D&D 5E WotC's Nathan Stewart Teases New D&D Setting Book in 2019

No real details, other than denying that it will be Spelljammer, but in the latest Spoilers & Swag episode Stewart stated straight up that another hardcover setting book is coming in 2019:

"Nathan Stewart, the senior director of Dungeons & Dragons and Avalon Hill, made the announcement on his monthly "Spoilers & Swag" Twitchcast yesterday. 'Next year for our annual releases I can confirm there will be a setting book,' he said. 'A new setting book. A book that we have not created that is for a D&D setting.'"

I'd speculate, given the Settings mentioned in the recent marketing survey and what is listed in the DMsGuild, that the likely options are from the following, given we got Magic this year and Stewart has previously said they are not working on a new setting right now:

- Dark Sun
- Dragonlance
- Eberron
- Greyhawk
- Planescape
- Ravenloft

https://comicbook.com/gaming/2018/11/03/dungeons-and-dragons-new-campaign-setting-book-2019/

 

[lkj]

I imagine we'll see soon enough.

They tested Ravnica subclasses in January and April and the first races in May then August. If they're doing a campaign setting for the November release (or an extra book) and they're doing subclasses, we might be able to guess based on what they release in the next month.

It might be telling for example if a UA between now and spring had psionics, as Mike has telegraphed pretty hard that he thought they were necessary for Dark Sun. Not that I'd say it's definitive, but it would create fun speculation fodder.

AD

 

[Jester David]

It might be telling for example if a UA between now and spring had psionics, as Mike has telegraphed pretty hard that he thought they were necessary for Dark Sun. Not that I'd say it's definitive, but it would create fun speculation fodder.

AD

Given they did Eberron with the artificer only 65% ready, they could do Dark Sun with an idea how psionics worked but without the class ready. So long as they have an idea how the mechanics will work, they can do the monsters easily enough.

 

[epithet]

NONE of this is written into either setting at any point! Not in setting-specific rules (like Dark Sun), Not explicitly (like Wayfarers Guide to Eberron), and not set by the writing style of a single author (like Dragonlance) - because both settings have many authors.

What you are recounting are impressions gained from games set in those settings - simply the product of how your DM envisioned them.

Allow me to introduce you to the Forgotten Realms Style Guide. The very first element it describes is the appropriate tone for Forgotten Realms adventures and products.

Tone

---

The Forgotten Realms is a hopeful setting. The good guys will eventually win. This hopeful tone
sets the Forgotten Realms apart from settings like Greyhawk (which is cynical) and Dragonlance
(which is a setting of romance and tragedy). While not every moment of a story or image in art
should be hopeful (the villains need their time in the spotlight, and bad things do happen), keep this
tone in mind.​

This is part of a document package published by Wizards of the Coast, and made available on the DMs Guild. You may not like or agree with the WotC take on their various settings, but your argument that the tone of these settings amounts to no more than "simply the product of how your DM envisioned them" is clearly in error.

 

[MechaPilot]

Allow me to introduce you to the Forgotten Realms Style Guide. The very first element it describes is the appropriate tone for Forgotten Realms adventures and products.

Tone

---

The Forgotten Realms is a hopeful setting. The good guys will eventually win. This hopeful tone
sets the Forgotten Realms apart from settings like Greyhawk (which is cynical) and Dragonlance
(which is a setting of romance and tragedy). While not every moment of a story or image in art
should be hopeful (the villains need their time in the spotlight, and bad things do happen), keep this
tone in mind.​

This is part of a document package published by Wizards of the Coast, and made available on the DMs Guild. You may not like or agree with the WotC take on their various settings, but your argument that the tone of these settings amounts to no more than "simply the product of how your DM envisioned them" is clearly in error.

Thanks for posting that.

As an aside, I don't care for the guide's notion that ". . . magic items of all kinds have specific appearances that do not change. A potion of healing or a vorpal sword always looks the same regardless of who made it."

I think I understand why they did it (simplicity, like most of their decisions), but I enjoy giving the magic items in my game different appearances and aesthetic qualities. I enjoy the world-building aspect of a healing potion coming in a crystal vial when made by elves, an iron flask when made by dwarves, a leather skin (like a small waterskin) when made by the sirens, and a ceramic bottle when made by goblins.

 

[Mercurius]

I could see them following the same pattern as 2018:
*One PDF guide to an old setting, that can be updated and eventually open for POD
*One hardcover of a new setting that hasn't been officially covered for D&D, either another Magic world or something else

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this is what they do for the next few years. I do think that most of those hoping for a full hardcover treatment of their preferred classic setting are going to be disappointed.

