WotC So, when do the announce the July book? Guesses on what it'll be? 🤔

[Ruin Explorer]

Well, I don't agree that including Southern-style (or influenced) slavery is inherently problematic

I mean, that you don't agree doesn't mean that it's not typically regarded as such. Specifically, WotC is a part of Hasbro, a large publicly-traded corporation. Such companies are inherently risk-averse. D&D is undergoing a true renaissance, becoming bigger than it ever was. It has done that without any attempt to court controversy or address "mature themes" and indeed, only 3.XE ever even really flirted with that, and that only briefly. There is no logical reason for the company to divert into anything which is even potentially risky at this point. "Mature themes" or "controversial material" is not part of the WotC brand, nor part of the D&D brand. On the direct contrary, in fact.

I don't see why a D&D setting can't be published with mature themes...it is already marketed as a game for 14+ year olds.

It absolutely could be, but if you expect a large corporation specifically known for playing it relatively safe, whose product is currently succeeding in a big way, to suddenly decide "Hey now is the time to push risky stuff no-one is particularly asking for and which the setting doesn't need!", then I'd suggest you need to adjust your expectations quite a lot.

If you're expecting some 3PP known for risky material to do it, then that's more reasonable.

Re: chattel slavery, the Romans had chattel slavery in the sense you describe as well as debt slavery and indentured servitude and so on. The big difference was that generally the Romans didn't "breed" slaves or maintain long-term slave populations in extremely poor conditions, and Roman culture had certain broad expectations about how slaves were to be treated, which were better than those of the South (or indeed some other ancient societies) - they weren't typically written into law until the 100s or later IIRC (but then they gradually got actual rights and everything). It was still horrific of course but lacking the breeding and racial aspects and I would argue with lower levels of inhumanity overall (and also relatively smaller populations - at the absolute peak Rome might have had 40% slaves in certain agricultural regions, whereas in places like Haiti it was more like 85% of the population were slaves). And unfortunately the Muls in Dark Sun bring in both the breeding and racial aspects pretty seriously.

But I'm maundering on, sorry.

Point is I think the "necessary" alterations to "make safe" Dark Sun wouldn't rob it of an inherent character and might actually seem smaller than the ghastly 2nd boxed set in 2E, let alone the 4E changes. I'd be fine with much bigger changes personally, so long as certain key aspects are kept (psionics is not in fact one of them for me, but if it's ditched, you'd need to do a hell of a lot more with magic to replace it).

EDIT - As an aside, I believe if D&D keeps succeeding, there may eventually be a demand for "mature" settings (moreso than Ravenloft) that WotC wants to meet, as new kids grow up playing the FR or whatever and feel it's a bit too sanitized and they want something edgier for their late teens and twenties, but that's not likely to happen for a few years yet I'd suggest, so probably would be a 6E thing.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Yeah, it will probably be the 5e version of the Draconomicon in July. But a guy can dream...

Your right and they are wrong, here is why:

Their arguements rely on the faulty premise that the Draconic Subclasses, Feywild Folk, and Draconic Options UAs don't feel Forgotten Realmsy enough.

This is flawed because:

1) The Forgotten Realms has more Dragon lore then any other setting, period. In 3e for example had an entire infinite plane devouted to nothing but Dragon Gods, Dragons, Draconic Creatures, Dragon God Worshippers (who if remember correctly became Dragons when their soul reached the plane) called Dragon Eyrie. Dragon Eyrie

Also there is some much Dragon Lore in the Forgotten Realms it got its on setting specific version of a Draconomicon type book call Dragons of Faerun.

There are main trilogies of FR novels where Dragons play the central role in the story, examples include Rage of Dragons and part of the Griffin Brotherhood.

Gem Dragons are major players only in the Forgotten Realms and Mystara settings (they are mentioned in a Planescape product), and these Gem Dragonborn take after the Psionic Forgotten Realms type of Gem Dragons NOT the Mystara Gem Dragons who had very different types like Jade, who weren't psionic and who weren't tied to the Gem Dragon God Saridor, the Ruby Dragon, FR Gem Dragons are. The only setting mentioned or hinted at in the Draconic UAs was the Forgotten Realms except for Fizban, who I will later show proves my point BECAUSE he's a wizard from Kyrnn (Dragonlance).

2) in the case of the Feywild Folk no other D&D setting has as much Feywild Lore as the Forgotten Realms. For example Nachtur a Feywild Gobliniod Kingdom currently invading the Moonshae Isles Nachtur and what setting is most likely to have new races like Owlfolk and Rabbitfolk dropped into it without angering fans (because it happens in every single edition its appeared in including 5e already, Chultan Tortles), the Forgotten Realms. The only setting mentioned in the Folks of the Feywild UA was the Forgotten Realms. Faerun is literally named after Faerie (Feywild) by the Elves see link below Faerûn .

