What is Joe Manganiello’s D&D Death Saves Campaign Setting?

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At this year’s Gen Con, it was revealed that actor and longtime Dungeons & Dragons super fan Joe Manganiello would be leading a new initiative called D&D Icons. The publishing program would see seminal creators return to the D&D space, with a new Greyhawk project from Luke Gygax, new Dragonlance materials from Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis, and new Drizzt content from R.A. Salvatore.

It was also revealed that the upcoming Icons line will include a new official D&D setting created by Manganiello. The first product will be entitled Death Saves: The Blood War and is co-created by Mike Mearls; an RPG icon in his own right who spent almost two decades at Wizards of the Coast and was instrumental in the development of both D&D 4E and 5E.

While many details on the Death Saves: The Blood War have not yet been revealed, we do know that it in addition to being part of Icons, it will also be part of a new “Black Label” publishing line from Wizards of the Coast that allows creators to use the official D&D property, while also producing more experimental game content for a mature audience.

Below, we take a closer look at everything we know about Joe Manganiello’s new D&D Death Saves setting.

What is Death Saves: The Blood War about?

Death Saves: The Blood War is an official D&D campaign world that will be published by Wizards of the Coast. It’s set in the aftermath of the legendary Blood War from D&D lore, in which the forces of demons and devils are locked in a seemingly endless conflict.

In the Death Saves world, however, the demons have finally won, swarming across the Nine Hells and overrunning the outer planes, destroying everything in their path. Only the cosmic city of Sigil (of the popular Planescape setting) has survived, becoming the last bastion of the multiverse against the advancing demonic hordes.

Outnumbered and about to be overrun, the enigmatic Lady of Pain uses her dying breath to unleash a final cataclysmic wave of energy that essentially destroys the multiverse, collapsing multiple realms, including the Elemental Planes, the Shadowfell and the Feywild, into a single realm known as the Last World, which is now hanging on by a single thread.

In this grimdark, post-apocalyptic fantasy setting, the gods have been largely decimated, and the Abyss continues to grow, tearing away at the last remaining world in existence. While the demonic armies of the Blood War have been mostly wiped out, a few remnants have also managed to escape to the Last World, hoping to regain their strength.

Players take on the roles of heroic survivors navigating the blighted, famine-racked land and struggling to push back the tide of darkness that threatens to snuff out the last light of hope in the multiverse.

How much is Death Saves: The Blood War?

An exact price for the new D&D Death Saves product has not yet been confirmed, and it’s not yet clear if it’s an adventure or a campaign setting book. It’s also not yet clear if it will be a print or D&D Beyond exclusive. We’ll update this page with an exact price and format once it’s been confirmed.

When will Death Saves: The Blood War be released?

An exact release date has not yet been confirmed by Wizards of the Coast. On Instagram, Joe Manganiello did preview the cover and a one shot was run at Gen Con which was DMed by Mike Mearls, with players including YouTubers Professor DM (of Dungeon Craft and Deathbringer fame) and Daði (of the Mystic Arts channel), as well as Luke Stratton (better known as Limithron and the creator of the Pirate Borg RPG).

This suggests the product is well into development, although it is not listed in the official 2027 D&D Roadmap and during the actual play session Mike Mearls noted that “keep in mind this is a very early preview, so things may shift.”

What is the Death Saves brand?

Death Saves is a dark fantasy and heavy-metal-inspired streetwear and merchandise brand created by actor Joe Manganiello. The brand draws inspiration from vintage metal album art, horror comics, classic fantasy illustration and OSR-style aesthetics from the 70s and 80s.

In addition to a range of clothing and apparel, Death Saves also produces jewelry, dice trays, posters and other accessories. Death Saves: The Blood War, however, marks the first standalone TTRPG product from the brand.

What is a D&D “Black Label” product?

During Gen Con, Mike Mearls described the new D&D Black Label line as “basically, we’re being allowed to do some things with D&D lore that in a canon book would be like, ‘that’s a little too far.'”

The approach sounds very similar to the DC Comics Black Label, which features unique creative takes on classic superheroes, while exploring mature themes.

Final Thoughts

Wizards of the Coast has been aggressively guarding the D&D brand for years, so it’s interesting to see them turn it over to Manganiello to create something darker and more experimental. It’s also interesting to see the involvement of Mike Mearls, who remains one of the most influential designers on modern D&D. What the final product will be, however, remains to be seen.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on Death Saves: The Blood War in the days ahead and will update this page with more information as it’s released. In the meantime, below is the D&D live one shot that was run at Gen Con 2026.

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