DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Launches Playtesting for ONE D&D, Announces New Materials, and Much More at Wizards Presents
Dungeons & Dragons recently made some huge announcements at the first-ever Wizards Presents virtual event. D&D 5E has been around for many years. During the Wizards Presents, the team at D&D shared the next level of the game that is currently called One D&D.
Playtesting for One D&D is now available by going to the official site and downloading the playtest packet full of materials so you can give it a go. A lot of what I’ve seen in the packet is them bringing about the updated rules such as how Races are handled at character creation in 5E which makes sense since they are currently saying that One D&D will permit the use of any 5E supplements, adventures, etc.
It sounds much more like a 5.5E although they seem to be foregoing the term “edition” for their upcoming project. One D&D appears to be more than just a new set of rules or updated rules. It’s also about enhancing the experience of playing.
There was mention of being able to purchase bundles with physical and digital copies of the books which is something many have been asking for and the recent acquisition of D&D Beyond makes much easier for them. With that, the team is also working on fleshing out the digital space with a 3D virtual tabletop system that utilizes Unreal Engine.
All of this sounds amazing, but it does beg the question of cost. How much will it cost to use these tools? Regardless, if you head to D&D Beyond, you can sign up to join public playtests and try it out for yourself.
One D&D was not the only announcement made for D&D. The team outlined a fair number of projects set to release across the next year or so. Fans will be able to go to war with the release of Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen launching on December 6. There will even be a Deluxe Edition that contains the new Shadow of the Dragon Queen adventure, an exclusive Dungeon Master screen, and the board game Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn to really let you jump into the War of the Lance. Shadow of the Dragon Queen also marks the first time that D&D will offer the aforementioned physical and digital content bundles via D&D Beyond. If you pre-order from D&D now, you can even get access as early as November 22! The bundle starts at $59.94.
In addition, the team is celebrating Drizzt’s 35th anniversary with brand new covers for R.A. Salvatore’s Legend of Drizzt novels. There will also be a Legend of Drizzt Visual Dictionary full of lore, creatures, weapons, enemies, and allies as well as a Drizzt Family webcomic starring Drizzt’s tween daughter Brie as she is “’borrowing’ her father’s sword Twinkle to prove she is a heroic force just like her forebears.”
In 2023, D&D fans can get excited for the following items:
Winter 2023 – Keys from the Golden Vault
Ocean’s Eleven meets D&D in this book of short adventures revolving around heists.
Spring 2023 – Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
A companion to last year's Fizban's Treasury of Dragons focused on giants.
Summer 2023 – The Book of Many Things
A collection of creatures, locations, and other goodies that are connected to the mysterious Deck of Many Things.
Summer 2023 – “Phandelver Campaign”
Expands the classic Lost Mine of Phandelver into a full campaign tinged with cosmic horror.
Fall 2023 – “Planescape”
The legendary setting returns! Like Spelljammer: Adventures in Space, Planescape is a three-book slipcase: setting guide, bestiary, and adventure campaign
That’s a lot of news for D&D. What has you the most excited?