New Dungeons & Dragons Video Game "Sword Coast Legends" Announced For 2015

Dungeon Masters and players still buzzing from the released of Dungeon & Dragons' latest edition will soon be able to embark on a new digital adventure. Wizards of the Coast has announced a new Dungeons & Dragons video game, Sword Coast Legends, being developed collaboratively by n-Space and Digital Extremes.

The game will attempt to bring the relationship between DMs and players, which is so vital to the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop experience, into the digital realm. Sword Coast Legends allows up to four players to embark on an adventure that is being managed, in real time, by a Dungeon Master. The DM is tasked with creating the most engaging and enjoyable play experience they can for the player group by customizing it to their needs and preferences.

"Dungeon Master Mode is going to allow players to quickly jump in and play as a real-time DM in a way that has never really been fully realized in a video game," Dan Tudge, President of n-Space, tell IGN. "DMs are able to adjust encounters, place, promote, manage and even control monsters, set traps, reward and punish party members – all in real time."

Sword Coast Legends will also feature campaign tools that allow DMs to create extended scenarios. Players can play through scenarios with groups of friends, or can take control of a an entire party for to adventure on their own.

Tudge previously worked as director on BioWare's Dragon Age Origins, and says Sword Coast Legends takes inspiration from the same lineage of Dungeons & Dragons video games.

"When I directed Dragon Age: Origins the mission was to create the 'spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate and I think players really felt like Origins achieved that," said Tudge.  "With Sword Coast Legends we are also continuing the legacy of the Baldur's Gate series so you will see strong influences from not only those games, but from Dragon Age: Origins as well. You will definitely feel the influence in the tactical party-based combat, pause and play and character progression, but it's the rich story and memorable characters where the influence is strongest."

The details of that story remain secret for now, but the games' title alone tells us it will take place in the world of Forgotten Realms, and around the same region of Fearun as the Baldur's Gate series.

"You can certainly expect to visit iconic locations along the Sword Coast," said Tudge, "and you may even run into a few familiar faces along the way."

The studio plans to continue adding adventure modules for the game in post-release DLC, expanding the games' world in content. The gameplay will be based on Dungeon & Dragons Fifth Edition rules.

Sword Coast Legends will release digitally later in 2015.