A History of Dungeons & Dragons
Part 34: 2007
In April of 2007 something a little…unusual, popped up in the Wizards forums. A new section called Gleemax. Gleemax was part of an overall Digital Initiative that had several goals. Gleemax was meant to become a sort of social networking site for gamers, with a variety of online games and support for Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons. On the D&D side, the Digital Initiative was headed toward something called D&D Insider, an ambitious project designed to provide a variety of online tools for the D&D game.
Feeding the speculation about 4th Edition, Wizards of the Coast pulled in their various licenses, ending their partnerships with Paizo (publishers of Dragon and Dungeon Magazines) and Margaret Weis Productions (publishers of 3.5 Dragonlance products). In both cases, the companies were allowed to finish out key adventure paths (The Savage Tide adventure path in Dungeon Magazine and the 3.5 updates to the original Dragonlance adventures from Margaret Weis Productions).
A few days before Gen Con, the D&D website was replaced by a countdown timer, with the word “4dventure” across the screen. Speculation about 4th Edition was all but confirmed and when the countdown timer hit zero…the website went down. At Gen Con, however, convention goers were treated to the official announcement that 4th Edition was indeed on its way.
On the electronic gaming front, Neverwinter Nights 2 received its first expansion, Mask of the Betrayer and Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics was released for the PSP.
2007 D&D Products
January – Complete Scoundrel. A hardcover player supplement providing a variety of new character building options, including Luck feats and Skill tricks.
January – Elements Trilogy, Volume 1: Pillar of Flame. A Dragonlance young adult novel in which a young wizard must discover why all of the fires have gone out in Kenderhome.
January – Dungeons & Dragons Icons: Gargantuan Blue Dragon. A “miniature” to scale with the D&D Miniatures Game of a Great Wyrm Blue Dragon. Also included were a stat card for the D&D Minis Game, a battlemap, and a brief D&D 3.5 encounter.
January – Rise of Solamnia, Volume 3: The Measure and the Truth. A Dragonlance novel in which Solamnia rises as a new empire in the aftermath of the War of Souls.
February – DD1: Barrow of the Forgotten King. First in a three-part series of adventures in which player characters explore the graveyard of an ancient kingdom.
February – DT3: Hidden Crypts. A Dungeon Tiles product featuring crypts and tombs.
February – Dungeonscape. A hardcover environment sourcebook providing advice on running dungeon adventures as well as providing character building options for dungeon delving players. Introduces a new base class called the Factotum, a true jack-of-all trades.
February – Heirs of Ash, Volume 2: Flight of the Dying Sun. An Eberron novel in which a group of heroes must track down a relic from the Last War.
February – Lady Penitent, Volume 1: Sacrifice of the Widow. A Forgotten Realms novel and sequel to the War of the Spider Queen series that follows a former priestess of Eilistraee, now a drider in service of Lolth.
February – Secrets of Sarlona. An Eberron regional sourcebook covering the continent of Sarlona and the psionic races and cultures that dwell there.
March – Blade of the Flame, Volume 2: Forge of the Mindslayers. An Eberron novel in which an ex-assassin attempts to rescue an ex-lover from the clutches from a vampire pirate.
March – Champions, Volume 3: The Great White Wyrm. A Dragonlance novel in which a group of dragonslayers embark on a Moby Dick like quest to destroy an ancient white dragon.
March – FR1: Cormyr: Tearing of the Weave. A Forgotten Realms adventure in which player characters must thwart a plot by agents of Shar and Cyric to tear a hole in the Weave. First in a three-part series.
March – Magic Item Compendium. A hardcover compilation of many magic items from the history of 3rd Edition. The book reclassifies items as armor, weapons, clothing, and tools and introduces several new concepts, including augment crystals.
March – Suncatcher Trilogy, Volume 2: The Ebony Eye. A Dragonlance young adult novel in which the kender apprentice wizard, Sindri Suncatcher, must reassess who he can trust.
March – Unhallowed (D&D Miniatures Expansion). A new set of random booster packs of miniatures featuring, among other minis, a Beholder Lich, a Bone Naga, Count Strahd Von Zarovich (from the Ravenloft adventure/setting), a Tsucora Quori (a nightmarish creature from the Eberron setting), and Van Richten (famous monster hunter from the Ravenloft setting).
April – Bestiary of Krynn (Revised). A Dragonlance supplement published Margaret Weis Productions. This version incorporates errata from the previous edition and revises the format of the monster entries.
April – Dragons of Time. An anthology of Dragonlance short stories focused on dragons.
April – Dungeons, Volume 1: Depths of Madness. A Forgotten Realms novel in which a group of adventurers must escape a maddening dungeon.
April – Expedition to the Demonweb Pits. A hardcover adventure that revisits the locale of Q1: Queen of the Demonweb Pits, involving player characters in the machinations of the demon lords Graz’zt and Lolth.
April – Eyes of the Lich Queen. An Eberron adventure in which player characters must rid themselves of an ancient curse while evading agents of evil.
