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.

 

[TwoSix]

I think there is a difference between a game where the idea of inherited political power is a facet of society and one where it's promoted as Good Actually. We would not accept a setting where the PCs acquire slaves (even if the PCs were expected to be good and protective of them) despite the fact that medieval society accepted such notions and many heroes of history (up unto the Founding Fathers) were slaves owners. It's not something we should be promoting as good.

Considering a ton of the divine inheritors in the original Birthright were warped monstrosities, the setting isn't really pushing the idea that "born into a bloodline" is a distinct good.

It's not any different than the Noble background in the core PHB; I don't hear any issues with that background as somehow promoting aristocracy.

 

[TiQuinn]

Yeap, I get what you are saying, just have quibbles with how you are saying it. Hope you dont mind, but your comments helped springboard my mind into what I like about BR, and im not trying to stir the pot.

That’s cool. I’ve only said it’s my perception and tastes.

 

[Remathilis]

Considering a ton of the divine inheritors in the original Birthright were warped monstrosities, the setting isn't really pushing the idea that "born into a bloodline" is a distinct good.

It's not any different than the Noble background in the core PHB; I don't hear any issues with that background as somehow promoting aristocracy.

The noble background (at least the 2014 version, no one is claiming anything about access to the skilled feat) was still an option. You don't want to be a noble? Pick a different background. Further, the background didn't give you any actual authority, just the ability to throw your name and meet with powerful people.

What options are there for PCs who don't want to rule in Birthright? Can I declare my nation an autonomous collective and declare "no gods, no kings"? Does my nation go Fisher King? Does my PC suffer for ignoring his people?

Anyway I've said my peace. I don't think the settings core conceit is viable in this day and age. Not in a setting wotc would make; it's too much of a lightning rod.

 

[TwoSix]

What options are there for PCs who don't want to rule in Birthright? Can I declare my nation an autonomous collective and declare "no gods, no kings"? Does my nation go Fisher King? Does my PC suffer for ignoring his people?

You don't have to have a bloodline in Birthright. The general suggestion was only for a few PCs (1 or 2) to have one, actually.

 

[Reynard]

The noble background (at least the 2014 version, no one is claiming anything about access to the skilled feat) was still an option. You don't want to be a noble? Pick a different background. Further, the background didn't give you any actual authority, just the ability to throw your name and meet with powerful people.

What options are there for PCs who don't want to rule in Birthright? Can I declare my nation an autonomous collective and declare "no gods, no kings"? Does my nation go Fisher King? Does my PC suffer for ignoring his people?

Anyway I've said my peace. I don't think the settings core conceit is viable in this day and age. Not in a setting wotc would make; it's too much of a lightning rod.

I don't think they would make it either, but not for the reasons your are suggesting.

I think folks often overstate WotC's concerns about perceived "problematic" content. If you don't believe me, read the 5E Van Richtens.

 

[Staffan]

Historically speaking, was actually pretty difficult to tell until fairly recently.

That’s not to say that it’s a better approach to have fuzzy borders or your preferences are wrong. Eberron is my second favorite setting and it has pretty clear borders between nations.

Eberron just came out of a massive war. That's the kind of thing that will usually lead to strongly defined borders, even if some people think they are in the wrong place. That said, the borders to less civilized places (Shadow Marches, Droaam, Demon Wastes) are probably not as fixed in the terrain as they are on the map.

 

[vtaltos]

I could see WOTC putting out a Bloomburrow/Witchlight style campaign setting, which could include the animal species (tortle, tabaxi, etc) as well as goblinoids (that are now fey) and Eladrin. I feel like Witchlight was a big hit and they do like their MTG settings

I keep wondering if the bastion system was developed to see how fans would react to a Kingmaker/Birthright type domain building setting, perhaps downplaying the bloodline stuff somewhat (Cerilia sounds pretty cool tbh though).

With OSR style games being pretty popular these days, they could do a darker & more challenging setting akin to Dark Sun but not so problematic. There seems to be a segment of the player base that feels like 5e has become more and more superpowered high fantasy and might be interested in a setting or alternate rules set that pulls back on that. I can see WOTC trying to horn in on that market, given that there is money being made by the likes of DCC and Shadowdark

 

[Yaarel]

The "Birthright" concepts translate into "factions", each with a background feat.

Also the name birthright seems like a misnomer if people can gain the heritage as an adult.

The concept is more about transferring political "magic", to the next generation.

 

[TheSword]

The noble background (at least the 2014 version, no one is claiming anything about access to the skilled feat) was still an option. You don't want to be a noble? Pick a different background. Further, the background didn't give you any actual authority, just the ability to throw your name and meet with powerful people.

What options are there for PCs who don't want to rule in Birthright? Can I declare my nation an autonomous collective and declare "no gods, no kings"? Does my nation go Fisher King? Does my PC suffer for ignoring his people?

Anyway I've said my peace. I don't think the settings core conceit is viable in this day and age. Not in a setting wotc would make; it's too much of a lightning rod.

Sorry to say this but this conclusion isn’t based on fact.

The gods whose divine essence you inherited are dead and gone. This isn’t about their chosen people getting to rule, it’s about those present at the battle being empowered by witnessing that massive continental event that links them to the land. There’s no moral mandate or expectation. There are good regents and wicked regents and everything in between. You can rule the land as you like. You can also be a figurehead where other people pull the strings. You could absolutely run a secular state.

Having a bloodline doesn’t give you any authority, it gives you some magical powers. Most blooded scions aren’t regents. If you want to rule a country you need to become a regent through all the normal methods. To be honest there is less hereditary rule in this setting than a lot of others as far as I can tell. If you want to be a ruler and don’t have a bloodline you can acquire one.

Your analogy with Slavery doesn’t track. Slavery is an abomination which has rightly been excised as far as it can be from society. Whereas, I, and some half a billion other people live in a monarchy. Whether I agree with it not, I can acknowledge it isn’t an evil of the same scale as slavery. I don’t believe the majority of people would be bothered by such a thing.

As an aside, my first Birthright campaign was with a group of PCs who were present during a coup and were involved in helping the wounded regent escape. He knew he was dying and split his powers and regency between the unblooded PCs granting them bloodlines. The campaign was about them trying to gain the kingdom they had a mystical connection with from the wicked de facto ruler that performed the coup. It worked very well.

 

[TheSword]

I don't think they would make it either, but not for the reasons your are suggesting.

I think folks often overstate WotC's concerns about perceived "problematic" content. If you don't believe me, read the 5E Van Richtens.

I agree. I think they won’t make it because there are easier products to make that require less effort. That said, it doesn’t mean it isn’t worth making.

Can you imagine the creativity that would come out of DM guild for all the different domains. These were perfect for 36 page pamphlet sized products that DMs Guild is so good at.