D&D 5E Easter Eggs in Volo's Guide to Monsters

[Parmandur]

It's a joke. Based upon Faerun's (perceived/actual) glomming on of other campaign settings over time.

Like most things, it's less funny if you have to explain it. (Assuming you would find it funny in the first place).

Yup. Was about half and half on it being a joke, hard to tell on the interwebs.

 

[Parmandur]

The Xanathar is also heavily featured in Ed's latest novel, Death Masks, and that novel has a lot of lore tidbits about things that are to come (it had the giant fortress floating above Waterdeep, for example).

It's looking bullish for Ackerack as the next AP, but an "Eye of the Beholder" inspired AP, with sandbox deep dive into Waterdeep seems likely to be on the horizon, particularly between the movie and the huge popularity of the Lords of Waterdeep Board Game/App...

 

[Irennan]

It's looking bullish for Ackerack as the next AP, but an "Eye of the Beholder" inspired AP, with sandbox deep dive into Waterdeep seems likely to be on the horizon, particularly between the movie and the huge popularity of the Lords of Waterdeep Board Game/App...

Yeah. There have also been talks about how WotC ran an Undermountain adventure at some con, ending with Halaster's comeback, and about how they would have eventually put that in a bigger AP. Ed also hinted about things going on in the Undermountain, like the Promenade of the Dark Maiden being retaken (although he say that more couldn't be revealed yet). I personally suspect that Undermountain/Waterdeep will be the 2nd AP of 2017, with the April one being focused on Acererak.

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah. There have also been talks about how WotC ran an Undermountain adventure at some con, ending with Halaster's comeback, and about how they would have eventually put that in a bigger AP. Ed also hinted about things going on in the Undermountain, like the Promenade of the Dark Maiden being retaken (although he say that more couldn't be revealed yet). I personally suspect that Undermountain/Waterdeep will be the 2nd AP of 2017, with the April one being focused on Acererak.

The AL Open was set in Undermountain this year, at Origins and Gameholecon: [MENTION=697]mearls[/MENTION] said they might look to publish that in some form, but it was not touted as being AP related; but who knows?

 

[TwoSix]

Why would they do that, when planar travel between them is established in the PHB already? That wouldn't make any sense.

There are actually a couple hints to Spelljammer as well. There's one section that mentions that Sigil is normally the only way to get from one Material Plane to another, but that the mind flayers have ships that can actually sail from one Material Plane to another. Elminster immediately says that this is ludicrous, which means that it is of course definitely true.

There's another quick aside where Elminster dismisses an idea as being as plausible as "a talking hippopotamus walking on two legs using a bow." Swap out a bow for a gun, and that's a giff, another Spelljammer race.

 

[Parmandur]

There are actually a couple hints to Spelljammer as well. There's one section that mentions that Sigil is normally the only way to get from one Material Plane to another, but that the mind flayers have ships that can actually sail from one Material Plane to another. Elminster immediately says that this is ludicrous, which means that it is of course definitely true.

There's another quick aside where Elminster dismisses an idea as being as plausible as "a talking hippopotamus walking on two legs using a bow." Swap out a bow for a gun, and that's a giff, another Spelljammer race.

Nice catch! Spelljammer was in the second tier of setting popularity, next to Dragonlance and Greyhawk...maybe we will see more of it in the future?

 

[Remathilis]

The hag section (discussing covens) explicitly refers to Planescape's "Rule of Threes".

 

[flametitan]

In addition to the quote from Gimble there is one from another of the old 3E iconic characters that references two other of the iconic characters (forgot their names off hand).

Also, in the Tabaxi write up, there is a quote in the beginning from Toblin Stonehill, proprietor of the Stonehill Inn. Which for anyone who has played Lost Mine of Phandelver is a well known NPC from that setting.

Lot's of cool things in Volo's guide, still working on digesting it.

On a similar note, the Aasimar quote says that it's from the Tyranny of Dragons. Nothing that hints at new adventures, but it's a neat shout-out to the other 5e adventures out there.

 

[Chaosmancer]

The hag section (discussing covens) explicitly refers to Planescape's "Rule of Threes".

As someone unfamiliar with planescape, not owning Volo's, but in love with Hags, Fey and Threes, may I ask you expand upon what this "Rule of Threes" is?

 

[MechaPilot]

As someone unfamiliar with planescape, not owning Volo's, but in love with Hags, Fey and Threes, may I ask you expand upon what this "Rule of Threes" is?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planescape#Rule-of-Three