Wizards of the Coast announce D&D Encounters

Press Release

Wizards of the Coast casts a spell against the mid-week doldrums with the introduction of D&D Encounters, a weekly adventure series for play in Wizards Play Network retail locations worldwide. Starting March 17, players will have the chance to face new monsters and settings in all-new adventures every Wednesday.

“We’re delivering a new option for mid-week D&D gameplay, giving retailers exclusive content for hosting D&D game sessions,” said Arron Goolsbey, Senior Director, Organized Play & Game Support for Wizards of the Coast. “Players can visit their friendly local game store every Wednesday for an exciting new adventure, which they can face with their regular game group or other local gamers for a fun new twist.”

Getting involved in D&D Encounters opens the door for players of all levels to mingle with other local gamers and participate in adventures to earn exclusive rewards for their accomplishments. It’s also a chance for players to experiment with a new character…or try DMing for the first time! With a full kit of materials provided, this is a great way to delve into being the Dungeon Master.

The first D&D Encounters mini-campaign takes place in the Forgotten Realms, as players explore new areas of the iconic dungeon known as Undermountain, with their own characters, one they create at the store, or a pre-generated character provided with the kit.

With each weekly encounter, players will earn gold and experience points, but will also be rewarded with Renown Points redeemable for in-game rewards applicable to current and future D&D Encounters characters. Additionally, DMs who run D&D Encounters will be rewarded with tools for their games, as well as points towards their DM Rewards account. Since these player and DM rewards are exclusive to the D&D Encounters program, the only way to get them is by participating.

As the season progresses, there will be new content and an exciting encounter every Wednesday. Before and during the game, players can turn to the Web, via Twitter and the Wizards Community site to share the epic experience with other players from around the world. Players can keep an eye out for special in-game tips and bonuses and talk about TPKs with players in Tallahassee or discuss dice fails with DMs in Duluth.

To make the local game store an even more exciting place to play D&D Encounters, Wizards will be hosting contests and promotions to offer stores and players a well-rounded adventure experience. Interested players should be sure their local WPN store is hosting D&D Encounters and keep an eye online for more details as the first season’s launch approaches. Check in at www.dungeonsanddragons.com for promotion information.

About Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), is the leader in entertaining the lifestyle gamer. The company holds an exclusive patent on trading card games (TCGs) and their method of play and produces the premier trading card game, Magic: The Gathering, among many other trading card games and family card and board games. Wizards is also a leading publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous New York Times bestsellers. For more information, visit the Wizards of the Coast website at www.wizards.com.