 

[tessarji]

Given recent publicity for Ravenloft and Nentir Vale stream games, I'd submit the odds on seeing a 2019 setting hardcover like this:

Dawn War/Nentir Vale: 7-2
Ravenloft: 4-1
Magic The Gathering related: 6-1
Planescape: 8-1
Dark Sun: 9-1
Dragonlance related

• Ansalon: 10-1
• Taladas: 5000-1

Mystara related

• Known World: 15-1
• Hollow World: 100-1
• Savage Coast: 1000-1
• Blackmoor: 1000000-1

Eberron: 35-1
Greyhawk: 50-1
Birthright: 80-1
Forgotten Realms related

• Kara-Tur: 80-1
• Al-Qadim: 200-1
• Maztica: 500-1
• The Horde: 1000000-1
• Malatra: 1000000-1
• Other FR setting: 12-1

Spelljammer: 1000-1
(The Field): 1000-1

• Council of Wyrms
• Dragon Fist
• Ghostwalk
• Jakandor
• Kingdoms of Kalamar
• Lankhmar
• Mahasarpa
• Pelinore
• Rokugan
• Thunder Rift
• Wilderlands of High Fantasy
• Warcraft
• Diablo

 

[gyor]

Given recent publicity for Ravenloft and Nentir Vale stream games, I'd submit the odds on seeing a 2019 setting hardcover like this:

Dawn War/Nentir Vale: 7-2
Ravenloft: 4-1
Magic The Gathering related: 6-1
Planescape: 8-1
Dark Sun: 9-1
Dragonlance related

• Ansalon: 10-1
• Taladas: 5000-1

Mystara related

• Known World: 15-1
• Hollow World: 100-1
• Savage Coast: 1000-1
• Blackmoor: 1000000-1

Eberron: 35-1
Greyhawk: 50-1
Birthright: 80-1
Forgotten Realms related

• Kara-Tur: 80-1
• Al-Qadim: 200-1
• Maztica: 500-1
• The Horde: 1000000-1
• Malatra: 1000000-1
• Other FR setting: 12-1

Spelljammer: 1000-1
(The Field): 1000-1

• Council of Wyrms
• Dragon Fist
• Ghostwalk
• Jakandor
• Kingdoms of Kalamar
• Lankhmar
• Mahasarpa
• Pelinore
• Rokugan
• Thunder Rift
• Wilderlands of High Fantasy
• Warcraft
• Diablo

Rokugan, Diablo, Warcraft aren't owned by WotC so even 1000 to 1 odds is good, it's a complete 100% certainty it won't be those.

Malatra is apart of Kara Tur, so if it's Kara Tur Malatra will likely be covered.

I think you've rated Ravenloft too high.

 

[Parmandur]

Given recent publicity for Ravenloft and Nentir Vale stream games, I'd submit the odds on seeing a 2019 setting hardcover like this:

Dawn War/Nentir Vale: 7-2
Ravenloft: 4-1
Magic The Gathering related: 6-1
Planescape: 8-1
Dark Sun: 9-1
Dragonlance related

• Ansalon: 10-1
• Taladas: 5000-1

Mystara related

• Known World: 15-1
• Hollow World: 100-1
• Savage Coast: 1000-1
• Blackmoor: 1000000-1

Eberron: 35-1
Greyhawk: 50-1
Birthright: 80-1
Forgotten Realms related

• Kara-Tur: 80-1
• Al-Qadim: 200-1
• Maztica: 500-1
• The Horde: 1000000-1
• Malatra: 1000000-1
• Other FR setting: 12-1

Spelljammer: 1000-1
(The Field): 1000-1

• Council of Wyrms
• Dragon Fist
• Ghostwalk
• Jakandor
• Kingdoms of Kalamar
• Lankhmar
• Mahasarpa
• Pelinore
• Rokugan
• Thunder Rift
• Wilderlands of High Fantasy
• Warcraft
• Diablo

Yeah, I don't think the streaming shows are any indication one way or the other.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

You know, I wouldn’t have used that word to describe Greyhawk, but it kind-of fits. Considering it was born in the heart of the adversarial game style, it makes sense. I mean, just look at the canonical story of Fraz-Urb’luu, who tricked heroes (the PCs) into releasing him.

Dragonlance is definitely driven by romance and tragedy. The Tanis-Laurana-Kitiara triangle, the burning of Solace. Heck, Lord Soth’s backstory is pretty much just romance and tragedy.

Greyhawk (which is cynical) and
Dragonlance (which is a setting of romance and tragedy).

 

[tessarji]

Rokugan, Diablo, Warcraft aren't owned by WotC so even 1000 to 1 odds is good, it's a complete 100% certainty it won't be those.

Malatra is apart of Kara Tur, so if it's Kara Tur Malatra will likely be covered.

I think you've rated Ravenloft too high.

For settings, never say never because of books like this. But Mearls would be committed if he tries to claim that is what he meant by a D&D setting.

The case for ranking Ravenloft high is also based on the fact that CoS is still their most played adventure, and the D&D team still seems deeply conservative about splitting up their fanbase. Ravenloft is far more adaptable for single adventures and probably the least likely to overlap with their central FR setting. For the record I also think it would be a terrible choice, as one good adventure doesn't really indicate sales viability.

Releasing another part of Faerun as a 'new setting' is pretty weak soup as well but I only give it a possibility due to this excessively conservative bent. The Ravnica/Eberron block shows that the tide may be shifting here.

I may also be ranking Dragonlance too low (WotC appears to consider it in their top tier of settings) but that's probably my bias that I really would wish them to NOT do another standard fantasy, highly overwritten setting to stand alongside the Realms.