D&D 5E WotC Announces An Impending Announcement: New Setting, Storyline

Early this week, WotC announced on Twitter that today there would be some kind of announcement on their Twitch channel. Those who heard that announcement and tuned in were treated to an announcement that the new storyline will be announced at a live event in June.

The press release announcing the impending announcement also mentions a new setting, as well as the storyline, so it sounds like it might not be set in the Forgotten Realms (or maybe is in a new region - to 5E - of the Realms, such as Icewind Dale). The adventure and the setting might be the same thing, or they might be completely different things. Recently, WotC has released a bunch of settings: Eberron, Ravnica, Wildemount, and the upcoming Theros.

Fans of D&D will learn all about the new setting and storyline

The new storyline specifically will be revealed at 12pm PST (8pm GMT) on Thursday, June 18th.

The June event will raise money for Comic Relief, and will feature celebrities including Brandon Routh (Superman), and will preview the brand new storyline. It takes place June 18th-20th. Other names involved include Felicia Day, Deborah Ann Woll, Amy Acker, David Harbour, Matthew Lillard, and more.

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 PRESS RELEASE

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RENTON, WA – May 21, 2020 – People all over the world continue to stay safe by staying home, but that doesn’t mean the adventuring has to stop. Dungeons & Dragons is more popular than ever because it allows people to weave compelling stories together even when they’re physically apart through online videoconferencing. Now, Wizards of the Coast brings the stars to this virtual table with D&D Live 2020: Roll w/ Advantage. An amazing cast of characters led by expert storytellers preview the latest D&D storyline with live gaming sessions, all while raising money for Red Nose Day to help the most vulnerable children across the US and around the world, who have been so affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.The adventure begins 10:00am PT on June 18, 2020 and will run through June 20, 2020 at dungeonsanddragons.com.

D&D Live 2020: Roll w/ Advantage features big personalities playing elves, wizards and fighters to accomplish quests using their imaginations. Funny people like Brian Posehn, Kevin Sussman and Thomas Middleditch will work together to solve problems or, more likely, cause some hilarious new ones. WWE ® Superstars Xavier Woods ®, Tyler Breeze ®, Ember Moon ®, Alexa Bliss ® and Dio Maddin ® will contend with beefcake destroyer Jeremy Crawford, a.k.a. Principal Rules Designer for D&D. Deborah Ann Woll will lead a group of actors in improvising a way to help people in a fantasy world not that different from ours. And principal D&D writer Chris Perkins takes players

Fans of D&D will learn all about the new setting and storyline as well as accompanying new products plus tons of unique gameplay available on June 18, 2020. D&D Adventurers League has four new short adventures everyone can enjoy. By donating a small amount to Red Nose Day, fans will have access to sign up for D&D sessions with players around the world! During #DnDLive2020, fans will also be able to choose the character best suited to help the region through Reality RP, a mashup of fantasy storytelling, community engagement, and reality television.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

(snip) Let it be Oriental Adventures, please. Kara-Tur finally. Yeah it'll never happen since WotC doesn't care for that sort of thing while everyone else does, but I can still hope right? Been hoping since the last Kara-Tur product.

I doubt that because of the cancerous social media environment. Can you imagine the charges of "cultural appropriation" that would be levied by the ********** if WotC did that?

Mod Edit:That language is not acceptable. ~Umbran[/red]

 

[lkj]

Wish they had science-fantasy on there, as D&D-meets-Numenera-or-Exalted would be fun. Or cosmic/space fantasy (Spelljammer).

I also don't see Modern/Urban/Supernatural fantasy.

Arcana of the Ancients kind of handles the Numenera meets D&D part . . .

AD

 

[darjr]

So who's going to sign up and play in any of these games. The convention like ones they are going to offer to the public.

 

[Aldarc]

That sounds badass

There are several homebrew campaigns from WotC employees that I would have almost loved as published campaigns or even MtG style conversion articles: James Wyatt's Aquela and Chris Perkins's Iomandra. Both are incidentally about most aquatic worlds that heavily feature archipelagos.

Iomandra basically involved this idea that a world Io and the dragon gods created became covered in vast oceans dotted with millions of islands due to Io not being pleased with their creations. Every island was lorded over by a dragon, who are regarded as divine exarchs of Io. Dragons would fight over islands as they grew in size. Also, there was a Dragonborn empire of Arkhosia that butted heads against the humans (and later tieflings) of Bael Turath. So you can see a bit how 4e flavored this world.

I would have loved a setting like Iomandra because you can have the characters island-hop to different locations. Give them a ship. Each island becomes a point of light. Maybe an island looks normal and nothing out of the ordinary, but the real adventure is happening in that island's equivalent space in the Feywild or Shadowfell. And the dragons make excellent set pieces on each island. Are the PCs working for or against the local dragon? Are they the lesser of two evils? Are they conspiring to help their island's dragon move up the ladder?

 

[teitan]

Arcana of the Ancients kind of handles the Numenera meets D&D part . . .

AD

They are also doing a full campaign setting for Numenera for 5e, Beneath the Amber Monolith.

 

[pukunui]

There are several homebrew campaigns from WotC employees that I would have almost loved as published campaigns or even Planescape style conversion articles: James Wyatt's Aquela and Chris Perkins's Iomandra. Both are incidentally about most aquatic worlds that heavily feature archipelagos.

I had high hopes for Perkins' early 5e "Valoreign" campaign as well. Sadly it never got off the ground. In the early days of 5e, I had a go at adapting it to my liking but never took it anywhere myself either.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Okay Imagine we assume we get a complete new setting.

