This summer is going to be all about Drizzt Do'Urden! Today, Wizards of the Coast announced its plans for a summer-long celebration of the iconic Dungeons & Dragons hero, made famous in the over 30 novels penned by R.A. Salvatore. The celebration will include news on upcoming video games starring the iconic drow, details on Salvatore's newest novel, and a peek at new Magic: The Gathering cards set for later this summer!
To kick off the festivities, Wizards of the Coast has released an animated short to get folks reacquainted with the story of Drizzt. The video, narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch and written by Salvatore himself, is titled "Sleep Sound" and tells the tale of a young drow born into a cult of the Spider Queen. The young hero soon chooses to leave the only family he has known to venture into the unknown on the surface world. There he forms new friendships with his companions Bruenor Battlehammer, Wulfgar, and Cattie-brie, and together they form the Companions of the Hall.
This animated short is just one part of a bigger video, available here, hosted by B. Dave Walters. This longer video provides an exclusive look into all of the Drizzt-related activities planned for this summer celebration. These activities include interviews with the developers of Dark Alliance, an upcoming video game centered on Drizzt and his companions. The game is currently set for release on June 22.
The celebration continues with new details concerning R.A. Salvatore's upcoming Legend of Drizzt novel, set for release August 3. Plus, fans will be given a glimpse at the new Magic: The Gathering cards from the upcoming Adventures in the Forgotten Realms set. Those cards are set to release on July 23.
First introduced back in the '80s, Drizzt has become a popular hero in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. His story, one of choosing right in a world of wrong, resonates just as strongly today as it did a couple decades ago. That is why he has stuck around for so long and remained an iconic figure in D&D and beyond. Now it seems that Wizards of the Coast would like Drizzt to be a hero for the many, many newcomers to the iconic TTRPG.