Spelljammer

Dungeons & Dragons turns 50 this year, and as you’d expect, Wizards of the Coast is marking the anniversary with big announcements—some of which look to the tabletop roleplaying giant’s rich past. Announced today: six book releases, upcoming gaming events, and brand collaborations that run the gamut from “makes sense” to “huh?”—with more to come.Gillian Jacobs Reacting to Her D&D Character Sheet From Community | io9 InterviewThe celebration, which kicks off in earnest in March, will bring an official Lego Ideas…

Illustration: Wizards of the CoastThe fantasy tabletop roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons is nearly 50 years old, but it’s experiencing the biggest boom in its history, with millions of old players returning to the table, and new ones picking up polyhedral dice for the very first time. That means lots of new products—both from the game’s publisher, Hasbro-owned Wizards of the Coast, and from more licensees than you can shake a wand of wonder at.So many new D&D goodies is treasure worthy of an ancient red dragon,…

Image: Dungeons & Dragons“Spelljams features a double LP’s worth of tracks from artists all produced by Chris Funk, guitarist from the Decemberists, who plays D&D with many folks in the music scene in Portland, Oregon. Chris Perkins, story architect at D&D and lead designer of Spelljammer, worked with Funk to bring the Flash Gordon-esque soundtrack to life. ‘You know what they like on the Rock of Bral?’ asked Perkins, referring to a location in Spelljammer. ‘Rock music! The brilliant Chris Funk has assembled a…

One D&D - World Reveal TrailerDon’t call it the next edition of Dungeons & Dragons—at least not to Wizards of the Coast, at any rate. WotC is calling this the “next generation of Dungeons & Dragons,” which will incorporate three “initiatives,” as per the company:• D&D Rules. “This takes what we love about the Fifth Edition and updates the rules of the game to reflect the feedback we have heard from players and where the game is today.”• D&D Beyond. “This will be the platform for your digital D&D…

Image: Dungeons & Dragons (Robson Michel)Years after Spelljammer: Confirmed became a meme, we’re getting an in-depth look at what Dungeons & Dragons has in store for the revitalized science-fantasy setting. At a recent press event, Chris Perkins (D&D’s principal story designer) and Greg Tito (D&D’s senior comms manager) introduced the updated setting and gave us a bunch of art to show off.“Spelljammer has always been a bit of a weirdo,” Perkins said, while discussing the three books that are included in…