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

[Artamo]

Give me a Tales from the Crypt-style limited cover on the Ravenloft anthology and you've got an insta-buy from me.

Wish Bernie Wrightson were still alive to draw such a thing - that would’ve been a horror geek’s dream come true!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Wish Bernie Wrightson were still alive to draw such a thing - that would’ve been a horror geek’s dream come true!

Or fill a dump truck with dollar bills and get Mike Mignola to do it.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Spoiler: Spoiler

What if Strahd suddenly appeared in another Ravenloft domain, something he shouldn’t be able to do, and…wait a minute…is he actually a good guy?

Technically, domains hadn’t been invented when the module was written, so it hadn’t been established that he couldn’t do that.

I think the mind swapping of villagers with “monsters” was the most difficult bit to make work, but you could use ghosts/spirits instead of random hobgoblins for better effect.

But this module uses a randomised villain, which I think would have improved Vecna: EoR.

 

[Remathilis]

Technically, domains hadn’t been invented when the module was written, so it hadn’t been established that he couldn’t do that.

That's the biggest hit against Gryphon Hill; it was written before the Ravenloft setting was a thing and unlike I6, is very hard to retcon into the setting (classic or modern) because it breaks so many fundamental setting rules.

As a historical document, it's fascinating. As a general module, it's serviceable but not great, but as a piece of Ravenloft continuity, it's an abysmal dumpster fire. Clearly an example of the whole being less than the sum of it's parts.

 

[bergec]

Weighing in:

• I think Dark Sun is a sure bet at this point. (Betting on a fall release.)
• An anthology has been a regular annual release, so I think there's a fair bet we get one this year but I couldn't guess at the theme. (These usually drop in July, but some come early.)
• I'm wagering on a new Ravenloft book with updated rules and a bunch of campaign models, like the ones in the new Eberron and FR books. (I'm gonna say late summer.)
• They hinted at a Red Wizards of Thay campaign a couple years back and I suspect it might materialize this year now that the updated FR books are out. I almost wonder if the Arcane class UA might be material that shows up in here. (These usually fall in September.)
• I'm not sure we are going to get a dedicated rules expansion, but it is possible that's where the Arcane subclasses from the UA will go. If there's a fifth book, that's what I'd bet on.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Weighing in:

• They hinted at a Red Wizards of Thay campaign a couple years back and I suspect it might materialize this year now that the updated FR books are out. I almost wonder if the Arcane class UA might be material that shows up in here. (These usually fall in September.)

I would love to see a book similar to a 5e14 adventure like Tomb of A; Dragon Heist; or Storm King - that's part adventure and part gazeteer that covers Thay as well as other areas of Faerun.

Edited to add - on further thought, to expand on above. I'd love to see something like "Villains of Faerun" wherein they talk about not yet covered, but already known; as well as new villainous factions, nations, areas, and Big Bads and some of their key henchfolk. So more about Thay, maybe the Pirate Isles, and more. Something very similar to Adventures in Faerun.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Given what an odd ending that was to the original saga -- Lolth was the enemy of the drow cult who were behind the giant invasion -- I'd love to see the entire saga get a through rewrite to make it more coherent and more tightly plotted and include other giant and Underdark groups.

I don't own Storm King's Thunder, but a remake of Queen of the Spiders would also need to differentiate itself from that as much as possible.

STK was nothing like Against the Giants. That said, AtG was reprinted in Yawning Portal. So really just Descent into Depths, Kuo-Toa, Vault of Drow, and QoDWPits.

What it would really have to differentiate from in 5e is Out of the Abyss...

 

[Paul Farquhar]

That's the biggest hit against Gryphon Hill; it was written before the Ravenloft setting was a thing and unlike I6, is very hard to retcon into the setting (classic or modern) because it breaks so many fundamental setting rules.

As a historical document, it's fascinating. As a general module, it's serviceable but not great, but as a piece of Ravenloft continuity, it's an abysmal dumpster fire. Clearly an example of the whole being less than the sum of it's parts.

Breaking the rules makes for a good story, especially when the rules are well known. The dark powers aren’t omnipotent. Vecna got out, so has Azlin. Strahd managing to psychically project his influence (hay, we have psionics now) into another domain isn’t too much of a stretch, especially if you stay true to the Gothic genre and keep the details vague and dreamlike.

 

[Remathilis]

Breaking the rules makes for a good story, especially when the rules are well known. The dark powers aren’t omnipotent. Vecna got out, so has Azlin. Strahd managing to psychically project his influence (hay, we have psionics now) into another domain isn’t too much of a stretch, especially if you stay true to the Gothic genre and keep the details vague and dreamlike.

The problem is that Gryphon Hill only works as a prequel, not sequel, to Curse of Strahd. Even the "official" explanation of it (In the War with Azalin) places the events before Mordent is a domain and places the events as the reason Mordent is absorbed into the Mists. It also absolutely makes it's domain lord, Godfrey, a bit player at best.

There are two ways you can run GH that could make it work with the established bits of continuity that exist post CoS/VRGR. The first is to replace Strahd and Azalin in it with new characters rather than domain lord jam. Then upgrade Godfrey's role and layer on more of the ghost elements added in later books. The other way is to treat it as a time displacement to before Mordent was a domain and the PCs are reliving the events of it. Perhaps only Azalin and the PCs have knowledge of the situation and Azalin is trying to change it so that Strahd is destroyed rather than merged. But the events don't happen in 734 like CoS does, only the bookends do.

But more than all of that, I'd prefer a new story over trying to make Gryphon Hill make sense.

 

[Artamo]

The problem is that Gryphon Hill only works as a prequel, not sequel, to Curse of Strahd. Even the "official" explanation of it (In the War with Azalin) places the events before Mordent is a domain and places the events as the reason Mordent is absorbed into the Mists. It also absolutely makes it's domain lord, Godfrey, a bit player at best.

Yes, the original module’s take on it reminded me of that bad episode of Dallas decades ago where they retconned a character’s death and had him simply appear in the shower later as “It was all a bad dream.”

As for Godefroy, even later, he never really seemed like he had any oomph to him or his backstory. Sorry to say, but evil dark lords who murdered their wives was, um, kind of a thing in Ravenloft.

The last Van Richten’s book did give him an interesting little tidbit in that any ghosts within a particular vicinity or perhaps it was the domain were automatically drawn to him, and could be commanded by him. In keeping with Strahd’s whole deal, what if his plan for catching Tatiana this time involved drawing her spirit into Mordent, and using Godfrey’s powers to force her to Gryphon Hill so he could do the body swap thing on her and some NPC, and bingo, Strahd’s got his bride again.

And then yeah, you gotta work Azalin in…yeah, it’s definitely convoluted.

I’ll take anything Ravenloft though, and I’m heartened that so many people enjoy it enough that it’s top of mind.