D&D 6th Edition in 2024

[TristramEvans]

Welll....more like "5.5" apparently.

Info from this weekend's The online D&D Celebration event, as reported by Russ Morrissey


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 Rules Expansion Gift Set

WotC earlier announced a 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 mean...

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

Earlier, WotC announced Mordenkainen Presents Monsters of the Multiverse, a new 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 images...

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.

 

[Trippy]

'Completely compatible' means, to me, same basic rules with a few tweaks and new art. A ‘6th edition’ isn’t ever mentioned.

 

[TristramEvans]

'Completely compatible' means, to me, same basic rules with a few tweaks and new art.

Yeah, I have no idea. I seem to remember the lead up to 3.5 WoTC assured everyone creating D20 content that it was all going to be "backwards compatible"

 

[TristramEvans]

There does seem to be a lot pointing towards a new Planescape though...

 

[Trippy]

There does seem to be a lot pointing towards a new Planescape though...

Yep. There is only so many classic settings they can pick from, ultimately.

 

[TristramEvans]

"Both in formats they've never published products before."

"Experimenting and looking into technology."

"Beyond the books, they want to make different and varied products - packaging and form factor. Things different to hardcovers and boxed sets."

"New experiences in the digital arena."


Ruh-Roh.

Calling it now: they're going to try and make D&D an app.

 

[Trippy]

"Both in formats they've never published products before."

"Experimenting and looking into technology."

"Beyond the books, they want to make different and varied products - packaging and form factor. Things different to hardcovers and boxed sets."

"New experiences in the digital arena."


Ruh-Roh.

Calling it now: they're going to try and make D&D an app.

Well, we already have the D&D Beyond App, that lets you store all your books, characters and other stuff on it - as well as a dice roller.

 

[TristramEvans]

Well, we already have the D&D Beyond App, that lets you store all your books, characters and other stuff on it - as well as a dice roller.

(sigh) I'm old

 

[Trippy]

(sigh) I'm old

Well, do try it out. You can get the app for free at least and generate up to six characters, along with the basic rules and dice roller.

 

[James Gillen]

When I started this game, I had to put all my stats on PAPER! And we LIKED it!

JG

 

[Ladybird]

Those alt covers are amazing.

Calling it now: they're going to try and make D&D an app.

They're probably going to make an app for D&D, rolling together player aids and a VTT, but I'd be incredibly surprised if they ever drop hardcopy books. It's just the same content in a different publication format.

---

I suspect that between the changes they've discussed to monsters, and the tweaks they made in Tasha's, we can already guess a lot about what the anniversary edition will look like; evolutionary tweaks to make it easier to run, rolling a lot of the patch fixes back into the main book, bloodline spells for sorcerors to match the ones later subclasses got, more use of "proficiency times per day" and some of the later design language, scaling stat blocks for the classes that use pets or summons. I wouldn't be surprised to the Artificer make it into the corebook.

The Ranger will, of course, be completely unchanged, as is tradition.

 

[Sosthenes]

I think I used Works for DOS for one of my early games NPCs and PCs. I've got no nostalgia for my handwriting ;)

Not quite sure what's beyond D&D Beyond. A full-blown VTT?

 

[TJS]

When I started this game, I had to put all my stats on PAPER! And we LIKED it!

JG

Theres something weird about the obsession with Apps, given how quickly you can scrawl out a 5e character on a piece of paper.

I'm somewhat reminded of this Mitchell and Webb sketch


I've had players pay money for D&D Beyond to make characters which they then recreate using the character creation system in Roll20. I can't really fathom why you would want to do the same thing twice.

 

[Ralph Dula]

When I started this game, I had to put all my stats on PAPER! And we LIKED it!

JG

in 2003 or 2004 there was a poster ranting on another forum that he HAD to have a fillable PDF character sheet for all games, and when someone suggested notebook paper was fine he informed us all he shouldn’t have “to put pencil to paper in this day and age.”

When no one offered to make character dheets for him he quickly stopped posting, and nothing of value was lost.

