The online D&D Celebration event, which has been running all weekend, comes to a close with The Future of D&D, a panel featuring WotC's Ray Winninger, Liz Schuh, Chris Perkins, and Jeremy Crawford, hosted by Elle Osili-Wood.
D&D is exploring the multiverse
Revisiting classic settings. 1st of 3 settings (Ravenloft) released this year. Next year, the other two major classic D&D settings come out. Both in formats they've never published products before.
Plus a "little peek" at a third classic D&D setting - a cameo.
In 2023, yet another classic setting is coming out.
Evolving D&D
Because of new players, they're always listening. Exploring new styles of play (like no combat needed in Wild Beyond the Witchlight). Also presentation of monsters and spells. New product formats. More adventure anthologies.
Making products easier to use. Ways to create the best experience. Experimenting and looking into technology.
Approaches to Design
Wild Beyond the Witchlight has interior design and tools to make running the adventure easier. Story tracker, guidance.
Beyond the books, they want to make different and varied products - packaging and form factor. Things different to hardcovers and boxed sets.
A blog post is coming soon detailing some of the changes, with more to come in future posts.
50th Anniversary in 2024
They've begun work on new versions of the core rulebooks. Recent surveys tie into that. They're still making plans, but expect more surveys. More will be said next year.
They will be completely compatible!
New experiences in the digital arena.
January Gift Set
Rules Expansion Gift Set -- Xanathar, Tasha, and a new book: Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse. All in a slipcase. Was intended for the Holidays, but global production issues mean January instead. There's also an alternate cover version.
www.enworld.org
Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse
A treasure trove of creature related material from previous products compiled into one book and updated.
Opportunity to update material with a feel for how the 50th Anniversary books will be.
Improvements based on feedback, rebalancing, new and old art.
Over 250 monsters, and 30 playable races. All of the setting agnostic races that have been published outside the Player's Handbook.
Some content from Witchlight, Fizban's, and Strixhaven was influenced by Mordenkainen's.
Available first in the gift set, but separately later in the year.
Monsters alphabetized throughout rather than using subsections.
www.enworld.org
Stat block changes --
Spellcasting trait is gone. Spellcasting action, slimmed down. Spellcasting monsters need less prep.
Spell slots are gone for NPCs. Regular actions that would have once been spells.
It was too easy for a DM to use spells which result in the monster having a too low effective CR.
Monsters can be friends or foes, and some magic will help rather than hinder PCs.
Where are we going?
More adventure anthologies. Another classic setting fairly soon.
Two all-new settings. Completely new. In development stage, an 'exploration' phase, testing the viability of them. They might not see the light of day.
Retooling nostalgia and blending it with new concepts. A blend of things that you know, and things that they have never done before.
In the short term -- more news next month about a new product for 2022 which goes into a new scary place we've never been before.
Boo the miniature giant space hamster
Below is an sketch from Hydro74's alt cover, which features Boo the miniature giant space hamster.
D&D is exploring the multiverse
Revisiting classic settings. 1st of 3 settings (Ravenloft) released this year. Next year, the other two major classic D&D settings come out. Both in formats they've never published products before.
Plus a "little peek" at a third classic D&D setting - a cameo.
In 2023, yet another classic setting is coming out.
Evolving D&D
Because of new players, they're always listening. Exploring new styles of play (like no combat needed in Wild Beyond the Witchlight). Also presentation of monsters and spells. New product formats. More adventure anthologies.
Making products easier to use. Ways to create the best experience. Experimenting and looking into technology.
Approaches to Design
Wild Beyond the Witchlight has interior design and tools to make running the adventure easier. Story tracker, guidance.
Beyond the books, they want to make different and varied products - packaging and form factor. Things different to hardcovers and boxed sets.
A blog post is coming soon detailing some of the changes, with more to come in future posts.
50th Anniversary in 2024
They've begun work on new versions of the core rulebooks. Recent surveys tie into that. They're still making plans, but expect more surveys. More will be said next year.
They will be completely compatible!
New experiences in the digital arena.
January Gift Set
Rules Expansion Gift Set -- Xanathar, Tasha, and a new book: Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse. All in a slipcase. Was intended for the Holidays, but global production issues mean January instead. There's also an alternate cover version.
D&D 5E - A Closer Look At January's D&D Rules Expansion Gift Set
WotC earlier announced a D&D Rules Expansion Gift Set for January, which includes three books - Xanathar's Guide to Everything, Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, and the new Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse. These were intended for the holidays, but the global production issues...
www.enworld.org
Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse
A treasure trove of creature related material from previous products compiled into one book and updated.
Opportunity to update material with a feel for how the 50th Anniversary books will be.
Improvements based on feedback, rebalancing, new and old art.
Over 250 monsters, and 30 playable races. All of the setting agnostic races that have been published outside the Player's Handbook.
Some content from Witchlight, Fizban's, and Strixhaven was influenced by Mordenkainen's.
Available first in the gift set, but separately later in the year.
Monsters alphabetized throughout rather than using subsections.
D&D 5E - Zooming In On Monsters of the Multiverse [UPDATED!]
Earlier, WotC announced Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse, a new D&D compilation of monster material from previous products updated to a new format. These screen grabs are as good as I could get them. They're not terribly clear, but you can make more out than in the original...
www.enworld.org
Stat block changes --
Spellcasting trait is gone. Spellcasting action, slimmed down. Spellcasting monsters need less prep.
Spell slots are gone for NPCs. Regular actions that would have once been spells.
It was too easy for a DM to use spells which result in the monster having a too low effective CR.
Monsters can be friends or foes, and some magic will help rather than hinder PCs.
Where are we going?
More adventure anthologies. Another classic setting fairly soon.
Two all-new settings. Completely new. In development stage, an 'exploration' phase, testing the viability of them. They might not see the light of day.
Retooling nostalgia and blending it with new concepts. A blend of things that you know, and things that they have never done before.
In the short term -- more news next month about a new product for 2022 which goes into a new scary place we've never been before.
Boo the miniature giant space hamster
Below is an sketch from Hydro74's alt cover, which features Boo the miniature giant space hamster.
