Craving a little more adventure in your Dungeons & Dragons campaign? The next official release from Wizards of the Coast brings even more mystery and excitement for players of almost all levels. Candlekeep Mysteries, a book of 17 short adventures for characters level 1 through 16, hits game store shelves March 16, 2021. Each adventure is written by a different voice in the D&D community and crafted under the guidance of Chris Perkins.
We recently got a quick sneak peek at the book, and we can’t wait to dive into the mysteries of Candlekeep.
Wizards of the Coast (Clint Cearley)
Principal Story Designer Christopher Perkins is a veteran of designing D&D adventures, with thousands under his belt. He tells Nerdist that he sought out the diverse writing team, many of whom he wanted to work with for a long time. The team includes experienced game designers who work with Wizards of the Coast, as well as community members who had never written an adventure before. All bought their passions and unique voices to the project.
Nerdist‘s own Amy Vorpahl, Jennifer Kretchmer, Taymoor Rehman, Mark Hulmes, Kelly Lynne D’Angelo, and more penned a compelling mystery for the one-shot collection.
Wizards of the Coast (Vincent Proce)
Every tale in Candlekeep Mysteries centers around the enigmatic library of the Forgotten Realms, Candlekeep. The imposing fortress overlooks the churning Sea of Swords. It’s always open to visitors—with a caveat. Anyone wishing to enter must bring a book that’s not already in the monks’ collection.
“It’s a huge fortress [that] holds the greatest trove of lore,” Perkins tells Nerdist. “Mystery is built into its stones.” It’s made an appearance in every edition of Dungeons & Dragons, and this book will add to its grand legacy.
Insert each standalone adventure into any campaign at any time. You’ll talk to a ghostly dragon inside the library’s fortified walls, meet a djinni in Taymoor Rehman‘s “Zikran’s Zephyrean Tome,” and get lost in a dungeon of Jennifer Kretchmer‘s detailed design. You might even find yourself inside a strange tower that’s more than it seems in Amy Vorpahl‘s “Kandlekeep Dekonstrukted.”
Wizards of the Coast
No matter a Dungeon Master’s experience level, Candlekeep Mysteries makes them feel right at home among its dusty shelves. Kretchmer invites new Dungeon Masters to start with just one tale in the adventure-packed tome. “Once you try one, you’ll want to try another,” she teases. Perkins agrees, adding that the team made the low-level adventures structurally simpler for new Dungeon Masters.
“You can never have too many good, short adventures,” says Perkins with a smile.
Candlekeep Mysteries will be available at your favorite local game store and bookstores this spring. What mysteries will unfold in its pages?
Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in 2021 from DK Books.