• The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!

[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!)

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!)


RoD_KeyArt.jpg


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.”





RoD LOGO.png

 

log in or register to remove this ad

Ghost Matter

Explorer
The only people I see hung up on Drizzt are the people saying they're tired of him or that's he's going to steal the show.

We only have a single press release right now. Let's wait and see, no use in panicking.
 

log in or register to remove this ad

The good news is that it has Demon princes. On the other hand, it is an adventure path and also tied to the Underdark which means that there are two reasons that I will not be buying it.

A major factor in my decision to not purchase 4e was how they released the Monster Manuals with one Demon prince (or, in the case of Lolth, Queen) per book and other Demon Princes and Demon Lords in various books and online Dragon issues. Based on 4e's release of Demon Princes and Arch-Devils, I made a conscious decision to hold off on investing in 5e to see how they handle the release of stats for Tiamat, Demons Princes, etc.. I don't see this format as any for my preferencesthan was 4e. In some ways it is worse as it is tied to Adventure Paths for which I have no use.
So, if the only way to get stats for Tiamat, Demon Princes, Elemental Lords, etc. is to purchase individual Adventures/Paths, bye bye 5e and WOTC.

I mean, to each their own, but it seems odd to base your decision around whether or not they include in the basic monster manual the stats for group of unique NPC's that probably shouldn't even need stats until the party is level 20+, given that they should be on par with demigods in order to boss around a bunch of balors. 5E is a good system, and its pretty easy to make stats for creatures.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Agamon

Adventurer
This isn't an IQ debate. It is about features that a lot of tabletop players don't care for in published adventures, and as such it is purely opinion. We aren't playing "are you smarter than a WOTC designer" here.

The company has goals that go well beyond the tabletop and some of the decisions made about the design are included because of that. So if 80% of your revenue comes from sources OTHER than tabletop, then designing your product to market heavily towards those sources is SMART. Some of us hold the tabletop game as more important than anything else and wish that decisions reflected that.

D&D had to become a brand to survive under Hasbro. A brand is simply an asset used to generate revenue. D&D is now just a corporate marketing tool.

I agree that smart business decisions are smart. That said, what a lot of people are worried about is not a smart business decision. Having Drizzt on the cover and a part of the adventure is smart. Having him be a part of the party as a DMPC isn't. Therefore, it makes sense that the latter isn't going to happen, that was my point.

You can have a big name NPC take more of a prominent position on other aspects of the media and still make a good adventure.
 



steeldragons

Steeliest of the dragons
Epic
That's not a bad call. I've been reading through the MM over the past few days, and there's a lot of aquatic stuff in there.

Kuo-toa, traditionally, should fall in the upcoming underdark one...but the sahuagin and other aquatic MM stuff (and if Nautical UA is a preview/hint) could EASILY be a Saltmarsh trilogy AP. Would need to be teased out a LOT to get into higher letter/involve something else...maybe the Saltmarsh modules seguing into the Slavers plot...I could see that pretty easily.
 

moldyderp

Explorer
Will the adventure be 500 pages of making sympathy lamps and endless farting around with paying your tuition? How many talents and jots will you need to buy your textbooks? Can you get your library card back? Stay tuned for the epic conclusion of the Student Loan of the Wind trilogy!

For all the hate Drizzt gets, he's not a 1% of the Mary Sue Elminster is, who spends all his time flying through the multiverse banging various goddesses of magic. Or Raistlin, the biggest junior high school vengeful nerd fantasy ever. "Yes, one day I'll lord it over the cool kids, after I get my comp sci degree! Then the girls who wouldn't date me because of my odious personality and grooming habits will have to like me!"


Thanks! Gave me a really good chuckle. :)
 




Remove ads

Remove ads

Top