The upcoming Dungeons & Dragons adventure Vecna: Eve of Ruin focuses on one of the most iconic villains in the tabletop game’s history, but the return of another classic foe could have the potential to steal the show. As a multiversal romp through various DnD settings, Vecna: Eve of Ruin has its fair share of familiar faces from past adventures. All of these disparate pieces are linked by the Rod of Seven Parts, a separated and scattered artifact that needs to be reassembled if the party has any hope of defeating Vecna.
As discussed by Senior Designer Amanda Hamon in a Vecna: Eve of Ruin press briefing attended by Screen Rant, the powerful vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich has an important role to play in Vecna: Eve of Ruin. Strahd is in possession of a piece of the Rod, but unlike the party or Vecna, he’s only really interested in what the piece is worth to others. This scenario opens up a variety of possibilities for how the party will deal with Strahd, and stopping by Ravenloft might well be one of the big highlights of the campaign.
Major battles shouldn’t be hard to find in Vecna: Eve of Ruin, which has a thirty-page bestiary and leads up to a major confrontation with the human-turned-lich-turned-god, but chewing through Strahd’s combat resistances isn’t going to be the only way to get his piece of the Rod of Seven Parts. According to Hamon, acquiring it “might mean fighting Strahd,” but the key to success could also lie in “convincing him to give it over.”
Visiting Ravenloft has long been a highlight of multiple classic DnD modules, and the terror of Strahd has received renewed attention in the fifth edition era thanks to the success of the widely adored Curse of Strahd campaign book. Dealing with him in Vecna: Eve of Ruin could be a welcome return for parties that have already tackled that particular challenge, but it could also serve as a more bite-sized introduction for newcomers.
For anyone less enthused by the idea of negotiating with Strahd, Vecna: Eve of Ruin also covers the kind of straightforward dungeon-oriented gameplay that originally defined DnD. Another of the classic villains involved in the new story is the demilich Acererak, whose Tomb of Wayward Souls tosses plenty of traps and monsters at any party who dares venture there. Rather than Acererak himself playing a starring role, a false lich called Rerak guards the tomb. It’s actually possible to negotiate with him as well, but getting there will certainl require some blood, sweat, and tears.
The full scope of adventures to be found in Vecna: Eve of Ruin will be revealed when the book releases in May, first through early access in local game stores and D&D Beyond before a wide release two weeks later. For now, it’s safe to say that there are definitely fearsome foes to be found within its pages. Vecna is quite the villain to contend with, but returning to the iconic Dungeons & Dragons setting of Ravenloft to face Strahd once again might well be the hook that draws some parties in.