Vecna, Venger and More D&D Villains Return | Dungeons & Dragons

Chris Perkins and ‪@ToddKenreck‬ talk about future D&D storylines, Vecna, Venger and other villains. #dnd #dungeonsanddragons

[@calgrier]

"he is a character we own"

[@GramGramAnimations]

All I wanna know is: *WHAT ARE THESE OBELISKS THEY KEEP PUTTING IN BOOKS*

[@peterheke]

The answer is in the Icewind Dale adventure book.

[@Azimii]

i believe Bob World Builder has a great video on what’s known of the history and possible future of those

[@stephenadams8712]

They're tower designed to improve the quality of sending stones but some people are scared that close proximity to them can cause psychic damage 😂

[@chiffon788]

They've said that the upcoming Phandelver campaign will answer that - and that's apparent in the title, which is "Phandelver And Below: The Shattered Obelisk."

[@christophel.1333]

As Carcosa mentioned it’s in Rime of the Frostmaiden

[@michaeljames1593]

4:47 Vecna's new book should be called "Don't call it a comeback"

[@johnfree1717]

Eldritch Blast is Venger's go to attack so he must be a Warlock.

[@KevinVideo]

Venger is very much a fiend patron warlock who multiclassed into sorcerer.

[@Martialartfruituser]

His master is the Nameless one, yeah, a warlock.

[@drjohndee4322]

They game him stats in a little book when the DnD cartoon was made for DVD. And so he was a sorcerer for 3rd Ed.

[@blueperry5409]

​@Dr John Dee warlocks came a little into 3rd edition, so may not have been an option.

[@drjohndee4322]

@@blueperry5409 yeah I know...I bring up the stats that was in a little book that was in the DVD pack. It was interesting if you can somehow find those stats or book online. They also had the stats for the kids so players can play the kids in a DnD game.

[@royjaskowski905]

For a Venger backstory, knowing that Dungeon Master is his dad, imagine Don Rickles cast as Dungeon Master and all the abuse he would have suffered growing up with that and it all makes sense.

[@WilliamSlayer]

War Duke was one of my favorite villains and I am so excited to see him coming back! I cannot wait to bring him to my table. Oh, If Strongheart and his winged helmet and golden hammer made a cameo I would love that too...such a short feature back in the day, but he left a lasting impression!

[@operative2136]

Growing up he was one of mine as well. When I was a kid in the 80's I always wanted to get the action figure, but was never able to find it successfully in the stores around where I lived. Very curious to see how they stat him out.

[@gordonbolles9640]

Man, Warduke was my favorite Villian growing up! I had his action figure( unfortunately lost) I still have a Dragon magazine with him featured on the cover!

[@laughingpanda4395]

Give us more Zsass Tam! Give us more Acererak! Give us Vecna! Liches, liches everywhere!

[@trise2033]

As long as they're canon. Liches love canons.

[@CihanSan]

I really like this idea of a meta plot hidden in the adventures and this Thanos / Infinity War like campaign to finish it up. Can't wait to get my hands on that adventure.

[@WouldbeSage]

It's totally the mysterious obelisks that have been seeded in almost every adventure.

[@kallung2576]

@@WouldbeSage Those were solved in icewind Dale

[@The_Crimson_Witch]

@@kallung2576 Their function was solved but not their purpose. We still don't know *why* they keep appearing in adventures

[@trise2033]

I like how Venger has some very interesting parallels with Orcus.

[@wadwiswell]

We know what Venger is, he has a stat block. it was official, it was at the back of the Animated Series handbook, 13th level sorcerer, 5th level Arch-mage. so in 5e terms, a Really powerful Sorcerer.

[@TheQuietKid13]

I’m a simple man. I see Chris Perkins, I watch the video.

[@Mr_Welch]

So Bargle when?

[@marcosmiotti7399]

As someone who watched the cartoon over and over again for years in a seemingly neverending airing on a public Brazilian TV channel, I'm really glad to see Venger back as the villain of a story of his own in 5E!

[@nickh3205]

I wonder how they’ll update Venger’s portrait

[@texasbeast239]

Probably give him his head back after Tiamat ripped it off, for starters... 🤪

[@texasbeast239]

@@hypnodance Oh, it never happened in the show (which was rudely canceled), but in my head canon. Venger was always afraid of Tiamat, and he was repeatedly shown being chased off by her. So I imagined that she finally got him. If so, then his missing horn would have only been a preview of the ultimate result.

