With the 2024 Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook only a few weeks away, the question on many players’ minds is: what’s next for D&D?
The new book, to be accompanied in the following months by an updated Dungeon Master’s Guide and Monster Manual, won’t mark the start of a new edition, but rather an update to the rules for D&D 5th edition, including some changes to classes, races (now species), terminology, and mechanical effects. But while the new content is backwards-compatible with existing adventures, players and dungeon masters still want new content to enjoy.
As such, today’s D&D Direct revealed what Wizards of the Coast has planned next for Dungeons & Dragons:
Dragon Anthology
Once the new core rulebooks are out, what’s next? Dungeons & Dragons has decided to take its name literally with a new anthology of adventures, all featuring dungeons with dragons in them.
The upcoming Dragon Anthology will feature ten adventures focusing on the different kinds of dragons from across D&D, giving players plenty of fierce foes to fight and hoards to loot.
The Dragon Anthology will be releasing in early 2025.
Starter Set 2025
With a new set of rules, Wizards of the Coast is expecting new players looking for an entry into Dungeons & Dragons. The 2025 Starter Set is designed to provide just that, providing an adventure that guides players into the setting and game mechanics to help them learn as they go.
The adventure in this box is set in a place called the Borderlands, which longtime player may remember from the classic adventure “The Keep on the Borderlands” (which will be a location in the starter set adventure). Players will travel through the keep, the wilderness, and the Caves of Chaos.
Previous starter sets have also included dice, an introductory rulebook, and pregenerated character sheets. Whether or not the new starter set will include them has not yet been mentioned, but is considered highly likely.
The new starter set will release in Fall 2025.
Forgotten Realms
One of the most iconic settings for Dungeons & Dragons is the Forgotten Realms, which serves as the setting for the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves movie, the Baldur’s Gate series of games, many novels, and most of the adventures released for 5th edition. Now, we’re getting a closer look at the iconic setting with a full Adventure Guide and Players Guide for the Forgotten Realms.
The Adventure Guide is designed for Dungeon Masters, featuring in-depth information on iconic locations in the Realms, including Baldur’s Gate, Calimshan, the Dalelands, the Moonshae Isles, and Icewind Dale. Each location has a different theme and flavor, so DMs can pick the location that suits their table’s tastes best.
The Players Guide includes a setting overview and key information on iconic factions, such as the Harpers, Zhentarim, and Red Wizards of Thay, which players can join. It also includes new player options, such as subclasses, feats, backgrounds, and spells for the Forgotten Realms setting. WotC also mentions a “new kind of spell” will be included, although what that entails has yet to be revealed.
The new guides will release in late 2025.
Project Sigil
Virtual tabletops (VTTs) have become a major part of online play, giving players from around the world the ability to play together on a shared virtual table. Wizards of the Coast has been working on its own VTT for a while, and it’s growing closer to completion.
The new VTT, currently named Project Sigil, is a 3D digital tabletop, featuring detailed settings and character miniatures, automatic dice rolling and damage calculations, and even minor animations. Dungeon Masters can build their own locations for a detailed, immersive experience, or import a 2D map to serve as a gameboard.
Project Sigil also comes with a starter adventure, so players and DMs can hit the ground running. Players can connect it to D&D Beyond in order to import their characters and design their miniatures within Project Sigil using a range of customization options. Players and DMs can also import 2D tokens for any monsters or characters outside of the included options.
Players got to see Project Sigil in action at GenCon, where DM Aabria Iyengar ran a game for Anjali Bhimani, Brennan Lee Mulligan, and Baldur’s Gate 3 voice actors Neil Newbon and Samantha Béart. The new VTT includes miniatures of Astarion and Karlach, which players will also be able to access.
Project Sigil will initially release on PC, but WotC hopes to release it for mobile devices and consoles in the future. Anyone with a D&D Beyond account can sign up for the closed beta at dndbeyond.com/project-sigil.
Other Announcements:
- Local game stores will be able to receive the new books two weeks early, with play programs to support the new content (whether or not this is connected to D&D Adventurers League was not stated)
- The Secret Lair x Dungeons & Dragons drop for Magic: The Gathering released today, and is selling fast (although stock still remains as of this article). These are five sets featuring Beholder-themed cards, cards using artwork from across the various editions of Dungeons & Dragons, and sets dedicated to Astarion and Karlach from Baldur’s Gate 3.
- 12 LEGO collectible minifigures, available September 1st, featuring LEGO versions of Mind Flayers, Strahd von Zarovich, Tasha, and more
- New partnerships with third-party content creators, bringing their material to DnDBeyond
Source: D&D Direct Recap: A Look at Two Forgotten Realms Books, a Dragon Anthology, and More
