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

[Parmandur]

That never made it into a UA. There's also goliaths in RIME OF THE FROST MAIDEN. But also untested
Closest was the ship combat rules in GHOSTS OF SALTMARSH0
Four brand new ancestries seems like a longshot. Not impossible, but unlikely

I don't recall if they had started UA even.

 

[Disgruntled Hobbit]

That last book is the real wildcard, since she's a brand new designer to WotC and Winninger says that she came up with the idea. Sure once the tested material seemed very oddball for traditional D&D Lore, maybe we are looking at something genuinely original.

He never says book tho. Winninger says "product" and "project."
Could be another starter box like RICK AND MORTY or STRANGER THINGS or something like the WILDERNESS KIT

 

[darjr]

Have we ever play tested anything that ended up in the summer adventure? Seems like the fey and dragon content will be for the fall book. Or for next spring's book
Or for something entirely new. Like a boxed set for young players set in the Feywild. Cause Wizards loves their starter sets and we apparently need a new one every year

I would LOVE a feywild box set!

With all the new Lineages they've been teasing I think it's pretty obvious the new product is going to be...

2022 Beach Bodies Calendar!

Featuring your favorite dragonborn, hobgoblin, and owlfolk models showing off their stats and abilities on the Sword Coast. Each month features a full-color photo and rules for play.

No Kobold?!

 

[Parmandur]

He never says book tho. Winninger says "product" and "project."
Could be another starter box like RICK AND MORTY or STRANGER THINGS or something like the WILDERNESS KIT

I mean, could be. But it has been a couple years since a new box set, and the implication I derive is more that these are books since they have never done UA testing for a box set or published options rather than Adventure material.

Heck, Target is even carrying the books now, Tasha's was on the shelf last time I got groceries there.

 

[Disgruntled Hobbit]

I mean, could be. But it has been a couple years since a new box set, and the implication I derive is more that these are books since they have never done UA testing for a box set or published options rather than Adventure material.

Heck, Target is even carrying the books now, Tasha's was on the shelf last time I got groceries there.

They tested the sidekick rules for the ESSENTIALS KIT.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

They tested the sidekick rules for the ESSENTIALS KIT.

They could have been intending them for TCoE (which an expanded version of them appear in), and just providing them in the box set, but either could be correct.

 

[Disgruntled Hobbit]

They could have been intending them for TCoE (which an expanded version of them appear in), and just providing them in the box set, but either could be correct.

They said in their podcast it was for ESSENTIALS KIT. And was likely popular enough to reprint. And they changed sidekicks pretty heavily based on feedback from the KIT
It's quite possible if they have a kit or boxed set with new rules options they'd be in UA first

 

[teitan]

I have seen WotC folks refer to those books as not selling well.

Yes, for reasons I outlined. The 3.5 revision hurt a lot of books that were caught inbetween the announcement and the launch of 3.5. Some like Savage Species, Races of the Realms and Fiend Folio were caught in this weird inbetween state of half finished rules. When BoVD was announced they hadn't announced 3.5 just yet, it was a month or so later but definitely was damaged sales wise as a result. People didn't want to buy books with 3.5 coming out, especially with same day release on all three core books. So BoVD sold well, but was, as said, truncated in its sales.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

A known internal playtester commented on the thread for the blog post and said that since the infamous Elemental Evil cancellation that no book has come through Alpha testing and not been published in some form. Their track record in the past few years for UA suggests that if a UA gets put out, the book has made it past the development hump, though individual options, such as mass combat systems tested for Xanathar's Guide or the Vishiano Race for Ravnica, can get the axe.

I agree, it's less likely that something will be cancelled once it reaches UA, since we know how some people react if they get wind of a cancellation.

That last book is the real wildcard, since she's a brand new designer to WotC and Winninger says that she came up with the idea. Sure once the tested material seemed very oddball for traditional D&D Lore, maybe we are looking at something genuinely original.

Could be another starter box like RICK AND MORTY or STRANGER THINGS

The possibility of the "Feywild" UA being for a boxed set had occurred to me. Something aimed at the younger end of the market. It's still likely to be an October/November release for the Christmas market though.

 

[hopeless]

I'm not a fan of the sidekicks rules preferring to just have them be half the level of the PCs to avoid them outshining them.
Of course given the game I ran I think I annoyed the Sorceror's player as I gave his wife who played the rogue her own band of bards instead of a magic item assuming she would turn them into her own thieves guild.
Maybe I should take another look at those rules.