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]

... which can be purchased separately! Volo’s Waterdeep Enchiridion (5e) - Wizards of the Coast | D&D 5th Edition | Dungeon Masters Guild

Perhaps they could do the same thing for the setting material in the other adventures for people who just want that.

It is a mithril best seller, curious that it was just a one-off experiment: the Baldur's Gate gazateer in DiA isn't less significant in size or scope.

 

[pukunui]

It is a mithril best seller, curious that it was just a one-off experiment: the Baldur's Gate gazateer in DiA isn't less significant in size or scope.

I really appreciated the way they did the Next adventures, Legacy of the Crystal Shard and Murder in Baldur's Gate. Both had separate adventure and setting booklets, the latter of which was edition agnostic. The material in those books has been updated / reprinted in Rime of the Frostmaiden and Descent into Avernus respectively, but it was still a nice way of doing it. The hardcovers are certainly sturdier, but I liked that split approach.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

It is a mithril best seller, curious that it was just a one-off experiment: the Baldur's Gate gazateer in DiA isn't less significant in size or scope.

I think Volo's Waterdeep Enchiridion was released as an Extra Life charity tie-in, so it might just be a matter of already having other products lined up for that role when Descent into Avernus et al released.

Wouldn't be too surprised if they start dropping free "city guide" chapters as preview material for similarly scoped modules on DNDBeyond moving forward though, like they did with Radiant Citadel.

 

[Demetrios1453]

I’m missing something. Don’t we already have the whole world on our bookshelves already? What would we gain from a full FR update to 5e?

About 130 years of history and the results of the world being completely remade - twice!

 

[Maxperson]

Then why did you buy them in 1e, 2e, 3e, and 4e?

1e because I was young and didn't really know what a fleshed out setting looked like. 2e had good settings, so that's why I bought those. 3e had good settings, so that's why I bought those. 4e I didn't spend a dime on as I skipped that edition entirely. 5e has burned me on the few settings that I bought and doesn't look to be changing, so I don't expect to spend another dime on 5e settings.

 

[Maxperson]

They lore in those books is generally too specific for a "setting book" IMO. A setting book should be wide and broad, not so specific. However, the adventure books do have great setting information in them. It is just geared more to what is relevant for the adventure.

Which makes it less than useful for a general setting which is what I've been asking for, so those books are now out the setting equation, leaving us back at 5e not putting out any setting material for the FR since the Sword Coast.

 

[Maxperson]

I’m missing something. Don’t we already have the whole world on our bookshelves already? What would we gain from a full FR update to 5e?

Do we? The vast majority of D&D players started with 5e. I doubt they have the whole world on their bookshelves. And if they've only purchased 5e settings, for the most part they have no world on their bookshelves.

They can't be expected to buy older edition settings to get a good one, and even if they do, that they have to go to another edition for a good setting means that 5e fails at settings.

 

[Incenjucar]

I would certainly love to see nice chunky Monstrous Manual-sized books that basically crammed as much existing setting information into one place to act as the core canon for that setting for the rest of the edition. Then WotC can ignore them for the next decade.

 

[Irlo]

Do we? The vast majority of D&D players started with 5e. I doubt they have the whole world on their bookshelves. And if they've only purchased 5e settings, for the most part they have no world on their bookshelves.

They can't be expected to buy older edition settings to get a good one, and even if they do, that they have to go to another edition for a good setting means that 5e fails at settings.

Got it. I thought you were talking about what you wanted from WotC.

 

[Parmandur]

Which makes it less than useful for a general setting which is what I've been asking for, so those books are now out the setting equation, leaving us back at 5e not putting out any setting material for the FR since the Sword Coast.

No, they have pit out a ton of Setting material, and it has sold well. Just because you, personally, haven't bought doesn't mean it isn't there.