D&D 5E D&D Summer Hardcover Amazon Placeholder

There's a D&D product placeholder for the summer hardcover up on Amazon. It doesn't say much, but confirms the release date as August 16th. There's some product dimensions there, too -- they match a standard D&D hardcover (except for the 2-inch thickness!) -- and an ISBN (978-0786968169).

[Update -- the US version of the placeholder has a price of $69.99.]

We'll find out more on Thursday when the D&D Direct video is released. Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse is on May 17th, and Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel comes out on June 21st.

From previous statements from WotC, we're expecting two classic settings to come back this year, and these will be in a new print format. WotC's Ray Winninger said in June last year that "Each of these products is pursuing a different format you've never seen before. And neither is "digital only;" these are new print formats." Current speculation, based on hints and teasers, is mainly centered around Spelljammer and Dragonlance.

Spelljammer: Adventures in Space (D&D Campaign Collection - Adventure, Setting, Monster Book, Map, and DM Screen): Wizards RPG Team: 0195166182087: Books - Amazon.ca

Spelljammer: Adventures in Space (D&D Campaign Collection - Adventure, Setting, Monster Book, Map, and DM Screen): Wizards RPG Team: 0195166182087: Books - Amazon.ca

www.amazon.ca

 

[Urriak Uruk]

We’re expecting two classic setting this year.

I know. Spelljammer is likely the August book, Dragonlance probably coming in November/December, that's 5 books and one boxset.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

This may also answer another question: Is WotC expanding to six books? I think the answer is: probably. Why? Consider two things:

1. We've seen a September product every year of 5E's run, from 2014-21.
2. We've seen an October release every year since the line expanded to four books in 2018 (2018-21); before that, every year in November (2014-17). Meaning, an Oct/Nov product since the beginning.

Unless they break their schedule that goes back to the very beginning of 5E, we are going to see a product in each of Sept and Oct/Nov, which would bring the total for 2022 to:

March: Netherdeep
May: Monsters of the Multiverse
June: Radiant Citadel
August: ???
Sept: ???
Oct/Nov: ???

Now it could be that one of those is Stormhaven, which might not count as a "major product. But it is worth noting that the "special products" - the two starter sets, the variant starter sets, and the deluxe editions (Strahd Revamped) have all been published in addition to the normal schedule. For instance, Strahd Revamped and Essentials were both published in September, but alongside a hardcover that same month.

The point being, I don't think Stormhaven is one of those six products.

Agreed, the starter sets (Rick and Morty, Stranger Things, Beginners, Essentials, etc...), are not counted as hard cover books anymore then PDFs, Dice, video games, and D&D T-shirts are, they are side projects.

I thing am not certain of is Netherdeep "counting" because it's partly a CR job, they did most of the job, and EGTW was a bonus project, so this might be too.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Agreed, the starter sets (Rick and Morty, Stranger Things, Beginners, Essentials, etc...), are not counted as hard cover books anymore then PDFs, Dice, video games, and D&D T-shirts are, they are side projects.

I thing am not certain of is Netherdeep "counting" because it's partly a CR job, they did most of the job, and EGTW was a bonus project, so this might be too.

The D&D absolutely counted the Essentials Kit as a main product when they announced it. Perkins was its lead.

Debatably, the Rick & Morty box was too as Kate Welch (who worked for D&D as a lead at the time) wrote that box too.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

The D&D absolutely counted the Essentials Kit as a main product when they announced it. Perkins was its lead.

Debatably, the Rick & Morty box was too as Kate Welch (who worked for D&D as a lead at the time) wrote that box too.

They did not count then as taking a hardcover slot.

 

[Mercurius]

The D&D absolutely counted the Essentials Kit as a main product when they announced it. Perkins was its lead.

Debatably, the Rick & Morty box was too as Kate Welch (who worked for D&D as a lead at the time) wrote that box too.

It might just be a matter of semantics, but at the least the starter sets are in their own category.

Plus, if we consider them as "main products," then WotC actually had their biggest year in 2019, especially if you count the Tyranny of Dragons re-package. But it was still only four hardcovers, plus three starter sets and Tyranny. And I still think it is useful to think of the hardcovers as the main or "primary line" and everything else as "secondary." Extras, if you will.

So we have:

2018: four hardcovers
2019: four hardcovers + four extras
2020: four hardcovers + one extra
2021: five hardcovers

In a sense, the output has been about the same since 2019, with 2021 adding a fifth hardcover but with no extras.

We know there are at least five main products in 2022, but the question is whether there is a sixth and/or if Stormwreck is coming out, and if so, if it is that sixth product.

If it ends up being five hardcovers (and their equivalent) plus Stormwreck, it isn't really an increase from what we've seen going back to 2019. If it is a sixth hardcover, then it is - or if it is only five products but with one or two of them being "three-in-one" slipcases, then that could constitute an increase. But I don't think five hardcovers plus Stormwreck is really all that different from what we've seen the last few years.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

They did not count then as taking a hardcover slot.

They (well, the Essentials did, i dunno about R&M) counted as taking a product slot. I don't think I've heard the D&D team ever specify products in terms of hardcover vs. box unless explicitly asked in twitter threads (and I don't think even that has happened).

The hardcover distinction is something this forum has invented, that's never been stated by the D&D team.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

It might just be a matter of semantics, but at the least the starter sets are in their own category.

Categories is something this forum has invented to label products. It is not a term used by the D&D team. It's just been repeated so many times here that folks think it is something official, which it's not.

I remember the year the Essentials Kit was announced, and it absolutely was considered a main product, and the folks who decided it wasn't were disappointed when they didn't get the extra book they were hoping for.

 

[Parmandur]

They did not count then as taking a hardcover slot.

WotC has never officially talked about "slots," that's us fans trying to reconstruct priduct strategy and apply a model.

 

[Mercurius]

One more think, to @Urriak Uruk . A year or two ago I speculated that their goal was to work up to six main products a year - about one every two months (although probably with a larger gap between their last of one year and their first of the next). I think that is the case, whether in 2022 or 2023. My guess would be:

March - May - June - August - Sept/Oct - Nov/Dec

Meaning, there might be some play with when those last two of the year are released, but the first four are likely to be relatively consistent.

IIRC, I settled on six because it seemed to be ideal compromise between glut and sparsity. Every two months also allows for the vast majority of people to budget it in. And that doesn't include possible extras.

 

[Morrus]

They (well, the Essentials did, i dunno about R&M) counted as taking a product slot. I don't think I've heard the D&D team ever specify products in terms of hardcover vs. box unless explicitly asked in twitter threads (and I don't think even that has happened).

The hardcover distinction is something this forum has invented, that's never been stated by the D&D team.

Neither are “slots”.