Adventures in the Forgotten Realms D&D MTG Set
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on May 7, 2021, 3:06 p.m. by Mtg_Mega_Nerds
Hello all! Recently our very first spoilers for the new D&D themed MTG set were released, and I think this set is going to be a goody. Here is the link to the spoilers on MTG Goldfish. Can't wait to see what the beholder card will be! Any other comments or thoughts?
RNR_Gaming says... #5
In hoping for a lot of food dragons. perhaps some competitive teir ones.
May 8, 2021 7:02 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #6
I enjoy playing Dungeons & dragons very much (I actually started playing that game several years before I started playing Magic: the Gathering), and I also very much enjoy reading Forgotten Realms books, but I am wary of a crossover between the two franchises, since the game mechanics are very different between the two games (for one example, and there are many, both games use the words "artifact" and "enchantment," but the words have radically different meanings between the games), so I hope this products is the only time that there is a crossover between the two franchises.
May 8, 2021 7:33 p.m.
I think that one of the revealed cards in particular shows the disparity between M:tG and D&D:
This one Show
So I'm definitely going to be watching the reveals, if only to see how everything else gets interpreted.
May 9, 2021 1:19 a.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #8
legendofa, let us also not forget the card of Tiamat, which does little more than search for more dragons, whereas, in D&D, she is a literal goddess, with a vast array of powers that could never be contained on a single card.
May 9, 2021 12:58 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #9
Mcat1999, I believe that that card should say "if you win both flips," so that players can choose which side they prefer, and so that it shall interact with effects that care about winning coin flips.
May 9, 2021 8:56 p.m.
Coward_Token says... #10
For those, like me, who missed that there was some previews today: https://twitter.com/wizards_magic/status/1395415742753824770
Card spoilers Show
May 20, 2021 4:26 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #11
Coward_Token, I agree that it is ridiculous that Lolth is a planeswalker when Tiamat is a god; this is another example of mechanics not translating perfectly between the two games; in MtG, being able to travel between the planes of the multiverse is a major thing, but, in D&D, it is not nearly as significant an ability.
May 22, 2021 1:46 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #12
I am annoyed that Vorpal Sword is yet another card that renders Phage the Untouchable obsolete, but I suppose that it was only a matter of time before she fell victim to powercreep.
May 23, 2021 9:24 a.m.
But DemonDragonJ the best way to kill people is with Phage the Untouchable and Endless Whispers .
May 23, 2021 9:28 a.m.
Coward_Token says... #14
Phage is so iconic that I wouldn't be surprised if she got an Akroma, Vision of Ixidor -style reappearance in the next few years
May 23, 2021 9:39 a.m.
I'm not sure that Vorpal Sword is really that much better than Phage. It needs a heavier mana investment and another creature to hold it.
Also, it has no special abilities against creatures that can survive without their heads, or creatures that don't have heads to begin with. The +3 bonus to attack and damage, plus ignoring slashing resistance, is a nice touch, though. (D&D 5e reference. Don't take it too seriously.)
Also also, going back to origins of the vorpal sword, there's still pretty much no chance we're going to see a Jabberwock or a tulgy wood, right? Are those public domain?
May 23, 2021 2:35 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #17
I have not played Dungeons and Dragons in many years, so why are tieflings more popular than their celestial counterparts, the aasimars?
May 27, 2021 9:19 a.m.
DemonDragonJ I can think of a few reasons:
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Tieflings are more iconic. Tieflings first appeared in 2e (Second Edition), and have been a staple of the game ever since. Aasimar appeared in 3e and 5e, but did not appear in 4e (Deva, which had a very different flavor were 4e's more celestial race).
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Wizards likes creating fun, interesting Tiefling NPCs that show up in campaigns; I can't think of any Aasimar showing up as an NPC in the rulebooks.
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Aasimar do not add much to the game that cannot be accomplished better with something else--need a holy night? Any paladin will do the job fine. Need a divine messenger? Just use an actual angel. Tieflings, on the other hand, fill a great role as a race that's unfairly shunned in society based on mistakes their ancestors made--and for which their entire lineage was damned.
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Per their description, Aasimar are a tad bland. Basically, an Aasimar was born to human parents and has an angelic guide who confers power and instruction. They are described as cold, distant, and moralistic to the point of fault, which does not make for a particularly interesting NPC. That's not to say one cannot create an interesting Aasimar (I'm actually playing an Aasimar right now, struggling with reconciling his human morality and the morality of a dark patron he found himself bound to), but they are much less nuanced than Tieflings.
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D&D has always made its fiendish characters more interesting than its celestial.
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People just generally find it more fun to play a character with demonic lineage than celestial ties.
May 27, 2021 9:51 a.m.