[@chachy3369]

I just hope the Vecna story goes to level 20

[@Nemo12417]

Wait, how is Venger coming in as a villain? I realize the episode never aired, but in the finale of the show, the kids purified Venger of the Nameless One's influence and returned him to human form, which allowed all of them (minus Presto) to return home.

[@kagato23]

We saw in the movie they never got home and aren’t really kids anymore. So clearly a different path of possibilities were taken.

[@Nemo12417]

That struck me as more of a fun Easter Egg that wasn't meant to be taken too seriously. The Realms from the cartoon was, for the most part, a desolated wasteland, whereas Faerun has functioning city states that rule over nearby towns.

[@kagato23]

@@Nemo12417 sure, but it emphasizes that this is ultimately a multiverse. There could be different Vengars with different fates. Though officially that episode never happened so both Venger evil and the kids still around dont violate any canon.

[@RichardBejtlich]

I love that Venger is on the way. Bring the kids next, please. 🙏🎲

[@rolld20satx55]

Venger is in the Dungeons and Dragons Animated Series Handbook released by WOTC. This book came with the DVD release of the animated series. In the book he is CR21, Half-fiend human sorcerer 13 / archmage 5.

[@edkrause7848]

I come from a long line of union workers. My father's side were all plumbers and my grandfather was a coal miner. By hiring the Pinkertons you have attacked all of the working class of America.

[@ReadingDave]

I'm intrigued with the REd Wizard story. I wouldn't mind a shadow adventure that takes place in annother adventure that stars Shar and her followers.

[@sullivan108]

Bring back Bargle. Avenge Aleena.

[@KevinVideo]

We got that in Dungeon 150. I wouldn't mind a 5e facelift for it though.

[@beachlife1498]

My DM turned him into our BBG for our campaign. Two years we spent chasing him down. Finally took him out at L33. By that time he became a Lich and turned our wizard to his side.

[@Draenal]

As you all think about building some of these grander stories over the coming years, it could be an awesome opportunity to release formal canon stories of how these adventures played out some time after the adventure itself releases. I don't have time to play all of these adventures but I do really like the Forgotten Realms as a setting and I would enjoy keeping up with the major plot points in that setting. I also really like Chris mentioning that even though they haven't released the name of the adventure, it's cleared trademark search, so we know it's likely going to be in the public trademark database shortly.

[@Nupehadda]

I’m just wondering if Vecna’s Stat Block will be updated in his book, and also if Kas will make a return?

[@KevinVideo]

@@teknogothyk I could see them revising an old adventure and giving it a new spin, which would allow Kas and the Sword of Kas to make a return.

[@TheAzmdain]

And the Kids that where lost, ere they also be in characters?

[@Volcodom]

I wonder what old Larloch is up to these days.

[@Flyetime]

Oh please don’t mess up the Vecna module. It’s gotta be big Vecna should always be a top tier fight. This will definitely be one I’m adding to my collection. Can’t wait to hear more.

[@Katsotomo]

Bring back Bargle

[@lesio80]

I remember back in the early '90s, just a few months after being introduced to D&D and rpgs on a larger scale (my first group had a D&D handbook borrowed from someone's cousin and we all felt in love with it but we couldn't buy the D&D books so we played Dungeoneer because only if was available locally for a while) coming across the cartoon on TV, being mesmerized by it and being obsessed about the series every then!

[@codasinger5298]

I think a definitive Anti-Party would be cool. A party of villanous or anti-hero characters meant to be a foil to your band of adventurers looking to uproot them. I never see that (excluding the CR adventure), but I want an established group of villains.

[@Lhight85]

With “Escape into Avernus”, I would be interested in a campaign for every layer of the 9 hells. Simply putting the Arch-Fiends in the books limits where they can go. A DM would need to reference older editions to understand and build a layer from scratch.

[@HorrorGoreCrew]

Are these new core books also 5e?

[@JacintoDeSousa-bq2wp]

i been using Venger as one of my reoccurring BBEG for the past six years, my table loves it :)

[@bruceford6133]

Some of those villains come from a few products from Original D&D.

[@ricardojuanlopeznaranjo6651]

From BECMi and AD&D, so from real D&D.

[@KM-tv2zf]

I would love to see a lich stat block that doesn't force the lich to collect souls. An archlich maybe. I think this villain book would be nice, if this is in.

