D&D 5E What might the "increase in product" look like?

[Ibrandul]

I think your breakdown is likely correct. I'd tweak just one thing. Here's what I am anticipating as the new baseline:

• 1 adv. anthology
• 1 full adventure path/campaign story
• 1 setting
• 1 splat / monster / IP book
• 1 box set
• and an additional "floater" slot that is usually either a 2nd setting or a 2nd splat / monster / IP book

I think you're right that we will get 5 books and 1 box set per year as the new baseline; I just don't think we'll always get 2 setting books. But it's certainly possible that the model moving forward is indeed for 2 setting books per year: one in the classic D&D multiverse, one outside of that.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

I think we can expect to see more Settings, both classic TSR and Magic, maybe even others. The Guildmasters Guide to Ravnica format, the genre booster pack, is perfect for a marketable and modular approach, giving a cafeteria cornucopia for DMs.

I do suspect that we will see a July book before the September big storyline Adventure (based on the UA testing schedule), in addition to a November book , which is a book every two months...quite an escalation, all things considered.

I do agree that MTG settings in D&D is probably not going away, especially as specific planes may do a good job of fitting niches that D&D hasn't explored before (like Theros did).

That said, if there is a second setting released this year, I would expect it at the end of the year (November). I find it very unlikely that WotC would release two settings only two months apart from one another (Ravenloft in May, and another in July). Even if July needs to be Strixhaven, I assume WotC would have just moved the Ravenloft book to November (which is closer to Halloween anyway). Considering that didn't happen, I find a July setting book unlikely.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I wouldn't assume that they'll keep releasing settings at the recent rate. Demand for settings might be fairly sated by the recent releases, though I still think a Planescape book would be a good idea, and there's still no quality book on the Forgotten Realms.

Instead, the release schedule will follow demand instead of a set structure, and I fully expect some oddball releases that I could never predict. But there are some things I think are likely:

• Collections of Adventures. Candlekeep is the first book of small adventures that aren't just updates of old adventures. Assuming it does well, I think we'll see more of its kind.
• Continued rule supplements, like Volo's and such. I hope these stick to one per year.
• A few products aimed at GMs. These have a smaller audience, but there's probably pent up demand. This may just be wishful thinking.
• Fewer big storylines. There are a lot of these mega-adventures on the shelves now, so I expect the pace to slow.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

• Fewer big storylines. There are a lot of these mega-adventures on the shelves now, so I expect the pace to slow.

They have done an annual big adventure every year, non-stop, since 5E started. I think the past 3 years at least they've all been released in September. No reason I can see why this would suddenly slow, especially as I'm sure head-honcho Chris Perkins' favorite thing is the big adventure.

 

[darjr]

They have done an annual big adventure every year, non-stop, since 5E started. I think the past 3 years at least they've all been released in September. No reason I can see why this would suddenly slow, especially as I'm sure head-honcho Chris Perkins' favorite thing is the big adventure.

He does but also Candlekeep Mysteries was his baby.

 

[Parmandur]

With the first new Dragonlance novel coming out in July, I could see one of the releases tying into that with either a setting or a campaign. But my predictions are generally wrong, so who knows?

Given that WotC tried to kill the novels, I would bet against tabletop Dragonlance anytime soon.

 

[Parmandur]

I think the easiest Dragonlance book they could do would be a 5E adaptation of the War of the Lance adventures, with a bit of player-facing stuff up front, a slim gazetteer of Ansalon and the minimum required monsters for the adventures in the back. They're 12 adventures, but they're not huge -- look at how few pages G1-3 take up in Yawning Portal.

I did the math at some point, and I think it's on the forum...somewhere...and the OG 12 modules would just about fit, based on comparing words per page between the originals and 5E books, but it would be an double plus large sized hardcover, maybe even longer than Dungeon of the Mad Mage.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I wouldn't assume that they'll keep releasing settings at the recent rate. Demand for settings might be fairly sated by the recent releases, though I still think a Planescape book would be a good idea, and there's still no quality book on the Forgotten Realms.

I could easily see them waiting to do a comprehensive Forgotten Realms setting in 2024, alongside their big anniversary push, when they will presumably try and use the mainstream publicity to bring in a ton of new/returning customers.

"Here's your anniversary core books and here's a bright and shiny world to play in."

 

[Parmandur]

I do agree that MTG settings in D&D is probably not going away, especially as specific planes may do a good job of fitting niches that D&D hasn't explored before (like Theros did).

That said, if there is a second setting released this year, I would expect it at the end of the year (November). I find it very unlikely that WotC would release two settings only two months apart from one another (Ravenloft in May, and another in July). Even if July needs to be Strixhaven, I assume WotC would have just moved the Ravenloft book to November (which is closer to Halloween anyway). Considering that didn't happen, I find a July setting book unlikely.

For my own self, I would agree with you, however...

I also would have bet against the March 2020 book being a Setting after Eberron in November 2019, but Wildemount happened. And then I would certainly bet against a third Setting book for the next release...but then Theros was scheduled for release two and a half months later. So I wouldn't rely on a particularly staggered schedule, given how much of an emphasis Settings seem to be in the Winninger era.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Time will tell. Like I said, I'm usually wrong in my predictions, but would be happy to be right this time.

Given that WotC tried to kill the novels, I would bet against tabletop Dragonlance anytime soon.