D&D General What the Melf's Guide to Greyhawk Cover Might Look Like

Below is a quick mockup of the potential cover of Melf's Guide to Greyhawk based on the Jeff Easley art revealed at Gary Con, using the current D&D 5.5E trade dress. The fonts aren't quite right, but it gives an approximate look at what the book may look like when it is released.

 

[mamba]

Understand it sounds far fetched, but I think the reality is if they want to grab those like me that have left, they have to make it separate from the 5.5e rule books or the entire effort fails.

that might be true for your case, I just don’t see them doing it. They might be fine leaning into this direction a little to get back people who are easier to win back (however many that might be), but I don’t think they will release a new set of core books for this.

And even if they did, what then? You rejected the 5.5 art in the core books, do you now need a different set of adventure books too? I would assume so, but as far as WotC is concerned, I expect that to be a non-starter

Because if they don't, who would buy it?

pretty much the same people that buy their current books, plus a few people that might not but feel nostalgic

Running an entire ad on Polygon (that's usually what these articles are) makes me think this isn't just an extremely niche product with a limited run.

that was about your hypothetical set of core books, not the Greyhawk one, and if you think having an ad for your core books is expensive, then you really have not thought about the cost of making them in the first place

 

[Jahydin]

My dude, Boomer and Gen X players are a fraction of the players they picked up in the 5E era. They are absolutely not going to trot out a bunch of super-expensive books that might get a few old fogies to buy their books again. It would be a wildly irresponsible move, and they save that for not making starter sets connected to Honor Among Thieves.

Exactly. I think you're underestimating just how many people didn't bite with 5.5e, but that said, it's still another demographic to sell product to again by just releasing a new dedicated line of products with either a slimmed down rule book (only classic material), new starter set, or even online PDF to get them going. I think that's pretty reasonable.

The new set of books would be awesome, and I think they would sell well, but nothing I'm expecting.

All the people who buy all the regular 5E books. The Easley cover is going to be the alternate cover and the main book is going to get a standard 5E cover.

Everything I read seems to point to this being the real cover, are you sure? Luke himself commissioned Easly to do it for him to get Melf exactly right. Be wierd to just have it as an alt.

Dude, no. Polygon's not great, but they label when they have paid content, as does Rascal.

Sorry about that. I've gotten pretty skeptical over the years. I didn't mean it as in they were getting paid, but more so the usual not wanting to rock the boat, so just passing the news across in exchange for early scoops later. I spent a bit of time looking over their past reviews though and that's not the case at all, so apologize and I'm glad they're legiteimly pumped for this.

The fact that some older fans have their feelings hurt that WotC is focused on customers their grandkids' age doesn't somehow mean there's a giant untapped market where WotC is thinking "gosh, if we don't get a bunch of retirees buying our books, we might as well go out of business."

Clearly, they are though. Who else would care about a public apology for what they wrote about Gary in their book, new Dragonlance novels, and new Greyhawk material written about Luke? Sure there's some overlap, but it's pretty clear they want that older demographic buying product part of the family again.

Oh, and as a Millennial myself, we care too for what it's worth.

 

[Jahydin]

that might be true for your case, I just don’t see them doing it. They might be fine leaning into this direction a little to get back people who are easier to win back (however many that might be), but I don’t think they will release a new set of core books for this.

Unless a 6e is dropping, I don't think this will happen either. But would be cool...

And even if they did, what then? You rejected the 5.5 art in the core books, do you now need a different set of adventure books too? I would assume so, but as far as WotC is concerned, I expect that to be a non-starter

Not just the art, but the lore changes and rules as well. Which is why I'm interested in this. I've listened to Luke talk about his vision, so sounds like: art I like, lore I like, and rule changes I like. Pretty excited. Buying books I don't like to play it... that sucks, haha.

that was about your hypothetical set of core books, not the Greyhawk one, and if you think having an ad for your core books is expensive, then you really have not thought about the cost of making them in the first place

Thanks for pointing that out, makes sense now.

