Ravnica: Is This The New D&D Setting? [UPDATED & CONFIRMED!]

If so... meh?

 

[Morrus]

We're apparently going to hear some information about D&D settings on the 23rd (which is tomorrow). However, interestingly, something has popped up on Amazon! A hardcover with a release date of November 20th 2018, it's called D&D Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica.

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"D&D Guildmasters" might refer to the Dungeon Master's Guild, and the setting being opened up for use there by fans with this initial book providing the introductory framework, although it might instead refer to the various guilds in the setting.

So, what's Ravnica? It's a Magic: the Gathering setting (you can read more about it here), described as "a plane whose main planet is covered in a large city, also referred to as Ravnica. It takes its flavor from that of Eastern Europe."

View attachment 99599
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Explore a worldwide cityscape filled to the brim with adventure and intrigue in this campaign setting for the world's greatest roleplaying game
A perpetual haze of dreary rain hangs over the spires of Ravnica. Bundled against the weather, the cosmopolitan citizens in all their fantastic diversity go about their daily business in bustling markets and shadowy back alleys. Through it all, ten guilds--crime syndicates, scientific institutions, church hierarchies, military forces, judicial courts, buzzing swarms, and rampaging gangs--vie for power, wealth, and influence. These guilds are the foundation of power on Ravnica. They have existed for millennia, and each one has its own identity and civic function, its own diverse collection of races and creatures, and its own distinct subculture. Their history is a web of wars, intrigue, and political machinations as they have vied for control of the plane.

Here's hoping we'll hear more about it tomorrow. Previous indications were that on the 23rd we'd hear about two D&D settings, and the most popular guesses seem to be related to opening them up on the DM's Guild for use by authors.

UPDATE! Conformation just arrived by email from WotC's PR company:

RENTON, WA. – July 23, 2018 – Wizards of the Coast is psyched to announce the first collaboration on a major product between Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering with Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica releasing everywhere on November 20. The book will contain everything fans need to play D&D in the world-spanning city of Ravnica, the fan-favorite Magic setting populated by ten rival guilds, each with its own ethos and agenda. Wizards is also announcing D&D fans can now return to a magic-heavy noir setting with Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron, a new document written by Keith Baker available online now. The exploration of these settings is a testament to how fan excitement can shape where D&D travels to next.
“Fans of Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering have been asking for years about when these two amazing brands would play together,” said Nathan Stewart, director of D&D. “With the huge surge in popularity of D&D and Magic’s commitment to bring the lore and storytelling to life, the timing seemed perfect. Ravnica is full of adventure possibilities and I can’t wait for fans to jump in to embody a member of one the iconic guilds. I will personally be making a new character for Rakdos.”

“This fall, Magic returns to the beloved plane of Ravnica with the release of the Guilds of Ravnica set for the trading card game and the D&D book Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica which will include classes, races, monsters and setting information on the ten opposing guilds,” said Elaine Chase, Vice President, Global Brand Strategy & Marketing for Magic: The Gathering. “It’s super cool for fans of D&D and Magic to be playing together in the same multiverse.”

“We’re excited for fans to dive deeper into the robust world of Ravnica as they adventure as a member of their favorite guild,” said Aaron Forsythe, Senior Design Director for Magic: The Gathering. “Picking up Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica is a great way for D&D and Magic fans alike to tell a part of Ravnica’s story with their friends around the table.”

More enfranchised D&D fans may know that Keith Baker created the Eberron setting as part of the Fantasy Setting Search conducted in 2002, and the D&D team has been working with him to update the setting. The first step is the Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron, a digital release in the Dungeon Masters Guild online marketplace, which will serve to collect feedback on adjusted races, dragon marks, new backgrounds and more. Fans can also use this document as a jumping off point to create their own monsters, adventure modules, and other tabletop content set within Eberron and put it up for sale on the Dungeon Masters Guild (dmsguild.com).

“It's been sixteen years since I planted the first seeds that would become Eberron, and watching it grow has been an amazing journey,” Keith Baker, creator of Eberron. “So many good people have been involved in creating the world we see today, and it's been wonderful to see it come to life. I can't wait to see what people do with the world!”

Since the inception of Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition with the public playtest involving more than 175,000 fans and continuing with the current record-breaking success of the brand, the focus has been on listening to fan feedback. D&D is excited to travel to Ravnica and Eberron in 2018 and other planes beyond in 2019!

Also, in our podcast this week, we did SCIENCE! We weighed some D&D books and compare them to the stated weight on Amazon of the Ravnica setting book, thus scientifically extrapolating the page count. Of course, by the time the podcast goes out on Wed they'll have announced it anyway... but tune in on Wednesday to see how close we are!

 

[Magus Darkwind]

While I'm not against using D&D to fill out M:tG settings (Ravnica sounds interesting!), shouldn't they be concentrating on other D&D settings first?

 

[JonnyP71]

I'd never heard of it, so never played a game it... quick google, Magic the Gathering setting. That'll be why.

/startsarcasm

Oh joy.

/endsarcasm

 

[Antonio Fernandes]

Interesting response on reddit:

I'm not saying this is fake, I'm saying this is a placeholder for the actual release.

Ravnica. City of guilds. A plane whose main planet is covered in a large city, also referred to as Ravnica.

A setting where the city is the entire reason for going there. A place that isn't Faerun. A place where the inhabitants have an entirely different way of life than that in the Realms. A place where you could meet anybody, make any deal, where travelers from across the planes meet.

Does this sound familiar?