Coward_Token says... #19
• a legendary creature that makes a legendary Hamster creature token
• something only seen previously in Un-sets comes to black border: Tumblr note said dice, seems probable.
• a card that creates a legendary creature token named Vecna: Honestly I kinda feel like the Hand & Eye are more iconic on their own than their namesake.
• “Exchange your hand and library” I can only hope that this comes with strings attached and isn't Enter the Infinite light
• Legendary Creature – Devil God: Feels kinda weird since MTG Devils are pretty much all Chaotic in D&D terms (MTG Demons are much more diverse on the Law/Chaos spectrum)
June 23, 2021 3:32 p.m.
Coward_Token says... #20
So, Dungeons are a thing. Feels kinda messy, especially for a Core set?
June 24, 2021 11:24 a.m.
It's not really a core set. It's non-canon to the story, and they're trying to make the mechanics and experience of one game fit the rules of another. Core sets are deliberately simplified and generic, and this is neither. It's mostly an attempt to expand into an adjacent market, I think--Universes Beyond, the full set.
I don't have any problem with this, and I'm going to enjoy it for what it is, as long as it doesn't become the norm.
June 24, 2021 2:08 p.m.
GrimlockVIII says... #23
I'm just hoping we get more Minotaurs because they fit well in a dungeon setting.
June 24, 2021 11:32 p.m.
Coward_Token says... #24
Not super innovative but I'd like to point out that for Tomb of Annihilation, a fairly cheap and quick way of reaching the end is to choose the Oubliette and then Stifle the rather harsh trigger. Might matter if there's a card with a powerful reward for having completing a dungeon.
(Also, Atropal should probably be Zombie Gods right?)
June 25, 2021 8:41 a.m.
Coward_Token says... #25
Cave of the Frost Dragon & Icingdeath: I get that this is connected to Drizzt and that they literally wanted to make a "White Dragon" a white Dragon, but it's awkward that a white card, of all color identities, is used to represent a Chaotic Evil entity. (I lack hardcore D&D history knowledge, but surely there must be a suitably iconic Black or Red Dragon around, right?)
Treasure Chest: I'm not a fan of this much randomness (enjoy spending 3+4 mana for nothing!), but I guess if you build your deck such that you're okay with either the Treasures or the card draw it's reliable enough.
Circle of Dreams Druid: IMO appropriately costed Cradle on legs, although TBH I wish it wasn't an Elf.
Flameskull: Neat design space, could easily see this getting a semi-functional reprint as a Phoenix
Xanathar: as a commander, Sen Triplets is cheaper and gives access to another color, but at least you don't have to much around with Chromatic Lantern
Minion of the Mighty: Tiny Dragon-only Kaalia , neat!
Hive of the Eye Tyrant: nothing too exciting (it Disintegrates dead bodies I guess?) but I like the negative space in the art
Tarrasque: Kinda wish this was in the Commander product so it could really be pushed, but w/e. Also, plain "Beast" feels like more appropriate typing.
You See a Guard Approach: The art makes the Guard in question seem incredibly nearsighted.
June 29, 2021 12:48 p.m.
D&D chromatic dragons to MtG colors are not, to my eyes, a 1:1 match. Here's my interpretation of dragon-to-color correlation.
Blue dragons are primary . They are the most likely to hold a deal and least likely to eat you for no reason
Green dragons are primary . They are manipulative and rely on trickery and misdirection.
Black dragons are primary , one of two that match. They're the most sadistic and cruel for the sake of being cruel.
Red dragons are primary , the other one that matches. They're emotional, unpredictable, and impatient.
White dragons are primary , as the most animalistic and instinct-driven color.
Physical coloration doesn't correspond to philosophical coloration for these things. There's not much reason for Icingdeath to be a white card. (Basically, Icingdeath was killed by one of Drizz't friends, and Drizz't found a fancy sword in his hoard. The sword is important. The dragon is a plot device.)
On a semi-related note, from talking about this with some other people, AFR + Kaladesh + a little Mirrodin = Eberron, if you want a different major setting. Might be an interesting cube idea.
June 29, 2021 3 p.m.
GrimlockVIII says... #27
You know, after all these years, Im surprised that it took this long for Wizards to print an actual treasure chest-based Mimic card.
You'd think that idea would have gone through at some point already in the almost-30 years this game has been around.
June 29, 2021 3:09 p.m.
Coward_Token says... #28
Devour Intellect: more neat design space, especially with actual nontoken Treasure cards in mind.
Gelatinous Ooze: Neat flavor and all but is this really Rare-worthy? Some bleed of something white-associated too.
