Summary
Dungeons and Dragons' next adventure module,Vecna: Eve of Ruin, promises to send the current iteration of 5e out with a bang. The high-level adventure is the prelude to a major rules update for this edition ofDungeons and Dragons, and it just so happens to be perfect for that end.
Dungeons and Dragons’Vecna: Eve of Ruinreleases May 21st, serving as a last hurrah for the current era ofD&D. Though it releases beforeQuests from the Infinite Staircase, an anthology that will be the actual last module before the 2024 rules update,Eve of Ruinhas far more finality to it. The module, which is already available for those with early access, spans the multiverse—taking players to many beloved settings already covered in 5e, including Ravenloft, Greyhawk, Dragonlance, and more. Players will also confront a rogues' gallery of big bads from acrossD&D’s worlds, such as Strahd, Lord Soth, Tiamat, Lolth, Acererak, and Vecna himself.
Vecna: Eve Of Ruin Sets The Update To D&D 5e Up For Success
A big adventure with Vecna at the forefront is just what the game needs as it ventures into a new era. Vecna isone of the most iconic aspects ofD&D, featuring in the hit showStranger Thingsas well as in the live play seriesCritical Role. Even outside those big IPs, the archlich has been a key villain throughout the game’s history. He was first referenced all the way back in 1976, just two years after the game’s first incarnation, and his antics have been the in-universe cause of the switch from 2e to 3e. Just as the villain broughtD&Dinto a new age back then,Eve of Ruinis a great vehicle to kick off the 2024 rules update.
Eve Of Ruin Allows Low-Level Adventures To Make Their Return
Eve of Ruinbrings players from levels 10 to 20, a period of play that most will never get to see outside a one-shot. It sets its stakes at a multiversal level, far beyondotherD&D 5emodules. This epic adventure is the perfect catalyst for low-level adventures to return alongside the rules update coming later this year. It will allow WOTC and other 5e adventure publishers to take a breather from high stakes and return to the more mundane hijinks of levels 1-5.
This will really let the newly-revised form of 5e strut its stuff, giving players a chance to experiment withall the changesD&D2024 will maketo character creation in particular. Beginner feats, revised monsters, and entire class revisions can easily be demonstrated with small, low-level adventures. Starter set modules will be especially important in regard to all the new players the rules update may attract.
Vecna Is The Perfect Antagonist To Bookend This Era Of 5e
Not only doesEve of Ruingo over the greatest hits of 5e and the franchise as a whole, its use of Vecna is of particular importance.Stranger ThingsandCritical Roleare inarguably the joint cause ofD&D 5e’s incredible popularity, andVecna has played a partin both. While there are otherD&Dvillains with huge fanbases behind them (such as Strahd, who has been of major repute among 5e antagonists), Vecna occupies a pop culture role that is tough to beat.
Eve Of Ruin’s Monsters Are A Good Sign For the 2025 Monster Manual
D&D 5e’s rules updatewill be changing monsters in many ways, such as with simpler statblocks for spellcasting foes and stats for simple enemies that keep up with the player’s level.Eve of Ruin’s heavy-hitting monsters, like the fearsome deathwolf, are a good sign; many ofD&D 5e’s high-level monsters are too weak for their challenge rating, so it’s important for WOTC to give these enemies a fighting chance.
Dungeons and Dragons
Created by Gary Gygax, Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop game in which players craft their own worlds and band together to take on adventures through mysterious realms outlined in companion materials. One of the best role-playing games ever made, it has been adapted into a variety of video games and other media.
