D&D 5E [Speculation] 5E Product Release Format

[Mercurius]

So at this point, this is speculation but I'm wondering what people think will be the product release format for 5E. I think we have enough to at least speculate with some degree of weight, even if it is still just that. By "product release format" I mean types and numbers of products, and frequency of release.

I think it is safe to say that we won't see the 3.5/4E "splat of the month" approach - and I'm perfectly fine with that. We also don't know how, or even if, they'll produce setting books. What does seem likely is that they'll be releasing mega-adventures with accompanying splat/theme/players books, although we didn't see the latter for Tyranny of Dragons.

So maybe this: Twice a year, WotC releases an "event" - a mega-adventure arc. Each mega-adventure includes 1-3 books, one of which might be a handbook or splat. Does that make sense? This seems to fit what we've seen so far - Tyranny of Dragons in 8/14 and 10/14, and Apocalypse in 3/15; that's a separation of about half a year, so presumably we can expect the third adventure arc sometime in the Fall of 2015.

My second guess is that we see one major release, or set of releases, around GenCon each year - either a major splat (e.g. Unearthed Arcana) or, as I would guess for 2015, a campaign setting book (probably Forgotten Realms). If so, this could mean that next Fall's adventure arc could be set in the Realms.

Adding it all together, that's a major release in each quarter. What we don't know is what (or if something) would come out in winter. While we might not see something this year, especially with the DMG pushed into December, I would think that going forward we might see an alternation of splat and setting. All tolled, it looks like this:

Summer: Major splat/setting release
Fall: Adventure arc
Winter: Major splat/setting release
Spring: Adventure arc

What do you think?

 

[Morrus]

Yeah, my guess is that the key will be the storylines. It's an adventure-path model, but each one is a more individual "event". Like what Paizo does, but tweaked to a more mainstream "transmedia" blast twice a year.

My hope is that settings are introduced in this way. Not setting books, but setting event/storylines which also provide the info you need. You might be fighting Tiamat in the FR this year, but next year you might be in Ravenloft with Count Strahd, and later wandering the deserts of Dark Sun. Plus new settings interspersed.

 

[GameDoc]

Ravenloft is overdue for some love.

But if they do it, I hope they keep it true to the original spirit and go Gothic, not Goth.

 

[Parmandur]

Seems they are definitely pairing adventure paths with "Heroes of the Feywild" style themed player resources; some form of setting book seems probable.

I seem to recall seeing the Great Pendragon Campaign used as a model, or an idea very similar, by one of the designers.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

I don't run official adventures and I don't enjoy reading them, so if the additional material is linked too closely to official storylines, I'm not interested.

 

[Mercurius]

Yeah, my guess is that the key will be the storylines. It's an adventure-path model, but each one is a more individual "event". Like what Paizo does, but tweaked to a more mainstream "transmedia" blast twice a year.

My hope is that settings are introduced in this way. Not setting books, but setting event/storylines which also provide the info you need. You might be fighting Tiamat in the FR this year, but next year you might be in Ravenloft with Count Strahd, and later wandering the deserts of Dark Sun. Plus new settings interspersed.

It is one way to (re-)introduce settings, although what it doesn't provide are the necessary guidelines and information to run further adventures in those settings, at least not without having or buying setting material from past editions. So for me it really makes sense to not only have an adventure arc book, but at least a gazetteer to go along with it - for "Further adventures in..."

Ravenloft is overdue for some love.

But if they do it, I hope they keep it true to the original spirit and go Gothic, not Goth.

I think the best you can hope for is a mega-adventure and supplemental book in Ravenloft. For better or worse the tone is just too specific for them to dedicate their few resources to a "Ravenloft mega-event."

Seems they are definitely pairing adventure paths with "Heroes of the Feywild" style themed player resources; some form of setting book seems probable.

I seem to recall seeing the Great Pendragon Campaign used as a model, or an idea very similar, by one of the designers.

I'd love to see WotC create some kind of big span campaign arc, that crosses generations. Probably won't happen, though.

I don't run official adventures and I don't enjoy reading them, so if the additional material is linked too closely to official storylines, I'm not interested.

This is exactly why I think having only adventure arcs and not setting and splats is not a good idea. If they are really following Pathfinder's model they should remember that while the adventure paths are central, Paizo also puts out a few hardcover supplements each year, as well as a setting book to go along with each adventure path. I think it is a good model and my biggest worry for 5E is that we're only going to see mega-adventures and supplements to those adventures.

I personally think one good approach would be to have each year focus on one setting, with two adventures arcs in that setting, and perhaps one or two splat books per year. And then invite 3PPs to design adventures in those settings, giving them a schedule of the next setting so that they can prepare. So, for instance, if the "gamer year" ends and begins at GenCon, 2014-15 would be the Forgotten Realms, and we have Tyranny of Dragons this year and the Apocalypse one in March, and 3PPs could produce further adventures for the Realms if they want. Then you'd have the Realms setting book at 2015 GenCon to offer further adventuring, with an announcement of the next setting/adventure arc, which would start that fall. Or something like that.

 

[DM Howard]

I think it will be setting/story specific in terms of how they do their releases. 5E Dragonlance could be fantastic if they freshened up the setting a little bit, but I'll settle for Eberron.