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

 

[Parmandur]

Cool. Explain to me why I need to spend $500-600 to get 10-12 adventures in order to get $50 worth of setting material that I could buy in 1 setting book, while also getting $450-$550 worth of adventure material that I won't ever use? How is that a good idea for me and those like me?

For you, itnot. For me, or works, however, and apparently the ROI is worth it for WotC (which is what drives product development). The square of opposition position of "I want prefab Setting material, bit not prefab Adventure material" is apparently not a significant market for WotC. Based on what Perkins has saidin the past, the general trend is either wanting neither, or wanting both. Which if you take that in mind, the entire product line becomes objectively quite rational.

 

[Parmandur]

I can’t speak for everyone, but my DM has told me he buys the setting/adventure books mostly for the monsters. He might use some of the ideas in the setting book or adventure, but we run our own setting and we don’t use published adventures ( at least not in whole).

So he basically spends $60 for a few pages of monsters and some setting and encounter ideas. It does happen.

The books are designed to be pulled apart for prefab pieces, like maps or NPCs.

 

[mamba]

The evidence seems to suggest they sell fien, when combined with Adventure material.

yes, but the evidence also suggest they do not on their own, or we would have more of that

There is plenty of setting in adventures like Storm Kings Thunder, you could probably argue it is as much setting and sandbox as it is an actual adventure. What we are not getting is pure setting material, it will come with adventure suggestions / locations built in

 

[Parmandur]

yes, but the evidence also suggest they do not on their own, or we would have more of that

There is plenty of setting in adventures like Storm Kings Thunder, you could probably argue it is as much setting and sandbox as it is an actual adventure. What we are not getting is pure setting material, it will come with adventure suggestions / locations built in

Yeah, the big campaign books are usually focused setting books, as well.

 

[Rikka66]

yes, but the evidence also suggest they do not on their own, or we would have more of that

They've slowly increased the amount the publish throughout 5e's lifespan, so I think overall they've sold as well as anything else. Spelljammer was apparently a disappointment, I've heard, though.

 

[Parmandur]

They've slowly increased the amount the publish throughout 5e's lifespan, so I think overall they've sold as well as anything else. Spelljammer was apparently a disappointment, I've heard, though.

Mostly the page count: it was a 192 page book split up, when the material could have been better with 224, 256, or 320 pages.

 

[Maxperson]

You don't need to buy 10-12 adventures, because if your game takes place in Icewind Dale, a map of Chult is irrelevant. You don't need to know about the whole world, you just need lots of detail about the area where the game takes place. The 2nd and 3rd edition FR books describe more countries than the players could possibly visit in a dozen campaigns, but not in enough detail to be of much use without the DM doing all the legwork themselves or buying additional supplements.

The majority of "adventure material" is detailed descriptions of locations.

I need the whole world. I don't railroad my players into narrow areas. And again, if I have to go to a prior edition for a setting, 5e has failed at setting.

 

[Maxperson]

Well, nobody "deaerves" anyone else's labor. It's a question of what WotC believes will please the greatest number of people and keep the brand profitable. And apparently, Gazateers packed in big campaigns is a very success model: Tyranny of Dragons has been in print longer than 3E and 3.5 combined.

Right, and WotC doesn't deserve my money for crappy settings.

 

[Maxperson]

For you, itnot. For me, or works, however, and apparently the ROI is worth it for WotC (which is what drives product development). The square of opposition position of "I want prefab Setting material, bit not prefab Adventure material" is apparently not a significant market for WotC. Based on what Perkins has saidin the past, the general trend is either wanting neither, or wanting both. Which if you take that in mind, the entire product line becomes objectively quite rational.

If they were smart, they'd take out the tons of lore you guys say is in these adventures and make a setting book out of it.

 

[ersatzphil]

The evidence seems to suggest they sell fien, when combined with Adventure material.

Is there actual evidence of that? I’d say people around here generally talk about Strixhaven and Spelljammer as being disappointing, but I don’t believe I’ve seen any sales figures. If the lead time for a first party D&D book is a year plus, it could be some real time for them to react to market conditions.