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.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Dragonlance will likely be in 2024, since that's when the last book of the new trilogy should be coming out.

 

[Maxperson]

Actually Faeruns South Asian inspired region is in the Shining South, Kara Tur's is on the Malatra Plateau, Zakhara's is an small island.

Kara Tur is east across the horde lands. It does go south a ways, but it's more east than south.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Kara Tur is east across the horde lands. It does go south a ways, but it's more east than south.

The poster wasn't saying that Kara-Tur was to the south, but that Faerûn's India expy is the region known as the Shining South. Which it is - sorta. Its South Asian-ness is not terribly pronounced and it and the Utter East - the other sorta-India area - are tucked away in an obscure corner of the continent.

 

[BRayne]

I mean there’s the fact that they wouldn’t be limited to just OGL compliant material or skirting the edges of talking about brand identity creatures and stuff. Small but something.

Also having the WotC marketing juggernaut behind them would shift a lot more copies than they did with Green Ronin alone. Not that they need a ton of help marketing either.

Though the synergy of doing it in concert with the release of Legend of VM does make a heck of a lot of sense and hadn’t even occurred to me.

I think the real question with a Tal'Dorei redux book is what time period to set it. Because the original book both spoils lots of the story for LoVM and is set with an active Vox Machina in the world, so do you push it earlier to avoid spoilers or later to have Vox Machina less active as adventurers? And if later, right after Campaign one or more around the ExU timeframe?

 

[overgeeked]

I think the real question with a Tal'Dorei redux book is what time period to set it. Because the original book both spoils lots of the story for LoVM and is set with an active Vox Machina in the world, so do you push it earlier to avoid spoilers or later to have Vox Machina less active as adventurers? And if later, right after Campaign one or more around the ExU timeframe?

Most of the people who would buy the book have already seen the campaign. They’d likely update it to after C1 ended, and maybe include the events of EXU, which is 20 years later. I think.

 

[Mercurius]

Now that I think about it, I don't think they'll publish another regional guide. They did SCAG because they knew they were going to set a bunch of adventures in it - at least one per year, from 2014-21, somewhere along the Sword Coast. But would they do the same with the Dalelands? I'm not so sure. If anything, I could see them sprinkling adventures throughout the Realms, maybe one in Anauroch, one in the Sea of Fallen Stars, Thay, Raurin, Calimshan, Lantan, Moonshaes, etc.

Meaning, I do think it is past time to move beyond the Sword Coast, and that they will, but that they'll do it like so:

• More adventure + micro-setting products ala Tomb of Annihilation. The Moonshaes come to mind as something that fits this mold, or Raurin, or Thay/Aglarond - or pretty much anywhere.
• And maybe in addition, a Faerun book that would provide the context for any and all FR adventures.

Both make sense, but I could see them only going with the first option, or if they do publish a full setting book, it could come a few years down the road.

 

[Rabulias]

What the heck does "In a brand new format." mean? And wouldn't those also be returning settings?

D&D has seen a lot of 256-page hardbacks over the years. Now, experience the latest and greatest D&D adventure in a spectacular, brand new 257-page hardback!

 

[QuentinGeorge]

The new setting will be delivered as a live action role play session. That corny elf bard video was just a taste of things to come!

 

[Mecheon]

Just taking ideas from Nier, the new setting will be presented as a play. Hope you get tickets

i still love the entire backstory of a character from Nier Automata is only explained if you saw a play. Which was only in Japan for obvious reasons.

 

[OblivionDrive]

Most of the people who would buy tbe book have already seen the campaign. They’d likely update it to after C1 ended, and maybe include the events of EXU, which is 20 years later. I think.

EXU is 10 years after TM9/C2 which is itself 20 years after VM/C1.

And yeah this was my feelings too. I don’t think they’re concerned about spoilers for a campaign that’s already happened and had other backstory explored in comics, etc.