Ladies and gentlemen, you're looking at the placeholder for Sigil.

 

[Jester David]

Looks like:

Book
View attachment 99594

Map Pack
View attachment 99595

Dice
View attachment 99596

 

[Remathilis]

If this is Monday's announcement instead of Eberron, Planescape, or any other actual D&D setting, I'm gonna be mad. I'll probably still buy it, but I'll be mad.

 

[darjr]

Ravnica sounds awesome! I love the title. I wonder if this will work into AL somehow?

 

[Jester David]

Interesting response on reddit:

I'm not saying this is fake, I'm saying this is a placeholder for the actual release.

Ravnica. City of guilds. A plane whose main planet is covered in a large city, also referred to as Ravnica.

A setting where the city is the entire reason for going there. A place that isn't Faerun. A place where the inhabitants have an entirely different way of life than that in the Realms. A place where you could meet anybody, make any deal, where travelers from across the planes meet.

Does this sound familiar?

Ladies and gentlemen, you're looking at the placeholder for Sigil.

I had that thought.
That they needed to give Amazon and retailers information sooner than they wanted for the "reveal" and rather than use a codename for the books they used this.
I'm not sure I believe that...

First, it feels a little like desperation or denial. "It's not true. They're still doing the book I want... this is just a ruse!!"

Secondly, this fake name would be a colossal dick move. Because there's enough MtG/D&D crossover that this will get people excited. Thrilled by the idea of actual setting lore for Ravnica. And then if they take that away, those fans will be upset. It's needlessly upsetting a portion of the fanbase.
People get a little excited by the codenames, but not to the same extent they'll get for the idea of this book.

Third, the ISBN is associated with that book:
https://isbnsearch.org/isbn/9780786966592

 

[darjr]

View attachment 99597

 

[Jester David]

If this is Monday's announcement instead of Eberron, Planescape, or any other actual D&D setting, I'm gonna be mad. I'll probably still buy it, but I'll be mad.

This is very likely the first 5e book I will skip.
Super disappointed. There's so many settings they're not supporting, and so much of the D&D multiverse lying fallow, and they go with a setting from another game?! C'mon!

I get the thought behind it.
Magic the Gathering has a tonne of lore that never gets explored. This can do that. And there's a decent overlap between MtG and D&D fans, who will be excited by this book. And it might sell to MtG fans who don't play D&D, potentially getting them into D&D.
But that last point is targeting a potential audience over a real audience.

Man... and I thought I was disappointed by Tales from the Yawming Portal.

I imagine that's also the thought behind releasing it in November. So D&D players who don't care about MtG or Ravnica (which I have to look up how to spell each and every time, as I've never written that word before) will at least have the Waterdeep duology.

 

[Ancalagon]

My "MtG Lore" is pretty mediocre... but from what I do know about it, Ravnica sounds like a pretty good setting for a D&D game, probably the best of the bunch (that I know about!)

 

[UngeheuerLich]

That could be one of the two settings. If the other is eberron. Taht would be nice.

 

[Lidgar]

What happens when they announce this on Monday?

Wait for it...Ravnirok.

 

[OB1]

Seems like a cool setting but it seems weird that this would be the first step out of the Realms. I mean, it makes a ton of sense from the corporate Hasbro side of things, getting the most out of their IP, and trying to bring over fans of one game into another to increase the player base.

This could have been the result of a corporate mandate to release a cross over title this year, with budget attached to it for that specific purpose. That would explain why there is no Elminster's Guide to the Multiverse or something similar first to put releases like this into the context of the game as a whole.

 

[darjr]

I have friends that have wanted this for a long time.

 

[Sunseeker]

What!? Wizards, a multi-million-dollar company is finally figuring out how to cross-promote their different product lines!? IMPOSSIBLE! What's next, MTG set in Faerun!?

Here's a hint: it's a tie-in to the fact that Ravnica is also getting a new expansion later this year: "Guilds of Ravnica".

As an MTG lover and D&D lover...not sure if I'm excited or not.

 

[Lidgar]

Text from Amazon for the HC:

Explore a worldwide cityscape filled to the brim with adventure and intrigue in this campaign setting for the world's greatest roleplaying game

A perpetual haze of dreary rain hangs over the spires of Ravnica. Bundled against the weather, the cosmopolitan citizens in all their fantastic diversity go about their daily business in bustling markets and shadowy back alleys. Through it all, ten guilds--crime syndicates, scientific institutions, church hierarchies, military forces, judicial courts, buzzing swarms, and rampaging gangs--vie for power, wealth, and influence. These guilds are the foundation of power on Ravnica. They have existed for millennia, and each one has its own identity and civic function, its own diverse collection of races and creatures, and its own distinct subculture. Their history is a web of wars, intrigue, and political machinations as they have vied for control of the plane.

And for the dice:

Premium dice for the world's greatest roleplaying game
Heed Your Guild! Life in the big city isn't always easy. As tensions between the guilds run high, the streets of Ravnica have never been more perilous. A good set of dice may just save your hide.

 

[darjr]

I think they’ve also tested the waters on the guild. I get that this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m very happy they are spreading their wings.

 

[Jester David]

Following up on my own comment:

I imagine that's also the thought behind releasing it in November. So D&D players who don't care about MtG or Ravnica (which I have to look up how to spell each and every time, as I've never written that word before) will at least have the Waterdeep duology.

This also explains why it’s a fourth book, breaking from their pattern of three hardcovers a year. It’s a bonus. It’s not coming at the expense of a D&D book.