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.

 

[StarFyre]

ya its strange. this is what the gf9-dnd site says:

http://www.gf9-dnd.com/Home/tabid/56/entryid/363/see-gf9-on-the-stream-of-many-eyes.aspx

they will be there. they were last year. i remember seeing a link after that someone posted to the time segment.

 

[Abstruse]

Normally, they also have WizKids there too since they have the board game license...

 

[DragonBelow]

Levels 1-5? that must be a typo right?

 

[gyor]

Levels 1-5? that must be a typo right?

Nope. Its only part adventure, its also part city adventurers guide, Waterdeep Setting book and it has four different seasons of plential play to chooae from, each with its own main villian.

 

[Abstruse]

Levels 1-5? that must be a typo right?

No, that's what's listed on the official product page. Most likely, it's the first part of the adventure/sourcebook with a focus on city-based rules as well as an adventure that scales a lot (since it's not as combat-focused) and a second part that's yet-unannounced that was solicited to distributors under the codename "Catacombs" for a November 20 release that will focus on dungeon crawling and Undermountain. Similar to how the Rise of Tiamut adventure was split into two books.

 

[EthanSental]

I keep checking the gf9 site as well for announcement on new products. I got hocked on their limited edition minis, dm screens and spell cards.

 

[LordEntrails]

Different strokes and all, but yeah, a bit of a let down for me from speculation about an Undermountain megadungeon or planar adventure path.

Catacomb will be UM. Besides, if it's not, there's always Ultimate Undermountain.

Mentioned it elsewhere, but it would be neat if this were part 1 in a series, much like the Tiamat books. That's my genie-wish anyway.

Book is proper big for a small level range still, though. Waterdeep must be quite well defined indeed. There was mention of replayability and seeing different parts of the city on each play-through. If it has value as a source-book as well as an adventure I hope they carry that forward into other adventure products.

I suspect they are relying on the Guild Adepts to be putting out higher level adventures for Waterdeep add-ons. In fact, I think it can be pretty much assured that's what the Adepts will be releasing.

Appearntly there is a part 2 to this. Which is Undermountain.

Catacombs... (as has been said from the start).

 

[Irennan]

Catacombs... (as has been said from the start).

At this point, yeah, that's painfully obvious.

 

[Demetrios1453]

I mentioned this a few weeks ago when the two-part structure came into focus - perhaps this is how they will give us setting guides that aren't really setting guides in the future. Basically a setting guide disguised as an adventure with a lot of fluff, followed shortly thereafter by a full-blown adventure based on the first ( but still playable independently). Perhaps next year we'll see "Planescpe: Adventure in Sigil" (the hybrid setting and adventure) and "Planescape: The Great Modron March" as the full follow-up adventure?

 

[Abstruse]

So...I watched that entire stream... I am glad that Wizards of the Coast put so much effort into it. I'm thrilled that thousands of people watched live and enjoyed it. I was not one of them. This was not a thing for me. Not everything needs to be a thing for me. I'm cool with that.

But I asked various representatives from Wizards of the Coast at various levels in various mediums - as press - if they were doing any product announcements during today's stream and the only response I got was a coy "Maybe *winky smile*". So I have officially wasted my entire day because WotC wouldn't do the simple courtesy of just telling me "No, we're not doing any product announcements today".