The Wild Beyond the Witchlightis the next adventure sourcebook forDungeons and Dragons. While the fifth edition of the TTRPG has included elements of the Feywild setting before, it has mainly used the occasional monster and subclass, rather than the entire setting. The Feywild first appeared in the 2001Manual of Planessupplement book, published during the game’s third edition. After this passing mention in 3E, the setting became properly expanded in the game’s fourth edition. While it is not as old as many ofD&D’s settings, it nevertheless stands out as a fascinating locale for many differentD&Dcampaigns. This new adventure, set in the Faerie realm, promises intrigue, mystery, and a very creepy carnival, all of which align with the setting’s trademark mystique.
Players can expect whimsy and wonder, alongside a healthy dose of the eerie, with this new adventure sourcebook. Hopefully, the expansion will supplement the Faerie creatures already mentioned inD&D. Further to that, more detail on the actual Feywild itself would be a phenomenal tool for both DMs and players. Whatever the case may be, the newDungeons and Dragonssourcebook looks like a massive change in tone and theme from previous adventures, despite keeping elements from other recentD&Dbooks.
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What is The Feywild?
As it exists inDungeons and Dragons, the Feywildis an amalgam of folk stories from several different cultural sources. The most prominent of these, of course, is the old English and Gaelic tales of the Faerie Folk. Fey creatures roam the bedtime stories (and sometimes nightmares) in the material realm ofD&D,as much as they have in real life. Unlucky adventurers can often find themselves settling down for a nice evening’s rest in a forest, and wake up in the Feywild surrounded by gnomes and goat men.
It exists as a separate, parallel plane to the material plane. The Feywild is a realm in flux, time does not quite mean the same as it does on Earth. In fact, on an unlucky roll of a d100 dice, players can find themselves returning from the Feywild a year after they left, or sometimes even an entire century.
The plane takes heavy inspiration from the Shakespeare playA Midsummer Night’s Dream. Not only does it boast two Shakespearean antagonists, Oberon and Titania, but expands upon the setting by incorporating the Seelie and Unseelie courts of English folklore. There is a real structure and politics to the Faerie realm. Interestingly, the unbelievably long life spans of the Fey inhabitants play into these politics. Often archfeys, god-like Faerie beings, meddle in the affairs of mortals out of pure boredom, often with dramatic consequences for both the adventurers involved and theplane of existenceitself.
Iconic Fey Characters Already in Dungeons and Dragons
With the original Fifth Edition Player’s Handbook, the concept of the Archfey, monarchs of the Feywild, was introduced as apatron for the Warlock class. This put the rulers of the realm, including Oberon and Titania, of whimsy into the same group as the meanest of devils. It’s not hard to see why, considering the wicked powers these patrons bestow. Archfey patrons grant their warlocks some mind-bending Fey spells. These include Faerie Fire, Phantasmal Force, and Dominate Person, all of which point to the unnerving influence the Fey can have.
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On a less giving note, arguably the hag is the most infamous Feycreature inD&D. Conniving creatures who compose crafty contracts, a hag is nothing to be trifled with. These enemies are derived from many sources, including the Scottish folklore that inspired Macbeth’s witches. Like the crones in Macbeth, hags are more powerful as a trio. InD&D, this manifests as massively boosted arcane abilities, sometimes even the power to resurrect the dead. Hags make for really compelling narrative tools inD&D,and will likely appear at some point in the new campaign setting.
The Link To Van Richten’s Guide To Ravenloft
This title is more similar to adventures likeStorm King’s Thunder, Curse of Strahd,orCandlekeep Mysteries, than books likeTasha’s Cauldron of EverythingorVan Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. However, there are some surprising links between this new setting and the campy horror of theRavenloftsourcebook. According to a discussion on D&D Beyond’s YouTube channel, the carnival featured on the cover is a “Domain of Dread.” These domains are demi-planes of horror, of which Barovia, the vampire Strahd’s home, is one. The creepy carnival is apparently a kind of Domain of Dread that acts as a gateway to the Fey.
The Witchlight Explained
The name “Witchlight” in the books title is particularly intriguing. While it may simply be a references to the witches of the Feywild, there is a piece of oldDungeons and Dragonslore that it might be referencing. Many fans were hoping for theSpelljammersetting to be imported to Fifth Edition as a new sourcebook. If the Witchlight is a reference to the lore from past editions, then this new book might well contain someSpelljammercontent.
In that sci-fiD&Dsetting, Witchlights were horrific, all-consuming beings that wreaked havoc across planets. While it seems unlikely that one of these non-Euclidean horrors will appear explicitly in the book, perhaps it has some impact on thecarnival as a Domain of Dread. Either way, the new book looks to have some fascinating features for fifth edition DMs and players alike.
The Wild Beyond The Witchlightwill release on the 21st of September 2021.
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