The Deck of Many Things Will Change Your D&D Destiny

Crafty cartomancers, new characters, and exciting adventures await!

Many Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) players are familiar with the infamous Deck of Many Things. The magic item was introduced to the game early, in the 1st Edition’s Greyhawk expansion. Since its inception, this item has changed the course of many a campaign.

The original deck invited players to pull cards from it — if they dared. The magical effects within included everything from the Skull card summoning an avatar of death to the Star card increasing an ability score. Good or bad, the deck was guaranteed to shake things up.

Now, Wizards of the Coast is shaking up that deck itself with a new bundle. The deck inside will feature additional cards, fresh art, and an accompanying guidebook so it can even be used as an oracle deck. Also included is The Book of Many Things. This book has a bevy of content for players and Dungeon Masters (DMs) alike. As with many D&D offerings before it, a beautifully illustrated alt-art cover of the book will be available exclusively at local game stores.

Thanks to a press briefing from Greg Tito, host of the official D&D podcast Dragon Talk; Jason Tondro, Lead Designer; and Makenzie De Armas, Game Designer, we have everything any discerning card reader will want to know about the upcoming release!

When talking about a powerfully magical deck, how could you not first focus on the cards? The updated Deck of Many Things has 66 cards contained within it: 22 that players will recognize from the original deck and 44 that are entirely new. The cards range in results, and DMs can deck-build to their hearts’ content, creating a custom deck designed for lower-level characters, terrible misadventures, or whatever they desire.

The new deck features a reference guide so players and DMs can use it as an oracle deck, offering ominous in-game readings. It also includes the Adventure Spread, a new way to run a one-shot, with the cards you pull informing what happens. The spread takes a party through the before of an adventure all the way to a treasure and the guardian protecting it.

The Adventure Spread isn’t the only new way to tell stories thanks to this bundle. The designers of The Book of Many Things wanted to dig deep into the deck and provide adventure locations, feats, and more inspired by the iconic item. The book covers the deck’s origins in 5e, where the original cards were drawn down by the god of fate.

The book also introduces the characters Euryale and Asteria, friends who are so close they’re sisters in all but blood. Asteria holds a special place in the D&D canon, as she’ll be the game‘s first canonically autistic character. Game Designer Makenzie De Armas is proud to introduce her, as an autistic creator herself.

New items include the Warrior’s Passkey, inspired by the key card, which can transform into various weapons. But items aren’t the only things players will be getting. Enemies are also hitting the scene, with the gorgeous but deadly Rune Spider and Grim Champions inspired by the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Players will want to be well-prepared before they decide to take on the Challenge Rating 25 Champion of Desolation!

Beyond enemies, items, and characters, players can embrace new backgrounds and feats in this bundle. The Cartomancer feat will let spellcasters use cards as their arcane focus and even slide a card up their sleeve to cast as a bonus action spell later. Astrology fans can get their characters in on that fun, with new astrological signs based on the constellations in the sky (all with their own magical effect).

This is just a small sample of what’s coming in this bundle of content from Wizards of the Coast. Whether you’ve been daydreaming about playing a fortune-teller or needing new inspiration for your next one-shot, the Deck of Many Things has a card that’ll change your fate forever. The new bundle is available for preorder now and will release this Nov. 14.