[UPDATED] RAGE OF DEMONS! New D&D Storyline Features Drizzt, Underdark, & Demon Lords!

Following Elemental Evil this fall, Rage of Demons will launch a new storyline featuring Drizzt Do'Urden, the Underdark, and various demon lords from the Abyss including old favourites like Demogorgon, Orcus and Graz’zt. This will feature on tabletop, console, and PC. "The demon lords have been summoned from the Abyss and players must descend into the Underdark with the iconic hero Drizzt Do’Urden to stop the chaos before it threatens the surface." It begins with the adventure Out of the Abyss, which releases on September 15th for $49.95, and is being designed for WotC by Green Ronin Publishing. (Thanks to Charles Akins for that last scoop!)

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Drizzt? WotC's Chris Perkins says: "Drizzt's role in the RoD story varies depending on the platform. In the TRPG adventure, the PCs are the stars."

Inspiration: "My inspirations for RAGE OF DEMONS were Lewis Carroll's Wonderland stories and EXILE, by R.A. Salvatore." [Perkins] So this is the Alice in Wonderland inspired story that's been previously alluded to.

Here's the full announcement.

"Today, Wizards of the Coast announced Rage of Demons, the new storyline for Dungeons & Dragons fans coming in Fall 2015. The demon lords have been summoned from the Abyss and players must descend into the Underdark with the iconic hero Drizzt Do’Urden to stop the chaos before it threatens the surface. Rage of Demons is the story all D&D gamers will be excited to play this fall, whether they prefer consoles, PCs or rolling dice with friends.

Following on the critically-acclaimed Tyranny of Dragons and Elemental Evil stories, Rage of Demons will transport characters to the deadly and insane underworld. Rumors of powerful demon lords such as Demogorgon, Orcus and Graz’zt terrorizing the denizens of the Underdark have begun to filter up to the cities of the Sword Coast. The already dangerous caverns below the surface are thrown into ultimate chaos, madness and discord. The renegade drow Drizzt Do’Urden is sent to investigate but it will be up to you to aid in his fight against the demons before he succumbs to his darker temptations.

Dungeons & Dragons fans will have more options than ever to enjoy the Rage of Demons storyline. The themes of treachery and discord in the Underdark are in Sword Coast Legends, the new CRPG (computer role-playing game) coming this fall on PC from n-Space and Digital Extremes. The epic campaign that drives Sword Coast Legends' story forces players deep into the Underdark and continues well after launch with legendary adventurer Drizzt Do'Urden.

For fans of Neverwinter, the popular Dungeons & Dragons-based MMORPG will bring a new expansion – tentatively titled Neverwinter: Underdark – in 2015. The update will see adventurers travel with Drizzt to the drow city of Menzoberranzan during its demonic assault as well as experience a unique set of quests written by the creator of Drizzt, R.A. Salvatore. The expansion will initially be released on PC and will come out on the Xbox One at a later date.

Players of the tabletop roleplaying game can descend into the Underdark in Out of the Abyss, a new adventure which provides details on the demon lords rampaging through the Underdark. Partners such as WizKids, GaleForce 9 and Smiteworks will all support Rage of Demons with new products to help bring your tabletop game to life. To really get in the mind of Drizzt, fans will have to check out Archmage, the new novel by R.A. Salvatore, scheduled for release in early September.

“Rage of Demons is a huge storyline involving all expressions of Dungeons & Dragons, and we’re excited to bring players this story in concert with all of our partners,” said Nathan Stewart, Brand Director at Wizards of the Coast. “I can’t wait to see everyone interact with one of the world’s most recognizable fantasy characters: Drizzt Do’Urden. Descending into the depths won’t exactly be easy for him, and D&D fans will get their mettle tested just like Drizzt when they come face-to-face with all the demon lords.”

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[Dire Bare]

I don't think that people hate the character, rather his excessive prominence in most D&D stuff. I get that he is their icon, but we now are at like 40 novels revolving about him, and even after that, they alone still take up 2 of the 4 yearly novel releases that WotC appears to have set. I quite like him, but seriously, lets give other stuff more space.

Yeah, how strange that WotC should put so much focus on one character. It's not as if Drizzt is the most well known, most loved character in D&D and has tons of fans that keep all those novels on the NYT best sellers list and automatically boosts a products sales when involved.

