[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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[pukunui]

I asked Chris on Twitter why the "save the world" adventures always end before you get to the "save the world" tier. His response was "Because we want evil to win" (with a crying face).

 

[Derren]

Fighting Demons in the Underdark with Mary Sue Elf. Sounds like a really innovative storyline...

 

[Celtavian]

Fighting Demons in the Underdark with Mary Sue Elf. Sounds like a really innovative storyline...

Mary Sue Elf won't be in the module. Fighting demons in the Underdark sounds fun.

As far as innovation goes, it's all been done, even an adventure path focused on worms, aboleth, demons, dragons, humanoids, etc, etc. Coming up with something new in D&D would be nearly impossible. I care more if it is fun. Only reason I'm not doing PotA is because Elemental Evil has been done too many times and I have yet to see it done better than the original temple.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

I'm cool with the underdark and demon lords - awesome.

Drizzt will be written out immediately. Uurghh. If Drizzt is around -why does he need the party at all?

He may not be that involved and the reason why he would need the party is because he is not that Special. He can't beat an Adult white dragon by himself why would he be able to beat a Demon Lord by himself. You guys are all vastly overestimating Drizzt's abilities and importance.

Seriously I bet a lot of you guys have no idea about Drizzt his character or his ability. He is not really a Mary Sue, just a decently powerful hero. In all versions of the game that have given him stats he has been around level 15.

 

[JWO]

Does this mean I'll finally have to figure out how I'm supposed to pronounce 'Drizzt'?!

 

[BoldItalic]

Instead of going down into the underdark to fight demons in their lairs (where they are strongest), wouldn't it make more sense to wait until they try to come out onto the surface (where they are weaker) and fight them then? Lure them into a trap?

 

[delericho]

Instead of going down into the underdark to fight demons in their lairs (where they are strongest), wouldn't it make more sense to wait until they try to come out onto the surface (where they are weaker) and fight them then? Lure them into a trap?

The usual argument is that a demon lord/god/whatever that has entered the Prime Material must have somehow forced their way in and is thus weakened by the experience. Therefore, the strategy is to hit them while they're still weak, because you won't be able to face them when they're at full strength.

Of course, that does somewhat neglect the detail that PCs also gain in power, potentially very quickly.

 

[Celtavian]

Instead of going down into the underdark to fight demons in their lairs (where they are strongest), wouldn't it make more sense to wait until they try to come out onto the surface (where they are weaker) and fight them then? Lure them into a trap?

You want to stop them before they reach the surface and start killing people. And perhaps they'll work in an angle where you're protecting Underdark races.

 

[Kramodlog]

WOTC Announces X. Goldomark craps on X, and WOTC, with not much more than a single sentence of crapping. And you're accusing someone else of having a pattern of laziness?

Heh. If at least you could attack what I said to show how wrong I am. But no. I'm right. So you attack my person instead. As usual.

In other words: [sblock]

View attachment 68252 [/sblock]

 

[Kramodlog]

When I think of Orcus, Grazz't, Demogorgon, et al., I don't connect them to Lewis Carroll's Alice.

Where is the connection for Chris Perkins? Is this going to be "Orcus Through the Looking Glass (into the Underdark)"? Is he confused and bewildered by the strange beings he encounters there?

We do not know exactly what Perkins said about Alice. We have someone who reported what Perkins said. Apparently Alice in wonderland was a "spark". That can mean a lot of things.

What I do see in the text is the word wonderland. Explore the wonderland that is the Underdark or something. Seems Alice was a weak spark.