D&D 5E WotC: 5 D&D Settings In Development?

WotC's Ray Winninger spoke a little about some upcoming D&D settings -- two classic settings are coming in 2022 in formats we haven't seen before, and two brand new (not Magic: the Gathering) settings are also in development, as well as return to a setting they've already covered in 5E. He does note, however, that of the last three, there's a chance of one or more not making it to release, as they develop more than they use.

Two classic settings? What could they be?​

So that's:

• 2 classic settings in 2022 (in a brand new format)
• 2 brand new settings
• 1 returning setting

So the big questions -- what are the two classic settings, and what do they mean by a format we haven't seen before? Winninger has clarified on Twitter that "Each of these products is pursuing a different format you've never seen before. And neither is "digital only;" these are new print formats."

As I've mentioned on a couple of occasions, there are two more products that revive "classic" settings in production right now.

The manuscript for the first, overseen by [Chris Perkins], is nearly complete. Work on the second, led by [F. Wesley Schneider] with an assist from [Ari Levitch], is just ramping up in earnest. Both are targeting 2022 and formats you've never seen before.

In addition to these two titles, we have two brand new [D&D] settings in early development, as well as a return to a setting we've already covered. (No, these are not M:tG worlds.)

As I mentioned in the dev blog, we develop more material than we publish, so it's possible one or more of these last three won't reach production. But as of right now, they're all looking great.

Of course the phrase "two more products that revive 'classic' settings" could be interpreted in different ways. It might not be two individual setting books.

 

[Parmandur]

Classic: Dragonlance & Planejammer
New: The setting for the High Rollers podcast (The DM Marc Hulmes took over from Perkins to run the podcast that took over from Dice, Camera Action) & Into the Motherlands (settig from B Dave Walker and Tanya DePass which is having a very successful kickstarted but is currently systemless.
Return: the new Critical Role setting for campaign 3

You know, more streaming shiw tie-ins sound plausible.

 

[Steampunkette]

Gotta be honest, think folks are expecting something waaaaaaay more original than we are likely to see.

Oh, I don't -expect- anything but another setting book.

Just thinking up some crazy random wild things because those would be nifty.

 

[Zaukrie]

Gotta be honest, think folks are expecting something waaaaaaay more original than we are likely to see.

Concur.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm doubting Exandria, because Tal'Dorei is already a book, and I don't know if Mercer feels like revisiting that book (and a third continent is probably not well-written until a year or two into Campaign 3).

Tal'Dorei is out of print and the rights are no longer with Green Ronin. I would expect a revised edition of the setting when Legends of Vox Machina drops, or soon after. They have a bunch of concept art from the show they can repurpose for a new book.

That said, I don't know why they'd want to sell it through WotC.

 

[darjr]

Gotta be honest, think folks are expecting something waaaaaaay more original than we are likely to see.

Don’t you take this away from me

 

[Mercurius]

My takes:

Classic Settings: Dark Sun and Planescape. In fact, I'd be surprised if it wasn't these two, as they are both A) the most popular uncovered settings, and B) fit the bill of expanding the scope of 5E. Dark horse candidate: Dragonlance.

Return to: I'm split on this, either Exandria or the Realms, and if the Realms, either a full Faerun book or a focus on a different region ala SCAG. Dalelands/Anauroch? Moonshaes? Sea of Fallen Stars? But my guess is Exandria.

New Settings: Man, who knows. The first thing that popped into my head is Iomandra. The next thing is some non-European based setting, probably either something Asian and/or African inspired. Or maybe they take James Wyatt's Mahasarpa (sp?) and expand that. Or maybe something completely different. Either way, these are probably the furthest out of what he mentioned, probably 2023.

He doesn't mention Magic settings - I assume they are going to continue with those?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Clearly there will be a tie in to the D&D movie, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a campaign setting. Could be an adventure. Could be a boxed set for Target. Could be a single-volume Rules Cyclopedia-style product that combines PHB, DMG, and MM. Etc.

That's currently scheduled for 2023, so possibly.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

New Settings: Man, who knows. The first thing that popped into my head is Iomandra. The next thing is some non-European based setting, probably either something Asian and/or African inspired. Either way, these are probably the furthest out of what he mentioned, probably 2023.

Probably the most productive line of inquiry is what new flavors are missing for D&D and then develop backwards from there.

Maybe it's non-European fantasy, which would be good, but I also don't know that Curse of Strahd 1.1 suggests that they're there yet, skills-wise.

He doesn't mention Magic settings - I assume they are going to continue with those?

Unless something very strange happens and Strixhaven doesn't move a zillion copies, then yeah. MTG has the benefit of a lot of settings, many of them with different flavors than are available in D&D currently. I know almost nothing about MTG, and I know there are chivalric settings, Asian-inspired settings, etc.

 

[Steampunkette]

The Wizards Community > Wiki - Dnd:Iomandra and the Dragon Sea

WotC, Wizards of the Coast community

web.archive.org

Iomandra and the Dragon Sea could be a New Setting, yeah. Would also play heavily into Dragon-Centric materials.

I do not see them going the way of Asian or African inspired without ensuring that the entire product team is a representative slice of whichever cultures are being copy-catted for the book.

It's 2021. I don't think WotC is going to pull another Oriental Adventures.

 

[Zaukrie]

Undersea? That would be very new for them.....