D&D 5E (2024) When are we getting announcements for 2026 books?

[Parmandur]

Honestly hoping for that!

I think, IIRC, one of the Radiant Citadel ones took place at the Citadel. Either that, or the RC bit had its own adventure. Basically the same thing. But yeah, Yawning Portal is far more a feature in Dungeon of the Mad Mage than it is in Yawning Portal - though I think that was because it WAS for that adventure, but "didn't fit". So they used it as an intro to an anthology. While I don't think that ever worked very well, the basic concept of a reprint-anthology was good enough to carry that book to success.


Indeed, although I think @Parmandur has it right - the Essentials material, the DLCs, a few extras, and a short sequel that solves the mystery of the Forge. You'd have... chef's kiss.

Edit: Oh, and don't make the early encounters harder! Geez!

Radiant Citadel stuff was all on other worlds, but two Candlekeep Mysteries remain in Candlekeep proper.

Aside from Yawning Portal, which was about nothing burger joke of a link because they were anticipating the Wayerdeep film from Warner Bros that fell through (hence also everything in the Waterdeep adventures, and putting Xanathar on the Everything book), I've always thought it would be fun to mix those frmae stories: have the Golden Vault operate out of the radiant Citadel, move Candlekeep and the Noble Genie dude to the Citadel...

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Radiant Citadel stuff was all on other worlds, but two Candlekeep Mysteries remain in Candlekeep proper.

Really? I swear that there is an encounter in the Citadel. At any rate, I think we all agree that none of those books have enough to do with their central location, even if some small attempts were made. Part of that is by choice, I suppose, and partly a feature if you're going to run just one of them unrelated to the whole.

Aside from Yawning Portal, which was about nothing burger joke of a link because they were anticipating the Wayerdeep film from Warner Bros that fell through (hence also everything in the Waterdeep adventures, and putting Xanathar on the Everything book), I've always thought it would be fun to mix those frmae stories: have the Golden Vault operate out of the radiant Citadel, move Candlekeep and the Noble Genie dude to the Citadel...

Fun idea.

 

[Parmandur]

At any rate, I think we all agree that none of those books have enough to do with their central location, even if some small attempts were made. Part of that is by choice, I suppose, and partly a feature if you're going to run just one of them unrelated to the whole.

It's a tough balance, since they are trying to provide a little bit of something for DMs to build a coherent campaign out of what are disparate modules, but they can't make it too strong or it would make it a little more difficult to repurpose.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

It's a tough balance, since they are trying to provide a little bit of something for DMs to build a coherent campaign out of what are disparate modules, but they can't make it too strong or it would make it a little more difficult to repurpose.

Honestly, it's why I think that there's a better option. The anthologies worked well enough, sure, but there's got to be a better way. I suppose there's Dragon Delves, where they have a theme, but have no attempt to connect them at all.

Ideally I think that what we describe above for Phandelver works best. Similar to the Savage Frontier bit in STK or the extra stuff out and around Ten Towns in RotFM. Just fill out a shorter adventure, not will filler grind, but with many (optional and steal-able) nearby locations that are (at least theoretically) complete within themselves, or can be used as parts of a whole.

 

[Remathilis]

I can't imagine using the suggested framing devices for Yawning Portal, Candlekeep, Radiant Citadel, Golden Vault, Infinite Staircase, or Dragon Delves. To me, those books are great for cannibalizing individual stand-out adventures either as one-shots or to drop into ongoing campaigns. Candlekeep and Radiant Citadel do at least each include details on a cool location that I can definitely see as being useful, but not as the basis for a whole campaign.

The only one I've ever considered using was Ghosts of Saltmarsh, and even then I'd probably alter it so the boat in Sinister Secret is in play more in the later adventures.

 

[Parmandur]

I suppose there's Dragon Delves, where they have a theme, but have no attempt to connect them at all.

Actually, Dragone Delves does provide 3 ways to do it! I wouldn't say they are all that things, considering the "competition" there.

 

[Stormonu]

Last year (and the year previously), most of 2024's and 2025's books were announced all at once in D&D Directs. Are we getting one this year? When and how? Or do you think they will ditch the Direct and announce them book by book, as done in the past?

I suppose we know Lorwyn and Dark Sun (probably) are coming (and some product with the other subclass UAs), but that's about it.

Dark Sun really? WotC hasn't been willing to touch that for a few years now. What evidence is there they've changed their mind about it?

 

[Parmandur]

Dark Sun really? WotC hasn't been willing to touch that for a few years now. What evidence is there they've changed their mind about it?

The Psionics UA, particularly them talking about the 10 Wild Talent Backgrounds and what those might look like.

 

[sevenbastard]

but I can't think of any other one designer who could point to a run like Curse of Strahd/Tomb of Annihilation/Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden/Wild Beyond the Witchlight and say, "Well, here's four great epic-length adventures that I was lead on."

Maybe someone at Paizo? I dont really pay attention to them, but they put out a decent amount of long form adventures. I know each part is an individual author. But im sure someone is the lead.

Im not the target audience, but Im not sure i would say any of the long form adventures are great, but Curse and Tomb are the best that WOTC put out.

Are they better than something like Kingmaker?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think, IIRC, one of the Radiant Citadel ones took place at the Citadel. Either that, or the RC bit had its own adventure.

I'm running it as a campaign. The first adventure is probably what you're thinking of. It doesn't take place on the citadel, but in a Thai-inspired Concord World. But it's trivial to move it to the Citadel instead, which also features an open air market.

I ended up making a level 1 Citadel adventure for my campaign to introduce everyone to the setting and get the PCs an offer to join the Shieldbearers at the end of, basically, the Concord Worlds version of Romeo & Juliet.

While I don't think that ever worked very well, the basic concept of a reprint-anthology was good enough to carry that book to success.

Yeah, I don't think Yawning Portal or Infinite Staircase need a hub at all. (In fact, it gets a little confusing when trying to explain how Waterdeep and White Plume Mountain interact.) Better to use that space for something else, IMO.

Indeed, although I think @Parmandur has it right - the Essentials material, the DLCs, a few extras, and a short sequel that solves the mystery of the Forge. You'd have... chef's kiss.

Edit: Oh, and don't make the early encounters harder! Geez!

It honestly seems like no one involved in Phandelver and Below had ever talked to people who had run -- and loved! -- the basic adventure.

If they had to do a weird psionics adventure, they would have been better off starting from scratch, so they could have integrated foreshadowing, etc., thoughout.