D&D 5E WotC Explains 'Canon' In More Detail

Recently, WotC's Jeremy Crawford indicated that only the D&D 5th Edition books were canonical for the roleplaying game. In a new blog article, Chris Perkins goes into more detail about how that works, and why.

This boils down to a few points:

• Each edition of D&D has its own canon, as does each video game, novel series, or comic book line.
• The goal is to ensure players don't feel they have to do research of 50 years of canon in order to play.
• It's about remaining consistent.

If you’re not sure what else is canonical in fifth edition, let me give you a quick primer. Strahd von Zarovich canonically sleeps in a coffin (as vampires do), Menzoberranzan is canonically a subterranean drow city under Lolth’s sway (as it has always been), and Zariel is canonically the archduke of Avernus (at least for now). Conversely, anything that transpires during an Acquisitions Incorporated live game is not canonical in fifth edition because we treat it the same as any other home game (even when members of the D&D Studio are involved).

D&D Canon | D&D Studio Blog | Dungeons & Dragons

In this D&D Studio Blog, Chris Perkins describes the D&D Studio's position on canonicity.

dnd.wizards.com

D&D General - WotC: Novels & Non-5E Lore Are Officially Not Canon

At a media press briefing last week, WotC's Jeremey Crawford clarified what is and is not canon for D&D. "For many years, we in the Dungeons & Dragons RPG studio have considered things like D&D novels, D&D video games, D&D comic books, as wonderful expressions of D&D storytelling and D&D lore...

www.enworld.org

 

[the Jester]

For example, the Forgotten Realms gods like Corellon, Lolth, Gruumsh, Archdevils like Asmodeus, are called out as factually existing in the Eberron setting.

Those aren't figures from the Forgotten Realms, but ones who happen to feature in the FR as well as other settings. And none of them are originally from the Realms, either.

 

[Parmandur]

That Eberron conceit is no longer true in 5e Eberron. Unfortunately.

It is as true as you want it to be.

 

[Yaarel]

The point is, the core-three books impose Forgotten Realms setting assumptions, especially when it comes to the IP of its "gods".

Where this lack of setting-neutrality becomes the canon, the core rules can interfere with the assumptions of other settings.

 

[lingual]

Have not read everything. Not sure what the hubbub is about.

What does "canon" even mean?

Don't we all (especially the participants in boards like this) run or play in campaigns that have their own "canon"?

This is different from Marvel or Disney which produces stories. DnD allows tables to produce their own stories. Stuff like house rules, etc. are frequently used to actually change the game mechanics.

It seems the very nature of an "official canon" goes against the nature of the game.

As far as their published story content, I think they just want to allow creative freedom. For example, DCAU movies or DBZ movies are not "canon". They can veer off the comics or manga quite a bit. If MCU or DC had to adhere to a strict "canon", it would inhibit storytelling. Or maybe we can have a "flash point/crisis" every 5 years, or FR 616, "Greyhawk Prime, Greyhawk 1,2,...x". I don't think that would satisfy anyone.

 

[Maxperson]

Nope, it's in the rules, if you used it you can't complain!

LOL That's actually a great example of what I'm talking about, though.

Prior to Tasha's I had the Sword Coast Bladesingers as canon for my game. Then along comes Tasha's, retconning the subclass, and suddenly my burden was increased(admittedly not by much) as I had to examine the new class and figure out if I was going to use the new version or not.

 

[Bolares]

Heh. For as much as I dont really care about canon, I can see and feel how later alterations of a canon can get seriously disconnected from its original intent.

Well, that's kind of how everything evolves. Almost nothing passes through time unchanged. And even if how you interpret the multiverse side bar on Rising is the correct way to view it... It's so easy (by design) to ignore it and keep on moving on. Nothing about that kills eberron's lore, it's fully optional, as most of Eberron is.

 

[Yaarel]

It is as true as you want it to be.

Except the canon and future products adhering to the canon say otherwise. Canon is a gift that keeps on giving, whether DMs and players want it or not.

If the core-three books are to be "canon", their own setting assumptions need to be more flexible and more useful to other settings besides Forgotten Realms.

 

[Maxperson]

That Eberron conceit is no longer true in 5e Eberron. Unfortunately.

The Eberron books are very clear that outside gods cannot influence Eberron in any way, and the Eberron cosmology is isolated. You as DM would have to open it up to the outside and allow back and forth travel for that to change.

 

[Bolares]

LOL That's actually a great example of what I'm talking about, though.

Yeah, I know, that's why it's funny

 

[Yaarel]

Those aren't figures from the Forgotten Realms, but ones who happen to feature in the FR as well as other settings. And none of them are originally from the Realms, either.

These unwanted gods are all part of 5e Forgotten Realms.