D&D: News Round-Up – Xanathar, Arcana & More
Xanathar’s Guide to Everything breaks records, Unearthed Arcana vacations, and more–this week.
Howdy folks (look we’re based out of Texas, and I’m falling behind on my friendly greetings, we’ve got a quota meet), here’s a look at the latest goings-on from the world of D&D.
For clarity’s sake, I mean the world of the product, not any specific world–of which there are many. Nobody else has to make this kind of clarification. I’m sure no sports writer has ever sat down with news from the world of sports and had to wonder if people thought they might be talking about a newly discovered planet where sports are the center of life and culture. Okay, maybe John Bois has, but that’s beside the point.
We’re here today to talk about D&D news. And Xanathar’s Guide to Everything continues to make headlines this week. The D&D supplement, which introduces 27 new subclass options, features more than 90 new spells, and provides expanded options for players and DMs alike has been well received so far, proving to be the fastest-selling D&D book in history. Xanathar’s Guide came on strong, topping the charts at number one on the Wall Street Journal’s list of nonfiction best-sellers the week of its release.
And that’s out of all non fiction. It’s ranking highly across the board, sitting pretty on Amazon’s rankings, and ruling the hobby and games categories. There’s currently a second run getting ready to come to stores, so grab one while they’re hot.
Speaking of fast-selling supplements, the upcoming Kobold Press 5th Edition book, the Creature Codex, is currently at over $100,000 raised of its $30,000 goal. Backer rewards, like the opportunity to commission a monster or grab a hand-bound vellum edition of the book have appeared and vanished in the blink of an eye. But with 25 days left on their Kickstarter Campaign at press time, there are sure to be more unique rewards, so you’ll want to stay tuned to this one folks.
And in other news, it looks like we’ll be seeing no new Unearthed Arcana for the remainder of the year, according to a tweet from the official Dungeons and Dragons account.
Now, while this does mean we don’t get any new playtest stuff for now, if I’m reading my trends right, it would likely just have been more Elf subraces anyway. In the meantime, this does mean more time for working on getting the Artifice and Mystic revised and ready for playtesting. Those two are the first official new classes for 5th Edition, and they are hotly anticipated.
It sounds like we’re still on track to see those up in an Unearthed Arcana early next year.
Finally, as we near the end of the year, there’s a chance for you to pick up new books and do some good in the world in the form of the Humble Bundle, which is currently offering up a Kobold Press/Frog God Games cavalcade of delights, with their proceeds going to charity as directed by you, the customer. There’s still a few days left in the bundle as of press time, so pick it up while you can–if nothing else, it’s a chance to grab Kobold’s Tome of Beasts.
And that’s the (D&D) news folks. Hope you enjoy.
Xanathar can’t help but let this go to his head. That’s all he’s got.
