Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft sourcebook adapts Azeroth for the tabletop
In short
Wizards of the Coast is publishing Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft, a tabletop sourcebook that adapts the MMO's world of Azeroth, designers said during a press presentation. The book covers Azeroth up to a recent WoW expansion, though IGN says that endpoint is The War Within while PC Gamer says content up to Midnight is fair game, and it includes dungeons such as The Deadmines and an endgame battle against the Lich King in Icecrown Citadel. Designers said the book paraphrases the MMO rather than copying its mechanics, with boss fights built on the mythic creature rules from 2020's Mythic Odysseys of Theros.
Read the full story 2 min read
Wizards of the Coast is publishing Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft, a tabletop sourcebook that adapts Blizzard's World of Warcraft MMO. Principal game designer and project lead James Wyatt said during a presentation attended by PC Gamer that the book is about paraphrasing the MMO within the framework of the tabletop game rather than emulating its mechanics. IGN reported the project was announced in July as the first Universes Beyond release for Dungeons & Dragons. [ 1 , 2 ]
The book describes the entire world of Azeroth. IGN reported the content runs up to The War Within and that realms such as Argus and the Shadowlands are not included, while PC Gamer said the MMO's expansions up to Midnight are fair game. Polygon said the expansion focuses entirely on the planet of Azeroth. Zones carry rough level ranges: game designer Joey Haeck told IGN that Durotar, the orc starting zone in WoW, is a level 1-4 zone in D&D, and endgame zones are designed for high-level characters. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Dungeons are central to the book. Polygon reported it includes guides for running players through content from the intro-level The Deadmines to the endgame battle against the Lich King in Icecrown Citadel, which it described as a digital adventure accompanying the book. PC Gamer reported the dungeons are mostly intact but include alternate routes so parties can sneak around or skip bosses, and that players can still attempt the Dire Maul “tribute run” for bonus rewards after killing the king. Polygon said the maps were designed to be less linear than in the MMO, with quest hooks and narrative suggestions such as new monsters moving in if a party leaves a dungeon to rest. [ 1 , 3 ]
During a virtual press conference, senior game designer Joey Haeck said the book replicates WoW's shifting boss fights by building on the ideas introduced in 2020's Mythic Odysseys of Theros, where mythic creatures reduced to zero hit points refresh their health and return with new abilities. He said mythic creatures start as low as CR 4, with higher-level ones refreshing more than once over a protracted boss fight. Polygon reported that playtesting made clear the boss battles needed to be the heart of the project. [ 3 ]
PC Gamer reported there are no restrictions on taking a rest or leaving a dungeon and returning later, and that the team calls dungeons a toolbox for dungeon masters. IGN reported the expansion includes lore, dungeons and professions and could take years to try everything. Polygon said the release marks D&D's adoption of the Universes Beyond licensing scheme Wizards has used for Magic: The Gathering, and that it experiments with the core rules of D&D 5.5 Edition. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The sourcebook is the first Universes Beyond release for Dungeons & Dragons, extending a licensing model Wizards of the Coast has already used across Magic: The Gathering sets, and Polygon reports it also serves to experiment with the core rules of D&D 5.5 Edition. Its scope — the whole of Azeroth, its dungeons and professions — means it is aimed at players of both the MMO and the tabletop game.
Key facts
- Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft was announced in July as the first Universes Beyond release for the tabletop RPG, IGN reported. [ 2 ]
- The book describes the entire world of Azeroth; IGN said it covers content up to The War Within, while PC Gamer said expansions up to Midnight are fair game. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Principal game designer and project lead James Wyatt said the book is about paraphrasing the MMO within the tabletop framework rather than emulating its mechanics. [ 1 ]
- Dungeons in the book run from the intro-level The Deadmines to the endgame battle against the Lich King in Icecrown Citadel, which Polygon described as a digital adventure accompanying the book. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Boss fights build on 2020's Mythic Odysseys of Theros: when mythic creatures are reduced to zero hit points, they refresh their health and return with new abilities, according to senior game designer Joey Haeck. [ 3 ]
- Haeck said mythic creatures start as low as CR 4, with higher-level ones refreshing more than once during a protracted boss fight. [ 3 ]
- Haeck told IGN that WoW zones carry rough D&D level ranges, with the orc starting zone Durotar designed as a level 1-4 area. [ 2 ]
- IGN reported the expansion includes lore, dungeons and professions, and that it could take players years to try everything. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft is a Wizards of the Coast tabletop sourcebook adapting Blizzard's World of Warcraft MMO, discussed with press by the design team. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The book's dungeons are designed to be less linear than in the MMO, with alternate routes or options to avoid and skip bosses. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The book covers the planet of Azeroth and does not extend to other realms such as Argus or the Shadowlands. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The book's boss fights are built around mechanics carried over from earlier D&D rules, with designers discussing how encounters were adapted for the tabletop. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the book's content runs up to The War Within or to the later Midnight expansion. IGN says the world of Azeroth is described up to The War Within, while PC Gamer says the MMO's expansions up to Midnight are fair game; the two outlets give different endpoints.
- When the book will be released and how much it will cost. None of the documents states a release date or price.
- Whether the presentation attended by PC Gamer and the virtual press conference described by Polygon were the same event. PC Gamer refers to a recent presentation, Polygon to a virtual press conference, without identifying them as one event.