 

[Jahydin]

I dont think anyone thinks Wizards will go under without the grey haired among us. I DO however think that Wizards has some marketing feedback that didnt land particularly well internally, and maybe they want to have some outreach to the grey haired, like this book, to try and fix that.

I know there are people who like 5.5e. I've seen game stores around the US packed with them. That said, there is no one in my circle that's bought it. That's 20 years worth of friends and acquaintances groups. Most are like me and say it doesn't look feel like D&D anymore and the other players don't think they changed the rules enough to buy new books. Ages are about 25 - 40, none of them "grogs". There is certainly a market for D&D product that feels like "D&D" again and I hope they land this succesfully.

 

[Reef]

I know there are people who like 5.5e. I've seen game stores around the US packed with them. That said, there is no one in my circle that's bought it. That's 20 years worth of friends and acquaintances groups. Most are like me and say it doesn't look feel like D&D anymore and the other players don't think they changed the rules enough to buy new books. Ages are about 25 - 40, none of them "grogs". There is certainly a market for D&D product that feels like "D&D" again and I hope they land this succesfully.

I’m sure there are ‘grey haired grogs’ who feel abandoned and long for the heady days of 2e or what have you. But I’m not sure that market is as big as imagined. Because I’m just as sure there’s a lot of 50+ gamers (like me and mine) who are enjoying the heck out of 5e24 and have no issues with the current books.

We just started our fifth 5e campaign (and our second 5e24), and couldn’t be happier.

Now, I know this is just duelling anecdotes, as opposed to actual data. But every time I see posts about how us original old school gamers have been dissed, abandoned, and marginalized, and how WOTC has to win us all back, I cant help but think “Some of (maybe a lot of us) are already here.” I absolutely have no idea if the quietly ‘old and happy’ 5e gamer group is larger than the ‘old, loud, and grumpy’ one, but I just wanted to poke my head up and say we do exist.

 

[dave2008]

Because if they don't, who would buy it? Current fans aren't exactly excited about this. I was floored just from the amount of negative feedback here on the artwork (heresy btw !).

You do realize that most of the people that post on this site are more like you than not? I'm in my fifties and started playing with BECMI and 1st edition AD&D. I grew up on Easley, Elmore, Caldwell, and Parkinson. Easley used to be my favorite of the 4 (ended of being 3rd or 4th), but I think this proposed cover is OK at best and not up to the 5e standard.

I don't feel like D&D needs to do anything like what you propose to bring Greyhawk further into the 5e fold and I doubt WotC is worried to much about getting you back.

 

[dave2008]

Not just the art, but the lore changes and rules as well. Which is why I'm interested in this. I've listened to Luke talk about his vision, so sounds like: art I like, lore I like, and rule changes I like. Pretty excited. Buying books I don't like to play it... that sucks, haha.

I don't know what circles you swim in, but I think the chances of your dreams coming true here are about as likely as the earth being flat.

As of right now, from what has been said by WotC people, I am not even 100% sure this is a traditional WotC product. We will have to wait and see. I do believe it will have some new rules, but the context for that comment was to make 5e more dangerous. It was not about a substantial deviation from the core rules.

Also, as someone who came back to D&D with 4e and 5e (after playing 1e / BECMI exclusively for several decades) I find 5e feels very much like old school D&D. What feels so different to you?

 

[bedir than]

I think you're underestimating just how many people didn't bite with 5.5e,

D&D made more money in Q4 2025 than it did in the entire year of 2019.
When people suggest that there's little interest in the modern game it is only a flag that they don't pay attention to the data.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Clearly, they are though. Who else would care about a public apology

A decent person.

But unless you were in the room for the one-on-one apology, you don't actually know what the apology is for. (It's not about daring to print a picture of dwarves baking.) Again, everyone is assuming a lot based on what they want to imagine this is all about.

 

[bedir than]

But unless you were in the room for the one-on-one apology,

Was there a one-to-one apology even?
Luke spoke for several hours on camera and never mentioned it.

No one who seems to have watched the three different press conferences Luke participated in has a quote about an apology. Why is that?