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.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I would pay non-trivial amounts for a hardcover book of classic settings and their maps.

An Atlas of the Multiverse seems like a very reasonable product for this series. Even leaving aside dungeon maps, there must be hundreds of outdoor maps (including of the Underdark) over the past 50 years.

 

[Reynard]

Some folks seem way too upset that this isn't a 800 page 5.5E multiple campaign setting game book. You can't have thought that was even a possibility.

 

[Parmandur]

Some folks seem way too upset that this isn't a 800 page 5.5E multiple campaign setting game book. You can't have thought that was even a possibility.

Yeah, honestly even thus is a nice surprise.

 

[Mercurius]

Holy crap, this is a product that I've been hoping/asking for, for something like 10+ years. My most honest response:

 

[Shardstone]

This is the book I am most excited for this ENTIRE edition. I live for this naughty word!

 

[Kobold Avenger]

They don't even have an entry for the Birthright campaign world Aebrynis. No one cares about that setting, not even me. Really unfortunate for the five people who do care.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

They don't even have an entry for the Birthright campaign world Aebrynis. No one cares about that setting, not even me. Really unfortunate for the five people who do care.

I do think it's disappointing that they don't have a "many other worlds" section of the Prime Material section, just giving a few paragraphs to each of the others. It would be easy to do and, since most of them are available in large part on the DMs Guild, it'd be in WotC's interest to have them carve out a few paragraphs each for Jakandor, the Council of Wyrms, Birthright, Thunder Rift, the Concord Worlds etc.

 

[Parmandur]

I do think it's disappointing that they don't have a "many other worlds" section of the Prime Material section, just giving a few paragraphs to each of the others. It would be easy to do and, since most of them are available in large part on the DMs Guild, it'd be in WotC's interest to have them carve out a few paragraphs each for Jakandor, the Council of Wyrms, Birthright, etc.

I mean, there are multiple pages in the Material Prime section prior to the Greyhawk entry where they just may mention those other Settings.

 

[Micah Sweet]

From Polygon:

Lots of page layouts at Polygon, featuring iconic art from past editions, as well as new-to-me pieces.

It doesn't look like this gets anywhere near the level of detail a full campaign setting would offer, or even what the DMG's take on Oerth is likely to be, but this seems like it'd be a neat edition-proof product for DMs who just want a high level view on WotC's take on each of these worlds, as well as for people who are big fans of the official D&D meta-setting.

The description you quoted shows that it's not edition-neutral, what with Spelljammer's Astral Sea that only exists in that form in 5e, and less than a year ago at that.

 

[Micah Sweet]

This is the book I am most excited for this ENTIRE edition. I live for this naughty word!

See, I already have all this information, to a far greater level of detail (which matters more to me than whatever they think is 2024-appropriate). The only thing I might want is what they specifically aren't providing: game details for the edition everybody is playing. This is of no use to me.