[@alectherocketman8933]

Venger has so much potential, it would be a total waste if he was just a red wizard of thay

[@evanvandesteeg8169]

Even though he looks like one?🤔

[@danzai]

agreed. In the cartoon he is the corrupted son of Dungeon Master (star wars vibes anyone?) but he should indeed still have this kind of curse aspect to him I think. Also, Optimus Prime = venger 😎

[@RottenRogerDM]

@@evanvandesteeg8169 Which came first Beautiful Venger or wizards of Thay? Venger should make all red wizards ride the kiddie roller coaster at six flags!

[@lorcandruid]

It'll be interesting to see if the new Vecna adventure is up to the standards of the 2e trilogy of modules that took us from Greyhawk to Ravenloft to Sigil. Only time will tell.

[@aubreyalexander3894]

I wonder if there going to put avenger in Greyhawk.

[@Mark-ki7ic]

Chris will make a cameo as the Dungeon Master !!

[@chrisslaughter3386]

How the hell does he not know that Venger’s mount is called a nightmare. SMH…

[@MrYac-ie8ie]

same way he thinks the D&D movie was a success 🤣

[@KevinVideo]

I was also wondering that. As well, calling Venger a possible red wizard when his current form and powers come directly from an entity that he serves.

[@kagato23]

@@MrYac-ie8ie I wouldn’t really call it a failure.

[@Lynch2507]

​@@MrYac-ie8ie it was. Like... ?

[@jamesonstalanthasyu]

Was he trying to think if the nightmare had a name?

[@Mat23]

Bring all of the classic starter characters back! It was wonderful seeing them cameo in wbtw! Bowmarc Deeth Figgan Valkeer Hawkler Prince Melf Peralay Mandoom Northlord Drex Fox Fingers Grimsword Raven Zorgar Mettaflame The Ogreking Pulvereye Did I miss any? 😂

[@craigcochrane2284]

Strongheart

[@KevinVideo]

@@craigcochrane2284 Strongheart is who I'm hoping for.

[@Mat23]

​@@craigcochrane2284 He was in wbtw though. I meant characters who have not appeared. :) But I hope they do bring Strongheart back.

[@tommyd2235]

But is Venger’s father still named Dungen Master, or did he get a name?

[@torenatkinson1986]

"There is no escape from the realm of Dungeons and Dragons!" - Venger

[@mando8469]

I really hope they don't plan on mixing MTG and the Vecna adventure....

[@michaelnkaminis8878]

Before I knew of Soth there was Dekkion-fallen Celestial Knight redeemed! Hope Chris is hinting at his return. My first 5e character back from my AD&D satanic panic era was partly inspired by him. How’s that for making a lasting impression on an 80s kid? Seeing him ride off on his warbird but never return to aid the kids crushed me. He must have been delayed and has a story to tell!

[@ShadoeLandman]

Am I old enough to remember the cartoon? Yes, yes I am.

[@michaelhockman3420]

Is the book going to include statblocks for the pinkertons? Seems only fair since WOTC just did a big collaboration with them! 🤔🧐

[@KnicKnac]

Hopefully we get something for Greyhawk setting.

[@Vengerin]

Venger, yes!!! Hell, yeah!! Oh, my god, I can't be happier!!

[@shawnkarter8867]

Is Bargle coming back?

[@kaineswiftblade]

Wanna do something fun with the Forgotten Realms.... how about create an adventure that doesn't take place on the sword coast for starters.... might make it more appealing to veteran players.... you have a whole world to explore yet you focus on the west coast of a third of a super continent....and for the love of god....if you're going to bring back something from the past don't just copy and paste the same damn story like you did with Curse of Strahd.

[@LordJonRay]

Yes! Give us more of the D&D Classics from the Animated Series!!! If you're going to use Venger, give us a proper connection from The Realm and Faerun. Which up to this point have never been the same.

[@mrmuffins951]

I hope all these videos means we’re getting 1dnd playtest this week!

[@craigcochrane2284]

Did Warduke lose his Frostbrand Sword from the animated series?

[@johnfree1717]

Yeah, they gave him a Flame Tongue in the current stat block.

[@craigcochrane2284]

@@johnfree1717 Terrible change. So cliche'. Now Warduke is literally less cool.

[@georgemouzakitis1876]

Vecna's art is so terrible! Who on Earth thought this thing?!

[@jeremysmith2791]

someone did a stat block for Venger in the DvD collection and he has sorcerer spells amongst alot of other abilities, but I think it was based off 3.5 at the time

[@Nerdahedron]

Yep. I still have my copy somewhere. The kids were level 7. Venger was a full sorcerer but I forget what level he was.

