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D&D Adventure Awaits with Tomb of Annihilation and More

Along with announcing the next storyline in the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons family at June’s “Stream of Annihilation” live stream event, Wizards of the Coast revealed several new products set for release in Q3-4 2017 along with the Tomb of Annihilation adventure. Whether your bookshelf could use a few things to fill the space, you’re a D&D completionist or looking ahead to the holidays at gift ideas for the nerds in your life, here’s a rundown of D&D books and accessories headed your way.

D&D Tomb of Annihilation Dice

One thing most roleplaying gamers can agree on: you can never have too many dice. The perfect blend of form and function, funny-shaped polyhedral dice are the cornerstone of tabletop RPGs. This fall when we head into the jungles of Chult to face whatever terrifying threats lie within, a set of these might be just what you need to thwart the mysterious death curse pervading the realms. Get a set, and preorder Tomb of Annihilation Dice here.

For a set of dice, $20 may sound on the high side, but it’s worth noting that this pearlescent Chult green (is that a real color? It is now, dibs on trademark) set includes the traditional seven dice – d4, d6, d8, percentile d10s, d12 and d20 and also three additional d6s. That’s a nice touch, providing extras for things like rolling character ability scores for new characters when your party gets wiped out by Acererak, or for the rogue’s sneak attacks and wizard’s fireballs.

The set comes packaged in a fantastic full metal box featuring the classic green devil face that appears on the Tomb of Annihilation adventure. The legendary image comes from the original Tomb of Horrors D&D adventure module, and experienced adventurers know better than to stick their hand inside. But go ahead and reach into this metal box for your new dice. It should be safe…

Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

The infamous crime lord of the City of Splendors, The Xanathar keeps tabs on everything going on in Waterdeep – including adventurers. In a style similar to Volo’s Guide to Monsters, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything presents a plethora of information from the perspective of an entity living in the Forgotten Realms.

Inside this book, which will have a limited edition cover option like Volo’s Guide, a ton of new options for players and Dungeon Masters awaits. Twenty new subclasses, new feats and spells and a randomized character backstory system are only part of the great new material inside.

Tips for Dungeon Masters on how to personalize their home games and ways to engage in the community through shared-world campaigns and organized play not only enhance your game experience but help grow the already awesome D&D community.

Aside from cool new mechanical elements for your D&D game, Xanathar’s Guide is packed with lore and flavor, including advice from The Xanathar on how to deal with meddling adventurers. The insane entity shares his perspective on how to use traps, tricks, and even treasure to put an end to do-gooder heroes.

Before Xanathar’s Guide to Everything releases, click the link for preorders. Curious D&D players can get a taste of what lies in store by participating in the D&D Adventurers League organized play program.

Our advice? Take the treasure, leave the goldfish.

Dungeon Master’s Screen Reincarnated

Let your players know who’s in charge and keep your secrets safe with a brand-new Dungeon Master’s Screen you can preorder through the link now. A durable, standard four-panel screen at the perfect height over which to gaze menacingly at the players, this screen is reimagined based on feedback from D&D fans.

Featuring a terrifying red dragon in an amazing panoramic vista by Tyler Jacobson, the reincarnated Dungeon Master’s screen features reference material for the most frequent and relevant game information at a glance. Whether you roll your dice in front of the players or keep your machinations hidden, setting up the Dungeon Master’s screen on the table signifies that the game is about to begin.

So why not do it in style?

Keep your notes, books and die rolls concealed while your players wonder what’s in store during their epic D&D adventures. If you’re into online D&D game play, arrange it in front of the camera and remind the players that it’s Dungeons AND Dragons – you never know when an ancient red will swoop down and rain fire and destruction upon the land!

Critical Role: Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting

Millions of viewers have followed Vox Machina’s adventures in the world of Exandria from the imagination of Matt Mercer on Geek and Sundry’s Critical Role. I mean, like, millions and millions. Tens of millions. Probably over 100 million views at this point. It’s a phenom.

