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

[Mercurius]

So, the first Setting book following the current paradigm came in 2018, with Guildmasters Guide to Ravnica (subsequent Setting books, aside from Exandria by an outside team, have followed the same layout as Ravnica, and SCAG is somewhat different). in 2.5 years, we will have received 5 Setting books, 6 if we include Acquisitions Incorporated (which we probably should), as opposed to 1 in the prior 4 years of the Edition. We know that there are at least two more "Classic" settings that were being actively worked on as of a year ago, with more on the way. That means we are seeing an average of 2 Settings a year in recent history, maybe more. I don't forsee that slowing down: and to keep that up, they'll need more Settings pretty quick. Magic crossovers fit the bill nicely.

Yes, agreed. We were specifically talking about whether they'll up the pace of Magic settings to one a year, or continue at the every-other-year pace. I hope the former. It may also not be planned that mechanically. But yeah, no less than two a year is my guess, with rotating categories of Classic, Magic, and Other (including Exandria, AI, etc).

 

[Parmandur]

Yes, agreed. We were specifically talking about whether they'll up the pace of Magic settings to one a year, or continue at the every-other-year pace. I hope the former. It may also not be planned that mechanically. But yeah, no less than two a year is my guess, with rotating categories of Classic, Magic, and Other (including Exandria, AI, etc).

For sure, probably too early to say much based on public information. I remember in 2019 that Nathan Stewart let drop that Ravnica had been a huge boost to the game, one of the fastest selling supplements ever up to that point, and we would be seeing more Magic/D&D crossovers soon. That's about the time the Forgotten Realms card set was being put together, based on that workflow, and Theros as a D&D product was probably started about the same time. I think long-term that Magic Settings will be very frequent, but time will tell.

 

[Stormonu]

From what I've read in the past, the writers used to have a 6-8 month lead time on developing their books. So anything coming out in June was probably doled out around January of February if that is still true. If they do, say 3 months of prewriting playtesting using Unearthed Arcana before (or during the start), what was released around then? That might be our clue for what's in the pipe.

 

[Parmandur]

From what I've read in the past, the writers used to have a 6-8 month lead time on developing their books. So anything coming out in June was probably doled out around January of February if that is still true. If they do, say 3 months of prewriting playtesting using Unearthed Arcana before (or during the start), what was released around then? That might be our clue for what's in the pipe.

Yeah, the historical UA to final publication timeframe is why we suspect a July product, maybe separate from the normal Summer Adventure. The Draconic Subclasses were tested two months after the Ravenloft Subclasses, and the Fey Lineages were tested two months after the Ravenloft Lineages: now we have Draconic Lineages with a two month lead to July, which is still doable based on the Ravnica UA turnaround for thr last batch of Lineages.

 

[Demetrios1453]

For sure, probably too early to say much based on public information. I remember in 2019 that Nathan Stewart let drop that Ravnica had been a huge boost to the game, one of the fastest selling supplements ever up to that point, and we would be seeing more Magic/D&D crossovers soon. That's about the time the Forgotten Realms card set was being put together, based on that workflow, and Theros as a D&D product was probably started about the same time. I think long-term that Magic Settings will be very frequent, but time will tell.

I don't pay that close attention to Magic, so, while I knew a FR set was coming out, I didn't know the release date.

July 16th.

Hmmmm....

Now that SCAG has been pretty much mined clean, perhaps it's time for a real, Ravnica-style campaign setting for the Realms. No real need for UA's on it, so they can keep it under wraps. And to have it on the shelves around the time the card set is released would be crossover marketing at its best...

 

[Parmandur]

I don't pay that close attention to Magic, so, while I knew a FR set was coming out, I didn't know the release date.

July 16th.

Hmmmm....

Now that SCAG has been pretty much mined clean, perhaps it's time for a real, Ravnica-style campaign setting for the Realms. No real need for UA's on it, so they can keep it under wraps. And to have it on the shelves around the time the card set is released would be crossover marketing at its best...

It's a real possiblity, though neither the Draconic not Get material really screams "The Forgotten Realms" per se.

 

[Demetrios1453]

It's a real possiblity, though neither the Draconic not Get material really screams "The Forgotten Realms" per se.

Those UAs would be for the autumn releases. As I said, they could forgo UAs if they wished for a FR setting book, since they may not even gave the need for new races or even subclasses...

Honestly, they could just release a "special edition" SCAG, re-organized in the Ravnica format, with a variant cover, and increasing the page count by covering the areas outside the Sword Coast and adding a bestiary.

 

[overgeeked]

Those UAs would be for the autumn releases. As I said, they could forgo UAs if they wished for a FR setting book, since they may not even gave the need for new races or even subclasses...

They determined long ago that they need crunch to sell fluff. And there are far more players than DMs. It’s unlikely we will ever get a pure fluff book.

 

[Demetrios1453]

They determined long ago that they need crunch to sell fluff. And there are far more players than DMs. It’s unlikely we will ever get a pure fluff book.

You caught me in my edit lol. They could update the remaining SCAG subclasses based on the feedback they have gotten on them since its publication. And maybe a few surprises they didn't throw into UAs?

 

[Parmandur]

Those UAs would be for the autumn releases. As I said, they could forgo UAs if they wished for a FR setting book, since they may not even gave the need for new races or even subclasses...

Honestly, they could just release a "special edition" SCAG, re-organized in the Ravnica format, with a variant cover, and increasing the page count by covering the areas outside the Sword Coast and adding a bestiary.

The timing of the UA's in question points to July, though, not to November.