DMG pg38 states the flavors of Fantasy are

1. Heroic Fantasy (example given was Forgotten Realms)
2. Sword And Sorcery (example given was Dark Sun)
3. Epic Fantasy (example given was Dragonlance)
4. Mythic Fantasy (the example was Greek Fantasy so that's Theros)
5. Dark Fantasy (example given was Ravenloft)
6. Intrigue (The example given was the Brimstone Angels.)
7. Mystery
8. Swashbuckling
9. War
10. Wuxia
11. Crossing The Streams

My guess is a Intrigue and War setting due to celebs. Celebs and actors are best advertisement for intrigue or comedy to me.

Interesting. Maybe this is a clue about future titles.

Intrigue and mystery, about investigating crimes and hunting the monster of the week is better for Ravenloft. And this is the easiest option to be adapted to a live-action production by EnternaimentOne.

Red Steel/Savage Coast is the perfect option for sawshbuckling.

War? My bet is a videogame set in Birghtright. If Hasbro hire the right scripters this may be the perfect D&D version of "Game of Thrones" for Enternaiment One.

We will see a new Oriental Adventures, maybe with new classes, or ready to be used with the remake of the martial adepts (Tome of Battle: Book of the Nine Swords), but this time WotC needs the feedback by fandom from Taiwan, Sourth-Korea and Japan, and these couldn't agree about who is the Heavenly Court and who is the evil empire. Hasbro wants to have good relations with Chinese and Japanese market.

* Disney will pay the copyright for Mythus, the Gary Gygax's world for Dangerous Journeys to be used in his own epic fantasy setting for their heroes and heroines (Mulan, Merida & cia).

 

[Mercurius]

There are several homebrew campaigns from WotC employees that I would have almost loved as published campaigns or even Planescape style conversion articles: James Wyatt's Aquela and Chris Perkins's Iomandra. Both are incidentally about most aquatic worlds that heavily feature archipelagos.

Iomandra basically involved this idea that a world Io and the dragon gods created became covered in vast oceans dotted with millions of islands due to Io not being pleased with their creations. Every island was lorded over by a dragon, who are regarded as divine exarchs of Io. Dragons would fight over islands as they grew in size. Also, there was a Dragonborn empire of Arkhosia that butted heads against the humans (and later tieflings) of Bael Turath. So you can see a bit how 4e flavored this world.

I would have loved a setting like Iomandra because you can have the characters island-hop to different locations. Give them a ship. Each island becomes a point of light. Maybe an island looks normal and nothing out of the ordinary, but the real adventure is happening in that island's equivalent space in the Feywild or Shadowfell. And the dragons make excellent set pieces on each island. Are the PCs working for or against the local dragon? Are they the lesser of two evils? Are they conspiring to help their island's dragon move up the ladder?

Sounds quite intriguing, and I'd love to see it published. I found this map on Reddit:

Anyone, the nice thing about this basic idea is that it would be relatively easy to improvise a homebrew variation. You literally only have to design a starting island and then have the PCs voyage out into the unknown waters. You could design islands as you go, building up a collection over time and throwing them in as you desire, gradually filling out the world map as you go.

In fact, if I was running such a campaign I might create a "Random Island Generator," just to use as back-up, or as a tool to design islands. It would be a lot of fun to play with. Hmm...

 

[Aldarc]

Sounds quite intriguing, and I'd love to see it published. I found this map on Reddit:

I also went looking, and someone compiled a mini-setting bible on UA Reddit: Iomandra.

Anyone, the nice thing about this basic idea is that it would be relatively easy to improvise a homebrew variation. You literally only have to design a starting island and then have the PCs voyage out into the unknown waters. You could design islands as you go, building up a collection over time and throwing them in as you desire, gradually filling out the world map as you go.

In fact, if I was running such a campaign I might create a "Random Island Generator," just to use as back-up, or as a tool to design islands. It would be a lot of fun to play with. Hmm...

Yep, that's what I also love about it. The archipelago or ocean serves as your sandbox. You would not necessarily even need to homebrew a starting island. Provide a sample set of starter islands, perhaps showcasing the island-generator. Let the DM pick which one, and then unleash the PCs upon the seas.

 

[Minigiant]

Interesting. Maybe this is a clue about future titles.

Intrigue and mystery, about investigating crimes and hunting the monster of the week is better for Ravenloft. And this is the easiest option to be adapted to a live-action production by EnternaimentOne.

Intrigue and mystery favors youtube, twitch, and other video platforms. It works for VTM so well. A setting focused on secret societies and doing favors for powerful characters.

What if your party quests for a boon from Archmage ABC, Hierophant XYZ, Sir LMNOP, or the Blood Alchemists?
Need a wish? Clear out a fort for the Archmage.
Need a ressurection? Protect that same fort for the Pope.

War? My bet is a videogame set in Birghtright. If Hasbro hire the right scripters this may be the perfect D&D version of "Game of Thrones" for Enternaiment One.

I could see a 4x or Grand strategy game D&D by 2022 via a new setting. But I don't see it for this one.

We will see a new Oriental Adventures, maybe with new classes, or ready to be used with the remake of the martial adepts (Tome of Battle: Book of the Nine Swords), but this time WotC needs the feedback by fandom from Taiwan, Sourth-Korea and Japan, and these couldn't agree about who is the Heavenly Court and who is the evil empire. Hasbro wants to have good relations with Chinese and Japanese market.

* Disney will pay the copyright for Mythus, the Gary Gygax's world for Dangerous Journeys to be used in his own epic fantasy setting for their heroes and heroines (Mulan, Merida & cia).

For the money, I couldalso see a new setting with a less Western European focus. I could see a new setting with mythicalogical andherioc version of warriors from Asia, Africa, and the Americas. There don't need the copyrights but they could lean on playing as a wink wink version Aladdin, Merida, Mulan, or any big name 3 Kingdoms or Sengoku Jidai .

And maybe we would get some magic polearms.