D&D General Greyhawk to Faerun and Beyond: A Multiversal D&D Lore Book Is Coming This Fall

This coming October, a 360+ page hardcover which delves into Dungeons & Dragons' various worlds and settings will be released. The book isn't from WotC--it's from Ten Speed Press--but it's by Adam Lee, who wrote for Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus and Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. The book comes full of 50-years of artwork, and is narrated by the famous wizard Mordenkainen. Additionally, the book contains some original fiction.

Dungeons & Dragons Worlds & Realms: Adventures from Greyhawk to Faerûn and Beyond is available for pre-order already.

The book covers Greyhawk, Mystara, Dragonlance, Faerun, Eberron, the Feywild and Shadowfell, Spelljammer, the Nine Hells, the Abyss, Sigil, and the Far Realm. It's a book of lore and story, not a rulebook, giving an overall of D&D's entire multiverse and its many worlds.

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Celebrate fifty years of the spellbinding settings and planes of Dungeons & Dragons with this beautifully illustrated exploration of the multiverse.

Worlds & Realms is an illustrated, story-driven retrospective celebrating the immersive worldbuilding of D&D since the iconic game’s inception in 1974. Legendary mage Mordenkainen takes adventurers on a fantastical journey through the multiverse, delving into memorable and fascinating lore and locations across all five editions of the game.

With Mordenkainen’s guidance, readers will revisit worlds that have come to define D&D over the decades, from the familiar realms of the Material Plane to lands beyond the Astral Sea. Mordenkainen’s philosophical musings provide a mage’s-eye view of the worlds’ unique features, creatures, and characters, captivating readers’ imaginations as they learn more about the history and mysteries of the multiverse. Additionally, readers will join adventuring parties with inhabitants of each realm through exclusive short stories by award-winning contributors Jaleigh Johnson, Jody Houser and Eric Campbell, Jasmine Bhullar, and Geoffrey Golden.

Full of exciting and enchanting artwork showing fifty years of gameplay evolution from vintage D&D through the present, with original cover and chapter-opener illustrations, Worlds & Realms is a spellbinding tour of the strange and wonderful worlds of the multiverse, appealing to both new and long-standing fans alike.

Polygon has some previews of the book.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

So, any references to other Settings in the Prime material intro? Any maps??

Yeah sorry, things came up and my review got truncated.

Very minor spoilers on the book

NO MAPS, very upset about this. This is a glories MtG style Art Book for settings that are far too broad for that to well. Alot nice, and some really old not great art. Bare Marilirith boobs, but the old piece of art is too basic sketch for it to fun.

For Prime Material it mentions FR, DL, GH, Mystara (although the Immortals try and hide Mystara from mortals and Gods with limited success), Eberron is said to be in a separate universe that Mordy accessed via dreams with Kalastar help, I think the plane of dreams is the point of connection. Don't know if the D&D team will stick with that, it seems to contradict other lore.

For other planes Feywild (the best one), Sigil, Hell and Abyss get good sections, the rest get 1 line each, one of which is funny.

FR's section is disappointing it most just covers know cities on the Swordcoast, in the Waterdeep section Mordy mentions the FR magic Bright, Sharp, Swift. Thay is made out to be the big bad, might have a hint at future major story line so I won't spoil it.

Oh and Mordy traded on book on Faerun to a library on Mystara for a tome of Mystaran magic which he gave as gift to Candlekeep

I think Mystaran Immortals might become for future multiversal threat, kind of teases the possibly, also makes it clear their gain alot of power from mortals, but still have the perspective of mortals, not the big picture transcendent view of regular Gods, a dangerous combo. Honestly Feywild and Mystara sections were the best by far, but this medium really does not work as well for D&D settings as it does the more shallow, art focused MtG settings. The breadth of D&D settings make it just so unsatisfying, especially since art pieces take up such a giant part of the book, the short stories 2 pages each, unless you want a book that is like an MtG type for D&D art book divided by a host of settings I would NOT recommend.


Oh and Mordy rambling on about the balance is annoying after awhile.

Oh and Feywild, Shadowfell, Hell, Abyss, Sigil, Spelljammer (almost forget that gets covered too), and to a much lesser extent the Far Realms get treated almost like their own settings (I mean SJ already is, but it kinds of breaks up Planescape into separate settings), the rest of the outer planes are an after though in the Far Realms section.

I have some buyers remorse now.

 

[Parmandur]

unless you want a book that is like an MtG type for D&D art book divided by a host of settings

Thanks for the thoughts! I....kind a do want that...sort if got that vibe from it being a follow-up to Art & Arcana.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Thanks for the thoughts! I....kind a do want that...sort if got that vibe from it being a follow-up to Art & Arcana.

At minium they should have a map of each of the settings main continents, that is what disappointed me the most.

 

[Parmandur]

At minium they should have a map of each of the settings main continents, that is what disappointed me the most.

I hear ya, perfect place for that classic art.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Eberron is said to be in a separate universe that Mordy accessed via dreams with Kalastar help, I think the plane of dreams is the point of connection. Don't know if the D&D team will stick with that, it seems to contradict other lore.

Oh, I hope that's the current thinking! I'd be fine with the Great Wheel and the Great Orrery being parallel multiverses that took Dream of the Blue Veil level magic to traverse.

 

[Parmandur]

Oh, I hope that's the current thinking! I'd be fine with the Great Wheel and the Great Orrery being parallel multiverses that took Dream of the Blue Veil level magic to traverse.

It is original!

 

[sevenbastard]

I got mine today. I like the cover better than the PHB.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Is this book roughly the same size as the prior two art books, or is this something different entirely?

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Oh, I hope that's the current thinking! I'd be fine with the Great Wheel and the Great Orrery being parallel multiverses that took Dream of the Blue Veil level magic to traverse.

It does beg the question of is the Dream Plane shared by both universes some how. I think they really need to clarify cosmology position of Eberron Orrey/5eGreatWheel/MtG in regards to each other because naughty word is getting messy and confusing. And how does Planeswalker Vi fit onto all of this, she's from Eberron, but lives in Sigil.

 

[Riley]

Is this book roughly the same size as the prior two art books, or is this something different entirely?

Same size and cover layout. It looks great on a quick flip-through!

(I’ve tried to upload a pic, but just couldn’t get enworld to accept it.)