D&D 5E WotC Explains 'Canon' In More Detail

Recently, WotC's Jeremy Crawford indicated that only the D&D 5th Edition books were canonical for the roleplaying game. In a new blog article, Chris Perkins goes into more detail about how that works, and why.

This boils down to a few points:

• Each edition of D&D has its own canon, as does each video game, novel series, or comic book line.
• The goal is to ensure players don't feel they have to do research of 50 years of canon in order to play.
• It's about remaining consistent.

If you’re not sure what else is canonical in fifth edition, let me give you a quick primer. Strahd von Zarovich canonically sleeps in a coffin (as vampires do), Menzoberranzan is canonically a subterranean drow city under Lolth’s sway (as it has always been), and Zariel is canonically the archduke of Avernus (at least for now). Conversely, anything that transpires during an Acquisitions Incorporated live game is not canonical in fifth edition because we treat it the same as any other home game (even when members of the D&D Studio are involved).

D&D Canon | D&D Studio Blog | Dungeons & Dragons

In this D&D Studio Blog, Chris Perkins describes the D&D Studio's position on canonicity.

dnd.wizards.com

D&D General - WotC: Novels & Non-5E Lore Are Officially Not Canon

At a media press briefing last week, WotC's Jeremey Crawford clarified what is and is not canon for D&D. "For many years, we in the Dungeons & Dragons RPG studio have considered things like D&D novels, D&D video games, D&D comic books, as wonderful expressions of D&D storytelling and D&D lore...

www.enworld.org

 

[Scribe]

Has the Wall ever been something the players can affect?

At your table? Absolutely.

 

[Faolyn]

At your table? Absolutely.

So it's never been anything that the players were "supposed" to interact with in any way.

 

[Scribe]

So it's never been anything that the players were "supposed" to interact with in any way.

I think there was a plot line in NWN2? Its been quite some time since I looked at it though.

 

[Faolyn]

I think there was a plot line in NWN2? Its been quite some time since I looked at it though.

And as per the original point of this thread, one shouldn't have to play a video game to get information for the TTRPG.

 

[Chaosmancer]

No they can't. Pact magic is not the same as having clerics. And pretending to be a god doesn't mean you can grant clerical powers. That's an assumption not born out by the masquerade. All it takes is enough personal power and appearing before a mortal and making the claim.

Demons and devils who have not achieved actual godhood can't grant clerical powers or spells.

And yet they have done so in plenty of adventures. Bloodstone features "Priests of Orcus" with clerical abilities. The Cult Fanatic statblock in 5e features Clerical abilities, as do the Black Earth Cultists who worship Ogremoch, an Elemental Prince.

So, we have quite a bit of evidence of divine magic being granted by non-gods.

Gnolls and minotaurs are not aspects of the world, such as nature, forests, etc. Races are not aspects of the world. There are no demons or devils who are not ALSO gods that do so.

Then why ISCorellon (God of the Elves) a god? Garl Glittergold (God of the Gnomes)? Moradin (God of the Dwarves)? Grolantor (God of Hill Giants), Surtur (God of Fire Giants), Blibdoolpoolp (Goddess of Kua-Toa), Kurtulmak (God of Kobolds), Yondalla (Goddess of Halflings), Sekolah (God of Sauhagin), Semunaya (Goddess of Lizardfolk), Gruumsh (God of Orcs), Bahamut (God of Metallic Dragons), Tiamat (Goddess of Chromatic Dragons), Laduguer (God of Duergar), Syranita (Goddess of Aarcrockra), ect ect ect ect ect ect

It seems to me that there are A LOT of gods of particular races.

You also ignored me mentioned Demon Lords in charges of Oozes (how is this different from beasts, which the God Malar has dominion over?) Undead (there are gods and goddesses of the Undead), Poison (same), again, ect ect ect ect

Do tell. Which variety of beliefs do they embody?

Well, a follower of Asmodeus would believe in the power of law as well as a meritocratic world where the strong tear down the weak and rule over them. Followers of Orcus would believe in death and creating a still world for their lord to rule over. Followers of Yeenoghu believe in bloodlust, savagery and feeding their inner beasts.

Basically, anywhere you have a cult of a being, you have a set of beliefs that that cult follows.

 

[Mirtek]

So it's never been anything that the players were "supposed" to interact with in any way.

How do you define "supposed"?

The FR setting if full of evil and unjust things for the individual table to chose from what to feature in their campaign. Only a tiny fraction of all the evil in the world has gotten an official adventure to it's name.

 

[Scribe]

And as per the original point of this thread, one shouldn't have to play a video game to get information for the TTRPG.

Oh so you mean in the core 5e books that are actually 'canon' or whatever that means? No, but I doubt the Wall is there at all, since it was errata cut from SCAG (which is also not canon).

So, your free. Its nothing, doesnt exist.

 

[Chaosmancer]

You are confusion domains and portfolios. Also some of those were just dead at this time or not even connected to Toril.

You have a thing about Yutrus and to be fair, those poor sods being shown crushed under a collapsed building or stuck to a torture table and already having received multiple deadly wounds were all faerunian humans.

Orcs and non-faeurinan humans could probably die normally during this time.

All of those were in the FR wiki, so all of them should be associated with Toril in on way or another. And since the Elvish, Dwarven, Gnomish and Halflings dieties of death didn't die, how come their people suddenly couldn't die?

 

[Mirtek]

All of those were in the FR wiki, so all of them should be associated with Toril in on way or another. And since the Elvish, Dwarven, Gnomish and Halflings dieties of death didn't die, how come their people suddenly couldn't die?

Yet not all of the are. The FR wikki isn't fully exclusive to FR. It also contains some stuff from other settings.

Elves, gnomes, etc. could probably die during that time. But humans on Faerun could not.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Everything bad is "toxic." Murder is toxic. Assault is toxic. Kidnapping is toxic. Bad is toxic. You can play some fluffy bunny D&D game if that's what you want, but my D&D game is going to have bad stuff in it for the PCs to oppose or not as they see fit.

Bad is bad. Toxic is toxic. If you have a particular issue with a specific bad thing, remove it from your game. Don't demand that others have to conform to your personal issues on the matter, though.

Lol no. I’m not going to avoid asking a company to change a toxic (not just “bad”) element of their game just because you like it.