Wizards of the Coast just finished hosting their 2023 Dungeons & Dragons livestream, which was packed with crossovers, campaign announcements, and...musical numbers?
We've compiled a list of everything shown at the live stream below!
Minecraft and Dungeons & Dragons are Collaborating on Crossover Content
Minecraft developer Mojang and Wizards of the Coast announced collaborations in each of their respective fantasy adventure games. Minecraft is getting a Dungeons & Dragons themed DLC, complete with reskins of the Minecraft sandbox and new enemies like Mimics and Beholders to slay in custom D&D landscapes. In the world of tabletop, players will be able to download a free Minecraft-themed monster compendium that includes stat blocks for Creepers, Endermen, and more.
Honor Among Thieves Got a New Trailer
We also got another peek at Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves days before its theatrical debut in a new trailer which included some fun bits Paramount has shown before, like one section where the party hilariously botches using the "Speak with Dead" spell, and mostly just served as a reminder that this tabletop-inspired movie is imminent. You can read our spoiler-free review here.
Wizards of the Coast Made a Musical About Learning D&D
One of the odder parts of the presentation was an animated musical number describing how newcomers can try D&D for the first time. If you or someone you know are considering tabletop RPGs for the first time, I recommend giving it a look!
Hasbro Announced Three New Monster Figurines
Hasbro, parent company of Wizards of the Coast, showed off three new monster figurines: Xanathar the Beholder, an Owlbear, and a Displacer Beast modeled after the version that appears in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. They'll all be available for preorder on March 29th at 8 AM PT/11 AM EST for those who want to get their hands on these plastic beasts.
The Leaked Magic: The Gathering x Honor Among Thieves Crossover Cards were Confirmed
The leaked Secret Lair Magic cards, which feature characters from Honor Among Thieves, were confirmed during the stream and shown off in their entirety. Cards include Xenk, Paladin Unboken, a 4 mana cost human knight with double strike, and Simon, Wild Magic Sorcerer, a 3 mana drop shaman with magical abilities determined by rolling a 20-sided die. None of these reveals were new information since it all came out earlier this month through unofficial channels, but it's nice to have these announced officially.
R.A. Salvatore Talked About His Next Book: Lilith's Warrior
A known quantity in the D&D community, R.A. Salvatore shared an update on his next book, Lilith's Warrior, which will be the third entry in "The Way of the Drow," a series that follows the inconic drow elf for which the author is best known. The hero's adventures have been well-documented in The Legend of Drizzt, an ongoing saga of the dark elf's exploits, and it seems fans won't have to wait much longer for the next chapter.
Neverwinter Menzoberranzan Got a Trailer
The long-running D&D MMORPG, Neverwinter, got a new trailer showcasing the game's next chapter: Menzoberranzan. A collaboration with authors R.A Salvatore and Geno Salvatore, the upcoming campaign will conclude the story arc which seems like it will feature Drizzt himself.
D&D Digital Playspace Got a Closer Look
The hotly anticipated virtual tabletop solution, D&D Playspace, got a much closer look than we've seen so far, including clips from a play session that showcased the platform's capabilities. While plenty of virtual solutions exist for remote groups, this is the first first-party solution from Wizards of the Coast, which uses Unreal Engine to impressive effect.
WizKids Announced D&D Monster "Miniatures"
WizKids, producer of tabletop miniatures to be used in D&D campaigns, showed off some new oversized minis: a fearsome looking Mimic and a much less threatening Owlbear. According to the tongue-in-cheek video, the Mimic will be 20 inches tall and 15 inches wide, whill the Owlbear stands 11 inches tall and 12 inches wide, which if taken literally would make them impractical to use in actual games. Either way, both of the minis are already available for pre-order for those itching to get their hands on them.
D&D 50 Year Anniversary Documentary to Debut Next Year
Next year marks the 50-year anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, and Wizards of the Coast is already getting the party started with a documentary that will celebrate that history. The documentary includes a look back on the 50 years of history for the beloved franchise and celebrity appearances from people who enjoy the game, like Vince Vaughn and Stephen Colbert. Interestingly, the documentary is being made by Joe Manganiello, who you might know as the actor who played Flash Thompson in 2002's Spider-Man.
A Whole Bunch of New D&D Content was Announced
Finally, game designers Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford laid out an extensive roadmap for upcoming D&D multiverse adventures, including:
- Keys from the Golden Vault: a series of 13 heist aventures, which includes at least one Honor Among Thieves tie-in.
- Glory of the Giants: an adventure that explores multiverse character Bigby and the origins of the giants.
- Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk: A Phandalin adventure which will continue the story surrounding the mysterious obelisks featured in recent adventures.
- Planetscape Adventures in the Multiverse: Return to Sigil: a series of adventures that will set up the major story arc planned for 2024.
- The Deck of Many Things will be getting its own content, though few details were given beyond that.
- Vecna will be returning to D&D next year to re-emerge as its main protagonist. Stranger Things was mentioned as the inspiration for this riconic villain's resurrection.
- The Red Wizards will be the main bad guys in 2025, as a nod to their role in Honor Among Thieves.
- The sorcerer Venger will also be returning as a D&D villain, which is a tie-in to the D&D animated show.
- The League of Malevolence will be returning at some point in the future as well, though no specific window for this was offered.
Travis Northup is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @TieGuyTravis and read his games coverage here.
source https://www.ign.com/articles/everything-announced-during-todays-dungeons-dragons-direct-2023
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