The Wild Beyond the Witchlightwas announced yesterday as the next book coming to the fifth edition ofDungeons and Dragons. With it comes the first full exploration of the mysterious Feywild for 5e. The book’s announcement is coming fresh off the heels of the release ofVan Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. This new adventure is still light on details, but it’s a fairly safe assumption that it will be a big tonal shift fromRavenloft.
Released mid-May,Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloftwas a horror-themed sourcebookcentered around the Domains of Dread. The sourcebook provided tools for creating incredibly dark and atmospheric adventures wrought with fright and terror.The Wild Beyond the Witchlightis likely heading much in the other direction. The book has advertised “the wicked whimsy of the Feywild,” although Wizards of the Coast states the game is appropriate for all ages and experience levels.
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Entering the Feywild in Dungeons and Dragons
While the Feywild is already present inDnD5e as far back as the release of theDungeon Master’s Guide,it hasn’t had a full-fledged adventure just yet.Witchlightlooks to change that by introducing players more directly to the plane of faeries. Much likeRavenloft’sDomains of Dread, the Feywild is an alternate dimension. Unlike the realms ofRavenloftthough, the Feywild exists alongside the material plane in a sort of mirror universe. But that’s about where the similarities end.
There is some crossover betweenRavenloftandWitchlightwith the mysterious carnival that is run by an Eladrin. Eladrin are a subset of elves native to the Feywild that embody the tempestuous of nature. They can change between seasonal forms based on heights of emotion. Overall, the Feywild is a much different place and full of characters much less morose thanthe Darklords ofRavenloft. The Feywild is a primal and more nature-controlled mirror of the material plane where creatures like faeries and magnificent stags exist. While there are certainly threats in the Feywild, it doesn’t approach the Lovecraftian levels of horror thatRavenloftis full of.
Wizards directly stating that the new sourcebook would be appropriate for all ages is the most compelling evidence for a lighter tone. As a book steeped in horror historyRavenloftwarns players of dangerous tropesand encourages constant dialogue between the DM and players to ensure that the terror doesn’t become too real. Its stories and new monsters are full of grotesque body transformations and hyper-violent killers. Nothing to be considered appropriate for all ages takes place inRavenloft. AdvertisingThe Wild Beyond the Witchlightdifferently implies it will have a different tone altogether.
This fits the overall themes of the Feywild. Trickery and (nearly) harmless pranks replace murderous intent and horrifying eldritch revelations fromRavenloft. A refreshing injection of light-hearted adventure could be good for the game after the moroseVan Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. Withjust how popularDnDhas become, WotC is likely aware that branching out to both older and newer players will be key to maintaining its success.The Wild Beyond the Witchlightwill likely be filling that role for many players when it releases later this year.
The Wild Beyond the Witchlightreleases September 21 in physical and digital formats.
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