D&D 5E Upcoming D&D Tidbits: Phandelver, Book of Many Things, Venger, & More!

D&D Beyond has shared some more tidbits of information about upcoming products, including this summer's new Phandelver campaign, and information about Vecna, Planescape, and spring's Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants, and more.

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Here are the highlights:

• In the 2024 Vecna adventure, you will visit various worlds.
• Art by Brian Valezer and Kent Davis from fall 2023's Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants was shared (see below), along with art from the Phandelver campaign by José Manzanedo. There was additional art from Planescape and more which you can see in the video.
• The new Phandelver book will include the existing adventure Lost Mines of Phandelver in the first half and then continue on to higher levels from there.
• They're reimagining Planescape for today's audience--honouring the roots then expanding.
• More cards are being added to the Deck of Many Things in winter 2023's Book of Many Things. A new product type--a deck of cards and an accompanying book. The book digs into the history of the deck and its cosmic place as a force of chaos. It contains player and DM content.
• Venger, the villain from the 1980s D&D cartoon who will be featuring in an upcoming storyline and WotC's Chris Perkins might have hinted he is actually a Red Wizard--'a redder Red Wizard' was the phrase used.
• Many of the various bad guys in the League of Malevolence appeared in the D&D cartoon series -- Kelek, Warduke, etc.

Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants (art by Brian Valezer)

Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants (art by Kent Davis)

Phandelver Campaign (art by José Manzanedo)

Book of Many Things (art by Craig J. Spearing)​

 

[Dire Bare]

They would have been a much better fit for Mystara, which I think Warduke already appeared in, speaking of settings that stuff gets retroactively sucked into.

Warduke, and all of his 80s toyline friends (but not the kids), showed up in the BECMI D&D "The Shady Dragon Inn" NPC product. Later, the heroes of the toyline were said to be adventure-rulers in Ierendi . . . but I always felt this was quasi-canon. Mystara fans had (have?) a tendency to try and shoe-horn all BECMI products into Mystara, no matter how well or poorly they fit . . . .

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Warduke, and all of his 80s toyline friends (but not the kids), showed up in the BECMI D&D "The Shady Dragon Inn" NPC product. Later, the heroes of the toyline were said to be adventure-rulers in Ierendi . . . but I always felt this was quasi-canon. Mystara fans had (have?) a tendency to try and shoe-horn all BECMI products into Mystara, no matter how well or poorly they fit . . . .

Weren't some of them also in the invisible ink adventure? Or was it a "look through a colored piece of cellophane" adventure?

 

[aco175]

Weren't some of them also in the invisible ink adventure? Or was it a "look through a colored piece of cellophane" adventure?

Ahh, good ol' 80s smartphones.

 

[Azzy]

Weren't some of them also in the invisible ink adventure? Or was it a "look through a colored piece of cellophane" adventure?

I don't believe so (but I could be wrong). They were, however, also featured in the Quest for the Heartstone module.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I don't believe so (but I could be wrong). They were, however, also featured in the Quest for the Heartstone module.

That's what I'm thinking of, not the BSOLO modules.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Am I the only person who thinks Lost Mines is rather dull and generic?

But it's fairly obvious they would have to include it in the new book, since the original starter set is going out of print. This adventure is a sequel to one you can't get any more!

 

[QuentinGeorge]

Warduke, and all of his 80s toyline friends (but not the kids), showed up in the BECMI D&D "The Shady Dragon Inn" NPC product. Later, the heroes of the toyline were said to be adventure-rulers in Ierendi . . . but I always felt this was quasi-canon. Mystara fans had (have?) a tendency to try and shoe-horn all BECMI products into Mystara, no matter how well or poorly they fit . . . .

Warduke also got added to Greyhawk…

 

[QuentinGeorge]

Am I the only person who thinks Lost Mines is rather dull and generic?

But it's fairly obvious they would have to include it in the new book, since the original starter set is going out of print. This adventure is a sequel to one you can't get any more!

To be honest, I’m not that fond of it either.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

Very hyped for this Phandelver expansion. Guessing it will go 1-11 if it's including lost mine?

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

My theory is the "echos". This means not only dragons but legendary characters, or even some places, have got "echos" or "variants" in different wildshapes. Then there is an "echo" of Elminster or Drizzt in Greyhawk or Mystara, but also "echos" of the league of the malevolence in different worlds. And also "echos" of the infamous Castle Ravenloft could reappear in different worlds.