Scions of Elemental Evil Released on D&D Beyond

D&D Beyond has released the new short adventure Scions of Elemental Evil ahead of its exclusive stores and convention organized play release. This week, Wizards of the Coast released the short adventure, which is set in the Greyhawk region and pits players against the Elemental Evil fanatic Ulsedra Vox. The adventure is made for up to six Level 4 adventurers with the D&D cartoon cast (plus new character Niko) provided as pregenerated characters. Amanda Hamon is credited as the lead designer while Will Doyle is credited as a designer on the adventure.

Notably, Scions of Elemental Evil uses the 2024 rule set and contains several magic items from the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide. It also contains updated statblocks for several monsters, including the incubus and succubus demons. Notably, an incubus can shapeshift into a succubus and vice versa once per long rest, with each statblock containing different abilities and access to different spells. The succubus has access to an 8th level Dominate Person spell at will, while the incubus has access to a Nightmare bonus action that renders a creature with 20 or less HP unconscious on a failed saving throw.

The adventure will be available to play at organized play events at stores and conventions from October 29th to November 25th.

 

[Von Ether]

I'd like to see D&D in the hands of another company other than WotC, I think they're just holding it back from evolving, hence the 2024 revision and not a new edition

You might want to point to some of the content creators and 3PP as well. While some of them would see a new edition as way to repackage what they have done before, others are also very happy to keep cashing in their DTRPG credit for things that keep selling evergreen.

 

[TravDoc42]

Are succubi and incubi demons again, then?

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I'd like to see D&D in the hands of another company other than WotC, I think they're just holding it back from evolving, hence the 2024 revision and not a new edition

If you want innovation, then the third party market is the place to look. They can afford the risks.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I'd like to see D&D in the hands of another company other than WotC, I think they're just holding it back from evolving, hence the 2024 revision and not a new edition

The only value of D&D is in the branding, the game rules are de facto public domain. Any company interested in buying D&D would focus on computer games and media, they would ditch the only marginally profitable tabletop game.

 

[Amphytrion]

Considering that succubi was a metaphor for nocturnal emissions and incubi for sleep paralysis, it seems appropriate to give them different magical abilities appropriate to their role.

I’m not sure this is quite accurate, at least not in absolute terms. As I understand it, they are both demons who tempted mortals with lust during sleep: one male, one female. The incubus fathers children (Merlin probably being the most prominent example?), but that’s more to do with the sex of the victim than any differences in mythology between the two creatures. They’ve always come in both variations, going back to pre-Christian myth.

Looking at it from a sociological standpoint, it’s possible that people interpreted sleep paralysis as incubi attacks, but it’s also likely that it was inferred from plenty of other unrelated circumstances, such as explaining vivid dreams, children out of wedlock, or even assault. Nonetheless, I think it’d be best to leave these sociological explanations aside, since they attempt to make sense of belief in a nonexistent threat, while in-game the creature does exist.

My preference would have been for one interchangeable statblock. Segregating the charming abilities to the succubus and the aggressive abilities to the incubus seems quite regressive; I’m kind of surprised they went that route.

 

[Parmandur]

So they are now tripling down on the cartoon. I don't know why it didn't click before but now I see the 80s nostalgia focus. Maybe we'll have a 80s cosplay celebration. Play 5e in our leg warmers and over teased hair.

Way more than tripling down: they have been releasing cartoon character comic books, and a Little Golsen Book, and action figures, and a cameo in Honor Among Thieves...

 

[R_J_K75]

things that keep selling evergreen

I highly doubt 5E is going to be around forever

If you want innovation, then the third party market is the place to look. They can afford the risks.

I have found 3PP pretty hit or miss

they would ditch the only marginally profitable tabletop game.

I'd think that if D&D was only marginally profitable Hasbro/WotC would have ditched it long ago

 

[Stormonu]

What are those purple and orange blob monsters?

(visible once you click through to the adventure)

I'm wondering if they're some sort of elementally-infused Nupperibo.

I don't mind the nostalgia stuff - there's a certain "known" quality you can fall back on, but I miss the innovation we saw in 2E's heyday (and late 3.5).

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I highly doubt 5E is going to be around forever

I have found 3PP pretty hit or miss

I'd think that if D&D was only marginally profitable Hasbro/WotC would have ditched it long ago

Given that you desire official D&D to be in another's hands to be more innovative, and it is not, at least in the direction and to the degree you find satisfactory. Is not official D&D also a miss for you?

I really doubt that any owner given its current market size and share will do much to rock the boat. it makes no commercial sense. The only place one is likely to see innovation is in the third party space. It is the nature of things that most of these efforts will be a miss, Sturgeon's Law and all.

 

[R_J_K75]

Is not official D&D also a miss for you?

No, Im not particularly a fan