I was gifted the physical copy of The Book of Many Things for X-Mas and I am very excited to get it (delayed due to the reprints).
After the announcements stared to go out about the shipping of the updated physical copies, I started to see tweets about people receiving their copies, then I stared to see tweets about an "alternate cover" version, including a tweet from a Local Game Shop with stacks of both versions (original cover & alternate cover) ready for customers to purchase.
I have looked all over D&D Beyond, and the official D&D (Wizards) site, and do not see anywhere that the Alternate Cover is being sold.
My questions are:
1. For those of you that knew about the Alternate cover art, how did you learn about it?
2. Where is this alternate cover available for purchase?
Cheers!
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Breathe, dragons; sing of the First World, forged out of chaos and painted with beauty. Sing of Bahamut, the Platinum, molding the shape of the mountains and rivers; Sing too of Chromatic Tiamat, painting all over the infinite canvas. Partnered, they woke in the darkness; partnered, they labored in acts of creation.
Every D&D book for 5e has had an alternate cover as a sale incentives for FLGS. WotC hasn't been as vocal about them in their marketing as they had been in the past, but they still do them. I guess they rely on the local stores to promote them on their own. A lot of the bigger stores do mail order and will get them out that way. Eventually, some, I believe find their way onto Amazon via third party. And eBay. Some folks do "invest" in them as collectors items, as they're limited editions (game stores can only order stock for release day, they don't reprint them like the regular cover). I've seen slipcases of the Hydro74 alternates go for $500-800.
The Alt Cover isn't available on DDB or direct through Wizards because of the "small retailers incentive" nature of the alt cover program. Local game shops tend to stock both the main and alt cover. Always been that way for 5e.
Every D&D book for 5e has had an alternate cover as a sale incentives for FLGS.
This is incorrect. Not every book has an alternate cover. There is none for Dragonheist, Dungeon of the Mad mage, Prince of the Apocalypse, and a few others.
Everyone else is correct that the alternate art covers are exclusive to local game stores. The covers themselves started with Volo's Guide to Monsters and were sourcebook-only (with the exception of the Art and Arcana visual history book) until Ghosts of Saltmarsh became the first adventure book to get the alt. art treatment.
I think every book since then has gotten an alt. art cover, though Monsters of the Multiverse is the only one not to get a standalone, as its alternate cover was a part of the Rules Expansion gift set.
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Here is the complete list of Alt covers by (Date/Book/Artist).
These books did not have alt covers after the date you mentioned (after Saltmarsh):
Explorers Guide to Wildemount
Call of the Netherdeep
15/Nov 2016 Volo's Guide to Monsters: Hydro74 21/Sep 2017 Xanathar's Guide to Everything: Hydro74 29/May 2018 Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes: Vance kelly 23/Oct 2018 Art and Arcana: Hydro74 16/Nov 2018 Players handbook: Hydro74 16/Nov 2018 Dungeon masters guide: Hydro74 16/Nov 2018 Monster manual: Hydro74 21/May 2019 Ghosts of Saltmarsh: NC Winthers 17/Sep 2019 Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus: Hydro74 22/Oct 2019 Tyranny of Dragons: Hydro74 19/Nov 2019 Eberron: Rising from the Last War: Vance Kelly 21/Jun 2020 Mythic Odysseys of Theros: Kevin Thong 15/Sep 2020 Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden: Hydro74 17/Sep 2020 Tasha's Cauldron of Everything: Wylie Beckert 16/Mar 2021 Candlekeep Mysteries: Simen Meyer 18/May 2021 Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft: Scott M. Fischer 21/Jun 2021 Journeys through the Radiant Citadel: Evyn Fong 21/Sep 2021 The Wild Beyond the Witchlight: Hydro74 26/Oct 2021 Fizban's Treasury of Dragons: Anato Finnstark 07/Dec 2021 Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos: Hydro74 28/Jan 2022 Tasha's Cauldron of Everything: Joy Ang 29/Jan 2022 Xanathar's Guide to Everything: Joy Ang 30/Jan 2022 Monsters of the Multiverse: Joy Ang 16/Aug 2022 Spelljammer: Adventures in Space: Hydro74 06/Dec 2022 Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen: Chase Stone 21/Feb 2023 Keys from the Golden Vault: Simen Meyer 15/Aug 2023 Bigby Presents: Glory of Giants: Cynthia Sheppard 20/Sept 2023 Phandelver & Below: The Shattered Obelisk: DZO: Olivier 17/Oct 2023 Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse:Tony DiTerlizzi 5/Jan 2024 Deck of Many Things: Chris Rahn
Wizards really needs to allow the collectors the ability to save on the digital copy for Beyond while purchasing the alternate cover at our local stores. Just add an option to include a digital code for $10 more like on beyond.
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Greetings D&D Beyond Community,
I was gifted the physical copy of The Book of Many Things for X-Mas and I am very excited to get it (delayed due to the reprints).
After the announcements stared to go out about the shipping of the updated physical copies, I started to see tweets about people receiving their copies, then I stared to see tweets about an "alternate cover" version, including a tweet from a Local Game Shop with stacks of both versions (original cover & alternate cover) ready for customers to purchase.
