D&D 5E What comes after the 2025 Monster Manual?

[Stormonu]

I think releasing an update of any previously published 5e adventure would be the absolute dumbest thing WotC could do in the next year, since they've stated over and over again that the old stuff will work just fine.

Yet, they're already on the 3rd revision of Curse of Strahd already, and 2nd of the Tiamat adventures.

I don't think it's unlikely they'll go back and redo some of the more popular ones. At the least it's a chance to do a reprint for those who may have missed it the first time around, and update some of the monster stats/errata while they're at it.

 

[Belen]

I think releasing an update of any previously published 5e adventure would be the absolute dumbest thing WotC could do in the next year, since they've stated over and over again that the old stuff will work just fine.

So you just stated why this will happen.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I'm surprised by all this talk about updating Adventures - the main reason for Backwards Compatibility (aside from not angering the customer base) was so that the books could remain in print as-is. This is a HUGE financial incentive for WotC and, frankly, any of us FLGSes, not to mention Amazon, that have stocked them.

It's possible that they'll, say, update the format of their monster statblocks as they go out of print and need a new printing - the equivalent of including errata - but I kind of doubt it. At least not early on in the life of 5.24. Probably eventually. Though maybe only if their sales really die off - but at that point it might be better to just let them go OOP.

 

[Velderan]

Yet, they're already on the 3rd revision of Curse of Strahd already, and 2nd of the Tiamat adventures.

I don't think it's unlikely they'll go back and redo some of the more popular ones. At the least it's a chance to do a reprint for those who may have missed it the first time around, and update some of the monster stats/errata while they're at it.

You'll note I said "in the next year". If you're trying to encourage adoption of your new rulebooks in the first year, they're not going to win over people worried if they move on from the 2014 ruleset to the 2024 ruleset they'll invalidate the other books they have already bought if WotC immediately starts reprinting previous adventures with updated mechanics. Emphasis on the word mechanics, reprinting a book with errata lore because the book was due for a reprint and as part of that process had another review by their cultural consultants is something they've already been doing as you noted with the Curse of Strahd example.

 

[Belen]

I'm surprised by all this talk about updating Adventures - the main reason for Backwards Compatibility (aside from not angering the customer base) was so that the books could remain in print as-is. This is a HUGE financial incentive for WotC and, frankly, any of us FLGSes, not to mention Amazon, that have stocked them.

It's possible that they'll, say, update the format of their monster statblocks as they go out of print and need a new printing - the equivalent of including errata - but I kind of doubt it. At least not early on in the life of 5.24. Probably eventually. Though maybe only if their sales really die off - but at that point it might be better to just let them go OOP.

People are always burned by backwards compatible. They tried to tell us that 3.5 and 3e were backwards compatible. They were not. WOTC quickly started reprinting the same material with updates to 3.5 and games stores were trying to liquidate stock that no one wanted any longer.

Honestly, just doing a new edition of the core books will make a lot of people discount older material and DDB will start listing content as legacy which will further enhance that feeling.

The changes I am seeing in the core rules and the fact that they have rules to "update" old content tell me that things are not really backwards compatible.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Tasha 2: Tasha Harder

 

[FitzTheRuke]

People are always burned by backwards compatible. They tried to tell us that 3.5 and 3e were backwards compatible. They were not. WOTC quickly started reprinting the same material with updates to 3.5 and games stores were trying to liquidate stock that no one wanted any longer.

I know! I've owned a game store since 1993. I was there! This is, in fact, my point - they are trying to avoid that this time around.

Honestly, just doing a new edition of the core books will make a lot of people discount older material and DDB will start listing content as legacy which will further enhance that feeling.

They're not going to list Adventures as Legacy.

The changes I am seeing in the core rules and the fact that they have rules to "update" old content tell me that things are not really backwards compatible.

I'm just telling you what I believe that WotC is thinking, based on being in business with them for 30+ years. We don't need to argue about what backwards compatible mean to you (or me, for that matter) - to WotC, it means that they can keep selling their Adventure Hardcovers.

We'll see if that works. I actually think it will for once. The people that generally argue about Backwards Compatibility on these boards either already have the Adventures they need, or know how to make whatever changes they feel are necessary, regardless of whether the Adventure is perfectly current or not. More casual customers are more likely to believe WotC when they say that the Adventures will still work.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Tasha's/Xanathar's type book, with updated and new subclasses, perhaps with an updated artificer.

A revised artificer seems like something there will be a lot of demand for as the anchor of the next Everything book.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Wouldn't they want to make something focused on Greyhawk (GH) since part of that is in the new DMG? Something like the Saltmarsh book, but more GH like the L series with Bone Hill and Assassin's Knot along with a town like Restenford. This would be a cool level 1-10 campaign book.

The Lendore Isles are very cool. I would love to see an anthology anchored there, although they'd have to avoid it becoming Saltmarsh 2 with too many nautical adventures.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I don't think we're getting any updated modules.

I think WotC will want to update the cover treatments of them to the red spines to indicate that they're "current edition" books. While they could just stop at doing that, it would be very easy for them to then say "well, we should update the monster stat block format, too" and then "well, we have this new content we produced in 2024 that would fit in well here ..."