If you're not careful, a project like D&D World of Warcraft can be a poisoned chalice. It'd be easy to fall into the trap of just rehashing the MMO that inspired it, key-jangling your audience with nostalgic-yet-empty references that ultimately ring hollow. In much the same way, the two franchises share enough DNA to be siblings – finding something new and not retreading old ground in one of the best tabletop RPGs is easier said than done.
After a few days rifling through this book, though, I'd say it's clear that the team at Wizards of the Coast have been able to thread that needle. D&D World of Warcraft manages to serve both its audiences well with compelling new challenges for one and a meaningful opportunity to explore beyond the edge of the MMO map for another. There's obviously room to improve and expand here, just like the video game it's based on. However, first impressions suggest this is sweet wine rather than toxin.
The physical version of D&D World of Warcraft is currently up for pre-order ahead of a November 17 release date, but if you have a Master Tier subscription at D&D Beyond, you can access the digital file right now.
While it's appealing enough to galavant across Azeroth on tabletop (with each continent and conflict detailed in a busy worldbuilding chapter), let's be honest: one of the real draws for this book is its classes. A grand total of 13 are introduced in the first chapter, and they act as subclasses for D&D's core class list. While many are reskinned or edited versions of existing Dungeons & Dragons builds, a few are entirely new. By and large, they work well – but from what I've seen, it's a sliding scale.
First, the good. Some really do add a compelling, shiny new toy for us to play with, and chief amongst these are the three 'Hero' classes: Death Knight, Demon Hunter, and Evoker. The implacable Death Knight got an "oh, damn" out of me as we progressed from powerful Runeforging and ghostly steeds that can pass through foes to deadly spells that will make your allies very grateful you're on their side. Meanwhile, the Demon Hunter is a force to be reckoned with long before you consider Soul Fragments that let you regain health and damage foes in one fell swoop… or start double-jumping like goddamn Super Mario.
While these Hero classes are only available from level 3 (which makes sense in-universe, what with them representing the best of the best), they're appealing no matter whether you're coming at this as a D&D player wanting something new or a WoW veteran hoping to recreate their favorite character.
At the other end of the scale are classes that feel a bit too similar to their D&D equivalent. Despite some revolving around specializations that help them avoid being lost in the shuffle (like the Hunter's emphasis on pets, the Monk's focus on Mystic Brews, or Druid's beast forms with bespoke powers), it's more an extension of something we already have rather than a completely novel approach. The Warrior is particularly thin, with just a few new Battle Master maneuvers beyond what D&D Fighters normally get.
That's not a huge problem, of course, and I may change my tune once I've dug into them some more. Nonetheless, I have a feeling some of these classes will shine brighter than others.
This book does its level best to make everyone feel welcome, but a word of warning to total Dungeons & Dragons beginners – if you're hoping to play, you will need the free basic rules at D&D Beyond or a Player's Handbook (currently $39.99 at Amazon) to run D&D World of Warcraft. As for prospective Dungeon Masters who are hoping to lead sessions for their friends, you'll need both the Player's Handbook and the Monster Manual (also $39.99 at Amazon). The Dungeon Master's Guide ($49.97 at Amazon) would be helpful too, but I think you could probably get away without it.
The main reason many of us will rock up on D&D World of Warcraft's shores are the dungeons, though, and I'm happy to report these deliver the goods.
Squirrelled away in the back half of the book are six dungeons, all drawn from across WoW history – from Shadowfang Keep to Onyxia's Lair. All of them weigh in at around six-to-eight pages each, and every one is stuffed to the gunwales with encounters, plot hooks, and bosses that should give most parties plenty to chew on. Alongside fierce encounters fans will be happy to see again, there are plenty of fun complications to spice up standard combat (like sabotaging the pirate ship Juggernaut in Deadmines or enduring waves of foes while ritual braziers light your way to the final boss of Blackfathom Deeps).
Crucially, they don't just have to be a gauntlet of fights; you're encouraged to allow any and all plans to complete the mission, be it stealthy disguises or some other cunning plot that can only be achieved with the imagination in D&D. This – and the inclusion of random encounter tables – help avoid these dungeons feeling like simple retreads.
Just be aware that none of them are blow-by-blow guides on how to run each dungeon. Much like other releases for D&D's revised Fifth Edition, the broad strokes are spelled out but you're left to fill in the gaps yourself. This is fine if you're an experienced Dungeon Master who's used to improvising, but may be trickier if you're totally new to this game.
Still, that shouldn't stop you from trying – from what I've seen, the effort is more than worthwhile. Which is just as well; there's a lot riding on D&D World of Warcraft, what with it being the first 'Universes Beyond' crossover ahead of next year's D&D Star Wars project.
If this book is any indication, I'm feeling hopeful about what comes next.
Speaking of D&D Star Wars, it's giving me Andor vibes with promises to let you "fly daring missions" and fight the Empire as a secret Rebel team.
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