Dungeons & Dragons, the iconic role-playing game, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the release of new core rulebooks at the end of this year and the beginning of 2025. As part of this milestone, Vecna: Eve Of Ruin offers players a retrospective look at the game’s history. In this adventure, players are tasked with saving not only their D&D world but every D&D setting from the powerful wizard Vecna, who seeks to take over all realms by collecting secrets to power a magical ritual.
The story of Vecna: Eve Of Ruin revolves around Vecna’s quest for domination and the efforts of other powerful wizards like Mordenkainen, Tasha, and Lady Alustriel Silverhand to stop him. The player characters are summoned to find a powerful artifact, the Rod of Many Parts, scattered across various D&D worlds, in order to thwart Vecna’s plans. The adventure incorporates dungeon crawls, diplomacy, and exploration of exotic locations, offering a mix of challenges for players.
Vecna: Eve Of Ruin takes players on a journey through different D&D worlds such as Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Ravenloft, Planescape, and the Forgotten Realms. The adventure starts at level 10 and progresses to level 20, catering to high-level play which is not often explored in official D&D adventures. However, some players may find the linear progression of the story limiting, as it dictates the order in which worlds are visited. Dungeon Masters may want more flexibility to allow players to tackle the worlds in their preferred order.
While Vecna: Eve Of Ruin appeals to fans who have a deep knowledge of D&D lore, players who have primarily focused on their own homebrew settings during Fifth Edition may find the adventure less engaging. The high-level monsters featured in the campaign offer a preview of what players can expect in upcoming core books, making it a good starting point for groups looking to begin a new campaign. However, players unfamiliar with key D&D characters and settings may need to do some research to fully appreciate the campaign.
Overall, Vecna: Eve Of Ruin offers a nostalgic return to the lore-rich worlds of Dungeons & Dragons, with references and interactions that will delight long-time fans. The campaign’s focus on high-level play and exploration of iconic D&D settings provides a challenging and immersive experience. Players looking to delve into the history of the game and engage with powerful figures in the multiverse will find Vecna: Eve Of Ruin to be a rewarding adventure.