One of the creator races of FR is Fey.

3) We know there is an MtG set coming out in the Summer called Dungeons & DRAGONS: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms. The symbol for the set is a Dragon's head, the way Strixhaven has an Owl as its symbol (Foreshadowing the magic owl subtheme were Owlin are found in most of the Colleges and Kasmina creates Fractal Owls to serve her). This suggests a major Dragons theme to the set and cards like Draconic Intervention, Magda, Dragon's Approach in previous sets foreshadow this as when Standard rotates, these cards will become too unsupported without more Dragons (including Dragonborn). So since AFR is likely to have a Dragon theme, that ties it into the rescent UAs as well. Also Commander Legends had two legendary creatures both from the same unknown setting, one was Turtlefolk (aka Tortles) and the other was Rabbitfolk. FR looks like it will be the only setting in MtG with both Rabbitfolk and Tortles suggesting they might be from the Forgotten Realms as new characters. It also occurs to me that if a Strixhaven Setting book got aborted, they could have decided to recycle the Owlin for the Forgotten Realms if they really loved the race, but decided that Arcavios wasn't ready for a setting book yet (its a new plane with 1 set).

Also AFR can't use MtG planeswalkers because for now they decided not to merge the multiverses, but WotC policy is at least some of the Planeswalkers have to come from a setting other then the one in which the set is based in. None of the Strixhaven Planeswalkers comes from Strixhaven's Plane of Arcavios for example. That is where Fizban comes in, he's likely a Planeswalker in AFR set visiting the Forgotten Realms from Krynn (remember that spell Dreams of a Blue Veil from TCoE, this is why this spell was there and why it specifically mentions Toril, Krynn, and Oerth in the spell). Even his spell Fizban's Platanium Shield is likely a card in AFR (Instant or Sorcery, maybe even an enchantment Aura), as they like a tie in card or two to the Planeswalkers that appear in a set.

4) They are spending way to much money on art, advertising, ect... on this AFR set not to milk it with max synergy, that means a Faerun Setting Book.

5) The SCAG is dead, WotC already largely picked over the choicest pieces of its corpse, although some of the fixed stuff could get reprinted, along updated Tasha style versions of Orcs, Aasimar, Genasi, ect... in a Faerun Setting Book.

6) Not one, but 2 AAA Forgotten Realms RPG games synergy.

So the question really isn't is a Faerun Setting Book coming, its when is it coming. Is it in the July slot, late summer September slot, fall/winter slot, or maybe early next year (one of the VRGtR writers said he was working on more South Asian D&D setting lore for WotC for 2022, and Forgotten Realms is one of the only D&D settings to have a fantasy South Asian cultures like Durpur.

 

[teitan]

Been looking at his wikipedia profile, but he appeared to write for Dungeoncraft I think its called?
Anybody else know what stuff he's bene involved in d&d wise?

Wyatt? Oh lord. That’s like asking what Reynolds or Cook were involved with. A lot.

 

[teitan]

I fear that all the things I want it to be, will just be too controversial to be published... Dark Sun, Planescape or Oriental Adventures (done ethically) for instance. I live in ever dwindling hope.

Why would Dark Sun or Planescape be controversial? Other companies are putting out way edgier materials and no one says foul. Trying to be pre-active on these things always backs fires or produces inferior products. Pre-active as a opposed to proactive. Doing a setting that contains slavery is not the same as doing a product that endorses slavery. Hopefully no one gets upset about Judge Dredd!

 

[teitan]

Well Dungeoncraft was an amazing worldbuilding and adventure writing series which I believe was reincarnated into a 3e handbook for worldbuilding. I think there is definitely space for that.

He also wrote about two settings in that blog. One was a dinosaur lost world setting. The other was a forest planet.

I don’t think he did a lot of lead writing though. Maybe it’s something from his home games.

Winninger, Aha. He was a prolific developer with other companies as well.

 

[teitan]

As I recall, the My Little Pony and other Hasbro games built on the D&D chassis were actually announced by Hasbro, although without firm dates attached.

It's up to you, of course, as to whether you want them to cross over with your games, but I bet a lot of people will. (My eight year old is now too cool for the My Little Pony Tales of Equestria game, but I think she will have a hard time not being delighted if her character ends up falling through a planar portal to a world inhabited by talking ponies.)

They were announced as licensed products from a third party using 5e as their chassis.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Your right and they are wrong, here is why:

Their arguements rely on the faulty premise that the Draconic Subclasses, Feywild Folk, and Draconic Options UAs don't feel Forgotten Realmsy enough.

This is flawed because:

1) The Forgotten Realms has more Dragon lore then any other setting, period. In 3e for example had an entire infinite plane devouted to nothing but Dragon Gods, Dragons, Draconic Creatures, Dragon God Worshippers (who if remember correctly became Dragons when their soul reached the plane) called Dragon Eyrie. Dragon Eyrie

Also there is some much Dragon Lore in the Forgotten Realms it got its on setting specific version of a Draconomicon type book call Dragons of Faerun.

