Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 8409343" data-attributes="member: 59082">Alright, now for some speculation.Three Classic Settings (+Cameo)This has been a topic of conversation for much of this year, but we have more info to go on. I think the title of Monsters of the Multiverse is a huge clue, and further supports the idea that Planescape is imminent. Not only is it the single classic setting that brings something new to 5E, but the planes--a major aspect of D&D canon and lore--just haven't really been explored all that well, at least in a "meta-sense."So first and most likely for 2022: Planescape. It may be done differently, but we'll see the planes in some form or fashion, or at least I think it is the most likely choice.I'll bring in the cameo next. It just makes sense that this will be Spelljammer, either folded into PS and/or as part of an FR-based story arc involving a spelljammer ship.OK, the second classic setting for 2022. I think the next three most likely candidates, in order of likelihood to see publishing as full settings, are: Dark Sun, Forgotten Realms, and Dragonlance. Greyhawk would be a distance fourth, and Mystara and Birthright very distant fifth and sixth (Council of Wyrms is also vaguely possible, but I think would be remade into one of the new settings).I personally think Dark Sun is slated for 2023, so the most likely candidates are either FR or DL. I can see arguments for either and haven't made up my mind as to which is more likely. At face value, an FR book seems like a no-brainer. Not only does it provide the context for most of the story arcs, a context that some new players haven't really seen, but it is also a way of "wrapping up" one era of 5E as the game moves further into other venues: the planes and other worlds. I'm not saying they're done with the FR, but I could see them shifting the emphasis so that it is just one of many worlds they draw from. On the other hand, they may try to optimize the cross-media possibilities with the new DL novels coming out. And further, DL makes a great cohesive campaign; the setting is basically built to tell a story, unlike kitchen sink settings which were created as environments for many stories. This would also make sense with the idea of a "new format," which I take to mean less a matter of physical product, and more a matter of presentation.So I could see a Dragonlance "mega-box" that is a complete campaign in and of itself. That is, a "campaign-in-a-box." Certainly the story arcs are this to a large extent, but they only really provide setting material for the context of the adventure. Instead, imagine a box set that has a story arc, a setting book, a rules book, maps, and other stuff, with digital augmentation. This isn't entirely new, so would be fudging a bit, but would certainly be new to 5E, especially if they advertised it as not requiring anything beyond the box and the basic rules that are downloadable, and not requiring the core rulebooks (that might be a stretch, though).If we see Greyhawk, as I've been saying for awhile, I don't think it will be until 2024 with the anniversary. And Mystara? I just don't see it ever happening, at least not through WotC. I know it has its diehard fans that will try to prove otherwise, but I don't see how or why they'd publish it before any of the other settings mentioned above - including Greyhawk.New SettingsI know they say they're "in development" and "may not happen," but come on. I think the fact that they've mentioned them a couple times now means they are mostly likely to happen. As for what they are, who knows. The mostly likely candidate that I've heard mentioned is this "First World," which would provide a gonzo context that 5E has been lacking. After that, I could see them going for something with a more international flavor, beyond European tropes, or at least de-centralized from European analogues. Other ProductsThe product schedule seems to be anchored on the setting books, thus the adventures will likely complement them. They seem to want to produce more anthologies, so I could see them doing one per year, and one story arc. One question is whether or not the story arc will remain centered in the Realms. My guess is not, or at least if it is, then we'll see a third adventure at some point soon.So it could be that the new publication schedule, starting in 2022, will be:2-3 settings2-3 story arcs1 splat</blockquote>

Verification