D&D 5E Upcoming D&D Tidbits: Phandelver, Book of Many Things, Venger, & More!

D&D Beyond has shared some more tidbits of information about upcoming products, including this summer's new Phandelver campaign, and information about Vecna, Planescape, and spring's Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants, and more.

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Here are the highlights:

• In the 2024 Vecna adventure, you will visit various worlds.
• Art by Brian Valezer and Kent Davis from fall 2023's Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants was shared (see below), along with art from the Phandelver campaign by José Manzanedo. There was additional art from Planescape and more which you can see in the video.
• The new Phandelver book will include the existing adventure Lost Mines of Phandelver in the first half and then continue on to higher levels from there.
• They're reimagining Planescape for today's audience--honouring the roots then expanding.
• More cards are being added to the Deck of Many Things in winter 2023's Book of Many Things. A new product type--a deck of cards and an accompanying book. The book digs into the history of the deck and its cosmic place as a force of chaos. It contains player and DM content.
• Venger, the villain from the 1980s D&D cartoon who will be featuring in an upcoming storyline and WotC's Chris Perkins might have hinted he is actually a Red Wizard--'a redder Red Wizard' was the phrase used.
• Many of the various bad guys in the League of Malevolence appeared in the D&D cartoon series -- Kelek, Warduke, etc.

Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants (art by Brian Valezer)

Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants (art by Kent Davis)

Phandelver Campaign (art by José Manzanedo)

Book of Many Things (art by Craig J. Spearing)​

 

[Parmandur]

I don't follow WotC's announcements too closely anymore, but I was apparently mistaken when I assumed this was a campaign setting and not an adventure? I'm not joking and genuinely asking, is WotC using term campaign and adventure synonymously nowadays?

For the past decade at least, they call the large Adventure books Campaigns.

 

[R_J_K75]

"Venger, the villain from the 1980s D&D cartoon who will be featuring in an upcoming storyline and WotC's Chris Perkins might have hinted he is actually a Red Wizard--'a redder Red Wizard' was the phrase used."

I feel that shoehorning Venger into the Forgotten Realms seems forced. If him and others from the 80s cartoon are being brought back, I'd rather see them in their own adventure/setting. Correct me if Im wrong, and I know that Warduke and Strongheart were in a D&D adventure in the 80s but as far as I recall it wasnt in a particular setting, if it was I'd think it would have been Greyhawk

 

[R_J_K75]

For the past decade at least, they call the large Adventure books Campaigns.

Only took me 10 years but I'm just realizing it now

 

[mamba]

I don't follow WotC's announcements too closely anymore, but I was apparently mistaken when I assumed this was a campaign setting and not an adventure? I'm not joking and genuinely asking, is WotC using term campaign and adventure synonymously nowadays?

a campaign is a long adventure (or a series of connected ones) yes, this is not a setting book

 

[Parmandur]

"Venger, the villain from the 1980s D&D cartoon who will be featuring in an upcoming storyline and WotC's Chris Perkins might have hinted he is actually a Red Wizard--'a redder Red Wizard' was the phrase used."

I feel that shoehorning Venger into the Forgotten Realms seems forced. If him and others from the 80s cartoon are being brought back, I'd rather see them in their own adventure/setting. Correct me if Im wrong, and I know that Warduke and Strongheart were in a D&D adventure in the 80s but as far as I recall it wasnt in a particular setting, if it was I'd think it would have been Greyhawk

The D&D cartoon characters were in the DC Forgotten Realms comics, at least.

 

[Parmandur]

Only took me 10 years but I'm just realizing it now

To be fair, they also tend to put a fair bit of Setting info in the big campaign books, for a city or region as relevant, that can easily be taken as the starting seed for a new Setting by a DM filing iff the serial numbers.

 

[R_J_K75]

To be fair, they also tend to put a fair bit of Setting info in the big campaign books, for a city or region as relevant, that can easily be taken as the starting seed for a new Setting by a DM filing iff the serial numbers.

True, I believe Waterdeep Dragon Heist, Ghosts of Saltrmarsh and Descent into Averrnus did that and probably more

 

[R_J_K75]

a campaign is a long adventure (or a series of connected ones) yes, this is not a setting book

I hadn't made the connection until a few minutes ago that my idea of what a campaign setting vs. an adventure isnt what I thought it was.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I don't follow WotC's announcements too closely anymore, but I was apparently mistaken when I assumed this was a campaign setting and not an adventure? I'm not joking and genuinely asking, is WotC using term campaign and adventure synonymously nowadays?

Campaign = one long adventure, as opposed to a collection of adventures, such as Keys from the Golden Vault.

 

[R_J_K75]

The D&D cartoon characters were in the DC Forgotten Realms comics, at least.

Oh yeah you are correct, I had completely forgotten about that. so the idea doesnt seem that forced now that you point that out.