Celebrate fifty years of the spellbinding settings and planes of Dungeons & Dragons with this beautifully illustrated exploration of the multiverse.

<Worlds &amp; Realms< is an illustrated, story-driven retrospective celebrating the immersive worldbuilding of D&amp;D since the iconic game&rsquo;s inception in 1974. Legendary mage Mordenkainen takes adventurers on a fantastical journey through the multiverse, delving into memorable and fascinating lore and locations across all five editions of the game.

With Mordenkainen&rsquo;s guidance, readers will revisit worlds that have come to define D&amp;D over the decades, from the familiar realms of the Material Plane to lands beyond the Astral Sea. Mordenkainen&rsquo;s philosophical musings provide a mage&rsquo;s-eye view of the worlds&rsquo; unique features, creatures, and characters, captivating readers&rsquo; imaginations as they learn more about the history and mysteries of the multiverse. Additionally, readers will join adventuring parties with inhabitants of each realm through exclusive short stories by award-winning contributors Jaleigh Johnson, Jody Houser and Eric Campbell, Jasmine Bhullar, and Geoffrey Golden.

Full of exciting and enchanting artwork showing fifty years of gameplay evolution from vintage D&amp;D through the present, with original cover and chapter-opener illustrations, <Worlds &amp; Realms< is a spellbinding tour of the strange and wonderful worlds of the multiverse, appealing to both new and long-standing fans alike.

Autorentext
Adam Lee worked for Wizards of the Coast for more than a decade creating worlds and adventures for Dungeons & Dragons and Magic the Gathering. He now works as a story consultant, worldbuilder, and creative writer for Mysterious Alchemy, an IP development company that he cofounded with fellow creative and friend Ari Levitch. He is also the author of two tarot booklets and has been a tarot reader for most of his life. When he’s not writing books and adventures, he’s adventuring in the real world exploring the beauty of nature and consciousness.

Dungeons & Dragons launched the great tradition of roleplaying games in 1974 with an unprecedented mix of adventure and strategy, dice-rolling, and storytelling. Wizards of the Coast continues to honor that tradition, bringing to market a diverse range of D&D game and entertainment experiences and influencing numerous writers, directors, and game designers by tapping into an innate human need to gather with friends and tell an exciting story together.

Klappentext

An immersive exploration of fifty years of Dungeons & Dragons through the art and lore of the worlds, planes, and settings that have captivated players throughout D&D’s decades of adventures and campaign storytelling.

Each chapter of this sumptuously illustrated guide focuses on an iconic world or setting in the D&D multiverse, narrated by legendary mage Mordenkainen and filled with official artwork curated from fifty years of source books and adventures.

Mordenkainen muses on each location’s unique features, unmistakable characters, and magical mysteries based on his experiences traveling across the planes. Written by Adam Lee, worldbuilding expert and former D&D game designer, this lavish tome also features original cover and chapter opener illustrations. Daily life in each world is creatively explored through exclusive stories penned by Jasmine Bhullar, Geoffrey Golden, Jody Houser and Eric Campbell, and Jaleigh Johnson.

From the more familiar worlds of the Material Plane to the strange and intriguing Parallel Planes, and the truly mind-bending worlds and planes beyond, both longstanding and recent D&D fans will gain new perspectives on the most beloved and memorable places in the game.

Zusammenfassung
Celebrate fifty years of the spellbinding settings and planes of Dungeons & Dragons with this beautifully illustrated exploration of the multiverse.

“A wonderful collection. This&#160;incredible journey through the fantastical realms&#160;that inspired countless tables to roll dice together is both an educational and a visual treat!”—Matt Mercer

Worlds & Realms is an illustrated, story-driven retrospective celebrating the immersive worldbuilding of D&D since the iconic game’s inception in 1974. Legendary mage Mordenkainen takes adventurers on a fantastical journey through the multiverse, delving into memorable and fascinating lore and locations across all five editions of the game.

With Mordenkainen’s guidance, readers will revisit worlds that have come to define D&D over the decades, from the familiar realms of the Material Plane to lands beyond the Astral Sea. Mordenkainen’s philosophical musings provide a mage’s-eye view of the worlds’ unique features, creatures, and characters, captivating readers’ imaginations as they learn more about the history and mysteries of the multiverse. Additionally, readers will join adventuring parties with inhabitants of each realm through exclusive short stories by award-winning contributors Jaleigh Johnson, Jody Houser and Eric Campbell, Jasmine Bhullar, and Geoffrey Golden.

Full of exciting and enchanting artwork showing fifty years of gameplay evolution from vintage D&D through the present, with original cover and chapter-opener illustrations, Worlds & Realms is a spellbinding tour of the strange and wonderful worlds of the multiverse, appealing to both new and long-standing fans alike.

Leseprobe
Introduction

I am Mordenkainen, Lord Mage of Greyhawk, architect of myriad spells and walker of worlds. You have in your hands a collection of observations and insights gleaned from my extensive travels throughout the multiverse.

As a scholar of the arcane and a wizard of renown, my fascination with magic at first compelled me to discover how magic works and whether its ultimate purpose can even be known. Although my love of magic has never waned, my path has expanded my view to encompass the workings of the natural world and the Great Cosmic Wheel: I have come to realize that despite the presence of gods and beings of immense power whom some may look to for salvation, there is no guarantee that the multiverse will continue to evolve and exist. There are powerful forces at play that believe their way—whether it be Law or&#160;Chaos—should be the way of all beings. This, I have seen, is sheer folly and would cause the Great Wheel of the multiverse to tip out of what I call the Balance and spin into catastrophe.

The Balance is something that I have come to understand as I watched the forces of Law and Chaos battle for supremacy on every world and within every heart and mind. I have seen that these polarities are like two sides of the same coin, and if either Law or Chaos is allowed to grow and dominate unchecked, it&#160;will inevitably and inexorably lead to its most extreme expression—stagnation or destruction—either of which is death to living, sentient beings.

There was a time when I thought my powers were sufficient to grapple with and ward off these forces that pulled the multiverse toward lopsided madness, and that these powers that caused major imbalances were relegated to several key worlds and a handful of misguided beings. But I now know that keeping Law and Chaos in equilibrium—maintaining the Balance—is a quest that I cannot by&#160;my own powers fulfill. I must reach out and inform other adventurers of this in the hope that they are inspired to drop their small-minded pursuits of glittering loot, carousing, and fame to join me on this greater quest of protecting the multiverse, to one day perhaps reach beyond the boundary of their own world, venture through W…