Magic has always been one of the key cornerstones of both Dungeons & Dragons and its sister property Magic: The Gathering. Many players create characters that are capable of delving into the arcane secrets present in many campaign worlds, and magic's power is often a driving force behind many Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) narratives. The two games, both published by tabletop titan Wizards of the Coast (WotC), have crossed over in the past, but this year is set for two of the biggest crossover events in their collective history.
Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is nearing the end of its Adventures in the Forgotten Realms event. New cards inspired by both heroic D&D characters like Drizz't Do'Urden and more generic creatures like owlbears and goblins were introduced to the long-running card game. Many new players were brought into the game based on the still-rising popularity of D&D, and the set introduced some new mechanics to MTG like "Venturing," which allowed certain cards to enter one of three dungeons inspired by classic modules like Tomb of Annihilation. Overall, the event was well-received except for a relatively low power level for many of its new cards. Now it's D&D's turn to venture into the multiverse of MTG.
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Adding More Magic: The Gathering to Dungeons and Dragons
Set to release this November, a new campagin setting is coming to D&D called Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos. The new setting is based on the same multiversal academy of magic that was explored in MTG's Strixhaven expansion earlier this year. The academy is a sort of interdimensional Hogwarts where young mages can come to study at the feet of wizened arcanists that utilize the college's resources to further their research.
In a big push by WotC to expand the landscape of 5E, Strixhaven is a complete campaign setting designed to be used on its own or as a supplement for an ongoing campaign. The book will feature four adventures tailor-made to be played together or as short asides for characters already on an adventure. The book is also helping to cater to newer DMs in D&D as its adventures are set to take players from level one up to level ten. This is a bit of a double-edged sword for longtime fans, as many modules are geared toward lower-level adventures, but the book will still likely have a lot to offer any table.
WotC has been fairly tight-lipped about the specifics of the adventures themselves, but has clarified they are constructed as a multiyear (in-game) campaign that will have players assuming the role of students throughout their careers at Strixhaven College. A key facet of the Stixhaven book will be players choosing which of its five colleges to join. This is different from the college subclasses for Bards or the various Wizard schools in D&D in that they would be replacing those subclasses entirely for a spellcasting character. Players can choose from the Lorehold, Prismari, Quandrix, Silverquill, and Witherbloom Colleges.
Each of these subclasses were introduced earlier this year in an Unearthed Arcana playtest module. Interestingly though, there was considerable backlash from some fans that felt the mixing of subclasses between different spellcaster classes muddied the waters. Those fans also felt like having a Warlock being able to choose the same subclass as a Wizard made the individuality of each class weaker. Many veteran fans felt it turned official D&D content into something closer to homebrew. It will be interesting to see what changes WotC has made to the Strixhaven subclasses ahead of the new crossover's release later this year.
On top of new adventures and character options, Strixhaven is also bringing all the new toys a DM would hope for in a new setting. It will feature new and powerful magical monsters for D&D 5E, NPCs, spells and magic items, and a character race called the Owlin. The Owlin are owl-like humanoids long featured in MTG who are joining other MTG races like the Leonin and Luxodon as official race options in D&D. Fans looking to add a bit more Magic to their D&D games should keep a close eye on Stixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos.
Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos is set to release on November 16 in both physical and digital formats.
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