Grazilaxx: Cunning Evasion & Coastal Piracy stapled together on legs, and it can be a commander? Not bad at all, tho I'm kinda disappointed Illithids didn't get their own creature type. Oh well, more for future Horror tribal I guess. (Also, this guy is True Neutral apparently? Guess eating people's brains and collaborating with soul-consuming liches isn't all that bad in the grand scheme of things.)
Werewolf Pack Leader: Midnight Hunt lets goooooooooooo
June 29, 2021 3:54 p.m.
Coward_Token says... #29
Oh wait Grazilaxx has the dreaded "one or more" templating
June 29, 2021 4:10 p.m.
Coward_Token says... #30
Oswald Fiddlebender: White Pod ? Pretty weird but okay; if nothing else, being able to convert random tokens into MV 1 Artifacts is in-color
Zariel, Archduke of Avernus: would full-on Relentless Assault have been too much for the ultimate? Maybe at -7?
June 30, 2021 12:45 a.m.
golgarigirl says... #31
As someone who is very cool on this set (and on crossovers in general) despite being a massive D&D nerd (I don't like my flavors mixing!), I am only truly excited by 2 cards:
Circle of Dreams Druid: Because way too many of my decks run on 30-40 creatures, and even Growing Rites of Itlimoc Flip is getting pricey.
Trelissara: Be still my Soul Sisters heart. I'm not going to build it, as I already have Oloro to scratch that itch, but she is very interesting as she provides such card selection! She's going to be a powerhouse uncommon build-around for sure (in the vein of Siona and Syr Konrad), and she could be built very budget (many builds I see mention +1/+1 counter magnification like Hardened Scales , but from someone who plays Soul Sisters in both Modern and EDH, the deck does NOT need the help if you don't want to swing it).
June 30, 2021 2:53 p.m. Edited.
Coward_Token says... #32
+2 Mace is a very silly name; it's not like enhancement bonuses is something the actual characters talk about, right?
June 30, 2021 4:35 p.m.
My newest Skeleton/Zombie rant is short: There's no reason Ebondeath, Dracolich can't be a Skeleton, mechanically or flavorfully. Thanks for putting up with/ignoring these. Flameskull is nice, too.
Outside of that, I have a flavor-power quibble, in that an Owlbear can't mutual-kill an Adult Gold Dragon .
And to add some thoughts that aren't complaints, the modal "You" cards (is there a generic name for these?) are a nice injection of flavor. I'm pretty seriously thinking about building a D&D cube. Add in the Archenemy schemes, some Horde Magic decks, and bits and pieces like the Theros Hero's Path, and you could make a full campaign.
Thoughts for this: The cube has 30 cards for each class. You can choose a class and get 10 random cards from that class's set. Then all remaining cards are shuffled together and cubed normally. The two side decks are something like Adventure, which I don't know how to use yet, and Treasure, which you draft from when the party wins a match. (It's going to be a lot of team-based play.) More details to come as I think of them, probably in a different thread so I stop derailing this one.
June 30, 2021 5:13 p.m.
Very little about this set really speaks to me. I've never been a big D&D fan, so the focus on playing D&D as opposed to the setting itself (e.g. Zendikar Rising) does nothing for me. And mechanically not many of the cards so far are really getting me excited to play with.
I do like the creature lands though, those seem reasonably costed for decent bodies. And while I am not a D&D fan I do enjoy the old-school module cover design so I quite like the module lands.
June 30, 2021 5:16 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #35
If there is a card of Tiamat, surely there shall be a card of Bahamut, as well? If there is a card of Drizzt, what about Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle? What about Elminster? How can there be a set in the Forgotten Realms without him?
Is Ellywick Tumblestrum an existing character? I have read many Forgotten Realms novels, but I had never heard of her until she was revealed in this set.
June 30, 2021 6:55 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #36
Also, I understand that WotC now is allowing black to affect enchantments, but I feel that baleful beholder's ability is too powerful, because it has no drawback, and WotC said that black enchantment destruction would always have drawbacks, to keep it less powerful than are white and green enchantment destruction.
June 30, 2021 6:59 p.m.
GrimlockVIII says... #39
Yo DemonDragonJ, while I understand your concern, I realize that what balances Baleful Beholder is its expensive mana cost. Like, your paying 6 mana to remove a single enchantment, and you don't even get to choose what your opponent will sacrifice.
July 1, 2021 7:32 p.m.
+2 Mace vs. Vulshok Morningstar . Those Vulshok do know how to make a metal whacking stick.
From what I've seen so far, there are very, very few cards that are generic enough to reprint outside of a Forgotten Realms set. Something like Celestial Unicorn or Dueling Rapier could make it out, but this is truly D&D played with cards.
July 1, 2021 8:40 p.m.
golgarigirl says... #41
Kalain, Reclusive Painter is a really neat design overall. I love the idea of having another artist character in a MTG card, and the mechanics she plays with are neat too.
