The Official Elemental Evil Announcement

We've known about it since last August, but WotC has just made their official announcement about the Elemental Evil storyline slated for March. Set in the Forgotten Realms, Princes of the Apolocalypse is a campaign for levels 1-15 and includes the genasi as a new character race. Additionally, a free download in March will include more new races, and tie-ins with the Neverwinter video game will be released. The Adventurer's Handbook is not mentioned.

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One question that springs to mind is what happened to the Adventurer's Handbook? I assume it's still coming out, unless it's been changed into that free download they mention below? This is all they sent me, so I'll keep my ears open for news on the Adventurer's Handbook. It shows as cancelled here.

Also of note is a new DM screen and miniatures. Here's the press release in full.

January 20, 2015 – Renton, WA – Today, Wizards of the Coast announced the newest Dungeons & Dragons storyline and accompanying product offerings for both digital and tabletop RPG players. Coming off of the biggest and most exciting year yet for Dungeons & Dragons, the Elemental Evil storyline starts in March and runs through mid-summer. During that time, heroes are needed in the Forgotten Realms to discover and defeat secret cults that threaten to annihilate the Sword Coast by harnessing the powers of the elements of fire, water, air, and earth.

The product line-up includes the release of a new downloadable module—Neverwinter: Elemental Evil—for the highly acclaimed free-to-play Dungeons & Dragons MMORPG from Cryptic Studios and Perfect World Entertainment. Serving as an additional way for fans to experience the storyline, Neverwinter: Elemental Evil brings a new playable class—the Paladin—and increases the game’s level cap to 70. Neverwinter is set in the Forgotten Realms, and the new expansion launches in early 2015. Cryptic also recently announced Neverwinter on Xbox One will be available in early 2015 as well.

Characters in the D&D tabletop roleplaying game can help prevent devastation to the lands and people of the Forgotten Realms in the Princes of the Apocalypse adventure by Wizards of the Coast and Sasquatch Game Studio. Princes of the Apocalypse is available on April 7, 2015 and includes an epic adventure for characters levels 1–15 as well as new elemental spells and the element-touched genasi as a new playable race. In addition, a free download will be available in mid-March that includes more new races plus the player content available in Princes of the Apocalypse, just in time for the start of the Elemental Evil season of the D&D Adventurers League.

Other products tied into the Elemental Evil storyline include the Temple of Elemental Evil Adventure System Board Game and pre-painted collectible miniatures, both from WizKids Games. WizKids has also partnered with Perfect World Entertainment to bundle in-game items for Neverwinter with the Temple of Elemental Evil Adventure System Board Game and miniatures boosters. Rounding out the tabletop RPG game products is Gale Force Nine’s new Dungeon Master’s screen featuring Elemental Evil art, as well as unpainted, resin miniatures that tie into the adventure, all slated to release beginning in March.
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[kettite]

I say the water man is an updated Morkoth, because that would be pretty great.

At that page count, I am on board to buy the adventure. Enjoying the released art so far as well. The winged elf woman piece has a bit of a Jack Kirby/Jim Steranko vibe to it with the background figures in their flying squirrel outfits.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

The water guy looks exactly like a Marid to me.

He looks like that figure. But Marid's look completely different in 5e according to the monster manual.

 

[steeldragons]

The water guy looks exactly like a Marid to me.

He does bare an uncanny resemblance to that mini figure. But for some reason, in the 5e MM anyway, in a complete departure from D&D lore, the appearances of their fellow genies, and assault on taste and good sense, some genius decided marids look like a boss gungan [Star Wars "Jar-Jar people] now.

Though a little "magitech" on that bracer of his to turn into a metal lobster claw, and that is the same guy. Where's that miniature from?

 

[Saxon1974]

Worries me a bit that the official press release mentioned 1st an expansion to their MMO, other products like minis and games, then, oh yeah, their pencil and paper product last.

I get the business sense behind it, but man, just wish their adventure would've led like it was their bread and butter.

Agreed. I don't understand the draw of the Neverwinter Video game. It's an action MMO and what I played it didn't feel like D&D AT ALL other than the setting. I doubt the same audience that plays the tabletop stuff is interested in that game....at least none of the players I know like it. It's concerning they are designing table top content with the intent of fitting in with the MMO. Which one is really considered first? You cant please everyone, you need to choose your audience or both sides get a product they aren't thrilled with. This is the most likely option for the business side though as it appeals to a much wider audience.

I would love it if they did a turn based game or even a Baldur's Gate style game but an action MMO? No thanks.

From what I can see I'm getting less and less interested in what I am seeing. Will probably get the board game, but not a big fan of mega modules (levels 1 - 15) so will probably pass on it.

 

[Laeknir]

Seems to me that the game industry is still banking on MMOs for money. But people are even getting tired of Warcraft, which is the most involved and the most polished MMO. Other MMOs do still draw people, but they're much smaller and filled with micro-transactions that will bleed you dry if you're not careful.

To this day, I will still dust off turn-based games like Baldur's Gate. It's old as heck now, but people loved it so much that they developed their own content for years. And recently, Beamdog revitalized the Baldur's Gate series with additional content and character additions. There's even real talk of a Baldur's Gate 3 finally being developed. And I'd welcome that.

I'm quite tired of MMOs, where you often have to rely on people who are on different schedules, are terrible players, or just outright terrible people when forced to be social. I play games to relax and have fun, not to constantly be on a measured, dps-metered speed run for gear with low drops that you have to roll against other people to obtain. MMOs are stale, and they've taken all the fun out of them by focusing on progression.

 

[gyor]

The only mmo I play is Star Trek Online and I only do the content I choose and rarely do the qued stuff, so I rely on no one and I spend very little. Last time I spent money was to get my Fleet Corsair upgraded to T-U status, which cost me roughly 7$. I'm not exactly a whale ;p

But I'd never touch another mmo with a ten foot pole for a variety of reasons.

As for the Adventurer's Handbook becoming a free PDF, can't argue with that price ;D

Here's what I think happened, they originally planned on the AH and POTA, but at some point they changed thier minds and decided they wanted to go with a board game instead of AH, but part of AH was already done, so they turned AH into the PDF so as not to waste what had already been done, to use it as promotional material, because lets be honest, the knock off stuff like Neverwinter MMO, the board game, possible novels extra is more important then make money on AH. That could be the future of D&D, alot of player content could be promotional for other products and synergies for licience products. Heck at the rate they're going the game just might end up for free, supported by ads for MMOs, Board and Card Games inside PDFs.

 

[gyor]

So what new races other then Genasi will be released?

 

[MonsterEnvy]

So what new races other then Genasi will be released?

Going to place a bet on the Avariel. Given that one is on the cover.

 

[soulcatcher78]

http://dndadventurersleague.org/

Looks like Mulmaster will be ground zero for the Elemental Evil season.

 

[gyor]

Yeah, but I don't know how they'll balance flight.