For those familiar with the world of the Forgotten Realms, Candlekeep is a name almost as old as Dungeons and Dragons. This mysterious dungeon somehow exists in multiple places at once, and an adventurer (or scholar) cannot gain access to its infinite shelves of wisdom without a submission—you must bring a new book, scroll, or similar as an offering to the librarians who guard the twisting halls, but there’s no guarantee you’ll find what you’re seeking. Announced today, Candlekeep Mysteries brings you 17 standalone adventures to run together, piecemeal, or as one-shots.
A Whole New Lineup
Chris Perkins and the team at Wizards of the Coast have brought in a whole slew of new writers with this project, along with some of the existing Dungeons and Dragons team. This means that each of the 17 adventures in Candlekeep has a unique voice, flavor, and tone. Perkins set his crack team of intrepid authors to the task of writing (you guessed it) mysteries connected to Candlekeep, but the theme, content, and title were left to the authors’ discretion. This means that the diverse voices he brought to the project (which include people of color, people with disabilities, and more) had the leeway to remain true to their own perspectives and inspirations. Here are details about three of the stories and their authors.
“The Canopic Being”
This story by Jennifer Kretchmer features the mystery of several puzzling organ transplants to life. Jen, who has Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome, is an ambulatory wheelchair user, and her story is set in an accessible locale for you to use with characters with unusual mobility methods. Jennifer is a writer, performer, and producer for TV and tabletop gaming.
“Kandlekeep Dekonstruktion”
This mystery was written by Amy Vorpahl, and is set in the grounds of Candlekeep itself. You might recognize Amy’s name from popular projects like The Newsroom, The Mindy Project, and Live from the 8th Dimension. She is an actor, writer, digital media host, and DM.
“Zikran’s Zephyrean Tome”
This adventure by Taymoor Rehman is inspired by his love of Middle Eastern lore regarding djinn. He revealed that he’s always enjoyed the interpretation Dungeons and Dragons has regarding djinn, and was excited to bring a new tale to life. In this mystery, players are given a simple quest: find the means to free the djinni from the book he’s trapped in, and he will reward them with a wish. DMs will also find guidance on other kinds of boons the party might get if they befriend the djinni. Taymoor is staff at Wizards of the Coast, and works with both D&D and Magic: the Gathering.
Full Credit(s)
The full list of authors involved with Candlekeep Mysteries is as follows:
- Graeme Barber (@POCGamer)
- Kelly Lynne D’Angelo (@kellylynnedang)
- Alison Huang (@Drazillion)
- Mark Hulmes (@sherlock_hulmes)
- Jennifer Kretchmer (@dreamwisp)
- Daniel Kwan (@danielhkwan)
- Adam Lee (@adamofadventure)
- Ari Levitch (@AriLevitch)
- Sarah Madsen (@UnfetteredMuse)
- Christopher Perkins (@ChrisPerkinsDnD)
- Michael Polkinghorn (@MiketheGoalie)
- Taymoor Rehman (@DarkestCrows)
- Hannah Rose (@wildrosemage)
- Derek Ruiz (@ElvenTower)
- Kienna Shaw (@kiennas)
- Brandes Stoddard (@BrandesStoddard)
- Amy Vorpahl (@vorpahlsword)
- Toni Winslow-Brill (@vorgryth)
TL;DR:
Candlekeep Mysteries will be available for purchase starting on March 16th, but you can preorder it on Amazon. Whether you need 17 one-shots, or a group of adventures which you can set your players on over time, Candlekeep Mysteries is a great place to build up your collection. Each adventure can be run as a one-shot, or just as a way to get more Candlekeep at your table. Most importantly, an in-depth visit to Candlekeep explaining its history, strange magical effects, and more is included for the DM to learn more about this exotic locale.
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