In case you didn't know, Dungeons and Dragons (commonly referred to as D&D or DnD) is a Fantasy Tabletop Roleplaying Game that was first published in 1974.
We learned a lot from Wizards Presents, an event filled with announcements surrounding the worlds of D&D and Magic: The Gathering, but one of the more exciting offerings was a sneak preview at the 2023 release schedule.
It kicks off with "Keys From The Golden Vault", which has been pitched as "Oceans 11 meets D&D". It's an Anthology of short adventures, each one revolving around a heist, and although we don't know much just yet it promises to be a lot of fun.
The next release in Spring 2023 is called "Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants". In November 2021 Wizards released Fizband's Treasury of Dragons - a bestiary filled with all different kinds of Dragons, a lot of which were new additions to the D&D universe.
Glory of the Giants is a companion entry that will revolve around Giants, becoming the definitive guide to giants in the Dungeons and Dragons multiverse.
We don't know much just yet, but if it's anything like Treasury of Dragons we can expect new playable races, subclasses, and feats built around the mysterious race of Giants, as well as potentially new magic, items, and stat blocks.
Summer 2023 brings us two entries, the first of which is The Book of Many Things. This is a collection of creatures, locations, and player-facing content all thematically tied to one of D&Ds most epic and interesting magical items - the Deck of Many Things.
The Deck of Many Things is a magical item in D&D that allows the player to draw a number of cards, with potentially game-changing effects, both good and bad. Your character might level up instantly, lose a level on the spot, or even be banished completely, never to return.
Following the release of the Book of Many Things comes something that will make veteran D&D fans squeal with delight - A campaign revolving around Phandelver.
Any group looking to get into D&D can get their hands on the D&D Starter Set, which includes a 3-4 hour adventure called Lost Mines of Phandelver. Almost every D&D player has either played or recommended the Lost Mines of Phandelver - it's a staple for anyone interested in the game and is not just a fun introduction, but also an icon of everything that the game is at its core.
This is what makes this campaign so exciting a prospect - it expands on the Lost Mines of Phandelver, and is apparently going to be "tinged with cosmic horror".
Finally, coming Autumn 2023 is Planescape - a Legendary campaign setting originally published in 1994 encompassing the whole of Dungeons & Dragons cosmology. It crosses and comprises the numerous planes of existence, and just like Spelljammer will be presented in a form factor of three separate books - a setting guide, bestiary, and adventure campaign.
It's hard not to be excited by this release schedule, especially when you see names like "Bigby", "Phandelver" and "Planescape". As a D&D fan, these books can't come soon enough.