April – Fantastic Locations: City of Peril. A short adventure based around two double-sided poster maps that are also suitable for use with the D&D Minis game.
April – Haunted Lands, Volume 1: Unclean. A Forgotten Realms novel in which a necromancer plots to take over the nation of Thay.
April – The Inquisitives, Volume 1: Bound by Iron. An Eberron novel in which a war hero missing for twenty years is found murdered.
May – Best of the Realms, Volume 3: The Stories of Elaine Cunningham. A Forgotten Realms anthology of short stories by Elaine Cunningham, most of which appeared in previous anthologies.
May – Complete Champion. A hardcover player supplement focusing on character options for those who champion a faith or cause.
May – Drow of the Underdark. A hardcover supplement focusing on drow, primarily as NPCs and villains, but also including character building options for player character drow.
May – DT4: Ruins of the Wild. A Dungeon Tiles product with wilderness terrain tiles and above ground ruins.
May – Empyrean Odyssey, Volume 1: The Gossamer Plain. A Forgotten Realms novel that follows a succubus character from the War of the Spider Queen as she winds up in Celestia.
May – Goodlund Trilogy, Volume 2: Warrior’s Blood. A Dragonlance young adult novel in which a young warrior faces betrayal and captivity.
May – The Inquisitives, Volume 2: Night of the Long Shadows. An Eberron novel in which one of the inquisitives gets involved in a murder investigation that goes to the highest levels of power in Sharn.
May – Watercourse Trilogy, Volume 3: Scream of Stone. A Forgotten Realms novel in which the nation of Thay descends into civil war.
June – DD2: The Sinister Spire. An adventure in which player characters pursue grave robbers in to the underdark.
June – Expedition to Undermountain. A hardcover adventure that revisits the classic Forgotten Realms dungeon known as Undermountain.
June – Taladas Trilogy, Volume 3: Shadow of the Flame. A Dragonlance novel set on the continent of Taladas in which a group of heroes must face their own leader who has been possessed by an ancient evil.
June – Tasslehoff’s Map Pouch: Legends. A collection of maps depicting pre-Cataclysm Ansalon.
June – The Forge of War. An Eberron supplement that takes a detailed look at the Last War, its effects on the world, and character building options for veterans of the Last War.
June – The Inquisitives, Volume 3: Legacy of Wolves. An Eberron novel in which rival factions must work together to solves a series of murders.
July – Dungeons, Volume 2: The Howling Delve. A Forgotten Realms novel in which an orphan mage finds her home transformed into a thieves’ guild’s dungeon.
July – Elements Trilogy, Volume 2: Queen of the Sea. A Dragonlance young adult novel in which a young wizard must find a way to put an end to the tempest that threatens to destroy Palanthas.
July – FR2: Shadowdale: The Scouring of the Land. A Forgotten Realms adventure in which the Dalelands have been conquered and the player characters must lead a revolt against the occupying forces of Shar and Zhentil Keep.
July – Lost Chronicles, Volume 2: Dragons of the Highlord Skies. A Dragonlance novel that fills in some of the gaps from the original Dragonlance Chronicles, specifically following Kitiara during the events of Dragons of Winter Night.
July – Monster Manual V. The fifth and final Monster Manual for 3.5, with a variety of new monsters, as well as maps and sample encounters.
July – Night Below (D&D Miniatures Expansion). A set of randomized booster packs for the D&D Minis game, borrowing a name from a classic 2nd Edition boxed set adventure. Among the new miniatures are a Brass Golem (shaped like a minotaur), a Frost Giant Jarl, a Guardian Naga, Raistlin Majere (major character from the Dragonlance setting), Lady Vol (a villain from the Eberron setting), Wulfgar (companion of Driz’zt Do’Urden from the Forgotten Realms setting), and an Aspect of Loviatar.
July – The Lanternlight Files, Volume 1: The Left Hand of Death. An Eberron novel in which a “fixer’s” latest job proves to be more than he can handle.
August – A Practical Guide to Monsters. An illustrated guide to various iconic D&D monsters, written with young adult novel readers in mind.
August – Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk. A hardcover adventure that revisits the dungeons beneath Castle Greyhawk.
August – Knights of Myth Drannor, Volume 2: Swords of Dragonfire. A Forgotten Realms novel by Ed Greenwood in which the now famous Swords of Eveningstar find themselves manipulated by various power groups.
August – Races of Ansalon. A Dragonlance supplement published by Margaret Weis Productions detailing the unique races of the Dragonlance setting.
August – Stonetellers, Volume 1: The Rebellion. A Dragonlance novel in which a group of goblin and hobgoblin slaves revolt against their Dark Knight masters.
August – The Draconic Prophecies, Volume 1: Storm Dragon. An Eberron novel in which a nearly insane war veteran is broken out of prison to seek the relic that drove him mad.
August – Twilight War, Volume 2: Shadowstorm. A Forgotten Realms novel in which Erevis Cale must try to stop an invasion by the Shadovar.
September – DD3: Fortress of the Yuan-ti. Third adventure in a three part series. Player characters must take back the bones of a long-dead king to prevent yuan-ti cultists from completing a ritual that will unleash a powerful menace.
