ROLEPLAYING GAMES
True Blood actors Joe Manganiello, left, and Deborah Ann Woll help unveil the new Dungeons & Dragons storyline, “Waterdeep: Dragon Heist” during a live streaming event at the Line 204 Studios on Friday, June 1, 2018, in Los Angeles.
STREET SMARTS
D&D teases next storyline - a heist in Waterdeep The Stream of Many Eyes has spoken: The next Dungeons & Dragons adventure storyline will be Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, in stores Sept. 20. Announced Friday as a weekend of Twitch D&Dcelebrity action kicked off, the hardcover book provides tons of detail for running adventures in a fantasy city such as Waterdeep, one of the grandest cities in the Forgotten Realms campaign world. Players need to use diplomacy, intrigue, stealth, and their wits to follow clues and solve puzzles in this daring, urban treasure hunt. The $49.95 adventure, described below, is for character levels 1-5:
Famed explorer Volothamp Geddarm needs you to complete a simple quest. Thus begins a mad romp through the wards of Waterdeep as you uncover a villainous plot involving some of the city’s most influential figures. A grand urban caper awaits you. Pit your skill and bravado against villains the likes of which you’ve never faced before, and let the dragon hunt begin! Also announced: the 256-page adventure Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage, set in the iconic Undermountain mega-dungeon, as well as a Dragon Heist-themed set of polyhedral dice for $25. — Jayson Peters
Magic card content comes to D&D with Ravnica Wizards of the Coast has owned both Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons for many years now, but rarely have the two brands commingled except in free, online only D&D supplements based on Magic card game settings. That changes Nov. 20, 2018, when the Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica comes out. The book will contain everything fans need to play D&D in the fan-favorite Magic setting of Ravnica, populated by 10 rival guilds, each with its own ethos and agenda. “Fans of Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering have been asking for years about when these two amazing brands would play together,” said Nathan Stewart, director of D&D. “With the huge surge in popularity of D&D and Magic’s commitment to bring the lore and storytelling to life, the timing seemed perfect. Ravnica is full of adventure possibilities and I can’t wait for fans to jump in to embody a member of one the iconic guilds. I will personally be making a new character for Rakdos.” “This fall, Magic returns to the beloved plane of Ravnica with the release of the Guilds of Ravnica set for the trading card game and the D&D book Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica which will include classes, races, monsters and setting information on the ten opposing guilds,” said Elaine Chase, Vice President, Global Brand Strategy & Marketing for Magic: The Gathering. “It’s super cool for fans of D&D and Magic to be playing together in the same multiverse.” “We’re excited for fans to dive deeper into the robust world of Ravnica as they adventure as a member of their favorite guild,” said Aaron Forsythe, Senior Design Director for Magic: The Gathering. “Picking up Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica is a great way for D&D and Magic fans alike to tell a part of Ravnica’s story with their friends around the table.” — Jayson Peters 6
Eberron returns!
Wizards also announced Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron, a new document written by Keith Baker available online now in the Dungeon Masters Guild online marketplace. Fans can use this as a jumping off point to create their own monsters, adventure modules, and other tabletop content set within the Eberron world, and can put it up for sale themselves on the DMs Guild. The magic-heavy, film-noir setting of Eberron first debuted in the days of the 3.5 Edition, back in 2002, when author and game designer Keith Baker won a “Fantasy Setting Search” contest. The D&D team has been working with him to update the setting. The first step is this digital release, which will serve to collect feedback on adjusted races, dragon marks, new backgrounds and more. “It’s been sixteen years since I planted the first seeds that would become Eberron, and watching it grow has been an amazing journey,” Baker, said. “So many good people have been involved in creating the world we see today, and it’s been wonderful to see it come to life. I can’t wait to see what people do with the world!” — Jayson Peters
