One of the best things aboutDungeons & Dragonsis the game’s vast cosmology – an infinite multiverse that makes for practically unlimited storytelling potential. Over the decades, the various editions of the game have released extensive accounts of many of the worlds throughout that cosmology, where players can set theirD&Dgames and explore. With the future of live-actionD&Dmedia on hold sinceParamount paused theirD&Dshow plan in 2024, perhaps it’s time to go back to the drawing board for more ideas.
Many ofD&D’s worlds have been detailed in major sourcebooks or even entire box sets over the years, and some have only appeared inclassicDungeons & Dragonsadventure modules, but even the smallest of the latter provide plenty of aesthetic and storytelling inspiration for aspiring showrunners and screenwriters.The wide variety in these settings also would allow for plenty of experimentation with genrebeyond the more traditional sword-and-sorcery-adjacent fare thatD&Dis usually considered synonymous with.
5Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms Campaign Set (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 1st Edition; 1987)
2023’sDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thievesalready introduced a live-action Forgotten Realms world, but the events of the film only involved a small part of the setting’s vast geography, mostly centered around the city of Neverwinter. Yet the Forgotten Realms are vast, having beena key setting forD&Dsince the release of the firstForgotten Realms Campaign Setin 1987, and have been the setting for some of the most well-knownD&Dvideo games, such as theBaldur’s Gate,Icewind Dale, andNeverwinter Nightsseries.
While the Forgotten Realms sometimes feels “basic” compared to some ofD&D’s more esoteric settings, like thegritty apocalyptic wasteland ofDark Sun,it’s still full of all the incredible things that make anyD&Dsetting amazing. The gorgeous landscapes of Faerûn, cosmopolitan cities like Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter, and the array of potential protagonists and antagonists mean that the Forgotten Realms are a buffet of possibility for any writer who wants to do more than justadapt existingD&Dadventures like Waterdeep: Dragon Heist.
4Ravenloft
Ravenloft Adventure Module (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 1st Edition; 1983)
The world ofRavenloft, unlike any other coreD&Dsetting, draws heavily from the aesthetic and tropes of classic Gothic horror, particularly novels likeDraculaandFrankenstein. While the other worlds ofD&D’s multiverse are discrete planets,Ravenloft is a disconnected pocket dimensioncalled the Demiplane of Dread, which is capable of manifesting anywhere in the multiverse as strange mists that draw people in and snatch them away to one of the various Domains therein.
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Each Domain of Dread is ruled by a Darklord, someone who drew the attention of the Demiplane’s ruling Dark Powers for the heinous crimes they performed, and their Domains match their crimes. The infamous vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich is one such Darklord, and theeternally popularCurse of StrahdD&Dadventure modulewould be the obvious starting place for any writers looking to bring the mists ofRavenloftto life; considering the popularity of Netflix’sCastlevaniaanime franchise, based off the video games of the same name,a live-actionRavenloftmay already have a waiting fan base.
3Strixhaven
Strixhaven: A Curriculum Of Chaos (Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition; 2021)
Magic schools have been a popular setting for fantasy media since long beforeHarry Potter’s strangely anachronistic wizarding ethnostate;legendary novelist Ursula K. LeGuinestablished the modern tropes of magic schools in her 1968 breakout novelA Wizard of Earthsea, and the genre has continued to evolve since. InD&D, the term"school of magic" has usually meant the various categories of spellsthat could be cast by magic-users (divination, evocation, and so forth), but 2021’sStrixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaoschanged that by crossingD&Dover with theMagic: the GatheringsetStrixhaven: School of Mages.
The eponymous Strixhaven University isthe greatest school for mages in the multiverse; its campus is composed of five colleges, each founded by an Elder Dragon and having a different focus both academically and magically. While neither the originalMtGset nor the sourcebook provide much information about the world outside the school grounds, the school’s multiversal nature allows it to exist anywhere inD&D’s vast cosmology the writers could possibly want. With the sourcebook’s focus on Strixhaven as a place of acceptance and diverse learning environments, it would make a phenomenal alternative toHBO’s increasingly problematic Harry Potter.
2Dragonlance
Dragons Of Despair (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 1st Edition; 1984)
D&D’s original high fantasy settingDragonlancehas been one of the linchpins of the franchise for decades, with dozens of adventure modules and sourcebooks, hundreds of novels, andeven a cookbookreleased over the years, all of which have come together to turn the world of Krynn into one of the most vibrant and well-documented fantasy worlds that has never gotten a chance to see the silver screen. That’s a pity, becauseDragonlance’s extensive timeline is ripe with stories that deserve to be told.
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From the epic War of the Lance to the world-shattering War of Souls, Krynn’s timeline overflows with stories that would be incredible to see in live-action. One of the most potentially exciting things about adaptingDragonlanceis just how many dragons the series features; the War of the Lance has entire waves of soldiers fighting each other on dragonback, dueling in the skies above their armies like a living tempest.Dragonlancealso has some of thebest villains inD&Ddeserving live action adaptations, such as the dashingly ruthless Kitiara and the tragic death knight Lord Soth.
1Eberron
Eberron Campaign Setting (Dungeons & Dragons, 3.5 Edition; 2004)
WhileDragonlanceis a high fantasy setting,Eberronkicks that into overdrive by goingfull magepunk. While a cabal of dragons attempt to manipulate the events of Eberron’s history according to an ancient prophecy, the kingdoms of mortals are still recovering from a century-long war that saw the use of brilliant and terrifying magical technologies.Eberronis a setting where magic isn’t mysterious or rare, but ubiquitous, a part of everyday life for most people as it powers the world’s incredible lightning trains and airships, as well as the living constructs known as warforged.
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IfRavenloftisD&D’s take on Gothic horror, andDragonlanceis an epic war story, thenEberronisD&Dchanneling 1930s pulp adventure novels.Eberronputs a film noir spin on its cities, like the socially (and literally) stratified Sharn, City of Towers, where organized crime and high society clash at debutante’s balls, but it also has enough ancient ruins hidden in deadly jungles to put Indiana Jones to shame. A live-actionEberronwoulddefy the conventions of traditional fantasy, reminding viewers everywhere of the converse of Clarke’s Third Law – “Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.”
Dungeons & Dragons
TheDungeons & Dragonsfranchise is a fantasy adventure series based on the iconic tabletop role-playing game. The franchise includes both live-action and animated adaptations, with the most notable being the recent filmDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves(2023), which brought the fantasy world of D&D to a broader audience with its blend of humor, action, and classic D&D elements. The franchise explores themes of heroism, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of adventuring in a magical world filled with dragons, wizards, and mythical creatures.