 

[Celtavian]

Couple of updates I added to the above news story:

- The adventure is by Green Ronin

- Chris Perkins says "Drizzt's role in the RoD story varies depending on the platform. In the TRPG adventure, the PCs are the stars. "

Nice. I figured that would be the case. WotC knows most of their gamers don't like using high level NPCs. Making it optional is the ideal way to use Drizzt.

 

[Zaran]

Couple of updates I added to the above news story:

- The adventure is by Green Ronin

- Chris Perkins says "Drizzt's role in the RoD story varies depending on the platform. In the TRPG adventure, the PCs are the stars. "

I wonder why this one isn't done in house.

 

[Irennan]

Yeah, how strange that WotC should put so much focus on one character. It's not as if Drizzt is the most well known, most loved character in D&D and has tons of fans that keep all those novels on the NYT best sellers list and automatically boosts a products sales when involved.

Why the sarcasm? It's obvious that Drizzt is a marketing tool and it is known that his stuff sells better than most D&D. I've just tried to explain that (for a portion of the Drizzt haters) the hate is more due to his ''ubiquity'' than to the character itself, and that it would be nice if he alone didn't take up half of the available space in their novel release schedule (especially after like 40 books).

 

[Irennan]

it would be nice if he alone didn't take up half of the available space in their novel release schedule (especially after like 40 books).

For example, this Underdark story could be a good opportunity to release -among the other things- more info on Eilistraee and Vhaeraun, who have just returned, and whose return should have at least some impact on the drow (now, Drizzt's presence doesn't necessarily prevent that, but makes it less likely, considering that one of the reason those two deities were removed was to make him more ''iconic'').

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

PC: "I want to play a drow ranger who has been banished from his home because he is of good alignment and won't worship the evil Spider Queen."
DM: "WHAT!?!? How dare you try to destroy my game with such a lame, clichéd, derivative character that EVERYONE just wants to play! Gah! You've ruined my carefully crafted world and story! Leave!"

True story - we had a buddy who wanted to play Batman in a Rifts game in junior high school. Not a character like Batman, but actually BATMAN. We ragged on him, but he stuck to his guns and the GM eventually just rolled with it and said "Fine, Batman, you wake up in an alternate dimension - go!". And you know what? It worked out just fine. He got in character, and roleplayed as Batman and went on a couple of adventures with a dragon, pack of dogboys and a vampire. There seems to be the notion that you need to RP an original character to actually RP. Lots of players, particularly newer ones, are more comfortable playing as someone they already understand.

 

[Dire Bare]

Drizzt is a double-edged sword. For every unit his presence sells, his presence un-sells at least one. Making him bolt-off in the story will go a long ways towards marketing this product.

Really? For every pro-Drizzt sale there is an equal-and-opposite anti-Drizzt no-sale? Wow, WotC must be fools thinking that Drizzt equals a net increase in sales. They must not have sales numbers to look at.

I thought he used two swords?

Both of Drizzt's scimitars are double-edged.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

I wonder why this one isn't done in house.

Staff limitations I would guess. They can pay Green Ronin to write it, and publish it themselves. They aren't necessarily stuck with employees they need to manage, provide healthcare for, etc.

 

[Mirtek]

Both of Drizzt's scimitars are double-edged.

Are they? IIRC they are single-edged

 

[Kramodlog]

Right, Gromph opens up portals to the Abyss throughout the Underdark. Drizzt tackling that is obviously going to be the plot of The Archmage, so I'm doubtful the AP will actually have to do with the players travelling to Menzoberranzan or facing Gromph at all.

I'm not so sure. The cover of Sword Coast Legends features a balor and a male drow caster. Gromph? If he is in the novel and the video game, why not the AP?

The blurb states that "what steps through surprises even him..." so that's what I'm betting the PCs will be getting up to. Entirely possible they never cross paths with Drizzt at all, or if they do it's a cameo appearance.

I'd be surprised if there are no cameos of Drizzt.

Basically, I'm thinking it'll be Drizzt vs. Gromph, and the PCs vs. whatever terrible Abbysal thing is co-opting Gromph's plot for it's own nefarious purposes. Possibly even a high-level excursion into the Abyss itself towards the very end for a climactic final boss battle with the one responsible. From the cover art, I'm thinking... Demogorgon? That could be misdirection, though.

We'll see in around 6 months. I wonder what sort of board game they have up their sleeve. We already have a Drizzt board game.