D&D 5E WotC Announces An Impending Announcement: New Setting, Storyline

Early this week, WotC announced on Twitter that today there would be some kind of announcement on their Twitch channel. Those who heard that announcement and tuned in were treated to an announcement that the new storyline will be announced at a live event in June. The press release announcing the impending announcement also mentions a new setting, as well as the storyline, so it sounds like...

Early this week, WotC announced on Twitter that today there would be some kind of announcement on their Twitch channel. Those who heard that announcement and tuned in were treated to an announcement that the new storyline will be announced at a live event in June.

The press release announcing the impending announcement also mentions a new setting, as well as the storyline, so it sounds like it might not be set in the Forgotten Realms (or maybe is in a new region - to 5E - of the Realms, such as Icewind Dale). The adventure and the setting might be the same thing, or they might be completely different things. Recently, WotC has released a bunch of settings: Eberron, Ravnica, Wildemount, and the upcoming Theros.

Fans of D&D will learn all about the new setting and storyline

The new storyline specifically will be revealed at 12pm PST (8pm GMT) on Thursday, June 18th.

1.jpg

The June event will raise money for Comic Relief, and will feature celebrities including Brandon Routh (Superman), and will preview the brand new storyline. It takes place June 18th-20th. Other names involved include Felicia Day, Deborah Ann Woll, Amy Acker, David Harbour, Matthew Lillard, and more.


cold.png


 PRESS RELEASE



RENTON, WA – May 21, 2020 – People all over the world continue to stay safe by staying home, but that doesn’t mean the adventuring has to stop. Dungeons & Dragons is more popular than ever because it allows people to weave compelling stories together even when they’re physically apart through online videoconferencing. Now, Wizards of the Coast brings the stars to this virtual table with D&D Live 2020: Roll w/ Advantage. An amazing cast of characters led by expert storytellers preview the latest D&D storyline with live gaming sessions, all while raising money for Red Nose Day to help the most vulnerable children across the US and around the world, who have been so affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.The adventure begins 10:00am PT on June 18, 2020 and will run through June 20, 2020 at dungeonsanddragons.com.

D&D Live 2020: Roll w/ Advantage features big personalities playing elves, wizards and fighters to accomplish quests using their imaginations. Funny people like Brian Posehn, Kevin Sussman and Thomas Middleditch will work together to solve problems or, more likely, cause some hilarious new ones. WWE ® Superstars Xavier Woods ®, Tyler Breeze ®, Ember Moon ®, Alexa Bliss ® and Dio Maddin ® will contend with beefcake destroyer Jeremy Crawford, a.k.a. Principal Rules Designer for D&D. Deborah Ann Woll will lead a group of actors in improvising a way to help people in a fantasy world not that different from ours. And principal D&D writer Chris Perkins takes players

Fans of D&D will learn all about the new setting and storyline as well as accompanying new products plus tons of unique gameplay available on June 18, 2020. D&D Adventurers League has four new short adventures everyone can enjoy. By donating a small amount to Red Nose Day, fans will have access to sign up for D&D sessions with players around the world! During #DnDLive2020, fans will also be able to choose the character best suited to help the region through Reality RP, a mashup of fantasy storytelling, community engagement, and reality television.


 

log in or register to remove this ad


log in or register to remove this ad

NiClerigo

Adventurer
I’m almost sure you guys are right. But which are the clues pointing towards the next storyline being set in Icewind Dale? The frozen region image and snowy owlbear in the announcement?
 

I’m almost sure you guys are right. But which are the clues pointing towards the next storyline being set in Icewind Dale? The frozen region image and snowy owlbear in the announcement?
The other factor is the tie in to the Dark Alliance computer game. WotC have a history of tying print releases to computer games (even when the computer games are garbage, which they usually are).
 

Minigiant

Legend
Supporter
Maybe we will finally get an official Modern setting? With guns and motorcycles.

DM: The orc chieftain glares at you
Fighter: I pull out my pistol of reloading!
 


Parmandur

Book-Friend
But wasn't the chatter started after DiA was announced? Also, said chatter involved a major retcon to Bane, who for some strange reason abandoned his position as a greater deity after the second sundering and decided to strut around the realms with Bhaal and Myrkul as demigods (none of that playing into the storyline).

Mindflayers have a pretty solid presence in BG as is (check the description of the Dukes) so that already ties them into BG3 (if Larian don't play up that angle it will be a missed lore opportunity). What are their lore ties to the far north exactly? That's the first time I see them mentioned in that context.

No, actually! The Lore You Should Know segments were laying out Baldur's Gate and Hell centered episodes for a few months before Avernus was announced. Perkins actually laid a significant amount before they said jack explicitly.

I understand Mindflayers have played major roles in some of the video games and novels set in Icewind Dale. And Arctic regions are fitting locations for Lovecraftian skullduggery.
 

Parmandur

Book-Friend
I’m almost sure you guys are right. But which are the clues pointing towards the next storyline being set in Icewind Dale? The frozen region image and snowy owlbear in the announcement?

Chatter from the Adventurer's League scene, a peculiar rise of Icewind Dale social media postings similar to Baldur's Gate last year or Waterdeep the year before, Lareal Explorer's Guide includes Icewind Dale as a location alongside precious Adventure locales...
 

I understand Mindflayers have played major roles in some of the video games and novels set in Icewind Dale.
I don't recall mindflayers in IWD, certainly not in any significant role. Possibly in the Trials of the Loremaster expansion, but that is set in Anauroch.

There are lots of mind flayers in Baldur's Gate 2, but that doesn't go anywhere near Icewind Dale.

I don't think there are any in The Chrystal Shard either, which is the only novel I have read that is set mostly in Icewind Dale.
 

dalisprime

Explorer
No, actually! The Lore You Should Know segments were laying out Baldur's Gate and Hell centered episodes for a few months before Avernus was announced. Perkins actually laid a significant amount before they said jack explicitly.

I understand Mindflayers have played major roles in some of the video games and novels set in Icewind Dale. And Arctic regions are fitting locations for Lovecraftian skullduggery.
So apparently there was a mind flayer compound in ID2 that I totally forgot about, but I didn't think the games were canonical?
Which books dealt with them in the frozen north?
 

Parmandur

Book-Friend
But wasn't the chatter started after DiA was announced? Also, said chatter involved a major retcon to Bane, who for some strange reason abandoned his position as a greater deity after the second sundering and decided to strut around the realms with Bhaal and Myrkul as demigods (none of that playing into the storyline).

Mindflayers have a pretty solid presence in BG as is (check the description of the Dukes) so that already ties them into BG3 (if Larian don't play up that angle it will be a missed lore opportunity). What are their lore ties to the far north exactly? That's the first time I see them mentioned in that context.
I don't recall mindflayers in IWD, certainly not in any significant role. Possibly in the Trials of the Loremaster expansion, but that is set in Anauroch.

There are lots of mind flayers in Baldur's Gate 2, but that doesn't go anywhere near Icewind Dale.

I don't think there are any in The Chrystal Shard either, which is the only novel I have read that is set mostly in Icewind Dale.

Icewind Dale 2, which does take place in Icewind Dale, apparently has an Illithid colony called Z'Hinda Cithadel in the Underdark of the region. Of course, they all get murdered hard by the PCs, but that was 200 years before FR "present time"...

The Crystal Shard itself apparently merged with a Mindflayer at some point?
 

Remove ads

Remove ads

Top