Vecna: Eve of Ruin Sees The Return Of More Than One Classic D&D Villain

The upcoming adventure focuses on one of the most iconic villains in the tabletop game's history, but the return of another classic foe could have the potential to steal the show. As a multiversal romp through various settings, has its fair share of familiar faces from past adventures. All of these disparate pieces are linked by the Rod of Seven Parts, a separated and scattered artifact that needs to be reassembled if the party has any hope of defeating Vecna.

As discussed by Senior Designer Amanda Hamon in a press briefing attended by, the powerful vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich has an important role to play in . Strahd is in possession of a piece of the Rod, but unlike the party or Vecna, he's only really interested in what the piece is worth to others. This scenario opens up a variety of possibilities for how the party will deal with Strahd, and stopping by Ravenloft might well be one of the big highlights of the campaign.

Major battles shouldn't be hard to find in, which has a thirty-page bestiary and leads up to a major confrontation with the human-turned-lich-turned-god, but chewing through Strahd's combat resistances isn't going to be the only way to get his piece of the Rod of Seven Parts. According to Hamon, acquiring it "," but the key to success could also lie in ""

«Strahd doesn't really care that much about it, but, you know, what's it worth to you? He's very interested in negotiating.» — Amanda Hamon, Senior Designer

Visiting Ravenloft has long been a highlight of multiple classic modules, and the terror of Strahd has received renewed attention in the fifth edition era thanks to the success of the widely adored campaign book. Dealing with him in could be a welcome return for parties that have already tackled that particular challenge, but it could also serve as a more bite-sized introduction for newcomers.

For anyone less enthused by the idea of negotiating with Strahd, also covers the kind of straightforward dungeon-oriented gameplay that