 

[redlemonginger]

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.

That's a really good sign.

 

[Ladybird]

Theres something weird about the obsession with Apps, given how quickly you can scrawl out a 5e character on a piece of paper.

I'm somewhat reminded of this Mitchell and Webb sketch


I've had players pay money for D&D Beyond to make characters which they then recreate using the character creation system in Roll20. I can't really fathom why you would want to do the same thing twice.

Different people find different ways of working easier; I've certainly played with smart people who find the minutia of character sheets confusing, and want that extra support to make sure they don't mess anything up. And apps like Beyond make sorting through options easier, because they're all in one place rather than across multiple books (A problem that's far from unique to D&D, to be fair).

You and I can scrawl out a 5e character fairly quickly, but we aren't the entire audience. And hey, it's also to much less likely folk will leave their phone at home than their character sheet, having it in multiple places has value.

(That said, I don't like how 5e's official tools have meant a crackdown on unofficial ones. Dungeon Master's Vault, y'all.)

 

[Doc Sammy]

Given how badly they fucked up Ravenloft in my humble opinion, I'm cautiously pessimistic about this D&D 5.5 edition.

The fact they're trying to make this some kind of app is also not a good sign, but hopefully I'll be proven wrong.

 

[Acmegamer]

The Ranger will, of course, be completely unchanged, as is tradition. Ladybird

I had a good chuckle at that. We can't allow Rangers to be too powerful or fun mind you.

 

[Raleel]

I think I am happy to see no combat support. Not that it’s a thing I would use, but there are a solid chunk of folks now who’s genre assumptions are no longer the same as ours. They didn’t come from classic fantasy and pulp novels. They come from anime and manga, and the conflicts can be be much different.

planescape does seem likely. I might like to see some spelljammer thrown in, but I am guessing it won’t be dark sun. Doesn’t feel like their space anymore.

 

[Necrozius]

The Ranger will, of course, be completely unchanged, as is tradition. Ladybird

I had a good chuckle at that. We can't allow Rangers to be too powerful or fun mind you.

Yeah I was having a second, more thorough review of the Ranger - Beastmaster and wow does it suck. You have to give up an action to have this CR 1/4 creature have an action?

If you want an animal companion for a Ranger nowadays, you're better off just asking the GM for a Sidekick, which can be CR 1/2 and actually levels up and becomes stronger (acts independently and can be an animal).

 

[Picaroon Jack]

When I started this game, I had to put all my stats on PAPER! And we LIKED it!

JG

Does anyone remember the dice in the first boxed set came with a little crayon so you could fill in the numbers?

 

[Ralph Dula]

Does anyone remember the dice in the first boxed set came with a little crayon so you could fill in the numbers?

I learned earlier this week that some games cane with the dice loose in the box (as mine did) while other sets had them bagged (and collectors pay crazy money for still-bagged sets)

 

[Fenris-77]

Does anyone remember the dice in the first boxed set came with a little crayon so you could fill in the numbers?

I still have a blue d10, a brown d4 and a disgusting orange-brown d12 from my Moldvay Box. They're all chipped and manky looking, but I love them.

 

[Ladybird]

Yeah I was having a second, more thorough review of the Ranger - Beastmaster and wow does it suck. You have to give up an action to have this CR 1/4 creature have an action?

If you want an animal companion for a Ranger nowadays, you're better off just asking the GM for a Sidekick, which can be CR 1/2 and actually levels up and becomes stronger (acts independently and can be an animal).

I have a wildfire druid, and the way the pet scales with level is just so nice, as well as giving you an interesting choice in terms of actions. You'd need to make some tweaks to the system so Beastmaster pets actually felt distinct, because a cat or dog or spider or owl or whatever should all feel distinct from each other whereas for wildfire spirits flavour text is enough (Mine's a fox made of fire), but the basic guts of the system are there.

Also, Hunter's Mark should absolutely be a proficiency times per day ability, rather than a spell. It's never felt right there.

