While the Total War series is primarily a historical strategy franchise, Creative Assembly has dabbled in the world of fantasy with its acclaimed Total War: Warhammer trilogy. Those three games showed that the studio can apply its Total War formula to almost anything, and now fans are excited to see where the franchise goes next. The next stop may be Total War: Pharaoh, but after that it should really take another fantasy IP for a spin.

There are so many different fantasy IPs that Total War could adapt, but there is one in particular that seems like the perfect fit. After the success of Baldur's Gate 3 and the popularity of Dungeons and Dragons in general, Creative Assembly should consider exploring the D&D universe a bit. While a Total War game may not seem that compatible with the tabletop game, there is a ton of potential for different war stories within. Massive wars may not be the focus of D&D, but Total War could put those pivotal moments front and center for a new type of strategy game.

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Total War: Dungeons and Dragons Could Be a Wild Ride

Dungeons and Dragons is more about the adventures of a small party in a massive fantasy world than it is about massive war stories. These parties are often involved or affected by major events, but these events are seldom the focus of the campaign as it is more about the interpersonal relationships between characters and whatever those players choose to do. This is why games like Baldur's Gate 3 and the actual tabletop experience are so popular. However, there is also a massive amount of lore waiting to be explored, and Total War may be the best place to explore that.

Dungeons and Dragons has tons of lore that has been growing and changing since its inception. Each campaign and adventure expands that lore even further, and there have been countless novels exploring various periods in the world. While players have control over the narrative of their campaign, there are often official lore endings for different events to try and help stitch this massive IP into a cohesive narrative. Unlike some fantasy worlds, it is a far more flexible and looser canon that anyone can really bend to their liking.

Throughout Dungeons and Dragons' canon there are dozens of wars and massive battles that took place. Factions warred, gods and demons rained down destruction, and intense hardship swept the land. Players sometimes get to experience these events, they hear about it in passing, or they must deal with the ramifications of those pivotal moments. Whatever the case may be, it is pretty clear that D&D has decades' worth of wars and destruction that could be put on full display.

A Total War game exploring the Dungeons and Dragons universe could lead to a very exciting and unique experience. Much like how Creative Assembly was able to adapt the tabletop world of Warhammer to fit its model, it could easily do the same thing with the world of D&D. It could let players control massive armies during the most pivotal periods of the universe, or it could tell a brand-new story with the world of D&D as a backdrop. The studio could even take it a step further by crafting a new type of Total War campaign around the way D&D works, and that could lead to an experience unlike any other.

Dungeons and Dragons is incredibly popular, and it seems to only be getting more popular as the years go by. Stranger Things has put it front and center, Baldur's Gate 3 has given players a way to explore the world, and Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has let moviegoers experience a small slice of what it has to offer. Now, it is time for Creative Assembly to tap into the IP and deliver another fantastic Total War game for fantasy fans to spend hours exploring.

Total War: Pharaoh will be available for PC in October 2023.

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