Volo ALMOST makes me want to break my NO CROSSING THE STREAMS rule. Almost.
July 1, 2021 10:48 p.m. Edited.
Flameskull and Demilich. I'm almost satisfied with the Skeletons now. It'll take a bit of color wrangling or a lot of spells, but I'm going to make this work.
July 1, 2021 11:53 p.m.
GrimlockVIII Probably Izzet with a potential black splash for Standard. For casual tribal, definitely Grixis.
July 2, 2021 12:41 a.m.
Coward_Token says... #45
Guardian of Faith: Wooo, it's almost Teferi's Protection on legs! Neat for tokens decks in EDH, and another way to at least mitigate Cyclonic Rift . I'm hopeful this means that we're getting more white phasing, as I prefer it to exile for both Eerie Interlude and Banisher Priest effects
Minimus Containment: I wish this was just Song of the Dryads so that it could hit lands, but it's nice that white is getting more removal.
Demilich: Big Blue Dreadhorde Arcanist , kinda. Note that you don't get to cast the spells for free.
Wizard's Spellbook: I don't know about this design; both the cost and the graveyard interaction means this will take a while before it's cast, yet the 20 result wants you to exile lots of cards. Build-around with cheating, self-mill, and untapping?
Power of Persuasion: Note that it doesn't get haste with the 20 result, so it can actually be worse than the other two
Bag of Holding: quite possibly the only nonbasic reprint
July 2, 2021 12:47 a.m.
GrimlockVIII says... #46
Shit, you got me hyped now. I'll be there for when you post a decklist.
Im assuming the black splash is gonna be for the lord in this set that buffs Skeletons, Vampires, and Zombies, eh?
July 2, 2021 12:57 a.m.
Coward_Token says... #47
The dual sword emblem on Ranger Class looks like fence shears
July 2, 2021 3:18 p.m.
Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor says... #48
Sorry Nassari, Dean of Expression , you were a fun deck, but you will be short lived. Prosper, Tome Bound is exactly what I am looking for for my theft commander. I originally wanted Valki, God of Lies Flip to be the commander as I prefer Rakdos to Izzet, but I settled on Nassari since Tibalt has such a large cmc and dies almost immediately. Prosper is great since he interacts well with the "exile stuff off the top of everyone's library and cast it" strategy, is way less threatening, and frees up deck slots that Tibalt has to reserve for extra rituals/ramp. Plus Hellkite Tyrant and Revel in Riches wins don't seem all that difficult with Prosper.
July 2, 2021 3:38 p.m.
Coward_Token says... #49
Xorn is neat and all but that art is not very revealing if you don't know what they look like: https://media-waterdeep.cursecdn.com/avatars/thumbnails/0/46/1000/1000/636252723241554579.jpeg
July 2, 2021 3:39 p.m.
Coward_Token says... #50
Sefris: Can be triggered by milling or discarding during other people's turns in addition to sacing nontokens. I hope the EDH decks will contain some good dungeon completion cards; the current ones aren't all that relative to the effort required
Prosper, Tome Bound: I like that he mitigates the risk of impulsive drawing too expensive cards
Galea: Voltron card advantage engine. Not super exciting but I think you can cast both Bestow spells and Kaldheim God Equipment sides with this; along with Living Weapon cards and their off-brand fellows you could Wide×Tall deck if you really wanted to
Vrondiss: Meh, pretty expensive for temporary tokens. Maybe some kind of dice n' dragon tribal deck?
When I saw "Barbarian Class" in the card: Deck of Many Things sample EDH deck I kinda expected it to be an Aura, but this is fine. Interesting that they're moving away from using game-object-counters, probably due to proliferate shenanigans.
Rogue Class: It's kinda surprising how few unconditional & unlimited nonred Goblin War Drums cards there are. Obviously nice for Anowon, the Ruin Thief
The Book of Exalted Deeds: Almost unfortunat that mono-white can't activate this in response to an offending Thassa's Oracle . But hey, a Platinum Angel upgrade for six mana ain't bad and could help an Angel tribal deck kill people before they can combo off
Magic Missile: Instead of being counter-proof (AFAIK MM can be countered in actual D&D) I kinda wish this could ignore hexproof, ward, and shroud since that's often flavored as being stealthy or evasive and MM never misses in D&D
I finally found out that Valor Singer is holding a tambourine and a freaking human heart: https://www.artofmtg.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Valor-Singer-Adventures-in-the-Forgotten-Realms-MtG-Art.jpg
abby315 says... #2
I love the basic lands. Is this a standard set or a supplemental set? I haven't seen...
May 7, 2021 4:37 p.m.