Dungeons & Dragons is starting to preview its World of Warcraft book

Several influencers have revealed some details about the upcoming World of Warcraft crossover book, which is due to be released later this year. Most of the previews appear to center on how dungeons will be used in the book, with the GameMasters YouTube channel confirming that dungeons will be split up into different tiers of play. GameMasters revealed 7 dungeons that will appear in the book, with the Deadmines and Shadowfang Keep set up for Levels 1-4 players, Blackfathom Deep and Scarlet Monastery for Levels 5-10 players, Scarlet Monastery (again) and Dire Maul set up for Levels 11-16 players, and Azjol Nerub and Anoxia’s Lair for Levels 17-20 players.

Crit Hit the Giant provided some additional flavor about dungeon setup, with his preview of Dire Maul containing a large map of the dungeon, plot hooks for the dungeon, and a list of NPCs and monsters that populate the dungeon. From the looks of the preview pages in this video, it seems that each dungeon will be broken out into some detail, although it will be left to the DM to decide how to use each dungeon within their own game.

As I’m not a World of Warcraft player, it’s hard to tell how closely these dungeons skew towards the video game, but it looks like the average D&D DM will be able to use these dungeons in their own games without much issue. I find it interesting that Wizards of the Coast is turning towards D&D influencers, several of whom expressed in their own videos having a general lack of knowledge of the World of Warcraft setting as well. One would think that they’d be leaning on World of Warcraft influencers or Blizzard instead, but it was interesting that BlizzCon (an annual event focusing on Blizzard video games) came and went with no mention of the World of Warcraft/D&D crossover.

 

[Milli Rabbit]

I believe it's Onyxia's Lair.

I mean, Anoxia's Lair would be kind of dope. A dungeon where you hold your breath and can't speak fighting the equivalent of anaroebe monsters.

 

[abazaba]

I find it interesting that Wizards of the Coast is turning towards D&D influencers, several of whom expressed in their own videos having a general lack of knowledge of the World of Warcraft setting as well. One would think that they’d be leaning on World of Warcraft influencers or Blizzard instead, but it was interesting that BlizzCon (an annual event focusing on Blizzard video games) came and went with no mention of the World of Warcraft/D&D crossover.

I think that if they would give WoW influencers the previews they would run into a similar issue, where those would have a general lack of knowledge of D&D. Which also makes me wonder to whom these books are targeted: D&D players who know nothing about WoW, or WoW players who know nothing about D&D ? Is the overlap between these two groups really that big that it justifies the production of the book ?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Very nostalgic. If indeed "Anoxia" is a misspelling for Onyxia, then Azjol Nerub is the only dungeon that isn't from Vanilla.

Yeah, they are definitely embracing vanilla through Wrath of the Lich King with this, although the playable races go at least through the current expansion and maybe the next one. (We won't know what's getting added in The Last Titan until the spring, because Blizzard doesn't want to step on apparently big events happening in the next content patch.)

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I don't know anything about WoW, but I like the guy in the foreground of the orange painting on the right who looks kinda like he has a needle nose pliers head. I suppose maybe needle-nose-pliers-head is somebody important in the WoW universe.

That's Ragnaros, essentially Warcraft's equivalent of an Elemental Lord of Evil, of fire in his case.

There's also an unpleasant (but not actively hostile) earth lord, a hostile air lord (I've never been clear what his deal was) and a water lord who keeps getting turned into a problem by a powerful evil NPC.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Is the overlap between these two groups really that big that it justifies the production of the book ?

Blizzard is very data-driven. I suspect they have a ton of data showing there's a large overlap.

I know my current and former WoW friends are all aware and interested in this book.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

That's Ragnaros, essentially Warcraft's equivalent of an Elemental Lord of Evil, of fire in his case.

There's also an unpleasant (but not actively hostile) earth lord, a hostile air lord (I've never been clear what his deal was) and a water lord who keeps getting turned into a problem by a powerful evil NPC.

I think they meant the adventurer fellah in purple with the really, really crazy collar.

 

[Bolongo]

That's Ragnaros, essentially Warcraft's equivalent of an Elemental Lord of Evil, of fire in his case.

No, Starfinder is talking about the PC in the robes with his back towards us.
In color scheme, those robes look most like the T2 Mage set (or perhaps T7), but the pauldrons and collar are different.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Oh, yeah, that's a goofy mage (wizard) armor set. It also has lightning that goes up the spikes periodically.

It looks like everyone is pictured in raid armor sets. The guy on the bottom left of the Northrend image, for instance, is wearing a warlock raid set.

 

[Doctor Futurity]

As a D&D guy who played a lot of WoW I hope the dungeons offer more than just endless combat, which is most of what they offer in the MMO.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

That’s interesting for wow dungeons and differing character levels, much like the game.

PC: "OK, so we head down into the entrance to the dungeon."

DM: "A strange barrier seems to keep you from entering. Perhaps you are not experienced enough to enter this dungeon."

PC: "What do we do now?"

DM: "Go kill 100 rats, then come back and try again."