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

 

[ReshiIRE]

It is presented as neccessary to the foundation of Good. When it was torn down, Kelemvor decided to grant people afterlives based off of their deeds and actions instead of their faith, leading to people committing heroic suicide because they knew their afterlife was guaranteed, and Good would fall to Evil because Good lacked defenders.

It is intrinsically tied to being good.

Yikes.

Unsure if intended but this is almost sounding like an argument for 'justification based on faith alone', which feels a little gross.

Not an aspect I'd include in FR if I were to run it.

 

[Mirtek]

Right. So he can't actually grant clerical powers, but can deceive people into thinking he's a god.

Well, it's a level 1 commoner all he has to do it make a skill check

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Y’all, I think we’ve traveled far enough along the road of “whose real world subculture had it worse”, don’t you?

I’m glad we agree!

 

[Chaosmancer]

There's even more. During the interregnum between Cyric losing the lordship over death and Kelemvor attaining it, no mortal on Faerun could die. There were samples of mortals being left in some serious predicament until Kelemvor was in office and they could find sweet release in death.

Which is a bit bizarre, because when I search the FR wiki for Gods associated with the portfolio of Death, it is quite a list

Amaunator • Bhaal • Great Mother • Grolantor • Jergal • Kelemvor • Laduguer • Laogzed • Loviatar • Memnor • Myrkul • Null • Raven Queen • Shar • Talona • Urogalan • Vecna • Velsharoon • Yurtrus

And none of this includes racial gods, like Yurtrus, Sehanine Moonbow. Naralis Analor, Kiaransalee, Valkuana, Dumathoin, Urogalan, Segojan Earthcaller, Urdlen

It seems that if death wasn't working, then a lot of these deities aren't who they claim to be

 

[Chaosmancer]

"Being told" something is not discrimination.
Being excluded from housing, or charged a different rate on a loan, or being beaten for wearing certain clothes, or being hung from a tree for your skin color? That is discrimination.

And that happens too, based on their beliefs

 

[J.Quondam]

deleted, to respect moderation.

 

[Chaosmancer]

If none have those issues, Sune and her discriminatory beliefs are fine.

No. Putting discriminatory beliefs on a pedestal and saying they are the domain of "Good" ESPECIALLY, when at the same time trying to make it an objective and unquestioned good is never fine, whether or not it is personally harmful or insulting to someone or not.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Aha. That wasn't clear.

Why would I feel the need to include something that only exists in one setting? I'm talking about actual changes to lore in the setting(s) that I use. Like Bladesingers and the mechanics/lore changes from Tasha's. Specific changes to lore already established. New lore is new lore, but only for the setting it's put out for. I wouldn't even look at something from Strixhaven to see if it needed to be included in the Forgotten Realms as that lore isn't for the Realms.

But Tasha's was a general change to the class, no need to change the lore at all.

And if you can include a Witherbloom druid without including Witherbloom college... then just what lore would you be required to painstakingly go over if you decide to lock your settings lore? Just make a cut off and say " no new lore past this point" and you're done.

 

[Mirtek]

Which is a bit bizarre, because when I search the FR wiki for Gods associated with the portfolio of Death, it is quite a list

Amaunator • Bhaal • Great Mother • Grolantor • Jergal • Kelemvor • Laduguer • Laogzed • Loviatar • Memnor • Myrkul • Null • Raven Queen • Shar • Talona • Urogalan • Vecna • Velsharoon • Yurtrus

And none of this includes racial gods, like Yurtrus, Sehanine Moonbow. Naralis Analor, Kiaransalee, Valkuana, Dumathoin, Urogalan, Segojan Earthcaller, Urdlen

It seems that if death wasn't working, then a lot of these deities aren't who they claim to be

You are confusion domains and portfolios. Also some of those were just dead at this time or not even connected to Toril.

You have a thing about Yutrus and to be fair, those poor sods being shown crushed under a collapsed building or stuck to a torture table and already having received multiple deadly wounds were all faerunian humans.

Orcs and non-faeurinan humans could probably die normally during this time.

 

[Scribe]

Atheisism is on the same level of religion. Religious discrimination is still discrimination

Well, in a setting with competing religions, some legitimately 'Evil' with real Gods, with real beefs between Gods, and idological differences that have literal 'real' meaning that can define the cosmology.

Prepare your 'Shocked, not Shocked' gif, but I dont have a problem with Religious discrimination in the fantasy (again, not real) world either.