[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]

Sure! Speaking only for myself, and fully acknowledging that these aren't insurmountable issues, my hate stems from a number of things.

• Appropriation.

• 
  
  This bothers me not at all. In fact, I see it as a strength. Forgotten Realms is Ed Greenwood's home D&D campaign (yes, I know it predates D&D), and adding cool story elements from other sources is classic D&D. I do it in my own homebrew, and I enjoy seeing it (when done well), in the Realms. And besides, if you don't care for the Realms anyway, why do you care if it "appropriates" elements from other settings? Do you assume that if the Elemental Evil adventure path had not been set in the Realms, that WotC would have developed it for Greyhawk? Where it's been done at least twice before?
  
  

  [*]Super-uber-Mary-Sue npcs..

  
  This complaint, IMO, is valid, but overwrought (in general, not specific to Jester). Certainly, the Realms is rife with powerful NPCs. I agree it is one of the weaker elements of the setting. However, the NPCs did not dominate the RPG products for 3rd, 4th, or 5th editions (some of the novels are another thing), and even so, they are easily ignored.
  
  

  [*]The cheapening of formerly awesome elements in D&D.

  
  I agree to a point that drow went from a terrifying villainous race to relatively common PCs. But I don't blame the Realms, Drizzt's contribution notwithstanding. It's the "Klingon Effect". Super cool evil race migrates to "fights-againt-evil-nature/culture" hero type. I still think drow are cool, just a very different kind of cool . . . but something has been lost, that's for sure.
  
  I suppose what frustrates me is not that some folks don't care for the Realms. All of your reasons for not liking the setting are, of course, totally valid even if others don't agree or even see some of them as strengths of the setting. What frustrates me is the word "hate". Hate? Really? If you truly hate a fictional setting, then we don't understand each other at all. And there is a very loud contingent of Realms-hate that infests this board and others . . . it's not the opinions that bother me, but the overwhelming negativity whenever the topic of the Realms comes up.

 

[Mouseferatu]

So, others have already explained why there's no functional difference, in play, between an FR adventure and a "generic" one; that it's exactly the same filing off of serial numbers. I want to address the whole "voting with your wallet" thing.

Obviously, you have that right. I would never suggest otherwise. I'm not remotely a fan of having all the adventures set in FR either. I want other worlds.

But...

Let's be honest with ourselves. The accounting department? Isn't going to interpret lost sales as being about FR. They're going to interpret it at best as "adventures don't sell," and quite possibly as "D&D beyond the core books doesn't sell."

I'm not telling anyone to buy something they don't want. But I am saying, "Be aware of what message you're actually sending. It's not necessarily the one you intend."

 

[HonorBoundSamurai632]

You and I have different ideas of what adequate support means, I think. I feel Greyhawk got plenty of support during the initial launch of 3rd edition, and I very much count the Dragon and Dungeon magazines as they were official D&D products.

Overall, the Realms most certainly did get *more* support than Greyhawk did, but I don't see that as a lack of effort or care on WotC's part. See my "chicken-or-egg" comment a few posts up.

I really, honestly don't feel the Realms supremacy is one of quality products, amount of products, care and attention of the designers, or any sort of judgment call from fans or designers other than . . . more folks simply prefer the Realms as their "go-to" setting. I have some serious love for all of the older settings, including Greyhawk, but I don't begrudge WotC making the smart move with the Realms . . . of course, I love the Realms too!

And I have to agree with you. I believe Dragon and Dungeon Magazine contained official material for Greyhawk, (and other settings,) because those 2 magazines are/were official D&D product. Just sometimes it was hard to come by those mags unless you had a subscription (at least in the area I live.)So with that being said, now would be a wonderful time to just admit that you and I do not see the "support" issue the same, and that is cool. We respectfully agree to disagree. (that doesn't mean I still wouldn't have a good time sitting at a table with you rolling dice and skinning a dead dragon for some sweet dragonplate armor!)

