ZENDIKAR -- Where Magic: The Gathering and D&D Collide!

I've never played Magic: the Gathering, so while I"m reporting on this, bear in mind I personally can't fully contextualise it. However, it appears that a M:tG world called Zendikar is now available as a D&D 5th Edition setting via a free 38-page PDF available from WotC's website. It contains three sections -- The World of Zendikar, Races of Zendikar, and A Zendikar Bestiary. There's an added note that the material is not fully playtested or legal in D&D Organised Play events. "Plane Shift: Zendikar was made using the fifth edition of the D&D rules. D&D is a flexible rules system designed to model any kind of fantasy world. The D&D magic system doesn't involve five colors of mana or a ramping-up to your most powerful spells, but the goal isn't to mirror the experience of playing Magic in your role-playing game. The point is to experience the worlds of Magic in a new way, through the lens of the D&D rules. All you really need is races for the characters, monsters for them to face, and some ideas to build a campaign."

I've never played Magic: the Gathering, so while I"m reporting on this, bear in mind I personally can't fully contextualise it. However, it appears that a M:tG world called Zendikar is now available as a D&D 5th Edition setting via a free 38-page PDF available from WotC's website. It contains three sections -- The World of Zendikar, Races of Zendikar, and A Zendikar Bestiary. There's an added note that the material is not fully playtested or legal in D&D Organised Play events. "Plane Shift: Zendikar was made using the fifth edition of the D&D rules. D&D is a flexible rules system designed to model any kind of fantasy world. The D&D magic system doesn't involve five colors of mana or a ramping-up to your most powerful spells, but the goal isn't to mirror the experience of playing Magic in your role-playing game. The point is to experience the worlds of Magic in a new way, through the lens of the D&D rules. All you really need is races for the characters, monsters for them to face, and some ideas to build a campaign."

Races include Humans, Kor, Merfolk, Vampires, Goblins, and Elves. Monsters include angels, archons, griffins, felidars, sphinxes, drakes, krakens, surrakar, demons, dragons, giants, ogres, minotaurs, hydras, hellions, trolls, and more. Click on the image below to download the 38-page PDF.


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Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering are two different games, but that doesn't mean their Multiverses can't meet.

From the beginning, Magic's plane of Zendikar was conceived as an "adventure world" where parties of explorers delve into ancient ruins in search of wonders and treasures, fighting the monsters they encounter on the way. Many of the plane's creative roots lie in D&D, so it should be no surprise that The Art of Magic: The Gathering—Zendikar feels a lot like a D&D campaign setting book. It's littered with adventure hooks and story seeds, and lacks only the specific rules references you'd need to adapt Zendikar's races, monsters, and adventures to a tabletop D&D campaign. And it's all surrounded by amazing fantasy art that holds boundless inspiration in itself.

You can think of Plane Shift: Zendikar as a sort of supplement to The Art of Magic: The Gathering—Zendikar, designed to help you take the world details and story seeds contained in that book and turn them into an exciting D&D campaign. The easiest way to approach a D&D campaign set on Zendikar is to use the rules that D&D provides mostly as written: a druid on Zendikar might call on green mana and cast spells like giant growth, but she's still just a druid in the D&D rules (perhaps casting giant insect).

Plane Shift: Zendikar was made using the fifth edition of the D&D rules. D&D is a flexible rules system designed to model any kind of fantasy world. The D&D magic system doesn't involve five colors of mana or a ramping-up to your most powerful spells, but the goal isn't to mirror the experience of playing Magic in your role-playing game. The point is to experience the worlds of Magic in a new way, through the lens of the D&D rules. All you really need is races for the characters, monsters for them to face, and some ideas to build a campaign.

Finally, The Art of Magic: The Gathering—Zendikar will help you create a D&D campaign in Zendikar, but you don't actually need the book to make use of the material in Plane Shift: Zendikar—you can also refer to the abundance of lore about Zendikar found on MagicTheGathering.com and the Zendikar plane profile.
 

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S

Sunseeker

Guest
Considering the wealth of realms that MTG has and the wealth of creatures, stories and characters among them, all I can say is IT'S ABOUT TIME!! I don't know why D&D has never mined MTG for setting, story and campaign ideas. There's really just so much there, not to mention it creates brand synergy, it boggles my mind that it took them this long to even get their toes wet. At least they picked a good one. Zendikar really has a little bit of everything.
 

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casterblaster

First Post
"There were two D&D Next adventure campaignlets that never got the recognition they richly deserve: the descriptions of Icewind Dale and Baldur's Gate in respective supplement was excellent."

Yeah I picked up both adventures and I thought it was a nifty way to add setting info in with adventure info. The booklets alone are worth the purchase IMO.

I wouldn't mind campaign setting support to be handled this way. The price is right when you cant afford a 40$ hardback.
 

Asmo

First Post
Hmmm.. Eldrazi led by Emrakul, the Aeons Thorn would be the ultimate BBEG. But she's probably on Innistad at the moment.
 
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Whirlingdervish

First Post
I like it i can use most of it in my homebrew campaign if wizards were to give it even minimal support i.e. a map and expanding the existing pdf. Even if they put a price tag on it people will buy it
 



CapnZapp

Legend
To each their own, I suppose. I need another comprehensive Dragonlance campaign setting sourcebook about as badly as I need another movie featuring Batman's origin story.

Though I will concede that releasing setting updates as free PDFs though the website is not likely to add much to WotC's bottom line.
I guess you're disagreeing with me, somehow.

Not sure though - I completely agree there's no great need for a Batman in Dragonlance campaign guide.
 


SkidAce

Legend
Supporter
What people want when they say "I want an Al-Quadim Campaign Guide" or "Birthright Campaign Guide" is pretty much the opposite of this.

I have never even heard of Zendikar before this, but I dutifully browsed the PDF. It's basically a cheap-ass pamphlet to go buy something with real images with real resolution. As for actual advice, it does contain a handful of new monsters. Other than that, though, it contains such gems as "use griffins for griffons" (or vice versa, I really can't be arsed to remember inane stuff like that).

The gold mark of "campaign support" is and remains the 3rd edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting with its companion supplements. Glorious detail, both crunchy and fluffy at the same time. Deep deep useability for everyone interested.

And it's not like 4th edition ruined WotC's ability to make satisfying supplements. There were two D&D Next adventure campaignlets that never got the recognition they richly deserve: the descriptions of Icewind Dale and Baldur's Gate in respective supplement was excellent.

Man, just trust us. You are so far off this time its amazing.


There are many folks who play both, this setting gives some PC races and a structured world background that a DM can build on to create a campaign.

Plenty of hints on monster swaps and stats for those that need it. I also loved the 3rd edition FRCS, and it is a benchmark of excellence.

That doesn't make this pdf bad however.

I give it three thumbs up!
 


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