I think that covers Spelljammers.

 

[Demetrios1453]

So no rules on Spelljammers? Seems like a problem.

Um, I did mention both "ships" and "magical items".

But, basically, in a 256 page book, a combo setting/adventure is doable. In a 320 page book, it would be easy, and give even more room for setting stuff. As it looks like it's getting the premier late summer release spot, I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up getting the premium 320 pages. Once we have the page count (maybe Amazon will accidentally spoil it again, although they've been better recently), we'll have a better idea on what to expect. That is, if they don't tell us outright at the announcement event...

 

[ersatzphil]

They will at minimum need to covet Realmspace, Krynnspace, Greyspace and Clusterspace and will definitely want to cover more crystal Spheres then that, where will they get the space for more then an intro adventure?

I mean - Ravenloft has a pretty rich and detailed history when you look at the total lifetime of D&D, and everything other than Barovia was left on the cutting room floor for the first eight years of 5e. It's easy for us grognards to look at the grand history of a setting - especially one we're personally invested in - and assume, "oh, they have to include everything", but we'll see what they do.

 

[overgeeked]

Um, I did mention both "ships" and "magical items".

But, basically, in a 256 page book, a combo setting/adventure is doable. In a 320 page book, it would be easy, and give even more room for setting stuff. As it looks like it's getting the premier late summer release spot, I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up getting the premium 320 pages. Once we have the page count (maybe Amazon will accidentally spoil it again, although they've been better recently), we'll have a better idea on what to expect. That is, if they don't tell us outright at the announcement event...

Ah. My eyes slid over most of the second paragraph and I was looking at the third. I didn't see it listed there, so posted without fully reading it. Sorry.

The ship rules from Saltmarsh are 17 pages long. I'd imagine they'd need more than what's there to cover even the basics of Spelljammers.

 

[Parmandur]

Realmspace (and the Rock of Bral) would be covered during the adventure, as would the bestiary.

Using VRGtR as an example, they'll give like 3 - 4 pages for the other crystal spheres they would want to give some detail (probably the other three you mentioned as well as maybe a couple more), and then a page or two on other crystal spheres that get a paragraph or two each (like the other Domains in VRGtR). And a page or two of tables to create your own crystal spheres. So, about 25 pages overall for crystal spheres. Give about 10 pages for races, and that leaves 15 pages for ship descriptions and travel/combat rules. So, about 50 pages. I guess you could have a few extra pages for magic items, so I'll go up to maybe 60.

256 page book: 60 pages for setting, 50 pages for bestiary, 146 pages for adventure. Strixhaven only need 142 for a full 1 - 10 adventure (and that was with 20 pages of rivals/relationships/extracurricular stuff, so it really only had 122 pages for the adventure). Bulk it up to the Icewind Dale/Eberron 320 pages, that gives room for 210 pages for adventure, although some of that could be moved back to setting stuff if they wanted.

Edit, well, VRGtR actually uses about 5 pages for each of the Domains, but it still doesn't move the needle much.

Chapter 3 on VRGtR is 123 pages. While it gives a pretty brief overview of any given Domain, it covers quite a few and I would e pect to see something similar for Spelljammer.

While your online is doable, I expect more a book like VRGtR, with genre suggestions and a number of places to actually go with Adventure hooks and seeds.

Now, q .easier Adventure is possible: Van Richten's already had a 20 page haunted house module. If it is a 320 page book, there could be Van Richten's level of Setting material and a fairly robust Advnture alongside DMG Chapter 5 booster Adventure Generation material as seen in Ravnica/Eberron/Theros/Ravenloft.

 

[Parmandur]

Ah. My eyes slid over most of the second paragraph and I was looking at the third. I didn't see it listed there, so posted without fully reading it. Sorry.

The ship rules from Saltmarsh are 17 pages long. I'd imagine they'd need more than what's there to cover even the basics of Spelljammers.

I actually expect they will just reuse the GoS naval rules with adjustments.