[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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What saddens me, is that Drizzt is the most popular and more importantly most well known...

Where is the love for Morgan Ironwolf? Black Dougal? Sister Rebecca? Aleena Halaran? Bargle? Warduke?

There are far more characters in D&D than just Elminster and Drizzt, and yet no one remembers them...

RPG characters that have a couple, if any, words printed about them, have no way of competing with characters from books. Especially multiple best sellers.

Stories are memorable. A name and a picture is less so.
 

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Also... i don't know Grayhawk, but Underdark spawning demons could be a nice Eberron campaign (like in Khyber spawning demons, plus that demon-wasteland somewhere northwest of Khorvaire)

I had the same exact thought when I read the premise. Just like Tyranny was set in the Realms but had echoes of Dragonlance, and Princes was set in the Realms but had echoes of Greyhawk... demonic lords clawing their way up from underground echoes Eberron to a T. So while this book will also be set in the Realms, the conversion docs in the back of it will probably have plenty of info on switching things over to the Overlords and Lords of Dust, rather than Demogorgon and Grazzt.
 



In every setting I run whether in Forgotten Realms or my own world, their are powerful "Gandalf" and "Drizzt" like NPCs to interact with. He's just an NPC that will take part of the story, its still YOUR story.

I for one am looking forward to this one more-so then that last two released.

Well put!
I think people are perhaps giving too much weight to that name drop (important as a product aiming to grow). Hope you end up enjoying it.

I'm glad we get at least a third book with Forgotten Realms. The PotA idea of the conversion chapter was genius.
 
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What saddens me, is that Drizzt is the most popular and more importantly most well known... Where is the love for Morgan Ironwolf? Black Dougal? Sister Rebecca? Aleena Halaran? Bargle? Warduke? There are far more characters in D&D than just Elminster and Drizzt, and yet no one remembers them...
Only ones I recognize are Bargle and Warduke. Bargle only because of the "Kill Bargle" adventure Paizo ran in the last adventure of Dungeon (though I understand he was in the 1983 boxed set "Learn to Play" section). Warduke I had a toy of and he adventured with Boba Fett, Cobra Commander and the rest of the Bad Dudes posse.None of them are particularly noteworthy to the brand, certainly not in relation to a character featured in over 20 novels. Other than possibly Warduke, I'd have to rank all of them under Bupu in traction.Strahd? Minsc? Vecna? Maybe you could build off them. But most of those are bit players who appeared 1-2 times and haven't seen print since before your average player today was even born.
 
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None of them are particularly noteworthy to the brand, certainly not in relation to a character featured in over 20 novels. Other than possibly Warduke, I'd have to rank all of them under freakin Bupu in traction.

Yes! That is the adventure they need to make to outsell all adventures! BUPU'S FANTASTIC ADVENTURE!

Edit: I'm sorry! I'm at work and I'm bored!
 



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.

Those must be amazing sales numbers that grant WotC marketing and creative infallibility.

What's obvious is that Drizzt is a polarizing figure in the community.

Prediction: the Drizzt stuff will, at best, sell half as well as the lackluster Tyranny of Dragons. Meaning, at least every other member of their established customer base passes on it-- many because of Drizzt.

People love demon lords, and love the underdark, but thousands of us are SO over Drizzt at this point. We'll pass unless he can be excised from the story. Here's hoping he's an unfortunate, but negligible inclusion. If he plays too central a role, they will alienate a significant part of their base.

I would like to think WotC is too smart for that, and he'll be limited to something fanboys can celebrate and the rest of us can grudgingly endure. At the same time, I'm cool with them releasing something to cash in on this with the Drizzt fanboys. Not everything they release has to suit my tastes or prompt me to open my wallet.
 

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