D&D Direct 2022 Recap

What is D&D Direct

The 2022 D&D Direct is the first-its-kind event where Wizards of the Coast revealed information regarding their upcoming products. The event ran from 9 AM – 9:30 AM PT on April 21st. You can watch the full D&D Direct on Wizards of the Coast’s website.

What was announced in D&D Direct?

During the announcement, we got some fantastic reveals and updates on ongoing Wizards of the Coast properties. Below we’ll outline what was discussed along with the information that was revealed:

Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

July/August 16 2022

As many were anticipating and predicting, Spelljammer has been confirmed. Instead of a typical adventure book, Spelljammer: Adventures in Space will be a sleeve that contains 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 two-sided poster map.

To learn more about this announcement, check out our Spelljammer 5e announcement article.

Baldur’s Gate 3

2023

Baldur’s Gate 3 is the much-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 franchise and use the 5e system. The game is being developed by Larian Studios, the company that developed the well-regarded Divinity Original Sin 2.

Some added functionality (like throwing weapons and creatures) and graphical improvements were shown. Beyond that, not much was revealed about Baldur’s Gate 3’s release beyond the fact that the launch date is still set for 2023.

Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel

June 21, 2022

Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel is an upcoming adventure anthology that will take players from levels 1-14. This anthology features the Radiant Citadel, an extra-planar city that floats in the Ethereal Plane and is inhabited by several distinct cultures.

The most in-depth information we received about this project can be found in this interview with project co-leads Ajit George and Wes Schneider.

Beyond the information provided in the above video, we learn some extra details about three adventures from the anthology:

Wages of Vice

5th-level adventure

• Caribbean-themed

Orchids of the Invisible Mountain

14th-level adventure

• Plane-spanning adventure
• Set in the location of Atagua
  • Will have something to do with the Feywild
  • Players will end up in the Far Realm
  • A monster called The Whistler, which is from the Far Realm, will be featured and is said will “horrify your party.”

Fiend of the Hollow Mind

4th-level adventure

• City of San Citlán
• Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos)-themed
• The adventure will center around this even in which spirits of the dead will return to the Material Plane. It looks like you will be able to converse and celebrate with those who have been lost on the day of the celebration.

Campaign Cases

July 2022

This spot featured two new products for DMs. Campaign Cases have modular components that will allow DMs to easily prep for in-person sessions. These components have a reusable peel and stick system that makes them quick to set up and easy to transport. The Creatures and Terrain Campaign Cases will be available in July. 

D&D Movie – Honor Among Thieves

March 3rd, 2023

We got a minor update regarding the upcoming D&D movie. Not only did we get a title reveal, Honor Among Thieves, but it was also revealed that the movie will take place in the Sword Coast region of the Forgotten Realms. The screenshot used as a backdrop in the announcement definitely looks like Waterdeep, which isn’t surprising as it’s the most prominently featured location on the Sword Coast in 5th Edition materials.

New Starter Set

2022

D&D will release a new Starter Set in 2022. First, it contains a new adventure, Dragons of Stromwreck Aisle. Second, it will have more streamlined, easy-to-use rules. Lastly, it comes with digital onboarding tools via Wizard’s online portal.

There was no release date given for the new Starter Set. But, seeing as they announced a translated copy will be available October 4th, it stands to reason the new Starter Set will be released by then.

New Digital Library on the D&D Website

Available Now

One of the biggest reveals of the day was the new Digital Library on the D&D website. This new portal will house the Spelljammer intro adventure (Spelljammer Academy), Starter Set onboarding tools, and Monster Compendium. Check out our article for a full breakdown of what’s included in the Digital Library and how it works.

Monstrous Compendium

Available Now

The Monstrous Compendium is coming back to D&D! This series detailed additional monsters for specific second edition settings back in the day. Now, Wizards is reviving the series, and the first setting to get a bunch of new monsters is Spelljammer! We detail what monsters were released in the first version of 5e’s Monstrous Compendium in our Spelljammer 5e announcement article.

It was mentioned that the other editions of Monstrous Compendium will be released over the course of the year and that the monsters will be available for free on Wizards’ new digital library and D&D Beyond.

New French, Italian, German, and Spanish Translations

Only the core rule books (Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master’s Guide) have translated copies available at the time of writing. Wizards announced last year that they were making “significant investments” to releasing more translated books in the future, and those investments seem to have paid off for French, Italian, German, and Spanish speakers. This year, the following popular books will have translated copies released:

• Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything – July 12
• Monsters of the Multiverse – Sept 13
• New Starter Set – Oct 4th
• Curse of Strahd – Oct 25th

Neverwinter: Dragonslayer

June 2022

Neverwinter is a free, action MMORPG based on Dungeons & Dragons available on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. This new expansion is packed with dragon-slaying adventurers, including new dragon lairs and a battle with Tiamat, the goddess of dragons.

Legends of the Multiverse

April 27, 2022

A new celebrity-packed, Spelljammer-themed actual play D&D show is coming to the official D&D Twitch channel. This new show features a star-studded cast, and you may even be seeing some infamous personalities from the Forgotten Realms make an appearance.

The show stars:

• Deborah Ann Woll
• B. Dave Walters
• Gina Darling
• Meagan Kenreck
• Todd Kenreck

The show’s guests include:

• Brennan Lee Mulligan
• Aabria Iyengar
• Ginny Di
• Anna Prosser
• Deejay Knight
• Emme Montgomery
• Travis Mcelroy
• Sunwon Cho
• Jim Zub

Onslaught – Dungeon Brawler

October 2022

This new strategic miniature board game features two rival factions, the Harpers and the Zhentarim, as they attempt to plunder dungeons for loot. Along the way, they will have to face off against the opposing faction and dangerous monsters and traps that lurk in the dungeon. This game seems like a reimagining of the 2003 “Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures” game because of the skirmish style of the game, combined with stat cards and miniatures.

Dragonlance

Late 2022

This epic trailer, voiced by the awesome Shohreh Aghdashloo, teases at a post-apocalyptic setting where the dragon wars have ravaged Krynn, and only a few heroes stand against a hoard of evil. Additionally, the trailer teases an adventure book titled Shadow of the Dragon Queen and a battle game titled Warriors of Krynn in late 2022.

Check out our Dragonlance 5e article for a full trailer breakdown and some information about the world of Dragonlance.

Wrapping Up

Well, that’s all, folks! That was one jam-packed half-hour of D&D updates. From my perspective, we got a lot of really cool stuff revealed, and the hype for Spelljammer and Dragonlance be occupying my brain for months to come.

What announcement got you the most excited? Spelljammer? Free monsters? Dragonlance? Let me know in the comments below!