D&D General Greyhawk to Faerun and Beyond: A Multiversal D&D Lore Book Is Coming This Fall

This coming October, a 360+ page hardcover which delves into Dungeons & Dragons' various worlds and settings will be released. The book isn't from WotC--it's from Ten Speed Press--but it's by Adam Lee, who wrote for Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus and Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. The book comes full of 50-years of artwork, and is narrated by the famous wizard Mordenkainen. Additionally, the book contains some original fiction.

Dungeons & Dragons Worlds & Realms: Adventures from Greyhawk to Faerûn and Beyond is available for pre-order already.

The book covers Greyhawk, Mystara, Dragonlance, Faerun, Eberron, the Feywild and Shadowfell, Spelljammer, the Nine Hells, the Abyss, Sigil, and the Far Realm. It's a book of lore and story, not a rulebook, giving an overall of D&D's entire multiverse and its many worlds.

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Celebrate fifty years of the spellbinding settings and planes of Dungeons & Dragons with this beautifully illustrated exploration of the multiverse.

Worlds & Realms is an illustrated, story-driven retrospective celebrating the immersive worldbuilding of D&D since the iconic game’s inception in 1974. Legendary mage Mordenkainen takes adventurers on a fantastical journey through the multiverse, delving into memorable and fascinating lore and locations across all five editions of the game.

With Mordenkainen’s guidance, readers will revisit worlds that have come to define D&D over the decades, from the familiar realms of the Material Plane to lands beyond the Astral Sea. Mordenkainen’s philosophical musings provide a mage’s-eye view of the worlds’ unique features, creatures, and characters, captivating readers’ imaginations as they learn more about the history and mysteries of the multiverse. Additionally, readers will join adventuring parties with inhabitants of each realm through exclusive short stories by award-winning contributors Jaleigh Johnson, Jody Houser and Eric Campbell, Jasmine Bhullar, and Geoffrey Golden.

Full of exciting and enchanting artwork showing fifty years of gameplay evolution from vintage D&D through the present, with original cover and chapter-opener illustrations, Worlds & Realms is a spellbinding tour of the strange and wonderful worlds of the multiverse, appealing to both new and long-standing fans alike.

Polygon has some previews of the book.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I suspect this is a main goal of Worlds & Realms.

Provide a 2024 version of the traditional setting, to help guide the fan websites with regard to sensitive content.

Relatedly, provide guidance for indy products that utilize the WotC IP trademarks. Only core is canon, but this overview helps to build a head canon for the indy producers.

So...a guide to rewriting history.

Hard pass.

 

[Yaarel]

What would be the point? Radically changing the setting to conform with their conception of what "modern" audiences want out of a setting that most of them have probably never heard of seem like a case of diminishing returns to me. Best to not mention it at all if they're that afraid of addressing it.

I suspect, WotC agrees with you. If they are damned if they do update Dark Sun, and damned if they dont, the outcome is no Dark Sun.

So...a guide to rewriting history.

Hard pass.

WotC already did jettison the authority of the past versions of settings, by declaring there is no "canon" except the 5e Core (PH, MM, and DMG).

But as of yet, there is still less guidance about what the legacy settings "should" look like.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I suspect, WotC agrees with you. If they are damned if they do update Dark Sun, and damned if they dont, the outcome is no Dark Sun.



WotC already did jettison the authority of the past versions of settings, by declaring there is no "canon" except the 5e Core (PH, MM, and DMG).

But as of yet, there is still less guidance about what the legacy settings "should" look like.

Well, you have clearly delineated all the reasons why they're not getting my money, so there's that at least.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It is easy to end slavery within Dark Sun, especially after the end of (most of) the Sorcerer Kings.

If there was enough apparent money in it, Dark Sun could 100% be brought back.

The real answer isn't that they don't want to solve those surmountable issues, it's that they don't think Gen X nostalgia for a setting that apparently didn't make much money in its heyday would make them more money than other projects they can publish.

People jonesing for a Dark Sun hit should check out ShadowSun, an indie publication for Shadowdark.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Does make me wonder, since all of the other worlds mentioned had a recent publication if Mystara might be next on the list of campaign settings they intend to revive.

I have a hard time picturing what Mystara brings to the table for them. A third kitchen sink setting in the mix would be a weird choice for them to make. The only thing I can see them doing is a Glantri-focused project, since they haven't done anything with true magocracies in 5E.

We'll see. I suspect it's just a nostalgia play, but I certainly wouldn't object to an urban adventure in Glantri City with its canals, scheming wizards, etc. Renaissance Venice with magic is a pretty awesome setting.

 

[Yaarel]

If there was enough apparent money in it, Dark Sun could 100% be brought back.

The real answer isn't that they don't want to solve those surmountable issues, it's that they don't think Gen X nostalgia for a setting that apparently didn't make much money in its heyday would make them more money than other projects they can publish.

People jonesing for a Dark Sun hit should check out ShadowSun, an indie publication for Shadowdark.

Heh, I normally to hate post-apocalyptic settings. I consider them intellectually lazy, as if technology isnt accelerating. But.

Dark Sun does so many things right, it continues to maintain my fascination. Despite being nontheistic, it is deeply religious, with dao-like Elemental sacred traditions and animistic shamanic communities. It gets the link between animism and psionic accurately, including landscape features that are psionic.

I hope these nature themes can show up elsewhere in D&D.

 

[UVAtom]

So as one of the aforementioned five fans of Birthright, I am disappointed that it wasn’t included. But there could be an in-universe reason for this, as Aebrynis is cut off from the rest of the multiverse via the Shadow World.

Of course, the whole “your blood makes you better suited to rule” thing probably doesn’t fly these days.

But to cut out Dark Sun? When 5e adventures have already included guidance on how to run them on Athas? Just seems like a missed opportunity.

 

[mamba]

The real answer isn't that they don't want to solve those surmountable issues, it's that they don't think Gen X nostalgia for a setting that apparently didn't make much money in its heyday would make them more money than other projects they can publish.

and yet they brought back Spelljammer, which sold no better / slightly worse…

 

[Mercador]

I'm in!

Will it be as good as Art & Arcana?

 

[timbannock]

and yet they brought back Spelljammer, which sold no better / slightly worse…

Just a wild guess here, but I suspect some of this is due to "cool factor." I think the folks in charge of D&D want to push out stuff that is extremely, visually part of the "D&D brand" and that doesn't really get a lot of love elsewhere. Both Spelljammer and Planescape got these special sort of releases...and also some MTG settings and then a couple oddballs like Radiant Citadel and Witchlight. They are really trying to lean into the stuff that's "weird" but also isn't a huge stretch, in a lot of ways.

Dark Sun is notable and memorable in part because of how different and un-D&D-like it is. That compounded by their inability or unwillingness to present a new path forward with the problematic elements I think simply means it's one too many problems for them to design their way out of.