[UPDATED] RAGE OF DEMONS! New D&D Storyline Features Drizzt, Underdark, & Demon Lords!

Following Elemental Evil this fall, Rage of Demons will launch a new storyline featuring Drizzt Do'Urden, the Underdark, and various demon lords from the Abyss including old favourites like Demogorgon, Orcus and Graz’zt. This will feature on tabletop, console, and PC. "The demon lords have been summoned from the Abyss and players must descend into the Underdark with the iconic hero Drizzt Do’Urden to stop the chaos before it threatens the surface." It begins with the adventure Out of the Abyss, which releases on September 15th for $49.95, and is being designed for WotC by Green Ronin Publishing. (Thanks to Charles Akins for that last scoop!)

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Drizzt? WotC's Chris Perkins says: "Drizzt's role in the RoD story varies depending on the platform. In the TRPG adventure, the PCs are the stars."

Inspiration: "My inspirations for RAGE OF DEMONS were Lewis Carroll's Wonderland stories and EXILE, by R.A. Salvatore." [Perkins] So this is the Alice in Wonderland inspired story that's been previously alluded to.

Here's the full announcement.

"Today, Wizards of the Coast announced Rage of Demons, the new storyline for Dungeons & Dragons fans coming in Fall 2015. The demon lords have been summoned from the Abyss and players must descend into the Underdark with the iconic hero Drizzt Do’Urden to stop the chaos before it threatens the surface. Rage of Demons is the story all D&D gamers will be excited to play this fall, whether they prefer consoles, PCs or rolling dice with friends.

Following on the critically-acclaimed Tyranny of Dragons and Elemental Evil stories, Rage of Demons will transport characters to the deadly and insane underworld. Rumors of powerful demon lords such as Demogorgon, Orcus and Graz’zt terrorizing the denizens of the Underdark have begun to filter up to the cities of the Sword Coast. The already dangerous caverns below the surface are thrown into ultimate chaos, madness and discord. The renegade drow Drizzt Do’Urden is sent to investigate but it will be up to you to aid in his fight against the demons before he succumbs to his darker temptations.

Dungeons & Dragons fans will have more options than ever to enjoy the Rage of Demons storyline. The themes of treachery and discord in the Underdark are in Sword Coast Legends, the new CRPG (computer role-playing game) coming this fall on PC from n-Space and Digital Extremes. The epic campaign that drives Sword Coast Legends' story forces players deep into the Underdark and continues well after launch with legendary adventurer Drizzt Do'Urden.

For fans of Neverwinter, the popular Dungeons & Dragons-based MMORPG will bring a new expansion – tentatively titled Neverwinter: Underdark – in 2015. The update will see adventurers travel with Drizzt to the drow city of Menzoberranzan during its demonic assault as well as experience a unique set of quests written by the creator of Drizzt, R.A. Salvatore. The expansion will initially be released on PC and will come out on the Xbox One at a later date.

Players of the tabletop roleplaying game can descend into the Underdark in Out of the Abyss, a new adventure which provides details on the demon lords rampaging through the Underdark. Partners such as WizKids, GaleForce 9 and Smiteworks will all support Rage of Demons with new products to help bring your tabletop game to life. To really get in the mind of Drizzt, fans will have to check out Archmage, the new novel by R.A. Salvatore, scheduled for release in early September.

“Rage of Demons is a huge storyline involving all expressions of Dungeons & Dragons, and we’re excited to bring players this story in concert with all of our partners,” said Nathan Stewart, Brand Director at Wizards of the Coast. “I can’t wait to see everyone interact with one of the world’s most recognizable fantasy characters: Drizzt Do’Urden. Descending into the depths won’t exactly be easy for him, and D&D fans will get their mettle tested just like Drizzt when they come face-to-face with all the demon lords.”

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[vandaexpress]

Personally, I've always had a soft spot for the halfling dude Jeff Dee drew, standing up to the human warrior for the sake of his girl.

