WotC Vecna Eve of Ruin: Everything You Need To Know

WotC has posted a 19-minute video telling you 'everything you need to know' about Vecna: Eve Of Ruin.

• Starts at 10th level, goes to 20th.
• Classic villains and setting, famous characters, D&D's legacy.
• Vecna wants to become the supreme being of the multiverse.
• Vecna is a god of secrets and secrets and the power of secrets are a theme throughout the book.
• A mechanical subsystem for using the power of secrets during combat.
• Going back to Ravenloft, the Nine Hells, places where 5th Edition has been in the last 10 years.
• It would be a fun 'meta experience' for players to visit locations they remember lore about.
• Finding pieces of the Rod of Seven Parts, pieces throughout the multiverse.
• Each piece in one of seven distinct planes or settings.
• Allustriel Silverhand has noticed something is wrong, puts call out to Tasha and Mordenkainen, who come to her sanctum in Sigil.
• The (10th level) PCs are fated to confront Vecna.
• Lord Soth and Strahd show up. Tiamat is mentioned but doesn't appear 'on screen'.
• Twists, turns, spoilers.
• It's a 'love letter to D&D'.

 

[Necropolitan]

The last time Vecna tried remaking the multiverse in his image he did so in Sigil since other gods couldn't get into it and thus he'd be able to complete his work there without them being able to stop him.

And that only worked because he wasn't fully a god when he entered Sigil.

 

[MerricB]

"Vecna’s Grasp is a cave network in Pandesmos. Other than Vecna, only the characters can reach this cave network—and only because they carry Vecna’s Links." -- that's why only the PCs can get there.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The last time Vecna tried remaking the multiverse in his image he did so in Sigil since other gods couldn't get into it and thus he'd be able to complete his work there without them being able to stop him.

And that only worked because he wasn't fully a god when he entered Sigil.

Of course, that would require lore from late 2e to be relevant to WotC today in some way beyond namedropping for marketing purposes.

 

[Micah Sweet]

"Vecna’s Grasp is a cave network in Pandesmos. Other than Vecna, only the characters can reach this cave network—and only because they carry Vecna’s Links." -- that's why only the PCs can get there.

What the heck are Vecna's Links?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I haven't run Rime of the Frostmaiden, so that an obelisk had a larger role in it didn't register

Not really, it’s more of a secret bonus ending. Very unlikely to actually happen.

 

[MerricB]

What the heck are Vecna's Links?

It's the special magical properties the PCs accidentally get when they interrupt a ritual of Vecna cultists.

"When the characters clash with the cult, they become linked to the lich, which sets them on the path to discover Vecna’s plot to remake the multiverse."

"The characters each gain a metaphysical link to Vecna, which follows the rules for blessings presented in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Vecna’s Link is the result of feedback from the interrupted ritual."

It has special abilities.

 

[MerricB]

Not really, it’s more of a secret bonus ending. Very unlikely to actually happen.

Still a larger role than most of them have had!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Then perhaps they should have come up with a plot that didn't have that rather large hole.

That plot hole applies to every high level adventure ever.

 

[vecna00]

Then perhaps they should have come up with a plot that didn't have that rather large hole.

I don't know, maybe read the book and find out how it's handled?

 

[Quickleaf]

"Vecna’s Grasp is a cave network in Pandesmos. Other than Vecna, only the characters can reach this cave network—and only because they carry Vecna’s Links." -- that's why only the PCs can get there.

Vecna Links? I feel like there's a joke here but I can't put my finger on it.