D&D 5E (2024) Predict WotC's 2026 D&D releases

[Autumnal]

Tying in with the Critical Role campaign, there will be player and DM books for Spawn of Fashan 5e.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yeah, I would just take the Gryphon Hill name and make a new adventure. Van Richten's had a ton of settings that demanded to be played in, and coming up with a new adventure -- or even a whole anthology of them -- wouldn't be hard.

That's what I was thinking, perhaps with a return to Mordentshire, but not focused on a body switching Jekyll and Hyde machine. Although you could suggest the device where players switch between a character in the new adventure and a character in CoS whenever they take a long rest as an option. I don't recall the original adventure mentioned why it was called Gryphon Hill (I assume it was a meta reference to Griffin, AKA the Invisible Man). Although with the de Toro Frankenstein doing the rounds, maybe a return to Lamordia would be in order? Curse of Mordenhiem also works as a title. Perhaps even more directly calls out Hammer.

I think a book length adventure is more likely than an anthology in 2026 though. We have had a lot of anthologies and few long adventures recently.

 

[GarrettKP]

Putting down a new guess:

Q1: Adventure Anthology set in the Domains of Dread (Ravenloft)
Q2: Ravenloft: Heroes of Dread (Smaller, think Forge of the Artificer, as a companion to Van Richten's)
Q3: Tasha's Heroes of the Multiverse (Xanathar's and Tasha's reprint book)
Q4: Dark Sun Duology (Heroes of Athas and Adventures in Athas)

 

[Mercurius]

All of this will be moot once 3I/ATLAS brings D&D 6E.

 

[Mistwell]

Dark Sun! I kid, I kid.

I don't kid - I think they are going there.

 

[Mistwell]

Heroes of The Isle of Dread Expert Set

Honestly they already did a great Isle of Dread with Tomb of Annihilation. Which is a better version of Isle of Dread than the original.

- Ye Olde Adventure Compendium (including Night's Dark Terror, Ghost Tower of Iverness, D1-D2 Descent into the Depths, D3 Vault of the Drow, Q1 Queen of the Demonwebs).

Yeah I agree this is a good one. Have we had a good Underdark adventure for 5e? Was that Out of the Abyss (which I missed)? [Edit - yes, it seems it is. Too bad, I didn't hear great things about that adventure, but I do enjoy the Underdark]

 

[Mistwell]

Seriously though what haven’t they rebooted that was popular. Or at least held people’s attention.

I’d also look towards classic video games.

H*ck even a full on Baldur’s Gate thing, even now, might be smart.

Castle Amber.

I think the adventure anthology will center around the World Tree.

I'd enjoy that. I do want a good series of planar adventures which takes you to different planes.

 

[Zaukrie]

I can totally see them doing the same thing with dark sun they just did with the realms. I hope so! Though I'd love more monster next time ...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I can totally see them doing the same thing with dark sun they just did with the realms. I hope so! Though I'd love more monster next time ...

It does seem like this approach will be more popular than the Spelljammer and Planescape ones. People can buy only the books they want, the books are longer, and there's no screen and slipcase people have to buy, like it or not. If it does turn out to be a bigger hit, I bet we'll see at least the next setting be released this way.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Ghost Tower of Inverness, D1-D2 Descent into the Depths

These two are quite bad by modern standards. Cliché, minimal plot, and impractical to run numbers of enemies in Descent. Out of the Abyss may not be well regarded, but it does the Underdark better (more detail, more interesting, more choices for the players). They did several things first, but that doesn't make them good now.