Wizards of the Coast is now advertising their next D&D Encounters storyline beginning on May 11th, aptly titled Dark Legacy of Evard. There is not much story info on it yet, but it does mark another Greyhawk affiliated element coopted for this popular group play event. Last time D&DE featured a tie-in to the Ghost Tower of Inverness. Is this a trend? We shall see. Just for fun, I'm predicting the next D&DE will use the Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun.
Evard of black tentacles fame was last seen in Dungeon Magazine #107. In that issue Evard is a 16th level wizard (conjurer) from Bissel, known for being an information broker and a former friend of Mordenkainen. Given the flavor text for Dark Legacy of Evard, I have a feeling this event ties into Wizard's recent Shadow-themed books like Heroes of Shadow more so than any prior Dungeon Magazine (Paizo) lore written about Evard. But at least this time they've picked an obscure NPC to develop (even by Greyhawk standards), so I won't begrudge the writers for whatever new material they come up with this time around.
Update 4/11/2021: I had to remove the link to this adventure because Wizards no longer archives 4E era material.
The next D&DE will be set in Neverwinter, in the Forgotten Realms, to coincide with their release of a Neverwinter box set.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, the in previous D&DE session the players never actually got to go inside the Ghost Tower of Inverness, which was kind of disappointing. The overall effect was "hey, here's this nostalgia-inducing thing from forever ago, but you won't actually interact with it." The two grognards who participate in D&DE at the same place I do were a little disappointed by the whole thing.
They are humping the legacy of Tharizdun with the whole "elder elemental eye" thing, but this is something they've been doing since 2e days. The creepy awesomesauce started in the Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun has long been trampled by artless hacks.
The above comment tells seems to imply that WotC is up to their same old shtick. Greyhawk "flavor" is about all we can expect in upcoming D&D products.
ReplyDeleteBut I'll remain 'optimystic' . . . for Mort's sake. ;)
Mystic Scholar
Neverwinter I can live with, except I won't get to write a news story about it.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind GH being plundered for ideas. We had plenty of that through 3e. I just want Wizards to acknowledge Greyhawk by name when they use it.
Actually the next campaign will be tied to the Heroes of the Feywild book coming out. Then the Neverwinter season will happen after that...
ReplyDeleteYes,
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to link all the Grey hawk goodness they are plundering for a nondescript location. It was already described why hide where it originated from?
I used Evard as the leader of a Bisselite army. He wanted to reclaim Bissel as an independent nation once again. Of course he will be Bissels new leader as the old regimen failed to hold Bissel.