Many Dungeons & Dragons players want more official high-level content, but it doesn’t look like Wizards of the Coast plans to grant that wish anytime soon. In a recent press conference, D&D head Ray Winninger said that the design team is not putting focus on campaigns set in the highest player levels.
This statement came in advance of D&D Live 2021, where Wizards is set to detail three hardcover books. One is Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons, which will add dragon lore, stat blocks, and player options to 5e. The other two are The Wild Beyond the Witchlight and Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos. Witchlight’s main content is a campaign that spans levels 1-8. Wizards wants to keep Strixhaven details hidden until its July 17 presentation, but we can say for certain that it does not contain any adventures meant for level 12+ players.
During the press event, one reporter asked if the D&D team is working on content specifically for the Tier 4 range of play–levels 16-20. Winninger fielded the question, saying that there are “no specific plans at present for high-level play.” He went on to say that Wizards’ intent is to continue supporting Tier 4 at the same pace it already is. The last official hardcover to support high-level play was March’s Candlekeep Mysteries, which ended at level 16.
Winninger also gave some insight into the thought process behind D&D’s current design. When speaking to the content of recent and upcoming books, he said “The secret ingredient is you.” The focus of current product, then, is giving DMs a wealth of options to customize their games as they see fit. Or, as Winninger puts it, “Our job is to give you as many tools as we can.”
Based on these comments, it seems that DMs wanting to run high-level campaigns will have to make their own. Players who want to experience levels 16-20 might want to consider hiring a pro DM who has experience in the very different world of Tier Four D&D. Check out some high-level D&D game listings here on StartPlaying.
