Yesteeday, Wizards of the Coast announced details and information about upcoming Dungeons & Dragons products for the rest of the year. The beginning of 2023 hasn’t been smooth for the biggest TTRPG purveyor in the world, but they plan to finish strong with a big slate of books starting with a truly GIGANTIC addition to the game’s lore.
Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants will be releasing on August 15, reintroducing those massive creatures to fans. The MSRP of $59.95 will go into effect starting with Bigby Presents and new RPG books after that. Pricing for digital or previously published products is unaffected.
“As materials, transportation, and other production costs have increased over the nine years since we released the fifth edition of D&D, we’ve kept the price of our books stable. Because we are committed to maintaining high standards and quality products for our fans, we have made the difficult decision to increase the price of our new release print books, starting with Glory of the Giants,” said Liz Schuh, Director of Product Management for D&D. “We are able to maintain our digital pricing because the cost increases associated with print products does not impact digital products. Players who purchase the digital-physical bundle through dndstore.wizards.com can get the bundle for $59.95 for the entire preorder window. This is consistent with our current digital-physical bundle pricing. After the preorder window closes, digital-physical bundle prices will go to $69.95.”
Five new releases are coming in 2023. Two books will take deep dives into the worlds of dragons and giants, powerful entities in the fantasy world. A familiar location is revisited in another book, exploring a mystery surrounding a beloved city and providing new challenges. Fans will traverse the Multiverse with adventures set in the center of that vast realm, the planar city of Sigil. Another tome and card deck will help Dungeon Masters and players to experience a potent artifact in a new way.
BIGBY PRESENTS: GLORY OF THE GIANTS
(releases on August 15)
Giants, by their size alone, are massively intimidating, but it is their magical, elemental, and mythic nature that makes them more than just oversized people. Described through the eyes and experiences of Bigby, the iconic wizard, and Diancastra, a demigod of the giant pantheon, the tome invites players to rediscover using giants as a character subclass, learning about their gods, religions, and social structure, and creating encounters that are gigantic in nature and scope.
Take a dive into new kinds of giants and enormous creatures that are sure to create humongous challenges and fun for any scenario. Peer into the depths of how giants create creatures of elemental or undead varieties. The gigantic bestiary included in this book contains 76 stat blocks, covering Challenge Ratings from 1/2 to 27.
THE PRACTICALLY COMPLETE GUIDE TO DRAGONS
(releases on August 15)
Sure, it is in the name of the game, but how much do you really know about dragons? Dive deep into the lore, lairs, mannerisms, and more of dragons in the beautifully illustrated, The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons.
These winged beasts can be terrifying to behold, but the inner workings of dragon society, anatomy, language, and hoards will be a boon of knowledge to players and DMs alike. Updated lore and art create bold new ways of thinking of dragons, for example, by detailing where they live and what is their greatest enemy – often, it is another dragon! The perfect gift for fantasy lovers of all ages!
PHANDELVER AND BELOW: THE SHATTERED OBELISK
(releases on September 19)
For fans of traditional dungeon crawls (or The Adventure Zone), harken back to the sleepy frontier town of Phandalin, where players can delve below the surface to find a dark and foreboding adventure. Phandalin was the setting for those who sharpened their teeth with the original fifth edition D&D starter set, but this time, DMs and players will find out more about the area and people for a fully crafted campaign.
It also ties into previous adventures as it deepens the mystery of strange obelisks found across Faerun. Is this location just another point on the map, or does it all center around Phandalin? The adventure will take characters from 1st to 12th level.
PLANESCAPE: ADVENTURES IN THE MULTIVERSE
(releases October 17)
Longtime fans will likely remember Planescape, the critically-acclaimed and fan beloved setting from its TSR days in 1994 or as the massively popular video game, Planescape Torment, first released in 1999. This fresh, new campaign collection is comprised of 3 hardcover books, spanning an in depth look at the city of Sigil, the center of the Multiverse, an examination of the Outlands and the wild realms, a bestiary detailing the wild and fantastical creatures players will encounter , and an adventure like no other throwing players into a plot that threatens to undermine the rules of reality and the very fabric of the Multiverse.
Twelve factions will vie for power, challenging players to help or hurt the influence of those divergent forces. A Multiversal menagerie will present what appear to be familiar creatures, yet they are changed by their interactions with planar forces.
It also opens up the imagination since Sigil can link to destinations on other locations or planes throughout the Multiverse. Which world will players choose to explore next?
THE DECK OF MANY THINGS
(releases on November 14)
Originally created in 1975, the Deck of Many Things is known for its power to create chaos and destroy worlds. The lore around the Deck of Many Things will be explored with new story elements around its creation, including the introduction of a new character and an explanation for one of the deck’s most mysterious cards.
Those legendary 22 cards are back and ready to be used by players and DMs alike. In addition, the new Deck includes 44 additional cards that can be substituted in to customize the play experience.
The accompanying Book of Many Things will showcase new character options, magic items, adventure locations, monsters, and more – all inspired by the Deck.
An additional companion book provides advice and background to each of the cards. This guidebook shows how the cards can be used as a traditional oracle deck or to create adventures inspired by the cards. Let the imagination wander as you build a story that excites you and your players.
Stay tuned for more info and reviews on the latest releases from Dungeons & Dragons!
Images via Wizards of the Coast
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