This drawing is so full of win. From the magnificent hair on the human, who appears to be totally chill, to the overly defensive halfling male wearing pants that are a bastardized cross between bell bottoms and capris (are those canon? please tell me those are canon), to the fact that the halfling woman is cute and then you get to her hobbit feet and it's like damn.

Please tell me where this artwork originally appeared, that I may behold its majesty in person.

 

[HonorBoundSamurai632]

Does it really say that? Gateway was wiped out completely during the War of the Lance and there's never been any mention of it being rebuilt, nor does it appear on the later maps.

http://noryl.tripod.com/west_south_central_ansalon.jpg

In Autumn Twilight the companions meet up with Eben who reports that Gateway was destroyed. They met Eben between Solace and Qualinesti, which means that it would have to have been located near Solace, but later maps don't show it.

Actually, I was wrong. I just double checked it and said after the Time of Darkness, but a year or two before the War of the Lance.

 

[EthanSental]

Nonsense.
Firstly it was eight pages ago.

Secondly, the actual quote is, "Drizzt's role in the RoD story varies depending on the platform. In the TRPG adventure, the PCs are the stars;" which is not the same as saying Drizzt won't have any presence, but is more saying that they are aware of the need for the PCs to be center stage.

But thirdly, the real debate now is over whether or not Morgan Ironwolf or Warduke should get their own adventure and novel series.

I'll take a novel or adventure series on both, Warduke first.

 

[Iosue]

Please tell me where this artwork originally appeared, that I may behold its majesty in person.

Dave Cook/Steve Marsh Expert Rules.

 

[Shasarak]

The only thing more sweet then WotC producing a Drizzt adventure is reading the reaction about WotC producing a Drizzt adventure.

But in all seriousness, why would any PC group want to save Menzoberranzan from Demons when the Drow can use their own Demons to fight off in a big Lloth vs Demogorgon winner takes all battle royal.

 

[AriochQ]

That wasn't what I was asking for. In almost every post where I mention the lack of campaign support, (even though the multiverse is said to be the "default" setting,) I try to give some idea on how WoTC could update the campaigns as cheaply as possible. Everytime though, someone always focuses on the fact that I complained. I said that if they are going to be updating the campaign settings through these adventures piece by piece, than maybe they should come out with a map pack like Pathfinder does so that players and DM's can see ALL of Faerun. In my example I used Greyhawk. I even went as far as to admit that I've come to terms with the fact that they are not going to do a book or box set or anything that resembles a traditional campaign setting .... because well, the truth is, they are WoTC and they know best (because I do not have all the inside information they do.) But I don't think asking for a map pack of all of Faerun is that much. I paid $20 for Pathfinder's Inner Sea Folio, (it only comes with four, highly durable poster maps, that show all of the Inner Sea region,) my wife dropped $15 for X-mas last year and got me the Runelords Folio, and I dropped another $20 on the Jade Regent Folio because WoTC hasn't done ANYTHING with Kara-Tur. This is a money I would gladly give to WoTC for updated maps of the campaign settings. I'm not a PDF guy. I do not own a tablet, or even a cellphone. I'd be willing to live with having an awesome map folio of Krynn, Faerun, Athas, or Oerth .... and then be patient and wait for the updates to come out during the adventures. I'd even be far more excited about the adventures, knowing I'd be getting the campaign updates. I don't think I'm asking for much considering all the other Paizo tactics WoTC has used for this current edition so far.

Have you seen http://ghmaps.net/greyhawk-maps/ ?

I get one of my fellow players to cut an area out of the high resolution hex map at a 2x3 ratio and put it on a flash drive, then I take it to Sam's Club photo lab and have them print it on a 20"x30" poster for $9. If Anna ever sold a folio, I would gladly pay her instead.

 

[CrusaderX]

I'm just happy that Morgan Ironwolf and Warduke (and the Jeff Dee Halflings!) are getting so much love in this thread.

So...who should play Morgan Ironwolf in a new D&D movie or television series? My vote is for Yvonne Strahovski.

