D&D 5E The March D&D Book Will Be Announced Next Tuesday

As has become standard these days, the upcoming D&D book has appeared -- in an anonymous, secretive guise -- on various bookstores in advance of an announcement. In this case, Amazon, Penguin Random House, and Barnes & Noble, all of whom confirm that the book will be announced next Tuesday on January 12th, and released on March 16th.

The book will cost $49.99. B&N has its dimensions as being 6.5 x 9.5 inches, which is smaller than a standard D&D hardcover (but that information could just be a placeholder). B&N also indicates that the authors are Peter Lee and Rodney Thompson, but they also say that for Tasha's Cauldron and other WotC books, so that also looks like it's just their boilerplate for WotC. There's also an ISBN number: 978-0786967223.

This is almost an exact mirror of this time last year, almost down to the dates (last year it appeared on stores on Jan 6th, was announced as Explorer's Guide to Wildemount on Jan 9th, and released March 17th).

There's been plenty of speculation recently. Last year WotC said that three classic settings were getting active attention, and that the coming years would have a greater emphasis on settings, as well as more anthologies and Magic: The Gathering collaborations. And, of course, WotC has recently been involved in a Dragonlance lawsuit, which was voluntarily dismissed in December with Margaret Weis tweeting that there was exciting news in the weeks to come.

 

[Demetrios1453]

I view the DMs Guild as the successor to Dragon Magazine, with the same variation quality. Getting stuff strictly from Guild Adepts increases the quality, as a rule. Even more interesting is the stuff on the Drive Thru RPG side of things, although some of that has to be converted from OSR rulesets.

And yes, a lot of the POD options are expensive, especially for giant books like Monster Manual Expanded. I try to limit POD purchases to the absolute fewest.

My PODs are the Monster Manual Expanded I and II (and likely III when it becomes available). There are very few items there that I even have considered POD otherwise...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

My PODs are the Monster Manual Expanded I and II (and likely III when it becomes available). There are very few items there that I even have considered POD otherwise...

Cawood Publishing's monster books are nice, too.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

There is one thing that makes me think it could be an undead monster book like Volo’s...

The set of miniatures coming out in March is called ‘The Boneyard’
They do release sets unconnected to the books sometimes though.

There's also two undead-themed subclasses from UA without a home yet and the promise of a second book that touches on the Vistani.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

There's also two undead-themed subclasses from UA without a home yet and the promise of a second book that touches on the Vistani.

Maybe it could be like Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, covering Undead, Dragon, and a few other monster types (Fey? Aberrations? Celestials?) with chapters about character options for them? The "Undead/Shadow" category could be Vistani, as they wander the Shadowfell, along with the Undead Warlock and Spirits Bards. The Dragon section could have the Ascendant Dragon Monk and the Drakewarden Ranger, and probably the Dragonborn racial feats from Xanathar's, maybe a reprint of the Kobold, and possibly options for Gem Dragonborn.

(If they had a chapter on Fey, they could reprint Satyrs, Centaurs, and Eladrin, and maybe even the Feywanderer Ranger. If they had a chapter on Aberrations, they could do the Kalashtar/Simic Hybrid as an aberrant race and the Aberrant Mind Sorcerer. If they did Celestials, they could reprint Aasimar and the Divine Soul Sorcerer and Celestial Warlock. I doubt they'd do all of this, as that would be 8 subclasses for a monster book, but it would fit the theme.)

 

[Azzy]

Maybe it could be like Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, covering Undead, Dragon, and a few other monster types (Fey? Aberrations? Celestials?) with chapters about character options for them? The "Undead/Shadow" category could be Vistani, as they wander the Shadowfell, along with the Undead Warlock and Spirits Bards. The Dragon section could have the Ascendant Dragon Monk and the Drakewarden Ranger, and probably the Dragonborn racial feats from Xanathar's, maybe a reprint of the Kobold, and possibly options for Gem Dragonborn.

I would buy this. Heck, I would preorder this. If they included both Gem and Lung dragons/dragonborn, I'd but the next product after this just on principle.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Maybe it could be like Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, covering Undead, Dragon, and a few other monster types (Fey? Aberrations? Celestials?) with chapters about character options for them? The "Undead/Shadow" category could be Vistani, as they wander the Shadowfell, along with the Undead Warlock and Spirits Bards. The Dragon section could have the Ascendant Dragon Monk and the Drakewarden Ranger, and probably the Dragonborn racial feats from Xanathar's, maybe a reprint of the Kobold, and possibly options for Gem Dragonborn.

(If they had a chapter on Fey, they could reprint Satyrs, Centaurs, and Eladrin, and maybe even the Feywanderer Ranger. If they had a chapter on Aberrations, they could do the Kalashtar/Simic Hybrid as an aberrant race and the Aberrant Mind Sorcerer. If they did Celestials, they could reprint Aasimar and the Divine Soul Sorcerer and Celestial Warlock. I doubt they'd do all of this, as that would be 8 subclasses for a monster book, but it would fit the theme.)