[@KevinVideo]

@@Nerdahedron I have a copy too. I hated that the kids were only level 7. The adventure in that booklet is written for 9th level characters, and the magic items make the kids 9th level equivalents. Just make them 9th level so Hank has Evasion. He's dodged how many breath weapons in the series, he deserves having that.

[@DcSensai]

please tell me you are going to also put stats for the artifacts of the party from the animated series.

[@lesserkey]

what is the brand of jacket that Todd is wearing? Ive seen that brand a few times.. Im interested in acquiring some

[@nicolajohnson1887]

Is this a video game or the role play game.

[@DonAndrew]

Give us more Larloch, please!

[@danzai]

Will Venger still be **spoiler** Dungeon Master's estranged son?

[@KevinVideo]

I hope that doesn't change. Same with Venger's pact with The Nameless One. Although, I would like more insight into who that actually is.

[@SlavicMoose]

Is Venger going to send a hit man bully squad to a merchant that gets product accidentally?

[@nathangodwin5348]

Who are the forgotten of the forgotten realms are they exiled to wildspace memory araced

[@billshull9468]

Maybe they can tie this to the originals being in the new D&D movie , they accidentally release Venger or something.

[@kurtpearson2793]

Venger!!!!

[@codasinger5298]

D&D has so many lost, forgotten, or overlooked storylines/villains/locations that they could continue doing nothing but revamping the old stuff for YEARS. Reminds me of Marvel or Star Wars with this extended canon that may or may not be canon in the current iteration of the universe. Just hope they can do justice to the old version while revamping everything for newer editions to keep it fresh.

[@carsick6817]

I really hope they bring back Greyhawk and Blackmore, two classic worlds

[@ittyandpocky]

The Ghosts of Saltmarsh book was based in Greyhawk, so they've already visited that setting in 5e.

[@carsick6817]

@@ittyandpocky yeah, they said in this video that they are visiting worlds they’ve visited in 5es past

[@TheOneAndAlways]

Lost in time? Well why not Dark Sun!

[@ExplosiveFloofBall]

Might you bring back Aumvor the Undying?

[@Rodj71]

What do you mean they're returning? They've both been in my D&D campaign world since the mid 80s.

[@matthewclarke1315]

I think Profion is going to make a come back.

[@texasbeast239]

Now, it's HIS turn to DIE!

[@kennethkalahan7509]

the book will be 75 pages and comprise the whole adventure from level 1 to 20....and be devoid of ANY actual info like all their other adventure books.

[@PokeNaru29]

Bro I wish they cared about higher level play lately. Most recent adventures go to like 11 max.

[@Helspyre]

I always thought of Venger as some sort of undead sorcerer.

[@KevinVideo]

He's more of a fiend patron warlock who became a half-fiend himself.

[@anevilscientist]

"We take something from the past and weave a new story around it." Yeah, for everyone else that's called fanfic.

[@scorchbound]

Now it can be official fanfic!

[@RangerSierra11]

That ending statement by Chris is where it’s at!

[@RangerSierra11]

Once an adventure gets out there in the world and people play it it becomes their own and so nobody's adventure experience is quite the same as anybody else's but there's these common elements that then become topics that we can talk about; conversation pieces, points of connection that we all share, and I think that part of the reason why I'm always enamored with the idea of looking into D D's past to help guide its future is that it creates the sense of continuum that contributions that people made early in DND do not die; they revive they come back; they resurrect; they take on new forms. New people come in with their own ideas and these things all merge together to create this wonderfully sort of amorphous and malleable palette that DMS can use to construct their own campaigns, and so every Adventure that we add is just another little blip or blop of paint on this palette yeah that DMS can use to paint their own campaigns.

[@mauloredo4019]

its funny that a video about villans comes out the same day wotc hired people to raid some dudes house because some leaked mtg cards, coincidence?

[@alhayse12]

Glory of the Giants release date?

[@jamessmith5666]

Will the much maligned 4th edition setting world of Nerath get a look in with Vecna’s return?

[@Moe_grodt]

Chris made a Great point about keeping people's earlier creations and contributions alive, well done 🙏

[@matthewgordon3281]

Venger is a Tiefling Warlock. Maybe multiclass wizard

[@MrYac-ie8ie]

it was always hinted he's Dungeon Master's son, so i don;t think he's a tiefling.

[@KevinVideo]

@@MrYac-ie8ie In 5e, he'd probably be transformed into a tiefling. He's actually a half-fiend human, but 5e doesn't really have that. I'd love to see the half-fiend template be given the half-dragon treatment though.