September – Dragons of Krynn. A hardcover sourcebook covering the iconic creatures of the Dragonlance setting, published by Margaret Weis Productions.
September – DT5: Lost Caverns of the Underdark. A Dungeon Tiles product featuring natural cavern formations and underdark tunnels.
September – Elven Exiles, Volume 3: Destiny. A Dragonlance novel in which the elven people attempt to claim a new homeland.
September – Exemplars of Evil. A hardcover supplement providing advice and guidelines for creating memorable villains, as well as providing nine specific examples of pre-made villains.
September – Dungeons & Dragons Icons: Legend of Drizzt. A D&D Miniatures product containing a Gargantuan White Dragon figure, Drizzt Do’Urden and Wulfgar miniatures, a battlemap, and an encounter scenario that is designed to recreate the battle between Drizzt, Wulfgar, and the dragon Icingdeath depicted in the novel, The Crystal Shard.
September – Lady Penitent, Volume 2: Storm of the Dead. A Forgotten Realms novel in which Lolth and Eilistraee vie for control of the drow.
September – Suncatcher Trilogy, Volume 3: The Stolen Sun. A young adult Dragonlance novel in which the kender apprentice wizard Sindri Suncatcher must save his home, Kendermore.
September – The Grand History of the Realms. A Forgotten Realms rules-free supplement that provides a detailed timeline of the setting’s history, along with commentary from Elminster.
September – Transitions, Volume 1: The Orc King. A Forgotten Realms novel by R.A. Salvatore in which an uneasy peace between dwarves and orcs is threatened by old hatreds on both sides.
October – Champions, Volume 4: Protecting Palanthas. A Dragonlance novel in which two old rivals must set aside their differences to save the city of Palanthas from destruction.
October – Dragons of Eberron. A hardcover Eberron supplement providing a detailed look at Eberron’s dragons, which, unlike the dragons of other settings, are not as rigidly tied to their racial alignments.
October – Dungeon Survival Guide. A rules free, illustrated look at various infamous dungeons from the game’s long history.
October – Dungeons, Volume 3: Stardeep. A Forgotten Realms novel in which a reluctant adventurer must return to a dungeon to ensure a villain she imprisoned there does not escape.
October – Heirs of Ash, Volume 3: Rise of the Seventh Moon. An Eberron novel in which a group of adventurers struggle to control a powerful relic, only for dragons to arrive, attempting to take it from them.
October – Rules Compendium. A hardcover supplement providing a definitive rules resource for the 3.5 version of the game. Also included are brief designer commentaries about various rules.
November – FR3: Anauroch: The Empire of Shade. A Forgotten Realms adventure in which player characters attempt to thwart a plot by the ruler of the Empire of Shade.
November – Citadels, Volume 1: Neversfall. A Forgotten Realms novel in which a regiment vanishes from a fortress in Estagund and their replacements must discover what happened to them.
November – Desert of Desolation (D&D Miniatures Expansion). A set of randomized booster packs of miniatures, featuring previews of some D&D 4th Edition monsters. Among the figures included are an Angel of Vengeance (a 4th Edition monster), Bruenor Battlehammer (dwarven companion of Drizzt Do’Urden), a Fire Archon (a 4th Edition monster), and a Yuan-Ti Champion of Zehir.
November – Dungeons, Volume 4: Crypt of the Moaning Diamond. A Forgotten Realms novel in which a group of eccentric mercenaries become trapped in a dungeon after a cave-in.
November – Dwarf Home, Volume 1: The Secret of Pax Tharkas. A Dragonlance novel in which three dwarves from different walks of life come together to save the dwarven people.
November – Goodlund Trilogy, Volume 3: Warrior’s Bones. A young adult Dragonlance in which a young warrior, left for dead, must embrace her destiny.
November – War of the Lance, Volume 2: Dragons of Winter. An adventure anthology updating the middle adventures of the original Dragonlance series to the 3.5 edition, published by Margaret Weis Productions. Includes Dragons of Ice, Dragons of Light, Dragons of War, and Dragons of Deceit.
December – DT6: Dire Tombs. A Dungeon Tiles product featuring tombs with an Egyptian motif.
December – Elder Evils. A hardcover supplement presenting nine epic-level creatures suitable for use as campaign ending threats, most of which are inspired by the Cthulhu mythos.
December – Lost Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home. A non-rules supplement primarily directed at novel readers for the Dragonlance setting, published by Margaret Weis Productions.
December – Ogre Titans, Volume 1: Black Talon. A Dragonlance novel following the ambitious conquests of a half-ogre.
December – Wizards Presents: Races and Classes. First of two previews of 4th edition, taking an illustrated look at what’s coming for the Dungeons & Dragons game as 4th Edition nears release. The book introduces the 4th Edition versions of Dragonborn, Eladrin, and Tieflings and the concept of class roles (Defender, Striker, Leader, and Controller). The book also discusses the three tiers of 4th Edition play, Heroic, Paragon, and Epic.