If the book covers dragons, that results in some interesting questions, as obviously dragons are a quintessential part of the game (they are half of the name after all!). In the current 5e monster book format, as exhibited by VGtM and MToF, are dragons important enough to fill their own book? Conversely, if not, are dragons so important that they might overshadow other creature types in the same book? If the book has dragons and other types of creatures, what theme do you go with to link them? VGtM could get away with being a miscellany as it was the first and miscellaneous knowledge is in Volo's character, but MToF had a loose theme of universal conflict, and it would seem any subsequent monster book would benefit from at least a this sort of loose theme.

Beyond this, there is something of a hint in the introduction of VGtM, where, after listing the creatures covered in the book, it states that they would, if the book proved to be successful (which of course it was), they would cover other creature types, specifically singling out githyanki, fiends, dragons, and undead. Githyanki and fiends were covered in MtoF; does that indicate that dragons and undead will be covered in the next monster book? If so, what sort of theme might we be looking at? As Sammaster was the creator of the first dracoliches, maybe Sammaster's Guide to Dragons and Undead? Maybe creatures of magic (dragons, undead, and fey?)

(I am definitely of the opinion, stated earlier in the thread, that the announcement will be a VGtM-style monster book, focused (maybe just in part) on dragons).

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

If the book covers dragons, that results in some interesting questions, as obviously dragons are a quintessential part of the game (they are half of the name after all!). In the current 5e monster book format, as exhibited by VGtM and MToF, are dragons important enough to fill their own book? Conversely, if not, are dragons so important that they might overshadow other creature types in the same book? If the book has dragons and other types of creatures, what theme do you go with to link them? VGtM could get away with being a miscellany as it was the first and miscellaneous knowledge is in Volo's character, but MToF had a loose theme of universal conflict, and it would seem any subsequent monster book would benefit from at least a this sort of loose theme.

Dragons are important enough to warrant their whole book, as they have had whole books in most of the previous editions. However, in 5e, I'm not sure if they would. I could easily see them going either way.
The broad theme of this book could be powerful "otherworldly" creatures, like Celestials, Fey, and Dragons.

Beyond this, there is something of a hint in the introduction of VGtM, where, after listing the creatures covered in the book, it states that they would, if the book proved to be successful (which of course it was), they would cover other creature types, specifically singling out githyanki, fiends, dragons, and undead. Githyanki and fiends were covered in MtoF; does that indicate that dragons and undead will be covered in the next monster book? If so, what sort of theme might we be looking at? As Sammaster was the creator of the first dracoliches, maybe Sammaster's Guide to Dragons and Undead? Maybe creatures of magic (dragons, undead, and fey?)

I don't know about undead, as I could see them getting their own book, too, but they could combine them, too.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

There's also two undead-themed subclasses from UA without a home yet and the promise of a second book that touches on the Vistani.

There are also two dragon themed subclasses in UA....


It is my opinion that there is both a dragon themed book and a horror themed book on the way.

Dragon evidence: Dragon subclasses UA; Single stray gem dragon; Mythic dragons is a no-brainer.

Now, a dragon book would almost certainly be of a "Monster Manual" type.

Horror evidence: Gothic subclasses UA; retcons to Ravenloft and Vistani in Tasha's. Did you know Ravenloft is now in the Shadowfell?

The difference is, the horror book need not be a "monster manual", and given that it's unlikely (but not impossible) that there will be two monster manuals so close together, it probably isn't. Which means it is ether a setting book or an adventure compilation. There was never any mention that the rumoured adventure compilation had horror as it's linking theme, so I would have to suggest a setting book as most likely.

Of course, that doesn't tell us which one (if either) is the March book, and which one is coming later in the year.

 

[WisdomOfWombats]

My take, based on the last two years:

• We get a setting book in March (most likely an MtG setting or Dark Sun)
• We get a setting book in June (most likely Forgotten Realms as tie-in to MtG, and to take advantage of the art ordered for the MtG set)
• We get an adventure/ campaign book in September
• November release could be either a setting (most likely a DnD classic setting), a monster book, or something entirely different (like an adventure anthology or the book about world-building)

November and March could get switched, though.

 

[Quickleaf]

Horror evidence: Gothic subclasses UA; retcons to Ravenloft and Vistani in Tasha's. Did you know Ravenloft is now in the Shadowfell?

The changes actually harken back to 4e.

There was a 4e Dragon magazine #380 article about Playing Vistani that focused on the clan being inclusive of people who are adopted, who marry in, or who just fall in with the clan's lifestyle. It was more consistent with how I understand that Romani people view themselves as, yes, an ethnicity, but more than that a community.

The change to Ravenloft being in the Shadowfell started in the 4e Manual of the Planes IIRC. It's also mentioned right there in the 5e DMG on pages 51 to 52.

These changes have been kicking around for 5 years or so, if not longer.