I have looked all over D&D Beyond, and the official D&D (Wizards) site, and do not see anywhere that the Alternate Cover is being sold.
My questions are:
1. For those of you that knew about the Alternate cover art, how did you learn about it?
2. Where is this alternate cover available for purchase?
Cheers!
Breathe, dragons; sing of the First World, forged out of chaos and painted with beauty.
Sing of Bahamut, the Platinum, molding the shape of the mountains and rivers;
Sing too of Chromatic Tiamat, painting all over the infinite canvas.
Partnered, they woke in the darkness; partnered, they labored in acts of creation.
Every D&D book for 5e has had an alternate cover as a sale incentives for FLGS. WotC hasn't been as vocal about them in their marketing as they had been in the past, but they still do them. I guess they rely on the local stores to promote them on their own. A lot of the bigger stores do mail order and will get them out that way. Eventually, some, I believe find their way onto Amazon via third party. And eBay. Some folks do "invest" in them as collectors items, as they're limited editions (game stores can only order stock for release day, they don't reprint them like the regular cover). I've seen slipcases of the Hydro74 alternates go for $500-800.
The Alt Cover isn't available on DDB or direct through Wizards because of the "small retailers incentive" nature of the alt cover program. Local game shops tend to stock both the main and alt cover. Always been that way for 5e.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
This is incorrect. Not every book has an alternate cover. There is none for Dragonheist, Dungeon of the Mad mage, Prince of the Apocalypse, and a few others.
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D&D StaffEveryone else is correct that the alternate art covers are exclusive to local game stores. The covers themselves started with Volo's Guide to Monsters and were sourcebook-only (with the exception of the Art and Arcana visual history book) until Ghosts of Saltmarsh became the first adventure book to get the alt. art treatment.
I think every book since then has gotten an alt. art cover, though Monsters of the Multiverse is the only one not to get a standalone, as its alternate cover was a part of the Rules Expansion gift set.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Community Manager (she/her)
You can call me LT. :)
CM Hat On | CM Hat Off
Generally active from 9am - 6pm CDT [GMT-5].
Thank you for your patience if you message me outside of those hours!
Useful Links: Site Rules & Guidelines | D&D Educator Resources | Change Your Nickname | Submit a Support Ticket
Here is the complete list of Alt covers by (Date/Book/Artist).
These books did not have alt covers after the date you mentioned (after Saltmarsh):
15/Nov 2016 Volo's Guide to Monsters: Hydro74
21/Sep 2017 Xanathar's Guide to Everything: Hydro74
29/May 2018 Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes: Vance kelly
23/Oct 2018 Art and Arcana: Hydro74
16/Nov 2018 Players handbook: Hydro74
16/Nov 2018 Dungeon masters guide: Hydro74
16/Nov 2018 Monster manual: Hydro74
21/May 2019 Ghosts of Saltmarsh: NC Winthers
17/Sep 2019 Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus: Hydro74
22/Oct 2019 Tyranny of Dragons: Hydro74
19/Nov 2019 Eberron: Rising from the Last War: Vance Kelly
21/Jun 2020 Mythic Odysseys of Theros: Kevin Thong
15/Sep 2020 Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden: Hydro74
17/Sep 2020 Tasha's Cauldron of Everything: Wylie Beckert
16/Mar 2021 Candlekeep Mysteries: Simen Meyer
18/May 2021 Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft: Scott M. Fischer
21/Jun 2021 Journeys through the Radiant Citadel: Evyn Fong
21/Sep 2021 The Wild Beyond the Witchlight: Hydro74
26/Oct 2021 Fizban's Treasury of Dragons: Anato Finnstark
07/Dec 2021 Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos: Hydro74
28/Jan 2022 Tasha's Cauldron of Everything: Joy Ang
29/Jan 2022 Xanathar's Guide to Everything: Joy Ang
30/Jan 2022 Monsters of the Multiverse: Joy Ang
16/Aug 2022 Spelljammer: Adventures in Space: Hydro74
06/Dec 2022 Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen: Chase Stone
21/Feb 2023 Keys from the Golden Vault: Simen Meyer
15/Aug 2023 Bigby Presents: Glory of Giants: Cynthia Sheppard
20/Sept 2023 Phandelver & Below: The Shattered Obelisk: DZO: Olivier
17/Oct 2023 Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse:Tony DiTerlizzi
5/Jan 2024 Deck of Many Things: Chris Rahn
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D&D StaffWell caught! I keep forgetting Netherdeep didn't get an alternate cover and I wrote on the darn thing.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Community Manager (she/her)
You can call me LT. :)
CM Hat On | CM Hat Off
Generally active from 9am - 6pm CDT [GMT-5].
Thank you for your patience if you message me outside of those hours!
Useful Links: Site Rules & Guidelines | D&D Educator Resources | Change Your Nickname | Submit a Support Ticket
Wizards really needs to allow the collectors the ability to save on the digital copy for Beyond while purchasing the alternate cover at our local stores. Just add an option to include a digital code for $10 more like on beyond.