 

[Dire Bare]

At its core, D&D should remain world agnostic. Go ahead and publish settings and setting-specific adventures. Core products shouldn't do more than use names to fill in blanks. If an adventure requires me to do more than sub out a name for a faction, place, or major NPC, it's not generic. Maps are a compromise because a truly generic map isn't any easier to add to a structured world than borrowing one, but things like the Stone Bridge (in PotA) are jarring unless they're important to the adventure (and if they are, it ceases to be generic).

Huh? From my perspective, this is EXACTLY what they are doing! The core books ARE setting agnostic! The only setting products are the three existing or announced adventure paths . . . are you upset that they don't have the Forgotten Realms logo on the front cover? I don't understand . . . .

For the adventures paths, they had three options for settings:

1) go with a classic, but less popular setting to launch our new edition
2) invent a new, generic fantasy setting rather than use the existing, popular generic fantasy setting we already have
3) use the Realms, because it's what most of our fans want, and it's generic enough that it can be easily ported to other settings without much fuss.

They went with #3 of course, and I can't imagine a world where that was the wrong choice.

 

[Dire Bare]

Lately it seems if you don't toe the Company line around here, several posters will B&M about years of whiners and whining, throw you into that camp, and eventually ignore you. You are better off, don't sweat it

Yes, you called it. We are WotC apologists, rather than gamers who are tired of the whining and negativity so rampant in our fandom online. Actually, we all get paid the big bucks to "toe the company line".

 

[Dire Bare]

On that subject, one thing that I thought was amazing in 4e and that I really hope gets brought forward officially (it's totally in my game) is Torog and the whole story of how he created the Underdark. OMFG, that's awesome.

Oh yeah, I'm with you on that one for sure! Torog was an awesome addition to the D&D cosmology!

 

[Dire Bare]

I'm sorry, I'm unclear- are you saying that WotC put out tons of amazing GH material in 3e, or that the notion that they would is wishful thinking?

I disagree with the first, but sadly, I agree with the second. But honestly, I'd settle for one or two awesome products that were set in Greyhawk; I'm not even really asking for that, since I run a homebrewed setting these days anyhow. I'm not asking for more GH support, so much as for even one adventure that is NOT set in the FR.

Sorry I was unclear. Greyhawk, IMO, got *good* support, but it did not get *tons* of support. And I think that the idea that Greyhawk could be just as popular as the Realms if WotC would only put more resources into it is the "wishful thinking" part.

 

[justinj3x3]

Lately it seems if you don't toe the Company line around here, several posters will B&M about years of whiners and whining, throw you into that camp, and eventually ignore you. You are better off, don't sweat it

Oh I'm not worried about it at all lol. I assume they must come from the WOTC forums!

 

[justinj3x3]

Yes, you called it. We are WotC apologists, rather than gamers who are tired of the whining and negativity so rampant in our fandom online. Actually, we all get paid the big bucks to "toe the company line".

See the bitterness is just unnecessary. Can someone else tell him if you don't like whining and complaints stop going on the internet for me... since he is ignoring me.

I'll add I do agree that there are some overly negative people, but that doesn't mean a negative opinion or complaint is instantly one of these people!

But then again he will never read this....

I think he put me on ignore when I pointed out someone was simply asking what the release date of something was when he attacked them for being 'entitled' on another thread one time. Not sure what I said that was so offensive though.

 

[justinj3x3]

So, others have already explained why there's no functional difference, in play, between an FR adventure and a "generic" one; that it's exactly the same filing off of serial numbers. I want to address the whole "voting with your wallet" thing.

Obviously, you have that right. I would never suggest otherwise. I'm not remotely a fan of having all the adventures set in FR either. I want other worlds.

But...

Let's be honest with ourselves. The accounting department? Isn't going to interpret lost sales as being about FR. They're going to interpret it at best as "adventures don't sell," and quite possibly as "D&D beyond the core books doesn't sell."

I'm not telling anyone to buy something they don't want. But I am saying, "Be aware of what message you're actually sending. It's not necessarily the one you intend."

I agree. I don't think my not buying something will sway any decisions. But I will know I stuck to my principles and voted with my wallet anyways. I'm stubborn like that.