D&D 5E D&D's Classic Settings Are Not 'One Shots'

In an interview with ComicBook.com, WotC's Jeremy Crawford talked about the visits to Ravenloft, Eberron, Spelljammer, Dragonlance, and (the upcoming) Planescape we've seen over the last couple of years, and their intentions for the future.

He indicated that they plan to revisit some of these settings again in the future, noting that the setting books are among their most popular books.

We love [the campaign setting books], because they help highlight just how wonderfully rich D&D is. They highlight that D&D can be gothic horror. D&D can be fantasy in space. D&D can be trippy adventures in the afterlife, in terms of Planescape. D&D can be classic high fantasy, in the form of the Forgotten Realms. It can be sort of a steampunk-like fantasy, like in Eberron. We feel it's vital to visit these settings, to tell stories in them. And we look forward to returning to them. So we do not view these as one-shots.

- Jeremy Crawford​

The whole 'multiverse' concept that D&D is currently exploring plays into this, giving them opportunities to resist worlds.

When asked about the release schedule of these books, Crawford noted that the company plans its release schedule so that players get chance to play the material, not just read it, and they don't want to swamp people with too much content to use.

Our approach to how we design for the game and how we plan out the books for it is a play-first approach. At certain times in D&D's history, it's really been a read-first approach. Because we've had points in our history where we were producing so many books each year, there was no way anyone could play all of it. In some years it would be hard to play even a small percentage of the number of things that come out. Because we have a play-first approach, we want to make sure we're coming out with things at a pace where if you really wanted to, and even that would require a lot of weekends and evenings dedicated to D&D play, you could play a lot of it.

- Jeremy Crawford​

You can read more in the interview at ComicBook.com.

 

[Parmandur]

NO.

Incorrect.

This "fact" about the font sizes keeps being brought up, but it is demonstrably untrue. 5e fonts are significantly smaller than the original 2e fonts. Here is a picture of one of the 5e Spelljammer books alongside the 2e Realmspace book (the only 2e Spelljammer product I have readily available, but all Spelljammer 2e products had the same huge font size). As you can see, the font for the 2e product on the right is noticeably bigger than the 5e font on the left. And 2e Planescape font sizes were even worse...

View attachment 296322

Yeah, not sure why people keep saying that when a pretty casual estimate of words per page shows thst WotC books are way denser.

 

[Parmandur]

To be fair, while the shrinkwrapping for the boxed sets is certainly inconvenient, I don't think there's likely a nefarious intent there. Boxed sets generally (be they books or games) tend to be sealed up in some way.

(I suspect more likely the switch to boxed sets was so they could increase the perceived prestige of the print products, as well as helping them justify a noticeable price point bump.)

I think it was a move for use at the table: having the player facing info, the Monsters, and the Adventure in seperate volumes is practical in play.

 

[humble minion]

I think it was a move for use at the table: having the player facing info, the Monsters, and the Adventure in seperate volumes is practical in play.

I'd agree with that, and to be honest I think it was a decent idea, though i probably would have tried to lower the price point a bit by sticking the monsters and the adventure in one DM-facing book, and dropping the GM screen. The shrinkwrapping is a pretty logical thing too, since it stops the different bits falling out of the slipcase during packing or shipping. I don't think there's much nefarious about that.

The slipcase format wasn't the problem, so much as the contents of the slipcase being so lacking.

 

[overgeeked]

The slipcase format wasn't the problem, so much as the contents of the slipcase being so lacking.

Exactly. If it were a box set with staple-bound books for like half the price, it would have still been disappointing. As a slipcase of micro hardbacks for $70? Hell no.

 

[Parmandur]

I'd agree with that, and to be honest I think it was a decent idea, though i probably would have tried to lower the price point a bit by sticking the monsters and the adventure in one DM-facing book, and dropping the GM screen. The shrinkwrapping is a pretty logical thing too, since it stops the different bits falling out of the slipcase during packing or shipping. I don't think there's much nefarious about that.

The slipcase format wasn't the problem, so much as the contents of the slipcase being so lacking.

It really only needed 32-64 pages more. Which Planescape has.

 

[Demetrios1453]

It really only needed 32-64 pages more. Which Planescape has.

All it needed was a bit more on ship combat rules, and a section dedicated to a few example systems with charts on how to create your own.

 

[Parmandur]

All it needed was a bit more on ship combat rules, and a section dedicated to a few example systems with charts on how to create your own.

Something like Ghosts of Saltmarsh Island exploration stuff, but for Spaaaaace.

 

[humble minion]

It really only needed 32-64 pages more. Which Planescape has.

With a slight caveat about what they decided to PUT in those pages (if they decided to stuff them full of more stolen Dark Sun monsters, the top of my head might pop off), but on the whole, yeah. Fingers crossed they've learned their lessons. I was more interested in Spelljammer than Planescape personally, but it's too late there, but hopefully all this leads to better products down the line.

 

[Parmandur]

With a slight caveat about what they decided to PUT in those pages (if they decided to stuff them full of more stolen Dark Sun monsters, the top of my head might pop off), but on the whole, yeah. Fingers crossed they've learned their lessons. I was more interested in Spelljammer than Planescape personally, but it's too late there, but hopefully all this leads to better products down the line.

I really liked what was in the book, juat needed a bit more material and a diversity editorial review.

 

[Micah Sweet]

To be fair, while the shrinkwrapping for the boxed sets is certainly inconvenient, I don't think there's likely a nefarious intent there. Boxed sets generally (be they books or games) tend to be sealed up in some way.

(I suspect more likely the switch to boxed sets was so they could increase the perceived prestige of the print products, as well as helping them justify a noticeable price point bump.)

Not a lot better from a consumer perspective.