[@MrYac-ie8ie]

@@KevinVideo i would assume he'd be celestial and not fiend since DM is such a godlike character and he wasn't particularly evil.

[@johnfree1717]

His patron is the Nameless One. At least that is what I think based off of Season 3 Episode 1 Dungeons at the Heart of Dawn

[@zero3045]

Eh. Still iffy on whether to support or not. Critical Role, Kobold Press, and others making their own thing so might go with that.

[@TatKat]

Just get all of them then use the parts you want band don’t that’s my plan going forward

[@Mat23]

I'm back. Eve Of Ruin Confirmed 😂.

[@kingcrow15]

Well, the Vecna stuff sounds interesting. The many worlds idea sounds planscapey, I would love it if there was some overlap with the planscspe setting book. I feel like he would mesh well in that setting. I'm surprised it's taken them this long to being vecna forward. Seems like they should have done that sooner, tbh. Dude showed up in critical role AND stranger things before 5e.. As for Venger... honestly, I'm not sure why they bothered. Nostalgia and name recognition, I guess. But he was so pathetic and goofy that it's hard to take him seriously as a villain.

[@redstorm8373]

I want more dragonlance content. Shadow ended with a hint of the blue dragon army, and I'd love to see Kitiara and Khellendros come back.

[@desssperato5420]

AD&D 3e

[@ShadeMeadows]

*VENGER!!~*

[@Haematite]

Hastur! HaStoR! Ḧ̴̛̱̘̞̫͕̹͎̠̖͓̮̭̪̮̞́͂̓͆̓̋̓̂͐͝a̴̡̠̐͗ś̷͈̦̜̜̞̪̠ť̵̡̬̯̹͈̜̣̟͕̯̬͓́͒̋͊̎̓̀͂̈́̈́̆͌̓̽͜ͅo̸̬̻̲͗́̉̿̊́͒͋̿̐̐͑̚͜r̵̫͉̭̰̺̹͕̗̱̠̈́͌

[@sithkhan]

"we pull from the past things that were lost in time" - Translation - we can't come up with something interesting that will appeal to the mob, so we try nostalgia.

[@kagato23]

Ah that’s a catch 22. Nothing but new stuff “no respect for the classics. Bring back x!” Bring back x, “no originality!”

[@sithkhan]

@@kagato23 no one wants WotC/Hasbro near the old stuff. But I see your point. If you are going to be criticized, at leat do it with your own material. Let's see how it goes. This is reminding me of the Dr. Manhattan problem at DC however.

[@Thomas.R.Howell]

The amount of homework you have to do as a DM In these recent books is uncalled for. These books don’t deserve a $50 price tag. Such lazy work by WotC. Icewinddale was a joke.

[@erikwhitney7403]

Venger is a Sorclock

[@AndyCastillo]

Good stuff. Bring back Greyhawk!

[@Chardansearavitriol]

Good on WoTC specifically the creatives, they generate wonderful tie ins and call backs to make marketable products that the company can monetize.

[@Jeromy1986]

Oh yeah! I saw the illustration of the ... I believe it was a Red Knight prestige class in Complete Warrior. That class merely implied Red Wizards, but it didn't do much to explain them.

[@JesseMcCullough]

Bring back Greyhawk

[@lichlordmerg6714]

So will the 3 new core rule books be part of One dnd? I’m a little confused as to what’s happening since he keeps referring to the future releases as being for 5e.

[@dan_duarte]

They announced that the next iteration of DND is also gonna be called 5th edition. That's why he's calling it 5e

[@TattoosAndBones]

"OneD&D" is the overall umbrella of updated 5e core books in 2024, better integration and useability on DNDBeyond, and the eventual release of the VTT. It was never a new edition, or "5.5" or anything of the sort. It's was just "D&D under one roof".

[@jamesonstalanthasyu]

Venger has a problem with teenagers with attitude!

[@fredgarvinism]

Always a shame when a DM runs out of ideas. But then again I just used lord Mastryne so I may not be far from bringing in Venger either.

[@1nONLY_DRock]

I know, official video, but it feels so... corporate.

[@oldwaysmusic]

I'm so excited! I don't care anything about DnDOne but I'm so happy to hear that 5e is going to be around a while longer!

[@MYTMIC]

Bring back that Demon that steals kids at Midnight

[@Kantohammer]

I hope Osterneth comes back. She’s an antagonist in my campaign.