[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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[Greg K]

So earlier I alluded to the fact that I don't want to purchase a long AP because it doesn't fit my group's needs...but there is something about this adventure that keeps me excited. When I found out that this is the AP inspired by Alice and Wonderland it oddly made sense and I instantly wanted to play/run it. Still not sure if I'll buy it. I might wait for reviews.

I also find it interesting that some pretty creative minds have all come together to create it. Perkins being the foremost. I am not familiar with anything Green Ronin has done. How are they in adventure writing, anything we might expect coming from them?

Green Ronin, in my opinion, produced far better supplements for 3e than WOTC. The Advanced Bestiary was better than Savage Species. Psychic's Handbook was not only better than XPH , it was also compatible with d20Modern and a better Mental Power system for that game as well . Shaman's Handbook and Witch's Handbook were the two best takes on the classes for any edition of D&D and, in my opinion, how new class supplements should be done (as was the Psychic's Handbook). They also published True20 and the superhero game Mutants and Masterminds.

(edit) Honestly, the only WOTC non-setting book on par with a Green Ronin book, in my opinion, was Fiendish Codex I. I liked it as much as Green Ronin's Book of Fiends 1: Armies of the Abyss, Book of Fiends 2: Legions of Hell, and 3.5 Book of Fiends which combined the two books and added a third (end edit).

Steve Kenson wrote the Psychic's Handbook, Shaman's Handbook, Witch's Handbook, True 20 and Mutants and Masterminds mentioned above. He also created another popular superhero game called Icons and is well known for his work on early versions of Shadowrun- especially expanding and revising the stuff related to magic casters. A list of his gaming work can be found on his website

 

[Mephista]

The funny thing about all the Drizz't hate? In all my time playing, I have never once had an issue with someone wanting to play a drow TWF ranger - its never come up before. I've seen people accuse me of doing it once when I wanted to play a wood elf ranger before (which I thought was odd, since its kind of iconic for wood elves). I've seen accusations flying over playing drow in general, even though we're talking about assassins or warlocks.

Its like people want to fight over Drizz't, even when his clone doesn't come up in play.

 

[mflayermonk]

I get the feeling Chris Perkins' tweets are what's not coming next.

 

[DEFCON 1]

It's really hard to take anyone's concern about this seriously. For all the complaints we hear about this being the third adventure path book (rather than independent modules), with the third lowish-to-15 level span (with no "epic tier" support), involving a bunch of "cultist" people trying to bring Big Bad Evil Things into the world for the third time, in a Forgotten Realms for the third time that shouldn't have the adventure in the first place (rather than a different setting)... those self-same people who complain repeatedly never seem to just move on to a different game-- one that doesn't bother their sensibilities.

Instead, they still just hang around waiting for Wizards to do... something?... that they're going to like?... eventually?... maybe? But that just tells me that what Wizards is doing isn't really as big of a problem as the complaints make it out to be, since apparently it isn't actually driving anybody away. I keep waiting for people to put their money where their mouths are, but it ain't happening. The same people who had problems with Tyranny have had problems with Princes and now problems with Abyss. And yet despite their resentment, they just can't bear to leave.

Methinks thou dost protest too much.

 

[Zaukrie]

I agree with the poster above, his work on those 3e books was some of my favorite RPG work.

 

[SkidAce]

Give credit where it's due, Green Ronin has made some bloody fantastic modules:

http://greenronin.com/freeport/

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+exp for Green Ronin love...

 

[Wicht]

Never minding that those self same critics then proceed to claim that we should be using the "good" Mary Sue NPC's like Manshoon or whatever other ridiculously named Forgotten Realms NPC that they can think of.

You misspelled Morgan Ironwolf.

And I would have pegged her for a Mystara NPC myself.

 

[Mistwell]

Heh. If at least you could attack what I said to show how wrong I am.

You didn't say anything! You appear to think your statement was self-evidence when it was not. You appear to think that whatever it was you were thinking about the topic was conveyed through your single sentence. It was not. All we know is you don't like it, and think WOTC is lazy. No substance beyond that. Nobody can prove you right or wrong, because there was nothing to support your claim other than an assertion. We all agree you don't like it. Did you want me to dispute the assertion and claim you secretly like it?

 

[Chimpy]

Luckily, it's highly unlikely that Drizzt, or anything, will be "stuffed down your throat" should you make the CHOICE to purchase this adventure.

Drizzt hate mystifies me just like all the hate Ben Affleck used to get. If you don't like the character (or the actor), that's fine . . . but why the unending vitriol and frothing? Never understood it.

Actually I quite like Drizzt. I just want to keep the character special - when the players meet him I want it to be cherished rather than get mundane.

 

[Greg K]

Instead, they still just hang around waiting for Wizards to do... something?... that they're going to like?... eventually?... maybe? But that just tells me that what Wizards is doing isn't really as big of a problem as the complaints make it out to be, since apparently it isn't actually driving anybody away. I keep waiting for people to put their money where their mouths are, but it ain't happening. The same people who had problems with Tyranny have had problems with Princes and now problems with Abyss. And yet despite their resentment, they just can't bear to leave.

Methinks thou dost protest too much.

As one of the people, they don't, currently, have my monetary support. I didn't purchase a single 4e book and have not purchased a single 5e book. It does not mean that I don't like to talk about the game. I will discuss what I feel an edition does right, what it does wrong, and what they can do if they want my money. I will also help people like in my post above and look for ideas to steal for my 3e game.
Hell, for 3e, I owned the 3.0 core books from the beginning and participated in discussions, but only ran it for one session until Unearthed Arcana was released. The kernel of interest was always there, but WOTCs supporting material were turn-offs and not addressing my issues (e.g., the design of the cleric). It was UA along with Green Ronin's Shaman's Handbook, Psychic's Handbook, and Witch's Handbook that made me want to run 3e. 5e is in a similar position to that of 3e for me (except that i am not purchasing the core books).