Wizards products in 2005

[MerricB]

Nothing that new here (I'm still waiting for the product announcements for the second third of the year), but I thought I'd arrange the upcoming products into some sort of order.

Core Dungeons & Dragons
* Complete Adventurer (hero series): January
* Races of the Wild (races series): February
* Sandstorm (environment series): March
* Codex Anathema (monster series): April

D&D Miniatures
* Set 6: Deathknell: March

Eberron
* Grasp of the Emerald Claw (adventure): January
* Races of Eberron (race series): April
Novels:
* The City of Towers by Keith Baker: January
* Marked for Death by Matt Forbeck: March

Forgotten Realms
* Ancient Empires (region): February
Novels:
* nine, including several reprints

also various DL novels & reprints of novels.

###

Well, Wizards continue their post-3.5e policy of having slightly more releases per month, as well as having books in various series. Some of the series I've named above aren't explicitly defined as such, but it's fairly obvious what they are. Interestingly, the advertising material for Races of Eberron describes it as a "race series" book; something not in the description of Races of the Wild.

The miniatures releases have slowed now to three per year; though there's a big (five-month) gap between Set 5: Aberrations and Set 6: Death Knell. (Fine by me! I might just be able to get my finances into order...)

With Complete Adventurer and Races of the Wild, the obvious books in the Hero and Races series have been completed. What next?

Does the Planar Handbook qualify as a Hero series book? Possibly. If so, it might give some hints for the topic of future books.

The Environment line of books still has a way to go, however, and is something I'm very much looking forward to. The Monster books don't interest me quite as much (though I probably should get Libris Mortis as undead are a big part of any campaign I run...)

With Grasp of the Emerald Claw, the initial run of Eberron adventures comes to its end. With releases of July 2004, September 2004 and January 2005, that's been fairly quick going for a series of adventures I consider fairly memorable. (Certainly they've gotten me interested in Eberron! ) There have been comments that Wizards will be making more adventures, but we don't have any idea what form they might take - certainly not in the first four months of 2005!

Forgotten Realms remains on the slow release of material (not counting the novels, which are springing up everywhere!) As I'm no longer a FR fan, this doesn't affect me - and I don't know if it worries those still playing FR, because there's certainly a lot of material already available for them.

Cheers!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

With Complete Adventurer and Races of the Wild, the obvious books in the Hero and Races series have been completed. What next?

Hopefully they'll consider something like "Races of Shadow," with kobolds, goblins, orcs, hobgoblins and maybe ogres (or half-ogres). After all, they're "core" enough to be used as default races in the environmental changes in "Unearthed Arcana," but they haven't gotten even the support of the races in the PHB. A full race book for them would be great, and would be useful for a lot of DMs, even if no players were interested in playing them in a given campaign.

Does the Planar Handbook qualify as a Hero series book? Possibly. If so, it might give some hints for the topic of future books.

I would prefer an environment book on undersea adventures, but I'd take a "Planar Handbook" style book (although better ) in a pinch.

 

[Mokona]

I'd say that Planar Handbook is more of an environmental book like Frostburn than a hero series title.

Some hero series ideas might be:

Complete Psion (more stuff for psionic characters)
Complete Monster (expanding Savage Species)
Complete Skills (for characters specializing in skill groups such as a watchman for spot/listen, or skulker for hide/silent, or courtier for diplomacy/bluff)

 

[Ghostwind]

Complete Psion

Don't we have one of those already?

 

[cybertalus]

The miniatures releases have slowed now to three per year; though there's a big (five-month) gap between Set 5: Aberrations and Set 6: Death Knell. (Fine by me! I might just be able to get my finances into order...)

Just out of curiosity, if you factor the release schedule for the Star Wars Miniature in, does that put the combined schedule/output back in line with previous years?

 

[MerricB]

Just out of curiosity, if you factor the release schedule for the Star Wars Miniature in, does that put the combined schedule/output back in line with previous years?

No - it'd increase it by about 2 sets' worth. (Or 1.5, depending how you count it).

The first year of D&D Minis saw the release of 4 sets: 80 figures, 60 figures, 60 figures and 72 figures. (272 figures in all).

We were told back at the beginning that the first year would be atypical - after that it would settle back to a more Magic-like release schedule (3 sets a year). So, the second year has begun with the release of Aberrations (60 figures) and there is Deathknell and Angelfire(?) to come. At some point in the distant future, there'll be another huge set, although that's still over a year away.

Star Wars minis has two releases close to each other: Rebel Storm and Clone Strike, each with 60 minis. I'm not sure about the future release schedule for that game.

Cheers!

 

[SSquirrel]

Nothing that new here (I'm still waiting for the product announcements for the second third of the year), but I thought I'd arrange the upcoming products into some sort of order.

*snip*

The miniatures releases have slowed now to three per year; though there's a big (five-month) gap between Set 5: Aberrations and Set 6: Death Knell. (Fine by me! I might just be able to get my finances into order...)

I was gonna point out how this release schedule mimics Magic but you beat me to it above *grin*

With Complete Adventurer and Races of the Wild, the obvious books in the Hero and Races series have been completed. What next?

Complete Bladesinger and Complete Ninja? *ducks rotten tomatos*

Does the Planar Handbook qualify as a Hero series book? Possibly. If so, it might give some hints for the topic of future books.

I wouldn't think it would be a Hero series book. Core most likely.

Hagen

 

[MonsterMash]

About the only thing for me is the Sandstorm book.

Looks like the minis are a continuing success and I guess there will be at
least one more set next year.

 

[J_A_Garlock]

With Grasp of the Emerald Claw, the initial run of Eberron adventures comes to its end. With releases of July 2004, September 2004 and January 2005, that's been fairly quick going for a series of adventures I consider fairly memorable. (Certainly they've gotten me interested in Eberron! ) There have been comments that Wizards will be making more adventures, but we don't have any idea what form they might take - certainly not in the first four months of 2005!

Care to share any comments on those Eberron adventures? I got the campaign book and was wondering if they too were any good. Also, will there be any Eberron miniatures in the new release?

 

[philreed]

* Codex Anathema (monster series): April

This is the one I'm waiting for.

(though I probably should get Libris Mortis as undead are a big part of any campaign I run...)

You should. It's a very nice book.