D&D (2024) What will D&D 6th edition be like?

[Jer]

My bet is that 6e will be 5e's engine, with some tweaks and new artwork. The biggest revisions will be in the PHB and be what is included with each class as subclasses, the list of spells at the back of the book, and possibly some revisions of the feats.

I suspect that going forward the era of experimenting with D&D's game engine is done - the rules are going to be as locked in place as Monopoly or Risk are - those games have subtle changes every few decades but mostly are recognizable as the same games you could buy in the 1970s with modern artwork (or in the case of Monopoly, completely unchanged). The RPG market is a lot more mature now and D&D "knows" what kind of game it wants to be - it doesn't have to chase new ideas and new mechanics anymore.

In fact, instead of a new edition I expect them to release just a revised Player's Handbook eventually and leave everything else in place. No "6th edition" push to get everyone to upgrade at all - just get folks to all buy a new PHB while leaving everything else alone.

(Also I fully expect them to continue to play with the boxed sets in stores. Eventually if the rules stay stable enough they might embrace for D&D starter sets what they've done for licensed properties on their board game side and have one-off box sets around licenses based on the D&D engine where they can. I don't think they're quite there yet - and there's the argument to be made that you can't recycle enough of a Starter Set to make it worthwhile like you can with a Monopoly game so maybe it wouldn't work - but I wouldn't be surprised.)

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

My bet (I love conjectures) is in the 10 Anniversary a revised will be published, something like a 5.1, or 5.5.

The 6th Ed. will arrive after publish most risky ideas about crunch.

The future media productions could cause changes in the canon or even in the gameplay. For example a preteen D&D cartoon could use a lot of no-lethal magic (sleeping, hold-person, grease, web..) and this would be reflected in the sourcebooks with new no-lethal low-level spells.

If there is a videogame based in Spelljammer, we will notice in the playtesting the "magictek" can break the power balance.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

I just hope future editions stop using the term “Race”.

 

[Gradine]

I personally think it's quaint to believe that humanity will live long enough to see a 6th edition at this point

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

The next edition will not for D&D or medieval fantasy but to try other genres, as space opera, urban horror, videogame shooters adaptations or even superheroes, this is great and ultimate challenge for d20 game designers (Mutants and Masterminds is a d20 variant, not really compatible with D&D).

If the new ideas for a future edition are too risky, then better using these in a spin-off, Gamma World, for example.

They are going to watch the best-sellers by the 3PPs and learning with the videogame developments. They want to find the right key to use the IPs as brands and hooks for the future media projects, the true cash-cow and best advertising.

 

[delericho]

My bet (I love conjectures) is in the 10 Anniversary a revised will be published, something like a 5.1, or 5.5.

I think it's not a terrible bet that they might do a new edition in 2024, that being the 50th anniversary of the game as a whole. My guess would likewise be it would mostly be small changes: of the order of 1st -> 2nd, or 3.0e -> 3.5e, rather than the paradigm shifts that we've seen in the "whole number" editions lately.

And I think I'd be happy with that, on all counts.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Maybe an anniversary edition, with updated rules and maybe adding new PC races and one class.

 

[teitan]

I think we will see a "Special Edition" of 5e to celebrate a 50th anniversary or something before we see a literal 6e. Some tweaks here and there to work as a refresh but nothing like the overhauls that 3e and 4e were in comparison to the previous edition. I also think WOTC will stick to D&D as their only RPG, I don't think we will see a modern rule set or a sci fi set. It will be D&D all the time with FR as default and one off books for other settings with notes in the sourcebooks for using them in other settings... business as usual.

 

[Zardnaar]

Where are you getting that number? Since we don't have any real data the little bit of research I just did suggests it should be at least double that and probably closer to 3x. Now, that is still a tiny amount compared to overall Hasbro revenue, so your point stands, but I was just curious.

Well know roughly the size of the rpg market. D&D probably has most of it so $65 million D&D probably has at least 50 million of that.

But after the shops cut and distributers I think they're lucky to get 20% if the price of the book. SKR broke down the numbers a few years ago.

At the most they probably get about $15 million which is 25% of $60 million.

Unknown though is income from VTTs and games.

Not a huge amount in the grand scheme of things. One got game our movie will blow that out if the water.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I still defend we will see a d20 Future. The first step will be the return of Spelljammer, and maybe a remake of Red Steel/Savage Coast with firearms from d20 Past. Maybe you are right they don't worry about to print a TTRPG of d20 Modern but at least to design to be used in future videogames based in modern-age IPs.

WotC doesn't need a d20 version of Marvel Comics or DC Universe but maybe a open door for a future d20 superheroes is possible. Even they could reuse characters now are public domain.