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The most dreaded Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting is returning in 2027, and with it comes the most powerful villain in the history of the game, as the lone living dragon of Dark Sun is finally being adapted to the 5e rules, and is getting to slay foes with his terrifying breath weapon.

While there are many powerful Dungeons & Dragons monsters for high-level players to fight, like the ancient dragons or a Tarrasque, these are only presented as stat blocks in the Monster Manual, with the personality and motivations left up to the Dungeon Master. What truly has players running scared are the canon villains, like Lord Soth or Strahd von Zarovich, as they are not only incredibly powerful on the battlefield but also often come with armies, territories, and, more importantly, dark desires that the party has to contend with.

Borys Of Ebe Returns To Dungeons & Dragons In 2027

In 2027, the Dark Sun campaign setting is returning to Dungeons & Dragons. Dark Sun is home to a world called Athas, one cut off from the rest of the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse, where the planet has been ravaged by arcane magic, as spells require the destruction of plant life to be cast. The result is Athas being a brutal wasteland, where every day is a fight for survival, as food is scarce, and water is worth killing over.

Athas is a dangerous place, where the environment alone can kill people, and monsters roam the land. The greatest threat in Athas isn't the burning sun, but rather the one living dragon who exists there: Borys of Ebe. Borys was once a mortal who was transformed into a dragon to act as the jailor for Rajaat, a near-godlike monster. To keep this prison intact, the Sorcerer Kings who rule the cities of Athas must provide countless slaves to Borys as sacrifices, with no one mighty enough to stop the cycle of violence.

The fact that Borys is a dragon is bad enough for anyone facing him, especially in his Advanced Dungeons & Dragons form, with a 25d12 sand breath attack, which would strip the flesh from most people's bones. The real reason to be afraid of Borys is his magic skill, as he's also an epic-tier Wizard, with access to level 9 spells, and a master class Psion, who doesn't even need to lift a finger to destroy foes.

Gods aside (like Vecna), Borys is easily the most powerful named villain in the history of Dungeons & Dragons. His last official appearance was during the 4e era in 2010, but Borys is making a comeback in the new Dark Sun books that are launching in 2027, and current players introduced in the 5e era aren't prepared for just how brutal the dragon of Athas can be.

Dark Sun Heroes Have One Hope For Facing Borys

While Athas has no native dragons anymore, it's possible to turn into one. The Sorcerer Kings that rule the cities of Athas are secretly performing horrific rituals to transform into dragons, hoping that they can one day match Borys in combat and rule over the world, all while it burns around them.

There is one thing left in Athas that can oppose Borys and the Sorcerer Kings, but unfortunately, it doesn't exist. Good spellcasters who discover a secret ritual can transform into an Avangion, an insect-like creature with unstoppable magical ability, one that can challenge Borys on the battlefield.

The problem is that no one has actually successfully transformed into an Avangion, as the process is even more difficult than that of the dragon ritual. The old Dark Sun novels have mentioned a few mortals attempting the process, and the ritual was even outlined in Dragon Kings, but it requires a master class Wizard/Psion to even begin the process, in a world where most adventurers are lucky to get to level 2, never mind level 40.

What the Avangion represents is a spark of hope in the world of Athas, the idea that there is potential for someone out there to defeat Borys and the Sorcerer Kings, which is a ready-made concept for an epic campaign that uses the Dark Sun setting. The Avanagion appears briefly in the Dark Sun debut trailer, so we know it's returning, and the 5e rules may introduce a feasible way for players to attempt the transformation and finally defeat Borys, putting an end to the most powerful villain in Dungeons & Dragons.