 

[Fenris-77]

I feel like the Ranger's companion shouldn't impact his personal action economy so much. There's too much competition certain action slots in 5e for my taste. A ton of stuff that's a bonus action and not enough reaction type stuff. In the case of the companion, I feel like they should be able to act more independently. Maybe not completely, but perhaps inside a range of commands like attack, guard and so forth, with anything more complicate being a bonus action. Just my two cents.

 

[Necrozius]

Also, Hunter's Mark should absolutely be a proficiency times per day ability, rather than a spell. It's never felt right there.

Yeah if there's one thing I'm certain will change in 5.5 or 6e will be how many fundamental class features will become Proficiency /day abilities.

 

[Stan]

I think they over reacted in toning down beasts. In 3e, a druid's pet was nearly as effective as a fighter by itself so it was like getting a 2nd character for free. So they nerfed the beastmaster to be among the weakest options. Yea, they should have less action cost to activate. Certain things should be automatic, like if someone attacks the animal's master, they attack that foe.

 

[Picaroon Jack]

I still have a blue d10, a brown d4 and a disgusting orange-brown d12 from my Moldvay Box. They're all chipped and manky looking, but I love them.

I have several, but I am missing my beige D20 and D12.

 

[Baulderstone]

"Both in formats they've never published products before."

"Experimenting and looking into technology."

"Beyond the books, they want to make different and varied products - packaging and form factor. Things different to hardcovers and boxed sets."

"New experiences in the digital arena."


Ruh-Roh.

Calling it now: they're going to try and make D&D an app.

Either that, or someone at Hasbro has learned about the invention of PDFs.

 

[Gabriel]

Calling it now: they're going to try and make D&D an app.

Yep.

And I also want to point out that setting from the Hickmans is going to have an app that is "integral" to using the setting. Keep in mind that It is very likely one of the upcoming WotC settings is going to be Dragonlance, and it is similarly very likely that Hickman has been involved in some capacity with the upcoming first party products for that. Because of that foreknowledge the upcoming Skyraiders setting is probably set up to link up to the upcoming D&D, not the current version, thus the app requirement.

What gets me is that this is something these game companies of a certain size love to do, but they clearly know that customers don't like or want it. If they thought it would be welcome, they'd put it front and center in their promotion. Our game will be app enabled! But they don't do that. They sneak it in at the end in the small print or they try to say it but conceal they're saying it.

 

[Acmegamer]

Does anyone remember the dice in the first boxed set came with a little crayon so you could fill in the numbers?

You don't still do that to fill in numbers on dice? Black crayon works wonders on dice where the numbers faded.

 

[Jenx]

They should get together with a technology manufacturer and design (to their own specs) a tablet (or tablets in different sizes) optimised for reading PDFs and with HDMI out to feed a bigger screen, preloaded with books, apps, maps, scenarios and more available online. Still keep the paper books but a tablet for GMs that talks to up to half a dozen tablets for players sat around the table and takes care of all the paperwork, dice rolling and speeds things up would certainly help the backs of ageing DMs required to lug hefty tomes around. lets face it, the books aren't getting smaller and we aren't getting any younger.

Bring back the 63 page + 48 page count books! BECMI! Updated for a 'this book is too big to read and my brain is too lazy!' generation! Or is that just me?

 

[Ladybird]

They should get together with a technology manufacturer and design (to their own specs) a tablet (or tablets in different sizes) optimised for reading PDFs and with HDMI out to feed a bigger screen, preloaded with books, apps, maps, scenarios and more available online. Still keep the paper books but a tablet for GMs that talks to up to half a dozen tablets for players sat around the table and takes care of all the paperwork, dice rolling and speeds things up would certainly help the backs of ageing DMs required to lug hefty tomes around. lets face it, the books aren't getting smaller and we aren't getting any younger.

Bring back the 63 page + 48 page count books! BECMI! Updated for a 'this book is too big to read and my brain is too lazy!' generation! Or is that just me?

