D&D 5E (2024) The Future of One D&D Setting Books

[Henadic Theologian]

How will new setting books be different in One D&D?

More experimental?

Will the Phyrexian arc merged the D&D and MtG multiverses making joint setting easier to make, as sort of foretold in 2021?

Will Darksun, Greyhawk, and Mystara make a triumphet return in One D&D?

Will FR get a new edition Campaign book as is tradition.

Will Theros, Eberron, Ravnica, Ravenloft,Spelljammer, Planescape, and Exandia also eventually get One D&D books?

 

[Parmandur]

Well, we know that Winninger teased the return of a Setting already done in 5E for 2024, and I think since Raveloft, Strixhaven, Spelljammer, Dragonlance and Planescape are already 1D&D compatible by design, whatever the return is will probably be fully 1D&D or agnostic to be mutually compatible as well.

Which Setting this actually will be seems indeterminate, with the Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, and Eberron being most likely. Right now, I think a strong possibility is that Eberron will get the Dragonlance treatment, with a regional Gazateerfrom a big Adventure Campaignset in an area not covered by Rising from the Last War (outside Khorvaire, mayne Xenrik or Sarlona), updating the rules not.included inthe new Core books (Artificer, probably, and Orcs) or Monsters of the Multiverse (Shifters, Govlinoids and Changelings). So new 1D&D rules for Warforged and Kalashtar, and a Feats treatment for Dragonmarks. This seems more compelling from a content perspective than the Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk, much as I would love those.

As to existing 5E Swtting books...I expect they will stay in print, since they are still great resources even if 1D&D is the game being played. I thinknwe will see.more old Settings revived, see new Settings, and more Magic.

 

[edosan]

They sure seem to be leaning farther in to “more art/less content” for sure

I’d guess that they’re not going to revisit MTG settings they’ve already done because there are so many more they could do.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think it's extremely likely that the 2024 setting book is either the Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk. There's going to be a lot of people buying the books that year, and giving them a good setting to run their own games in makes solid sense. The most likely scenario is a big Forgotten Realms book, especially since many of the adventures to date have been set there, including the Phandelver book coming next year. Greyhawk is less likely, but would be a good 50th anniversary tie-in.

I remain flabbergasted that Wizards Live didn't end with the announcement of a Dominaria D&D setting next year. If there was ever a time to do it, it would be then.

I think we will eventually see most of the existing 5E setting books and many of the adventures released with light updates to make them fully mechanically compatible with the 2024 edition of the game.

 

[MockingBird]

Supposedly the setting books and source books are backwards compatible. I predict they keep moving forward and with the exception of FR they won't revisit any of the settings we got until a full on edition change happens.

 

[JEB]

How will new setting books be different in One D&D?

More experimental?

I think we're seeing the experimentation right now. The two competing options seem to be the adventure-setting hybrid book (Strixhaven, Dragonlance) and the three-book slipcase set (Spelljammer, Planescape). Whichever turns out to be more successful will probably dominate in the One D&D era. Both Strixhaven and Spelljammer have experienced some criticism, but the latter two books might do better. (If both models do equally well, we may see both after 2024.)

Will the Phyrexian arc merged the D&D and MtG multiverses making joint setting easier to make, as sort of foretold in 2021?

I remain flabbergasted that Wizards Live didn't end with the announcement of a Dominaria D&D setting next year. If there was ever a time to do it, it would be then.

Note there's space in the schedule at the end of 2023 for a sixth product, which could certainly be a D&D/MTG product that ties into the anniversary storylines. That could be a Dominaria 2.0.

Will Darksun, Greyhawk, and Mystara make a triumphet return in One D&D?

"Athaspace" becoming "Doomspace" either means Dark Sun has missed its best chance (because they decided it was massive reworking or nothing), or an indicator that a One D&D Dark Sun may appear sometime after 2024 (because they changed their mind about the revisions, and want to save it for later; note they also reference Athas in the playtest packet). I suspect the former, but can't rule out the latter.

Greyhawk is likely to return as a 50th anniversary adventure-setting book. (Dragonlance might serve as kind of a dry run for such a product.) But I'd be surprised if they make a full setting product for Greyhawk.

Weirdly, I wouldn't rule out some kind of return appearance by Mystara, because they keep referencing it even in the current transitional era. But I'm not sure how. Maybe a cameo in Planescape or something.

