D&D 5E WotC Takes Control of D&D Translations

WotC has just announced that it is taking direct control of French, Italian, German, and Spanish versions of its D&D books (which previously were licensed to third parties).

They’ll also be looking for new printers outside the US and China, and pricing books more equally in non-US markets.

Localised social media accounts are being launched as well as localised pages on the D&D website.

The first products will be the Essentials Kit in September, along with the three core rulebooks.

The initial focus will be Europe and Latin America.

D&D Products in New Languages | Dungeons & Dragons

Read about efforts to create a truly global D&D community with the localization of select products in French, German, Spanish, and Italian.

dnd.wizards.com

 

[Oryzarius]

What happened to the translations? I can't find a "Manual del Jugador" on Amazon's U.S. or Mexican sites.

 

[Otello]

What happened to the translations? I can't find a "Manual del Jugador" on Amazon's U.S. or Mexican sites.

Last week I bought the spanish gift set (the three core books + DM screen) at a local Spanish store. So they are available.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Here it says the January 22. I would suposse WotC would want to publish before the Chritsmas because this is the best time to sell. If they are printed in Europe they shouldn't worry about the Chinese ships and traffic collapse.

The candence of publishing of their "archirival", Pathfinder 2 by Devir is very slow, but Nosolorol has got a lot of titles, and here in Spain WoD was the main RPG franchise after the end of TSR (and the previos years before 3rd Ed.)

Dungeons & Dragons : Manual del Jugador (Reglamento Básico del juego - Versión en Español): <null< : Vv. Aa, Vv. Aa: Amazon.es: Juguetes y juegos

Dungeons & Dragons : Manual del Jugador (Reglamento Básico del juego - Versión en Español): <null< : Vv. Aa, Vv. Aa: Amazon.es: Juguetes y juegos

www.amazon.es

Dungeons & Dragons : Guía del Dungeon Master (Reglamento Básico del Juego - Versión en Español): Reglamento básico del juego/ Core Rulebooks : Vv. Aa, Vv. Aa: Amazon.es: Juguetes y juegos

Dungeons & Dragons : Guía del Dungeon Master (Reglamento Básico del Juego - Versión en Español): Reglamento básico del juego/ Core Rulebooks : Vv. Aa, Vv. Aa: Amazon.es: Juguetes y juegos

www.amazon.es

Dungeons & Dragons : Manual de Monstruos (Reglamento Básico del juego - Versión en Español): Reglamento básico del juego/ Core Rulebooks : Vv. Aa, Vv. Aa: Amazon.es: Juguetes y juegos

Dungeons & Dragons : Manual de Monstruos (Reglamento Básico del juego - Versión en Español): Reglamento básico del juego/ Core Rulebooks : Vv. Aa, Vv. Aa: Amazon.es: Juguetes y juegos

www.amazon.es

 

[Henadic Theologian]

WotC has just announced that it is taking direct control of French, Italian, German, and Spanish versions of its D&D books (which previously were licensed to third parties).

View attachment 138078

They’ll also be looking for new printers outside the US and China, and pricing books more equally in non-US markets.

Localised social media accounts are being launched as well as localised pages on the D&D website.

The first products will be the Essentials Kit in September, along with the three core rulebooks.

The initial focus will be Europe and Latin America.

D&D Products in New Languages | Dungeons & Dragons

Read about efforts to create a truly global D&D community with the localization of select products in French, German, Spanish, and Italian.

dnd.wizards.com

I hope they find a Canadian printer, the exchange rate makes buying TTRPG books expensive.

 

[Mercador]

I hope they find a Canadian printer, the exchange rate makes buying TTRPG books expensive.

I concur, paying 68$ for Fizban was tough.

 

[TheSword]

This is why I can’t see 6E coming any time soon. They have a product that clearly works and with translation they open up to new customers all over the world, in markets they’ve never properly tapped before.

A true 6E means starting that process again. I just don’t see it happening any time soon. They won’t kill 5e when it has miles left to run.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

If I had to bet I would put my money on DSA. It's way too entrechned since decades. Somehow it just resonates with some primal german way of thinking I guess. I must say if I didn't hate the rules so badly, many of it's setting things (which are almost like an antithesis to what's usually asked for from a setting here on this board for example) do indeed appeal to me too.

The French translation of DSA never really took off, but I still hzve a warm feeling about the setting. The alternative was the FR and it didn't click.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

Many - possibly the majority - of place names in the UK have elements that are not part of modern English (e.g. wick, thorpe, chester) and you see that mimicked in some D&D names. Should they be translated or left as is?

That's a question I had to English native... how do the place anf NPCs names sound to you? In published campaign I end up renaming 90% of them because

a) they might sound silly because it's an actual word -- ok this is unavoidable and it happens in all fields... they can't avoid all blunders in all languages

b) more commonly, they sound English. When the designers don't try to make exotic names up, they end up with decidedly English sounding names. It's jarring. Why would a mom in a fantasy setting call her son William? It works if the place is clearly not-England but often it happens in a default place... (worsened if there is an explicit not-France nearby).

c) It carries some meaning I want to keep. Thorin Oakenshield I am looking to you... I know I could go with Ecu de Chêne as a litteral translation but oftentimes it still sounds odd. So I must try to devise something evocative and... natural-sounding.

You question about the place name is an example of b or c. A fantasy place called Xzor is fine... but its surrounding Xzorshire isn't. Nor is nearby Rigelchester. Simply prononcing the names break immersion.

For d&d they did some effort in the past with... limited success (Neverwinter/Pasdhiver). But how would Neverwinter or Lonelywood sound to an English ear?

Caer... it's a tough one. No player of mine would understand the Caer thing in Caer Dineval or Caer Konig. It's a case of c) on my list above, as it doesn't sound English the way Bryn-Shander does.

And since we are in Icewind Dale (Valbise, now that's a good effort), what are we supposed to do with a town called Good Mead?

 

[Mercador]

This is why I can’t see 6E coming any time soon. They have a product that clearly works and with translation they open up to new customers all over the world, in markets they’ve never properly tapped before.

A true 6E means starting that process again. I just don’t see it happening any time soon. They won’t kill 5e when it has miles left to run.

That's what I thought as well for some time but they seem aiming for a 5.5 or AD&D 5e for 2024 nonetheless. That being said, translated material always lag behind and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Only authors like Ken Follet got simultaneous worldwide language release.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

And since we are in Icewind Dale (Valbise, now that's a good effort), what are we supposed to do with a town called Good Mead?

Fort Hydromel?
Grande-Chope?
Champs d'Abondance (Mead may refer to the alcool, but also to a field or meadow)