In Case You Missed It: D&D News That's Hot Off the Press 

Things have been heating up this summer over at D&D! With Gen Con wrapped up and the new direction for the D&D franchise revealed, it’s clear the road ahead is full of adventure. From new heroes rising in the Forgotten Realms to exciting previews of upcoming products, fans got their first look at the treasures that are to come!

Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn and Adventures in Faerûn

The Realms are calling, and two upcoming rulebooks are set to answer in style. Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn brings character options steeped in this legendary setting's lore, while Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn offers a trove of inspiration to ignite your next campaign.

New and Returning Subclasses

Eight Dungeons & Dragons subclass illustrations from the Forgotten Realms books. Top row: College of the Moon Bard, Knowledge Domain Cleric, Banneret Fighter, Oath of the Noble Genies Paladin. Bottom row: Winter Walker Ranger, Scion of the Three Rogue, Spellfire Sorcery Sorcerer, Bladesinger Wizard

Players glimpsed a host of subclass options at Gen Con, ranging from returning favorites to brand-new archetypes:

  • College of the Moon Bard
  • Knowledge Domain Cleric
  • Banneret Fighter
  • Oath of the Noble Genies Paladin
  • Winter Walker Ranger
  • Scion of the Three Rogue
  • Spellfire Sorcery Sorcerer
  • Bladesinger Wizard

Returning and New Villains

Four Dungeons & Dragons villain illustrations from the Forgotten Realms. From left to right: Sammaster conjuring purple magic, a green-and-white spirit dragon, a drow warrior priestess with glowing red eyes, and Manshoon in green robes and armor.

Heroes aren't the only ones stepping into the spotlight. Several iconic foes are returning alongside new terrors, including:

  • Sammaster, the dreaded founder of the Cult of the Dragon
  • Manshoon, the many-cloned Zhentarim master
  • The drow of Lolth, ever weaving webs of betrayal
  • Spirit dragons, enigmatic beings tied to the magic and history of fallen realms

D&D and Paizo Unite

A zombie reaches for a wizard who interrupted his slumber in a tomb

A long-anticipated reunion between Paizo and D&D is bringing one of Pathfinder's most popular campaigns to fifth edition. Abomination Vaults is a sprawling dungeon crawl full of sinister sorcery, hungry undead, and cursed secrets.

You can play it now on D&D Beyond!

D&D Meets Call of Cthulhu

A series of adventurers facing off against the great Cthulhu

For the first time, players will be able to bridge two titans of tabletop roleplaying. Chaosium's Cthulhu by Torchlight crosses the streams between D&D and Call of Cthulhu in a chilling adaptation that pits adventurers against mind-rending horrors pulled from the Mythos.

Along with eldritch monsters, like the Great Cthulhu himself, you'll also find a plethora of character options and DM tools to help you run horrific adventures!

Available now exclusively on D&D Beyond!

Wander Freely With D&D Beyond's Maps VTT!

"Promotional graphic for D&D Beyond Maps, the official D&D virtual tabletop. The image shows a battle map with tokens in play and text highlighting features: all users can access the VTT; play on owned maps and adventures without a subscription; subscriber tools unlock homebrew uploads and custom assets; built for play with or without a subscription.

On September 16, D&D Beyond Maps—our official virtual tabletop—will be free for all players to run their games. Dungeon Masters can build battle maps in moments, run encounters, and bring their stories to life with ease. Whether you're running your first adventure or leading a high-level campaign, the tools you need will be just a click away.

You can learn more in this blog posted by Dan Ayoub, D&D's new franchise head.

Legends of Greyhawk

Over 2,500 seats were taken for the debut of Legends of Greyhawk at Gen Con! The campaign’s splash was a rousing success, with replay of the Elemental Evil-themed adventures from earlier in the year, and a whole new set of adventures set in Greyhawk City! Loot and levels were obtained, and players impacted the future of the ruling oligarchy of Greyhawk through their actions in a special event adventure called The Crown of Conspiracy.

Legends of Greyhawk is currently in its beta phase and will be coming to many conventions for the rest of the year. Next month, we will begin a regular article feature to showcase what’s happening with the campaign. Stay tuned for more!

Play Previews

D&D play at the Gen Con convention hall

Gen Con was the first look for Heroes of the Borderlands, with over 1,000 players participating in learn-to-play sessions using the newest D&D Starter Set!

Forgotten Realms fans got a sneak peek at several of the player options and a few of the mini-adventures from the upcoming Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn and Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn books, available for pre-order now!

From the Multiverse

Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd

Author Delilah S. Dawson shared a behind-the-scenes look at Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd, offering fans a glimpse of this fresh take into the dark realms of Barovia. Read more here.

Dungeons & Dragons: Horrified

Dungeons & Dragons: Horrified

The cooperative board game Dungeons & Dragons: Horrified sold out at Gen Con, proving just how eager players were to face iconic D&D monsters in this thrilling survival experience.

Sirius Dice: Yawning Portal Treasure Packs

Sirius Dice unveiled their newest Yawning Portal Treasure Portal Packs at the show—sparkling collections of dice and accessories inspired by D&D's most famous tavern. See them here.

Game Theory: Table of Adventure

Game Theory's Table of Adventure made waves with a standout debut at Gen Con. Highlighted in their booth, the Tavern Room, and the Live Play Area, this an officially licensed D&D gaming table and is now available for pre-order.

WizKids: Stranger Things and Collectibles

The Hellfire Club's Dungeons & Dragons characters are stepping from Netflix's Stranger Things into your collection! WizKids unveiled a blister pack of six pre-painted miniatures, each styled in classic D&D fashion and ready for play. The set includes Lady Applejack, Tayr the Paladin, Nog the Dwarf, Sundar the Bold, Will the Wise, and a classic Vecna painted to resemble an old-school pewter figure. See the set here.

We're Just Getting Rolling

The momentum from Gen Con is set to carry forward into an unforgettable year. The next chapter of Dungeons & Dragons is already unfolding, and there’s plenty to get excited about, so keep your dice at the ready! 

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Mike Bernier is the founder of Arcane Eye, a site focused on providing useful tips and tricks to all those involved in the world of D&D. Outside of writing for Arcane Eye, Mike spends most of his time playing games, hiking with his partner, and tending the veritable jungle of houseplants that have invaded his house.

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