Will FR get a new edition Campaign book as is tradition.

I'm pretty certain that's the returning setting for 2024. Likely to be released alongside the new core. SCAG is extremely outdated and certainly won't serve as the baseline for the Realms in the One D&D era. (Expect some retcons while they're at it. But probably not a reboot.)

Will Theros, Eberron, Ravnica, Ravenloft,Spelljammer, Planescape, and Exandia also eventually get One D&D books?

Theros and Ravnica, probably not; neither were smash hits and they're technically usable with One D&D.

Eberron could be semi-updated with an adventure-setting book as @Parmandur suggested.

Ravenloft, Spelljammer, and Planescape are all designed to be forward compatible with One D&D, so they won't bother.

Exandria is the big question. I'm sure Wizards would like to. But the CR folks made a point of releasing the updated Tal'dorei as an independent third-party product, and I imagine they'd rather do their own version of Exandria Wildemount when the time comes to update it as well.

 

[Scribe]

How will new setting books be different in One D&D?

I dont think we are going to see much really. I think we are going to get a (singular) setting book with the new release that firmly plants D&D into its version of 'Multiverse'.

It started in Fizban's, if not earlier, read the UA, look at Spelljammer. To me, all the signs point to various nexus points, in a 'multiverse' that is going to be D&D's default setting going forward.

 

[Parmandur]

I'm pretty certain that's the returning setting for 2024. Likely to be released alongside the new core. SCAG is extremely outdated and certainly won't serve as the baseline for the Realms in the One D&D era. (Expect some retcons while they're at it. But probably not a reboot.)

How about a Setting boxed set, sold in the board game aisle at Target next to the Starter Set and Essentials Kit...? And I wouldn't put a reboot past WotC st this point, bring the tineline back to the Ed Hroonwood original state.

Greyhawk is likely to return as a 50th anniversary adventure-setting book. (Dragonlance might serve as kind of a dry run for such a product.) But I'd be surprised if they make a full setting product for Greyhawk.

Oooooh, a Greyhawk followup to the Dragonlance mass combat game could work very well. Part of the problem for Greyhawk in general is that the original Setting material is pretty system neutral, and is still readily available from WotC. But a big re-do of the Greyhawk Wars in the vattle game format, with an Adventure fighting Iuz...potential there.

Theros and Ravnica, probably not; neither were smash hits and they're technically usable with One D&D.

I don't think the rules really warrant an update, particularly Theros which introduced Background Feats, but both were extremely successful products that were well received by the Setting fans.

 

[Remathilis]

I know a lot of people have theorized a new Forgotten Realms book at 1D&D's start, but with all the changes made to race (and subrace) design, as well as with Feats, I think Eberron is going to desperately need an update moreso than Realms is.

 

[JEB]

How about a Setting boxed set, sold in the board game aisle at Target next to the Starter Set and Essentials Kit...?

If we see Spelljammer or Planescape on shelves at Target, I could see it happening. But anything more stripped down than that, probably not. (Could be an interesting design challenge, though.)

And I wouldn't put a reboot past WotC st this point, bring the tineline back to the Ed Hroonwood original state.

No, I wouldn't either. But besides the risk of ticking off a lot of Realms fans (including new-to-5E Realms fans), doing so could also endanger compatibility with 5E Realms-based adventures. Targeted retcons seem more likely, particularly on regions that haven't yet appeared in 5E.

Oooooh, a Greyhawk followup to the Dragonlance mass combat game could work very well. Part of the problem for Greyhawk in general is that the original Setting material is pretty system neutral, and is still readily available from WotC. But a big re-do of the Greyhawk Wars in the vattle game format, with an Adventure fighting Iuz...potential there.

Possible, but I expect that Castle Greyhawk would be better suited for a 50th anniversary product. The original dungeon for the game, created by Gygax himself, etc. etc. (Honestly, if I was going to do another wargame tie-in, I'd probably pick Birthright. But the odds of that setting returning are very slim.)

I don't think the rules really warrant an update, particularly Theros which introduced Background Feats, but both were extremely successful products that were well received by the Setting fans.

The products did well, sure, but not so well that I imagine Wizards would be in a hurry to update them. Easier to just rely on backwards compatibility.