 

[pukunui]

But in all seriousness, why would any PC group want to save Menzoberranzan from Demons when the Drow can use their own Demons to fight off in a big Lloth vs Demogorgon winner takes all battle royal.

I don't think it's meant to be about saving Menzoberranzan so much as stopping the demon lords before they settle themselves into their new home and start thinking about what's up on the surface ...

 

[Jester David]

That wasn't what I was asking for. In almost every post where I mention the lack of campaign support, (even though the multiverse is said to be the "default" setting,)

You're asking for campaign support super quickly. The game hasn't been out for a year yet.

For comparison:

This is the first "campaign setting" product.
View attachment 68243
It was a few poster maps and a 32-page folio. Each nation received a short paragraph. And it was released in 1980, two years after the 1e Player's Handbook and six years after the game launched.

This is the update for the FR campaign setting for 2e.
View attachment 68244
It was released in 1993, four years after the release of the 2e core rulebooks. Dragonlance was released the year before and Dark Sun premiered in 1991, a full two years after the core rulebooks.

During 3e, the Realms was doing very well and had become the key setting.
View attachment 68245
This book was released in 2001, the year after the 3e core rulebooks dropped.

Why does WotC need support right now when it took them longer almost every other edition? Just because they were able to rush things out the door during 4e doesn't mean we should expect that now when they have a third of the staff. It's not like they were able to write a giant 320-page campaign book while also working on the core rulebooks.
There's two realistic options. Either they outsource the book to a different publisher or they take their time to do a campaign setting in-between other projects. I don't see them effectively giving the Realms to someone else. Writing a campaign setting is a long, long process and they wouldn't have started prior to December. Even if they rushed the job and fired it out in six months they'd *just* be finishing now for a potential GenCon release.

I try to give some idea on how WoTC could update the campaigns as cheaply as possible. Everytime though, someone always focuses on the fact that I complained.

"Updating" through DnDclassics.com and Unearthed Arcana articles seems to be pretty darn cheap. We already have Eberron and the key unique race from Dragonlance.

I said that if they are going to be updating the campaign settings through these adventures piece by piece, than maybe they should come out with a map pack like Pathfinder does so that players and DM's can see ALL of Faerun. In my example I used Greyhawk. I even went as far as to admit that I've come to terms with the fact that they are not going to do a book or box set or anything that resembles a traditional campaign setting .... because well, the truth is, they are WoTC and they know best (because I do not have all the inside information they do.) But I don't think asking for a map pack of all of Faerun is that much. I paid $20 for Pathfinder's Inner Sea Folio, (it only comes with four, highly durable poster maps, that show all of the Inner Sea region,) my wife dropped $15 for X-mas last year and got me the Runelords Folio, and I dropped another $20 on the Jade Regent Folio because WoTC hasn't done ANYTHING with Kara-Tur. This is a money I would gladly give to WoTC for updated maps of the campaign settings. I'm not a PDF guy. I do not own a tablet, or even a cellphone. I'd be willing to live with having an awesome map folio of Krynn, Faerun, Athas, or Oerth .... and then be patient and wait for the updates to come out during the adventures. I'd even be far more excited about the adventures, knowing I'd be getting the campaign updates. I don't think I'm asking for much considering all the other Paizo tactics WoTC has used for this current edition so far.

Maps are pricey to make. You have to pay a skilled cartographer to spend weeks drawing a region while referencing dozens of source documents. That is super hard, even for settings like the Realms or Dragonlance where most of the work has been done and recently. All for a product only a fraction of your audience will buy.

Again, if you're a fan of Dark Sun, you likely already have the campaign setting and thus have the maps. There's almost zero appeal to existing fans. For new fans, it's easier to introduce them to a single setting and focus on that. That does require a Realms book, but - as mentioned above - that takes time.

 

[Queer Venger]

I find is slightly humorous that the anti-anti-Drizzt posts are starting to come close to matching the anti-Drizzt posts in number and are possibly surpassing them in their passion about being anti-anti-drizzt.

Chibi Graz'zt says:
"I <3 Driz'zt!"