D&D 5E Planescape, Bigby, Phandelver and the Deck of Many Things: Covers & Details Revealed!

The covers of the upcoming D&D books — including Planescape, Glory of the Giants, and the Deck of Many Things have been revealed.

• August 15th -- Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants ($59.95)
• August 15th -- The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons ($39.95)
• September 19th -- Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk ($59.95)
• October 16th -- Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse ($TBA)
• November 14th -- Book of Many Things ($TBA)

Coming August 15th with two variants. Lore about giants, 76 stat blocks, feats, and a giant subclass.

3 hardcovers in a boxed set-- 96 page guide to Sigil, 64-page bestiary, and 96-page adventure, along with a poster map and DM screen. Coming October 16th.

224-page adventure for levels 1-12, poster map, 16 new monsters. Coming September 19th.

66 illustrated cards, 192-page book with lore, character options, magic items, and monsters, 80-page card reference guide, all in a slipcase. Coming November 14th.​

These Are Dungeons & Dragons' New Products For 2023

New books for the fantasy role-playing game include Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants, and a look at the legendary Deck of Many Things.

themessenger.com

 

[pukunui]

My thoughts:

Bigby Presents Glory of the Giants
Not a fan of the alt cover. Too washed out / one color. Took me a while to figure out that it depicts Bigby using a magic hand to play chess with a giant. I do like that regular cover, though.

Planescape
I think I'll get the DiTerlizzi alt cover set for Planescape, if this is anything to go by:

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
I do like that cover. Reminds me of this art from the PHB:

Book of Many Things
As much as I like my 4e era Deck of Many Things set (from Madness at Gardmore Abbey), the art for which is featured in the 5e DMG, I do like this new set's artwork. It reminds me of the character cards from Dragon Age Inquisition a bit.

Also, I wonder if the woman on the book cover is meant to be Laeral Silverhand. Although her art in the Dragon Heist book has her wearing a robe, the mini that came in the accompanying set had her in greenish plate armor with a sword. Kinda similar to the woman on the cover. And it makes sense they might have a demigod daughter of the goddess of magic be the narrator for a book about a powerful magical artifact.

 

[Older Beholder]

The Alt cover for Bigby presents: Glory of the Giants is so beautiful. That's taken it from a probably buy to a must for me.

Very keen for Planescape and Book of Many Things as well.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

Generally don't go for the special edition covers, because I have that quasi-OCD desire to keep my books matching when possible, but I may not be able to resist picking up the DiTerlizzi edition of Planescape...

Probably going to get me on both, to be honest.

 

[pukunui]

Generally don't go for the special edition covers, because I have that quasi-OCD desire to keep my books matching when possible, but I may not be able to resist picking up the DiTerlizzi edition of Planescape...

Probably going to get me on both, to be honest.

I had been trying to keep all my books matching, but I've been given the alt covers for Fizban's, Candlekeep, and the Golden Vault already, and I just love, love, love that art DiTerlizzi shared online (see my post above). If that's what features on the alt cover set (or similar) then I will not be able to resist.

 

[Parmandur]

The giant cultists and rune-mages definitely pique my interest. But it's odd there's no sign of giant leaders, like frost giant jarls or fire giant dukes, in the list.

I mean, could be that the Giant leaders and the Giant spellcasters are one and the same?

 

[Parmandur]

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
I do like that cover. Reminds me of this art from the PHB:

I am quite certain thst art was also in Lost Mines of Phandelver, so I think it's a very intentional callback.

 

[Parmandur]

The giant cultists

So, we have"

- 4 Elemental Evil Cultist varieties (very thematic, Elemental Evil premiered in the G series in the 70's) which i reckon to to be Stone-Evil Earth (confirmed by Mini), Cloud-Evil Air, Fire-Evil Fire, and Frost-Evil Water. Hill Giants and Storm Giants probably get left out of Elemental Evil cultists, I suppose.

- 4 Demonic Cultist types: Probably the 4 types of Giants at least one step from Chaotic Evil on the 9 point chart, so Cloud, Hill, Frost and Stone Giants tied to specific Abyssal Princes...?

- Fire Hellions, which we now see feom the Mini are Asmodean Fire Giant Tieflings, because Fire Giants and Demons make no sense, alignment wise.

- Storm Heralds, who are probably some sort of zealot interventionist Storm Giants, I guess, since tStprm Giants and any sort of Fiend would be weird? Path of the Storm Herald is a Barbarian Subclass from Xanathar's which is super Heavy Metal.

On the bag jelly, I wonder if it's a Giant's Bag (old school loot item there) that has been animated? I've seen how dangerous an animated broom or chest can be, and animated Giant's purse sounds horrifying.

 

[Parmandur]

Also, the reporter pit a comment about the "lost world" in quotation marks: will wr maybe see a Giant perspective or alternative to the First World, with more dinosaurs and other antedelluvian critters?

 

[Demetrios1453]

So, we have"

- 4 Elemental Evil Cultist varieties (very thematic, Elemental Evil premiered in the G series in the 70's) which i reckon to to be Stone-Evil Earth (confirmed by Mini), Cloud-Evil Air, Fire-Evil Fire, and Frost-Evil Water. Hill Giants and Storm Giants probably get left out of Elemental Evil cultists, I suppose.

- 4 Demonic Cultist types: Probably the 4 types of Giants at least one step from Chaotic Evil on the 9 point chart, so Cloud, Hill, Frost and Stone Giants tied to specific Abyssal Princes...?

- Fire Hellions, which we now see feom the Mini are Asmodean Fire Giant Tieflings, because Fire Giants and Demons make no sense, alignment wise.

- Storm Heralds, who are probably some sort of zealot interventionist Storm Giants, I guess, since tStprm Giants and any sort of Fiend would be weird? Path of the Storm Herald is a Barbarian Subclass from Xanathar's which is super Heavy Metal.

On the bag jelly, I wonder if it's a Giant's Bag (old school loot item there) that has been animated? I've seen how dangerous an animated broom or chest can be, and animated Giant's purse sounds horrifying.

I was thinking somewhat similarly, though along the line that so much stuff gets stuffed into a giant's bag (especially hill giants bags) that some of it rots, gels, and comes to life. So when searching through a bag, you're attacked by this gross living residue...

I'm nodding along with most of the rest of what you're saying, but do want to add that the frost giant cultists will almost certainly worship Kostchtchie, who has always been associated with frost giants (and appeared in Descent to Avernus)

As for the elemental hulks, I'm assuming Earth - Stone, Fire - Fire, and Air - Cloud. Water could be either Storm or Frost, but since paraelemental Cold has always been almost as important as the four main elements (it even has its own Prince of Elemental Evil in Cryonax), it may be that Storm gets Water and Frost gets Cold. Hill gets left out, unless they want to go gonzo with paraelemental Ooze (and the thought of giant mud elementals is a bit amusing). I'm assuming that these elementals will be around Tier 3 in CR, in the gap between elemental myrmidons and the elder elementals like the phoenix.

Also, no mention of verbeeg, even though they appeared in the Icewind Dale book.

 

[vecna00]

Also, the reporter pit a comment about the "lost world" in quotation marks: will wr maybe see a Giant perspective or alternative to the First World, with more dinosaurs and other antedelluvian critters?

That's what I'm hoping for!