Dungeons & Dragons Teases New Campaign Settings

Dungeons & Dragons seems to be preparing to explore brand new campaign settings. Last week, EN World had the opportunity to visit Wizards of the Coast headquarters and get new details about D&D's 2025 slate. While much of the focus was on the newly announced Eberron: Forge of the Artificer book or the upcoming pair of Forgotten Realms book, the D&D design team is also looking at expanding their official multiverse to include brand new worlds.

When asked about the decision to return to Eberron in 2025, the D&D design team noted that keeping the Fifth Edition ruleset allowed them to grow the game instead of rehash it. "One of the opportunities that we have by revising the game, as opposed blowing it up and starting over, is we can actually move forward," said Jeremy Crawford, game director . "And I can't wait until we can tell you about 2026 and 2027."

"With Jeremy Crawford taking on the game director role and then Chris Perkins taking on the creative director role is that we were able to really reestablish a world building environment," added Jess Lanzillo, VP of D&D Franchise at Wizards of the Coast. "What does that mean? We can really establish our worlds and settings like the Forgotten Realms and also look to creating new ones again. That's something that we are working on and we don't have anything to really discuss today other than to tell you like we are re-establishing everything that we have and we are going to make some new stuff too."

While Wizards of the Coast has integrated Magic: The Gathering worlds and Critical Role's Exandria as campaign settings for 5th Edition, D&D's last truly new campaign setting was Nentir Vale, a 'points of light' setting that established small bastions of civilization in an otherwise dark world. In 2023, D&D introduced the Radiant Citadel, a new city within the Ethereal Plane that was connected to numerous new civilizations and worlds briefly touched on in anthology books.

 

[Reynard]

I mean, sure, but there's also pretty big differences between John Carter or Narnia and "I've been Reincarnated as a Slime".

I favor just using them interchangeably, and hoping the reader is aware that it's a concept that exists in both the 1920s and 2020s.

Why? We don't randomly use the German word for zombie movies or whatever.

Now, I can see the possibility of a LitRPG setting -- which is somewhat different in that LitRPG specifically focuses on being drawn into a game.

 

[TwoSix]

Why? We don't randomly use the German word for zombie movies or whatever.

Now, I can see the possibility of a LitRPG setting -- which is somewhat different in that LitRPG specifically focuses on being drawn into a game.

Because it's the term people use? I'm a descriptivist to my core, I couldn't care less about the origin of the word as long as people understand what I mean.

A full LitRPG setting would also be awesome. I've started using some LitRPG conventions in a few of my D&D-like games, and it's quite fun.

 

[Reynard]

Because it's the term people use?

Which people? I rarely see it used outside of reddit and, you know.

A full LitRPG setting would also be awesome. I've started using some LitRPG conventions in a few of my D&D-like games, and it's quite fun.

I love true portal fantasy and have a couple campaign outlines using the form. A good book wouyld actually be a guie to the various flavors and styles of portal fantasy, LitRPG, Isekai, etc.. with advice and examples from Barsoom to [insert appropriate anime here].

 

[Scribe]

Cool, I eagerly await my Swords and Sorcery, Frazetta Art Style, Gritty, and Grim setting!

Thanks D&D!

 

[TwoSix]

Which people? I rarely see it used outside of reddit and, you know.

Reddit is a pretty broad cross-section of the people who would be interested in "portal fantasy" or "isekai" in general.

I love true portal fantasy and have a couple campaign outlines using the form. A good book wouyld actually be a guie to the various flavors and styles of portal fantasy, LitRPG, Isekai, etc.. with advice and examples from Barsoom to [insert appropriate anime here].

Is there "false" portal fantasy?

 

[Reynard]

Is there "false" portal fantasy?

I meant as opposed to LitRPG.

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

Why? We don't randomly use the German word for zombie movies or whatever.

Now, I can see the possibility of a LitRPG setting -- which is somewhat different in that LitRPG specifically focuses on being drawn into a game.

That's uncommon in film but very common in literature (and bear in mind, most "isekai" media are actually Japanese prose "light novels", or novellas, sometimes then adapted to manga or anime). A "Bildungsroman", even in English, is "a book about a kid growing up." A "roman a clef" is "a thinly disguised allegorical comedy." There's also "Wuxia", which is usually left untranslated. And D&D is closer to literature than film in both business model and culture.

EDIT: Also, "manifesto".

 

[wizard71]

View attachment 394707

Dungeons & Dragons seems to be preparing to explore brand new campaign settings. Last week, EN World had the opportunity to visit Wizards of the Coast headquarters and get new details about D&D's 2025 slate. While much of the focus was on the newly announced Eberron: Forge of the Artificer book or the upcoming pair of Forgotten Realms book, the D&D design team is also looking at expanding their official multiverse to include brand new worlds.

When asked about the decision to return to Eberron in 2025, the D&D design team noted that keeping the Fifth Edition ruleset allowed them to grow the game instead of rehash it. "One of the opportunities that we have by revising the game, as opposed blowing it up and starting over, is we can actually move forward," said Jeremy Crawford, game director . "And I can't wait until we can tell you about 2026 and 2027."

"With Jeremy Crawford taking on the game director role and then Chris Perkins taking on the creative director role is that we were able to really reestablish a world building environment," added Jess Lanzillo, VP of D&D Franchise at Wizards of the Coast. "What does that mean? We can really establish our worlds and settings like the Forgotten Realms and also look to creating new ones again. That's something that we are working on and we don't have anything to really discuss today other than to tell you like we are re-establishing everything that we have and we are going to make some new stuff too."

While Wizards of the Coast has integrated Magic: The Gathering worlds and Critical Role's Exandria as campaign settings for 5th Edition, D&D's last truly new campaign setting was Nentir Vale, a 'points of light' setting that established small bastions of civilization in an otherwise dark world. In 2023, D&D introduced the Radiant Citadel, a new city within the Ethereal Plane that was connected to numerous new civilizations and worlds briefly touched on in anthology books.

I could care less if Ebberon was ever mentioned again. Some of the Forgotten Realms subclasses look interesting.

 

[Reynard]

That's uncommon in film but very common in literature (and bear in mind, most "isekai" media is actually Japanese prose "light novels", or novellas, sometimes then adapted to manga or anime). A "Bildungsroman", even in English, is "a book about a kid growing up." A "roman a clef" is "a thinly disguised allegorical comedy." There's also "Wuxia", which is usually left untranslated. And D&D is closer to literature than film in both business model and culture.

EDIT: Also, "manifesto".

All I am saying is we already have a perfectly good term for it in English. Unlike, say, wuxia. When that entered the English geek vernacular, we did not really have a term for that style of thing. Saying "isekai" feels a little bit performative.

 

[UVAtom]

Didn't like 4 people buy that setting when it was new. If I recall from ben Riggs' numbers, it was NOT a popular setting.

Yes but those four people are still in love with the setting, still running Birthright.net and its Discord, and still running games in Aebrynis.