Every spring, fans of Dungeons & Dragons congregate on Lake Genenva, Wisconsin for a unique convention experience. Gary Con is a celebration of the life and times of Gary Gygax, best known as one of the main creators of the game. Lake Geneva was the birthplace of the game and Gary Con offers a chance for players, young and old, to take part in the living history of the game.
Wizards of the Coast took the opportunity to kick off the celebration of the game’s 50th Anniversary this year. They highlighted upcoming books for the game, collaborations with other companies and even a history of the game for new and old fans alike. Here’s what to expect for D&D’s 50th Anniversary in 2024.
Vecna: Eve of Ruin
If the name Vecna sounds familiar, chances are you are some combination of D&D and Stranger Things fan. He’s one of the biggest bad guys in the multiverse, a lich that seeks power to live forever and rule everything. He’s menaced heroes across multiple worlds and he’s about to make a final play to control it all.
Vecna: Eve of Ruin is a high level campaign that starts at level 10 and runs to level 20. The players will travel to multiple worlds such as the Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Spelljammer, Eberron, Ravenloft, Dragonlance, and Greyhawk seeking out pieces of a legendary artifact to stop Vecna’s ultimate ritual. The book will release on May 21st, 2004.
Quests From The Infinite Staircase
One of the things that made Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition so popular was how it looked to the future while honoring its past. Adventure collections like Tales From The Floating Portal, Ghosts of Saltmarsh and campaigns like Curse of Strahd and Tomb of Annihilation allowed a new generation of players to enjoy classic campaigns. Quests From The Infinte Staircase weaves together six timeless tales that can be played as a campaign or dropped into an existing storyline.
The updated quests are:
- Beyond The Crystal Cave
- Expedition To The Barrier Peaks
- Pharoah
- The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
- The Lost City
- When A Star Falls
The campaign is built for levels 1 through 13. The book is due out July 16, 2024.
2024 Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebooks
Little has changed in these from our coverage last year other than some firm release dates. Players Handbook is due out September 17th, 2024, Dungeon Masters Guide will drop November 13th, 2024 and Monster Manual technically becomes the first D&D release for next year when it hits February 18th, 2025. We’ll have expanded coverage of each book as it releases.
The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons: 1970-1977
Historian Jon Petersson got unprecedented access to early drafts of Gary Gygax’s work on the game for this book. This collection of personal documents, fanzines and magazine articles illustrate how D&D was evolving from the start. It is due out June 18th, 2024.
FanRoll Premium Dice
D&D players can never have too many dice. FanRoll announced a partnership to produce branded luxury dice for not just Dungeons & Dragons but many of the other games under Habro’s banner. The deal also includes accessories like art-branded dice towers and a dice spinner to keep those shiny new dice from rolling off the table.
Reyn Spooner Aloha Shirts
Gary Gygax was well known for wearing aloha shirts whenever he attended a game convention. Reyn Spooner brings that tradition back to the table with a line of Dungeons & Dragons shirts that feature classic creatures and tropical prints. These breezy cotton/polyester shirts are at home in Jamaica and at Gen Con.
Converse Athletic Wear
Converse announced a line of athletic wear that includes shirts, shorts and shoes. There are four pairs of high tops coming in April. Two pairs are classic Chuck Taylor All Stars while two more are Chuck 70 Leather style.
LEGO Ideas
Finally, a dream collaboration was announced when LEGO Ideas decided it would work together with Hasbro on a premium LEGO D&D set. The product will unclude a dungeon, a dragon, a tavern and a hard band of adventurer minifigures to experience them all. It retails for $359.99 and is due out in the beginning of April 2024.
