D&D superfan and werewolf actor Joe Manganiello will unveil a new D&D live play show set in the world of his clothing company, DEATH SAVES.
Okay, hear me out. I’m pretty sure that, based on a Gen Con event description, Dragonlance’s second biggest fan, Joe Manganiello, is creating a D&D campaign setting based on the world of his clothing company. And I’m sure that it’s probably based on, like, the aesthetics, which are kind of heavy metal, but like the dark kind you’d get on a tattoo (with a Wizard in it) instead of the kind of heavy metal aesthetics you’d see airbrushed on a van (also with a Wizard in it).
But just imagine for a moment the possibilities of a world based on clothing, where your AC is measured in thread count. Where you play as a cotton blend beefy tee Cleric or, if you’re feeling spicy, a pleather legging Bard. Yeah, we can all agree that’s definitely not what Joe Manganiello is doing. But wasn’t that pleasant? So what then, is the DEATH SAVES live play all about? And what exactly does it mean for D&D to have a “Black Label” setting? Let’s take a look.
DEATH SAVES At Gen Con
For now, all the details come down to a Gen Con event listing, which happens Friday morning, July 31st, at 10:30 am CDT. That marks the unveiling of “DEATH SAVES – First Ever LIVE Play!” an event that exists to let Joe Manganiello take you “into a world of his own creation.”
That world of course, is DEATH SAVES. Now, that name might be familiar to you if you’ve ever bought some D&D memorabilia. The company specializes in “fantasy and heavy metal streetwear” which meant things like t-shirts and hoodies that I don’t believe you can get anymore, since the clothing label stopped renewing its stock some years back. Now all you can find at the official DEATH SAVES shop is a collection of posters that would look right at home in the idea of a D&D Basement.
So what is this event then? Well here’s the description, so you can see what can be gleaned:
Actor, producer, writer, director, Joe Manganiello has spent decades playing in Dungeons & Dragons worlds created by legendary game designers, drawing from D&D’s past to chart its future… now the time has come for him to forge a world of his own. THIS next chapter in D&D gaming begins at Gen Con 2026…DEATH SAVES The Great War has ended. The forces of darkness won. Gods lie dead in droves. The world hangs on by a thread…JOIN US as a band of god-killers led by Joe Manganiello, take the battle to the doorstep of the Demon Lords, in this first ever live play for the newest Dungeons & Dragons “Black Label” setting… DEATH SAVES…you don’t want to miss it.
They had a collection of miniatures based on the home campaign some years back, as well.
It’s a lot of black metal vibes. But few details, other than “Joe Manganiello is creating his own world” and that it’s going to be a “Black Label” setting for D&D. Right now, there’s some speculation because this is an official WotC event, that this is a stealth announcement. Or that DEATH SAVES, if it ends up being an official WotC setting, is where the villainous options seen in recent Unearthed Arcana might end up.
We’ll certainly know more at Gen Con. So keep an eye out here for more news as details emerge.
I still wanna play a Beefy Tee Fighter, or a Boyfriend Hoodie Wizard!
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Source: Bell of Lost Souls