It's just you, these days folk are more likely to whine that a book is too small, or there are two pages which don't interest them because "everybody knows this, nobody needs to be told".

Although actually - being able to get collected 48-page editions of things would be neat. If you could get a book that was, for example, character gen + one class + the basic game rules, that would be neat for cutting down on the amount of stuff someone might have to carry. Not as a replacement for the PHB, but as an alternate format.

 

[Bunch]

"Both in formats they've never published products before."

"Experimenting and looking into technology."

"Beyond the books, they want to make different and varied products - packaging and form factor. Things different to hardcovers and boxed sets."

"New experiences in the digital arena."


Ruh-Roh.

Calling it now: they're going to try and make D&D an app.

That or the D&DNext license expires and they're going to sell PDFs.

 

[Endless Flight]

D&D 5.0 PDFs will only come out when 5.5 is released. Put money on it.

 

[Shipyard Locked]

I think I am happy to see no combat support. Not that it’s a thing I would use, but there are a solid chunk of folks now who’s genre assumptions are no longer the same as ours. They didn’t come from classic fantasy and pulp novels. They come from anime and manga, and the conflicts can be be much different.

I'm definitely interested. I've been reading the short RPG Path of the Healer and the idea of running "fantasy Doctors Without Borders" sounds like a good challenge. However, being able to do it in D&D rather than an iffy diceless system would make the idea easier to pitch to players.

 

[robertsconley]

Different people find different ways of working easier; I've certainly played with smart people who find the minutia of character sheets confusing, and want that extra support to make sure they don't mess anything up. And apps like Beyond make sorting through options easier, because they're all in one place rather than across multiple books (A problem that's far from unique to D&D, to be fair).

When I made the first version of this, it was a definite improvement over referencing the rulebook. I got it to the point that I could have character generation as part of running a convention event as a complete character could be made in 15 to 20 minutes. Now I realize that some will say that "But Rob, OD&D was always simple." Yes but if you tried to use the original books or even Swords & Wizardry folks would stall out with spells and equipment pushing it beyond 30 minutes. It wasn't that much time but it was enough that I had to make it faster.
Plus I couldn't keep enough rulebooks on hand for a table of six but I could easily do that with a set of reference cards.

This is for my own rules the Majestic Fantasy RPG

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

And this is for Swords & Wizardry Complete

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

 

[Armchair Gamer]

D&D 5.0 PDFs will only come out when 5.5 is released. Put money on it.

The question of PDFs is going to be related on 'how much do we depend on game stores', IMO--I got the distinct impression that one of the reason for not doing PDFs of 5E was to avoid undercutting those stores, which WotC depends on not only for sales but for promotion, building the network, etc. If they feel that's no longer a concern, they may go PDF and print-simultaneous. Of course, there are always the piracy concerns that shut down the PDFs in 4E's time.

But it's certainly liberating not to care about any of this beyond idle curiosity.

 

[EmperorNorton]

Honestly I expect the "next evolution" to mostly just be some smoothing over a few bumps and redoing some classes that were particularly bad (no version of the 5e Ranger is well done, not even the playtest versions). Converting some stuff that were put in spells that should have been class features (eldritch blast (as scaling it to Warlock level fixes most of the dip problems), hunter's mark, etc.)

I doubt we are seeing a whole new edition.

As for the app stuff... eh it will probably exist but will still be stuff you can easily ignore if you don't want to use it.

 

[Ladybird]

The question of PDFs is going to be related on 'how much do we depend on game stores', IMO--I got the distinct impression that one of the reason for not doing PDFs of 5E was to avoid undercutting those stores, which WotC depends on not only for sales but for promotion, building the network, etc. If they feel that's no longer a concern, they may go PDF and print-simultaneous. Of course, there are always the piracy concerns that shut down the PDFs in 4E's time.

But it's certainly liberating not to care about any of this beyond idle curiosity.

I still feel it's more due to the amount of companies wanting to license out sections of 5e for re-publishing. We'll see PDF's after 5e starts to commercially slow down.