D&D Direct 2022 Recap | Spelljammer, Dragonlance, and more!

What is D&D Direct?

The 2022 D&D Direct was Wizards of the Coast’s first event to share information about upcoming products. The event took place on April 21 from 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM PST. The full D&D Direct can be viewed on the Wizards of the Coast website.

What was announced during the D&D Direct?

During the talk, there were some great announcements and updates about Wizards of the Coast’s ongoing properties. Below is a summary of what was discussed along with the information that was announced.

Spelljammer: A Space Adventure

July/August 16, 2022

As many hoped and predicted, Spelljammer has been confirmed. Spelljammer: Adventures in Space will not be a typical adventure book, but rather a sleeve containing three books: a source setting guide, a bestiary, and an adventure. Each book will be 64 pages, and the sleeve will come with a DM screen and a double-sided poster map.

For more details on this announcement, check out our Spelljammer 5e announcement article.

Baldur’s Gate 3

2023

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a highly anticipated video game that, like its predecessors, is built on the D&D ruleset. Baldur’s Gate 3 will be an updated version of the Baldur’s Gate series and will use the 5e system. The game is being developed by Larian Studios, the company that developed the highly acclaimed Divinity Original Sin 2.

A few additional features (such as throwing weapons and creatures) and graphical improvements were shown off, but other than that not much was revealed about Baldur’s Gate 3’s release date, other than the fact that the release date is set for 2023.

A journey through the shining fortress

June 21, 2022

“Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel” is an upcoming adventure anthology for players levels 1 to 14. The anthology explores the Radiant Citadel, an extra-dimensional city floating in the Ethereal Plane and home to many different cultures.

The most detailed information we have received about this project can be found in our interview with project co-leaders Ajit George and Wes Schneider.

In addition to the information provided in the video above, we also get additional details about the anthology’s three adventures.

The Rewards of Vice

5th level adventure

Orchid of the invisible mountain

14 levels of adventure

An interdimensional adventure set in Attagua and with ties to the Feywild. The player will reach the Far Realm. A monster from the Far Realm called a “Whistler” will appear and is said to “terrorize the party.”

Hollow Heart Demon

4th level adventure

Sancitlan City An adventure themed around the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos). The story revolves around this event, when the souls of the dead return to the material world. On the day of the festival, you can talk to and celebrate with those who have passed away.

Campaign Examples

July 2022

The spot introduced two new products for DMs. The Campaign Case features modular components that make it easy for DMs to prepare for in-person sessions. These components feature a reusable peel-and-stick system, making them easy to set up and carry. The Creature Campaign Case and Terrain Campaign Case are set to launch in July.

D&D Movie – Honor Among Thieves

March 3, 2023

A small update has just arrived on the upcoming D&D movie, revealing not only its title as Honor Among Thieves, but also that the film will be set in the Sword Coast region of the Forgotten Realms. The screenshots used as a backdrop for the announcement definitely look like Waterdeep, which isn’t surprising as it’s featured most prominently on the Sword Coast in 5th edition sources.

New Starter Set

2022

D&D will be releasing a new starter set in 2022. First, it will include a new adventure, Dragons of Stromwreck Aisle. Second, it will have more streamlined and easier-to-use rules. Finally, it will come with digital onboarding tools via Wizards’ online portal.

No release date has been announced for the new starter set. However, considering that the translated version has been announced to be available on October 4th, it would make sense for the new starter set to be released by that date.

New Digital Library on the D&D Website

Available Now

One of the biggest announcements of the day was the new Digital Library on the D&D website. This new portal will house the Spelljammer introductory adventure (Spelljammer Academy), Starter Set onboarding tools, and the Monster Compendium. For more information on what’s included in the Digital Library and how it works, check out our article.

Monster Encyclopedia

Available Now

The Monstrous Compendium is returning to D&D! At the time, this series detailed the monsters added in certain 2nd edition settings. Now, Wizards is bringing the series back, and the first setting to feature a ton of new monsters is Spelljammer! The Spelljammer 5e announcement article details the monsters released in the first version of the Monstrous Compendium for 5e.

It was also stated that other editions of the Monstrous Compendium will be released later in the year, and that the monsters will be available for free in Wizards’ new digital library and on D&D Beyond.

New French, Italian, German and Spanish translations

At the time of writing, only the core rulebooks (Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master’s Guide) are available in translation. Wizards announced last year that they would be making a “significant investment” in releasing more translations in the future, and that investment appears to have paid off for French, Italian, German, and Spanish speakers. This year, the following popular books will be released in translation:

Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything – July 12 Monsters of the Multiverse – September 13 New Starter Set – October 4 Curse of Strahd – October 25

Neverwinter: Dragon Slayer

June 2022

Neverwinter is a free-to-play action MMORPG based on Dungeons & Dragons available on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. This new expansion is packed with dragon-slaying adventurers, including new dragon dens and a battle against the Dragon Goddess, Tiamat.

Multiverse Legends

April 27, 2022

A celebrity-studded, Spelljammer-themed, play-by-play D&D show is coming to the official D&D Twitch channel. The new show will be star-studded and may even feature some notorious characters from the Forgotten Realms.

Cast:

Deborah Ann Woll B. Dave Walters Gina Darling Megan Kenreck Todd Kenreck

The guests on the show are:

Brennan Lee Mulligan Avria Iyengar Ginny Dee Anna Prosser DJ Knight Emme Montgomery Travis McElroy Seungwon Cho Jim Zub

Onslaught – Dungeon Brawler

October 2022

In this new strategic miniatures board game, two opposing factions, the Harpers and the Zhentarim, battle it out as they plunder dungeons. Along the way, they must face off against opposing forces and the dangerous monsters and traps that lurk within the dungeon. The game feels like a reimagining of the 2003 Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures game, with its skirmish style combined with stat cards and miniatures.

Dragonlance

Late 2022

Voiced by the incredible Shohreh Aghdashloo, this epic trailer offers a glimpse into a post-apocalyptic world where a dragon war has ravaged Krynn and only a few heroes stand against the evil forces. Additionally, the trailer teases an adventure book called Shadow of the Dragon Queen and a fighting game called Warriors of Krynn, both due to be released in late 2022.

For more details on the full trailer and to learn more about the world of Dragonlance, check out our Dragonlance 5e article.

summary

That’s all for you guys! It was a jam-packed 30 minutes of D&D updates. In my opinion, a ton of really cool stuff was revealed and will be dominated by Spelljammer and Dragonlance talk for the next few months.

What announcement are you most excited for? Spelljammer? Free monsters? Dragonlance? Let us know in the comments below!