Lorwyn: First Light brings the fairytale world of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor to D&D in a new digital splatbook with new species, feats, and more.
Lorwyn: First Light is a new digital splatbook out today on D&D Beyond. Inside, you’ll find a guide to the dual-aspected world of Lorwyn-Shadowmoor, a fan-favorite plane from Magic: the Gathering, whose return saw a world of both light and shadow, day and night, with fairytale magic swept up between the two. This is because the world of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor are opposing lands that exist together, in a sort of swirl of magical plane chicanery.
The land of Lorwyn blooms with colorful creeks and verdant meadows full of wildflowers, cozy villages, and endless summers. While Shadowmoor is awash in jagged cliffs and haunted moors and bogs that would put the Fire Swamp to shame. For those playing along at home, you might recognize a sort of Seelie/Unseelie court vibe going on between the two.
And that’s basically it. Bright fairy tales and dark fairy tales all wind up together. And in Lorwyn: First Light, you’ll find the tools you need to play in this world, including new backgrounds, feats, playable species, and more. Let’s check it out!
Lorwyn: First Light – What’s New For Players
First things first, let’s talk about what player options are in the book. I’d wager this is the reason most people will pick up the supplement in the first place. And it all starts with two new backgrounds. First is the Lorwyn Expert, which gives you options for Ability Score increases to Strength, Constitution, and Wisdom, as well as the new Child of the Sun feat. Shadowmoor Expert, conversely, gives you Dexterity, Intelligence, and Charisma increase options, as well as the new Shadowmoor Hexer feat.
Both of the feats are new Origin Feats, meaning you get ’em at level 1. Child of the Sun gives you advantage on saving throws against being Blinded, as well as the Faerie Fire spell for free once per Long Rest, with the added benefit that damage doesn’t break your Concentration when you do it for free. Shadowmoor Hexer, on the other hand, is all about the Hex spell, which you can cast once per Long Rest for free. And whenever you get hit by someone that you’ve Hexed, the creature that dared to hit you takes Psychic damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
But there are also two new species and two new elves. Starting with the new elf lineages, you’ll find a Lorwyn Elf, who gets all the same traits but when it comes to the free spells, instead they get the Thorn Whip cantrip at level 1, Command at level 3, and Silence at level 5. Or the Shadowmoor Elf, who hgets Starry Wisp and Darkvision out to 120 feet at level 1, Heroism at level 3, and Gentle Repose at level 5.
When it comes to the new species, there are two: Lorwyn Changeling and Rimekin.
Lorwyn Changelings are “charismatic shapeshifters able to crudely mimic the forms of creatures and plants.” In game terms, this means you can switch between a two-legged Humanoid shape or a four-legged Beast shape at will. Also whenever you roll Initiative and aren’t at Disadvantage, you can Dash as a Reaction.
Rimekin, on the other hand, are creatures who hail from both Lorwyn and Shadowmoor. They have innate cold magic, which in game terms, means you get the Ray of Frost cantrip at level 1, at level 3 you get Ice Knife, and at level 5 you get Flame Blade (but it does cold damage). Also you have resistance to Cold damage.
What Else Is In The Book?
That’s what players will find. But what about DMs? You’ll find a brief gazetteer full of new locations to populate your games with. Both Lorwyn and Shadowmoor get detailed descriptions, and there’s plenty of seeds of inspiration to start noodling around for your own campaigns.
But the real draw is either the new Bestiary, with its eight new monsters, or the two short adventures for level 1 or level 5 parties, depending. I think DMs will get a lot of mileage out of using the Donkey-headed Noggles as creatures of indiscriminate chaos and destruction.
But hey, you can check them out for yourself. See what power a Noggle Wild Mage or a potent Incarnation of Transience – an empheral being that only touches on material reality. If you want trippy fun fey visuals, and world that feels a little more wild than mild, you’ll want to check out Lorwyn: First Light, available now on D&D Beyond.
Don’t let your game be eclipsed by the new release, though!