There are main trilogies of FR novels where Dragons play the central role in the story, examples include Rage of Dragons and part of the Griffin Brotherhood.

Gem Dragons are major players only in the Forgotten Realms and Mystara settings (they are mentioned in a Planescape product), and these Gem Dragonborn take after the Psionic Forgotten Realms type of Gem Dragons NOT the Mystara Gem Dragons who had very different types like Jade, who weren't psionic and who weren't tied to the Gem Dragon God Saridor, the Ruby Dragon, FR Gem Dragons are. The only setting mentioned or hinted at in the Draconic UAs was the Forgotten Realms except for Fizban, who I will later show proves my point BECAUSE he's a wizard from Kyrnn (Dragonlance).

2) in the case of the Feywild Folk no other D&D setting has as much Feywild Lore as the Forgotten Realms. For example Nachtur a Feywild Gobliniod Kingdom currently invading the Moonshae Isles Nachtur and what setting is most likely to have new races like Owlfolk and Rabbitfolk dropped into it without angering fans (because it happens in every single edition its appeared in including 5e already, Chultan Tortles), the Forgotten Realms. The only setting mentioned in the Folks of the Feywild UA was the Forgotten Realms. Faerun is literally named after Faerie (Feywild) by the Elves see link below Faerûn .

One of the creator races of FR is Fey.

3) We know there is an MtG set coming out in the Summer called Dungeons & DRAGONS: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms. The symbol for the set is a Dragon's head, the way Strixhaven has an Owl as its symbol (Foreshadowing the magic owl subtheme were Owlin are found in most of the Colleges and Kasmina creates Fractal Owls to serve her). This suggests a major Dragons theme to the set and cards like Draconic Intervention, Magda, Dragon's Approach in previous sets foreshadow this as when Standard rotates, these cards will become too unsupported without more Dragons (including Dragonborn). So since AFR is likely to have a Dragon theme, that ties it into the rescent UAs as well. Also Commander Legends had two legendary creatures both from the same unknown setting, one was Turtlefolk (aka Tortles) and the other was Rabbitfolk. FR looks like it will be the only setting in MtG with both Rabbitfolk and Tortles suggesting they might be from the Forgotten Realms as new characters. It also occurs to me that if a Strixhaven Setting book got aborted, they could have decided to recycle the Owlin for the Forgotten Realms if they really loved the race, but decided that Arcavios wasn't ready for a setting book yet (its a new plane with 1 set).

Also AFR can't use MtG planeswalkers because for now they decided not to merge the multiverses, but WotC policy is at least some of the Planeswalkers have to come from a setting other then the one in which the set is based in. None of the Strixhaven Planeswalkers comes from Strixhaven's Plane of Arcavios for example. That is where Fizban comes in, he's likely a Planeswalker in AFR set visiting the Forgotten Realms from Krynn (remember that spell Dreams of a Blue Veil from TCoE, this is why this spell was there and why it specifically mentions Toril, Krynn, and Oerth in the spell). Even his spell Fizban's Platanium Shield is likely a card in AFR (Instant or Sorcery, maybe even an enchantment Aura), as they like a tie in card or two to the Planeswalkers that appear in a set.

4) They are spending way to much money on art, advertising, ect... on this AFR set not to milk it with max synergy, that means a Faerun Setting Book.

5) The SCAG is dead, WotC already largely picked over the choicest pieces of its corpse, although some of the fixed stuff could get reprinted, along updated Tasha style versions of Orcs, Aasimar, Genasi, ect... in a Faerun Setting Book.

6) Not one, but 2 AAA Forgotten Realms RPG games synergy.

So the question really isn't is a Faerun Setting Book coming, its when is it coming. Is it in the July slot, late summer September slot, fall/winter slot, or maybe early next year (one of the VRGtR writers said he was working on more South Asian D&D setting lore for WotC for 2022, and Forgotten Realms is one of the only D&D settings to have a fantasy South Asian cultures like Durpur.

This made me lol. This is so much twisting into knots to squeeze as much "It must be FR!" that it reminds me of one specific FR fan that I'm pretty sure got banned from this forum.

 

[Parmandur]

I don't own all of those books. Which one has the domain management and mass combat rules?

None so far, maybe wait for the DMG 4. The point is, DMG 2 is already out there.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

None so far, maybe wait for the DMG 4. The point is, DMG 2 is already out there.

DMG 2? What book is supposed to be that?

 

[Parmandur]

DMG 2? What book is supposed to be that?

Xanathar's Guide to Everything, then Tasha's is DMG 3. They also pull double duty as PHB 2 & 3. The closest they will ever come to either, at any rate.