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]

Any scoop on how the Grinning Cat fito n with Giants...?

As far as I can tell, the entirety of the connection is that "grinning cats often dwell in or near giants’ enclaves."

A keyword search on D&D Beyond produces no further references to grinning cats outside its statblock and description.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

As far as I can tell, the entirety of the connection is that "grinning cats often dwell in or near giants’ enclaves."

A keyword search on D&D Beyond produces no further references to grinning cats outside its statblock and description.

Are they at least interesting monsters, then? (I'll probably be buying the book piecemeal on D&D Beyond, starting with the player-facing stuff.)

 

[Parmandur]

As far as I can tell, the entirety of the connection is that "grinning cats often dwell in or near giants’ enclaves."

A keyword search on D&D Beyond produces no further references to grinning cats outside its statblock and description.

Huh, well...how peciluliar. Is it...at least big...?

What is the Gigant, out of curiosity? And what's the deal with the Gargantuan?

 

[pukunui]

Are they at least interesting monsters, then?

It's a Large fey creature. It has magic resistance, bite and claw attacks, and darkvision. It has a "grinning step" teleport as a bonus action. It can also "fade away" as an action and then "fade back" as a bonus action. In either case, it can choose to leave part of its body visible, so yes, it's pretty much the Cheshire cat.

What is the Gigant, out of curiosity? And what's the deal with the Gargantuan?

A gigant is a towering insectile creature big enough to scoop up a hill giant. Giants regard them as a plague as gigants like to eat giants. "Some giants claim gigants are created by the weird magical aura that surrounds a gargantua ..." which is an aberration born to giant parents.

A gargantua starts off looking like its parents, but it can grow to a height of 40 feet or more and ends up turning purplish and sprouting big horns. They don't feel welcome in giant communities, so they tend to go off to lonely places to be alone. They've got a Weird Aura (nightmares / psychic damage), although it doesn't mention anything about creating gigants. They've got some fun reactions: they can attempt to flick smaller creatures away or mimic a spell of 5th level or lower.

Giants tell lots of stories about the origins of both these creatures.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Huh, well...how peciluliar. Is it...at least big...?

What is the Gigant, out of curiosity? And what's the deal with the Gargantuan?

I think the Gargantua is the monster from the Kara-Tur Monstrous Compendium that's also known as Kaiju.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It's a Large fey creature. It has magic resistance, bite and claw attacks, and darkvision. It has a "grinning step" teleport as a bonus action. It can also "fade away" as an action and then "fade back" as a bonus action. In either case, it can choose to leave part of its body visible, so yes, it's pretty much the Cheshire cat.

Well, that is ... underwhelming. And a pretty "safe" take on a Cheshire Cat.

 

[pukunui]

Well, that is ... underwhelming. And a pretty "safe" take on a Cheshire Cat.

Yeah, and the fluff text makes it even more obviously a Cheshire cat rip-off.

Spoiler

Grinning cats are mischievous Fey who delight in pestering and misleading travelers. They resemble oversized domestic cats with long, needlelike claws, but they’re distinguished by the wide, toothy smiles that give them their name.

Grinning cats often dwell in or near giants’ enclaves. They spend much of their time invisible, lounging on tree branches until prey—or a potential conversation partner—wanders by. While trading riddles or witticisms, a cat often decides to reveal its grin, its tail, or sometimes its whole head to confuse or intimidate the creature it’s talking to.

It fills much the same role as a faerie dragon (an invisible trickster) except that clever/lucky PCs can convince it to part with one of its magical whiskers.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Man, I would have at least made it work like a phase spider, phasing between the Material Plane and the Feywild, or something.

And I love cats, but they are vicious brutes. Grinning cats could be like the sphinxes of earlier editions and eat anyone who bores them, which would give PCs a reason to engage with them.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Thinking about it more, I'm almost certain the grinning cat is a Witchlight cast-off that landed here - after all, Witchlight had a jabberwock as well.

 

[Parmandur]

Thinking about it more, I'm almost certain the grinning cat is a Witchlight cast-off that landed here - after all, Witchlight had a jabberwock as well.

It does stand out as the only Monster that doesnhabe a solid Giant connection (Titanotheres, Spotted Lions and other mefafauna are...well, giant critters, at least).

I would bet pretty heavily on Fey being a strong poasibfor a third book in this series, should it continue: so maybe it's a preview of coming attractions, or an attempt to get a Fey in here somehow to spice things up?