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/

 

[BronzeDragon]

I would pay solid gold for a Birthright setting book.

Other than that, Planescape, Mystara, Greyhawk or even Dark Sun would pique my interest and I'd certainly buy the book.

Ravenloft would be a toss up, and anything else I would not even bother looking at, specially something related to MtG.

 

[jayoungr]

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.

I don't think that's precluded by the style guide. As I read it, what they meant is that a potion of healing will always be red and glittery, not that it always comes in the same kind of bottle.

 

[MechaPilot]

I don't think that's precluded by the style guide. As I read it, what they meant is that a potion of healing will always be red and glittery, not that it always comes in the same kind of bottle.

If that's the case, I don't really care for that either. The bottle it comes in is just one of the aesthetic changes I make to differentiate potions by creator. For instance, the dwarves in my setting hold alcohol in high regard, taking the old Latin saying "in vino vertias" to heart with the belief that the loss of inhibition as you drink reveals who you truly are. Consequently, dwarf potions are generally alcoholic.

 

[gyor]

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.

If Dragonlance gets a movie, WotC giving it setting book it's a certainty. The question becomes when.

 

[Parmandur]

If Dragonlance gets a movie, WotC giving it setting book it's a certainty. The question becomes when.

The movie is coming in 2021, and I am unaware of any serious suggestion that it will be Dragonlance linked.

Though I think Dragonlance will come, maybe sooner rather than later, because it is distinct and popular.

 

[Mercurius]

This "Dragonlance = romance and tragedy" idea makes me long for a Chronicles re-write by Guy Gavriel Kay.

 

[Mercurius]

Anyhow, the reason I could see a Chronicles movie trilogy eventually (after one or two successful D&D movies) is that it is pretty much the Best D&D Story Ever Told, at least on the epic scale. It really is too bad that Weis/Hickman were (are?) such terrible prose stylists, because the story and world itself is exceptional and it could have been a true fantasy classic if they could write.

But I'd suggest they get their feet wet with something else - work out the kinks.

And oh yeah, sorry Mr Manganiello - you're a decent actor, but you're not Tanis. Sturm maybe?

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I’d fancast him as Verminaard in a Dragonlance movie. I think he’s too old for Caramon, who was 22 at the start of the War of the Lance, and if you cast him as another Hero of the Lance, then you’ve got to cast someone even bigger as Caramon.

And oh yeah, sorry Mr Manganiello - you're a decent actor, but you're not Tanis. Sturm maybe?

 

[Caliburn101]

I'm a Greyhawk fan, so I hope they jump back into many of the devs old favorite. There is still a good fanbase that loves the setting and it would be interesting to see it brought into a more unified whole, hopefully with Iuz still dominating a whole area.

I would like to see this too.

But I am pretty certain it will be Dark Sun.

 

[Parmandur]

I would like to see this too.

But I am pretty certain it will be Dark Sun.

Mearls in a Q&A on his Happy Fun Hour recently laid out what would be needed for Dark Sun.

He was very specific and detailed, in a way that suggested he had not just thought about it briefly, but outlined it extensively.