The Next Dungeons & Dragons Storyline Will Be...

And the new storyline for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition is...

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Waterdeep: Dragon Heist! The plot will focus on an urban treasure hunt and a focus on urban and city-based adventures with special rules for running games in that environment. The adventure itself will have variable goals and antagonists similar to the original I6: Ravenloft module, where the DM chooses what "villain" will be the secret villain of the campaign, which will change outcomes of various events. The adventure itself will also have downtime built into the adventure along with the ability to own property in Waterdeep. The adventure for Level 1-5 will be released on September 18, 2018, with an MSRP of $49.95.

A second announcement is anticipated later this weekend, as the product codenamed "Catacombs" has a release date of November 20 and is also a 256-page hardcover book. This would make Waterdeep: Dragon Heist the codename "Broadway" (which also had a custom dice release announced for solicitation last year with the other products, including "Marathon" which turned out to be Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes).

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Wizards of the coast made the announcement as part of a weekend-long live streaming event on their Twitch channel, "Stream of Many Eyes". Other products announced during the live stream include updates to the Neverwinter MMO and its Barovia expansion, a new official history artbook about Dungeons & Dragons with images throughout the history of the game, and a new series of boxed sets with props and handouts for published adventures released so far as well as for Waterdeep: Dragon Heist.

This article will be updated with more information as the Wizards of the Coast live stream continues.

 

[AmerginLiath]

It makes me sad to see how many of you are talking about “the pirate in bondage gear”...the dude is dressed like Zed from Zardoz! It’s a classic Sean Connery character and film, folks, practically ripped from Appendix N!

 

[lordstimpy]

You do not remember correctly. They announced it after the recap day 2. It leaked early day 1 but it wasn’t formally announced.

Xanathar was day 2, but they had the art of the special cover on the wall of the green room that made it into a few first day photos.

 

[CapnZapp]

It's *not* a "save the world" adventure.

Since it's only levels 1-5 it doesn't count.

Give me an official WotC adventure for level *15* heroes that does not save the world, and we can talk.

Not to mention the current trend, where even level 1 heroes are asked to save the world, and doing so as early as level 11...

 

[Jester David]

You do not remember correctly. They announced it after the recap day 2. It leaked early day 1 but it wasn’t formally announced.

Fair enough.
But there’s still not a place for an announcement in the schedule. Where are they announcing it? Why would they have that as a surprise? Or hide where the second big reveal is?

 

[GarrettKP]

Fair enough.
But there’s still not a place for an announcement in the schedule. Where are they announcing it? Why would they have that as a surprise? Or hide where the second big reveal is?

Beats me. My guess is first thing tomorrow before the games or after the first one. But iirc the schedule last year didn’t have a slot for the Xanathar announcement. Just the recap. Maybe I’m wrong. Either way they have a second (and third) book to announce this weekend. So it’s gotta come somewhere.

 

[Jester David]

Beats me. My guess is first thing tomorrow before the games or after the first one. But iirc the schedule last year didn’t have a slot for the Xanathar announcement. Just the recap. Maybe I’m wrong.

Why would they have it first thing and delay a game? Which people have paid to see.
Also I don’t recall them having as formal a schedule last time.

Either way they have a second (and third) book to announce this weekend. So it’s gotta come somewhere.

Why?
If it’s a second adventure, why not announce it in a month or two? Or after the Waterdeep one comes out.
They didn’t do a big stream for Tome of Foes.

 

[Abstruse]

Fair enough.
But there’s still not a place for an announcement in the schedule. Where are they announcing it? Why would they have that as a surprise? Or hide where the second big reveal is?

Previous streams, they didn't schedule any of the product announcements. They just did them randomly through the day. Usually it was stuff like board games and miniatures and other third party stuff.

Seeing the product page and the adventure only being for levels 1-5 made me dig a bit and I remembered the distributor solicitations under codenames from last year. I can't see them doing another big stream to announce another hardcover that's coming out a month after WDH... "Broadway" was listed as a 256 page hardcover with a release date of September 18 while "Catacombs" was listed as a 256 page hardcover with a release date of November 20. So my money is at some point tomorrow, they'll announce a second module dealing with Undermountain.

 

[GarrettKP]

Why would they have it first thing and delay a game? Which people have paid to see.
Also I don’t recall them having as formal a schedule last time.


Why?
If it’s a second adventure, why not announce it in a month or two? Or after the Waterdeep one comes out.
They didn’t do a big stream for Tome of Foes.

The games people paid to see are Sunday, not tomorrow.

And because precedence. The Meltdown Stream they announced both fall books (Storm Kings and Volos). Stream of Annihilation they announced both. No reason to expect they won’t do the same here.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Previous streams, they didn't schedule any of the product announcements. They just did them randomly through the day. Usually it was stuff like board games and miniatures and other third party stuff.

Seeing the product page and the adventure only being for levels 1-5 made me dig a bit and I remembered the distributor solicitations under codenames from last year. I can't see them doing another big stream to announce another hardcover that's coming out a month after WDH... "Broadway" was listed as a 256 page hardcover with a release date of September 18 while "Catacombs" was listed as a 256 page hardcover with a release date of November 20. So my money is at some point tomorrow, they'll announce a second module dealing with Undermountain.

My thoughts exactly (other than I think there might still be a chance it won't be Undermountain, although I won't be surprised if it is). They've announced the two fall releases in the same event the last few years.

It being 1 - 5 means two things, in my opinion. Firstly, the November release will be a sequel, or at least somehow connected, to this adventure. And secondly, since it will be re-playable in four different ways, they're setting it up to be a new "starter adventure" in addition to Lost Mines...

 

[aurvay]

>Releases XGtE
>Extraplanar character options like horizon walker
>Reprints of previous options that are non-FR specific
>Releases MToF
>All about extraplanar conflicts
>Extraplanar monsters with high CRs
>Here comes WH
>Low level
>FR specific
>Sword Coast yet again