And now you can explore the same setting in your own D&D game with the release of the Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting, written by Mercer and co-author James J. Haeck and available for preorder through the link. Critical Role’s incredible fan community has been a huge part of the show’s success, creating fantastic art, craft, stories and interaction with each other and the cast of nerdy ass voice actors playing Dungeons & Dragons.

With the Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting you can take your fandom one step further and peer beyond the veil into the world of Critical Role. Hunt for Vestiges of Divergence, go on your own Aramente, join the Clasp or take on Earthbreaker Groon. Perhaps your own ragtag adventuring company can encounter the legendary Vox Machina! In addition to tons of lore and setting information about history, people and places of Tal’Dorei, the book contains new backgrounds, magic items, monsters and at least one new subclass – the Rune Child sorcerous origin.

Is it September yet?

Avalon Hill Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate Board Game

The shadow of Bhaal has come over Baldur’s Gate summoning monsters and other horrors from the darkness!

So sayeth the marketing for Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate, the upcoming board game based on the award-winning Betrayal at House on the Hill, with preorders open now through the link. The traitor mechanic board game meets Wrath of Ashardalon in this story-driven mash-up that gives players an exciting new way to interact with the Dungeons & Dragons universe.

Fantastic replayability means you can return to Baldur’s Gate time and time again for a different experience each time. I heard recently on the Play Better Podcast that the miniature quality is greatly improved. And on Dragon Talk, co-host and Avalon Hill Brand Manager Shelly Mazzanoble described how design of the game was very detailed, down to the look and accoutrements of famous locations in Baldur’s Gate like the Elfsong Tavern and the stuffed beholderkin behind the bar there.

WotC resident loremaster Matt Sernett inspected each tile to ensure accurate representation of the iconic Forgotten Realms’ city. Players can of course construct a canonical Baldur’s Gate in each playthrough if they wish, as they explore the dark alleys and deadly catacombs in fifty included scenarios of mystery, murder and mayhem.

D&D Adventure Grid

Even if you take the Theatre of the Mind approach to your D&D game, sometimes it’s useful to bust out a map for a set piece encounter or to illustrate a dungeon or other area. And if you play with miniatures and tactical combat then a grid map is indispensable.

With the D&D Adventure Grid you’ll have a sturdy, double-sided play surface ready to go whenever you need one. Preorders are open now through the link.

There’s plenty of third-party options out there for grid maps, but with this one you can directly support D&D by picking one up.

One side of the grid map has a stone floor theme for dungeon and urban settings, while the flip side in Chult green works great for jungle or other wilderness encounters.

Both wet- and dry-erase markers can be used on this grid map.

Tomb of Annihilation

The latest storyline from Wizards of the Coast leaves the Sword Coast behind and travels to the mysterious jungle peninsula of Chult. Designed by Chris Perkins, Will Doyle and Steve Winter, with additional design by Adam Lee and story consulting from Adventure Time’s award-winning creator Pendleton Ward, Tomb of Annihilation is an adventure for levels 1-11. Preorders are available through the link.

The thrust of the adventure is an investigation into a ‘death curse’ wasting disease affecting anyone who’s ever been raised from the dead, and prevents anyone from being raised throughout the entire region – and possibly the entire world! A necromantic artifact called the Soulmonger is rumored to be the cause. Will your party of adventurers dare to defy death?

Beyond providing tools to Dungeon Masters to run an exciting and memorable play experience, Tomb of Annihilation expands the Forgotten Realms setting with extensive details and a large fold-out map of the Chult region. Like the previous fifth edition D&D adventures, Tomb of Annihilation will undoubtedly be an excellent addition to your D&D library, whether you run the campaign or pluck out pieces to drop into your existing game.

Season 7 of D&D Adventurers League will be based around Tomb of Annihilation as well, expanding into further adventures in Chult. Nerdarchy had an opportunity to play in a Season 7 sneak preview adventure at Origins Game Fair and had a terrific time visiting Port Nyranzaru and delving into the jungle as part of a five-part connected adventure series. The flavor and feel of this evocative adventure setting is inspiring, with zombie T-Rex’s beneath the steamy jungle canopy, deadly grung lurking in the trees and danger at every turn.

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