[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'd add a fourth option- make an adventure that doesn't use any existing setting information; that is, something akin to the 'minisetting' that Red Hand of Doom used.

How is that different from creating a brand new generic fantasy setting? How is the Elsir Vale of Red Hand of Doom all that different from the Nentir Vale of the 4th edition? Level of detail over time is about it as far as I'm concerned.

And really, how is that all that different from using the Realms with a light touch as in Princes of Apocalypse? How truly different is using Elsir Vale over using the Dessarin Valley?

I just don't get it. Still. Without trying to trivialize the opinions of those who don't care for the Realms, it really seems to me like a mental block rather than a real issue. Just seeing the words "Forgotten Realms" or "Drizzt Do'Urden" in print seems to set some folks into a tizzy before they really have any information about a new product.

 

[Shasarak]

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."

That is why you should always combine "voting with your wallet" together with "complaining on the internet" so that accounting can tell exactly why the latest adventure only earned enough for one gold plated hot tub.

 

[Mistwell]

For me, the point is, "Dear WotC, you would get more of my money if you had some adventures that weren't set in the FR".

This is not a good method of communicating that sort of thing to WOTC. Twitter, email, customer service message, etc. are all much better than posting complaints to this message board.

 

[HobbitFan]

I don't mind WOTC focusing on the Realms.
My thing is that shouldn't be the only thing they are doing. It shouldn't monopolize all rpg products, as well as organized play.
And if they are going to focus on the realms they should utilize the Realms and UPDATE.

 

[Kramodlog]

They are doing two APs a year. Why not have one in the FR and the other in a different setting? The hyper focus on the FR for many years to come is disappointing.

Right now Rage of Drizzt looks like a lot of effort to import Planescape to the FR, well the Sword Coast, instead of letting PCs explore the planes. There was talk of Strahd earlier in this thread. If he is ever used, he'll be imported to the FR.

 

[Quickleaf]

I'm not sure if anyone posted this info about Green Ronin's Rage of Demons book yet, but from Dragon+

The Underdark is a subterranean wonderland, a vast and twisted labyrinth where fear reigns. It is the home of horrific monsters that have never seen the light of day. It is here that the dark elf Gromph Baenre, Archmage of Menzoberranzan, casts a foul spell meant to ignite a magical energy that suffuses the Underdark and tears open portals to the demonic Abyss. What steps through surprises even him, and from that moment on, the insanity that pervades the Underdark escalates and threatens to shake the Forgotten Realms to its foundations. Stop the madness before it consumes you!

A Dungeons & Dragons adventure for characters of levels 1–15

 

[MonsterEnvy]

They are doing two APs a year. Why not have one in the FR and the other in a different setting? The hyper focus on the FR for many years to come is disappointing.

Right now Rage of Drizzt looks like a lot of effort to import Planescape to the FR, well the Sword Coast, instead of letting PCs explore the planes. There was talk of Strahd earlier in this thread. If he is ever used, he'll be imported to the FR.

No. Demons have always shown up in the FR this has nothing to do even slightly with Planescape. You don't have any idea what you are talking about.

 

[Shasarak]

Right now Rage of Drizzt looks like a lot of effort to import Planescape to the FR, well the Sword Coast, instead of letting PCs explore the planes. There was talk of Strahd earlier in this thread. If he is ever used, he'll be imported to the FR.

Manshoon is still a Vampire, right?

I mean he is almost identical to Strahd except in Cormyr which is almost identical to Barovia!

Nobody would notice the difference.

 

[S_Dalsgaard]

I am currently trying to port both Red Hand of Doom and PotA into my own setting for a sort of mega campaign thingie and I would say that both are about equal in terms of how much I have to change to make it fit. It is more or less just names of gods and organizations that has to be changed. I am using the map from Red Hand of Doom as the Elsir Vale fit rather nicely into my campaign map, so I also have to fit PotA into that map, but that is fairly easy too. If I had ported the PotA map instead, it would have been Red Hand of Doom that took a little more effort.

 

[Kramodlog]

No. Demons have always shown up in the FR this has nothing to do even slightly with Planescape. You don't have any idea what you are talking about.

Gromph opens portals to the Abyss and the Abyss comes to the Realms. Pretty straight foreward Planescape importation.

Rise of Tiamat is considered to be Krynn inspire. PotA Greyhawk inspired. Here it is Planescape. Just a continuation of the formula WotC is using with its APs.