Free-to-play MMORPG Neverwinter is about to bring its Dungeons & Dragons-based action to consoles, starting with Xbox One in China this fall, and followed by a worldwide release (and, presumably, other console versions) in the first half of 2015. According to Neverwinter's lead producer, Andy Velasquez, it's losing little in the translation; on consoles, Neverwinter will feature "all the same races, all the same classes, all the same maps. The content will be there, with some minor exceptions."

Sweet wings, bruh.

PC Expansion Details

"Since we launched on PC,” he continues, “we've added some bits to the endgame, and then we added another module which had another campaign at the endgame. So we'll probably stagger those releases [in the console version]."The biggest alteration, Velasquez points out, is the shift from a keyboard-and-mouse interface to something that works better with controllers. Instead of the PC version's floating menus, the console edition sports a "tray" of commands in a controller-like formation across the bottom of the screen, with attacks, spells, and other abilities mapped to the triggers and face buttons for quick access. (Holding LB swaps them out for less frequently used abilities, like dailies or artifact powers.)"From the beginning, we always received feedback that this would be great with a controller, and we even have a bunch of PC users who, using just a 360 controller, have come up with keybind files," Velasquez says. "I basically just plugged a controller into my PC and messed around with different configurations. At this point now, I can't stand playing our game with a mouse and keyboard. I actually like playing it with a controller; it just feels better."Other changes are less noticeable, but still significant. On Xbox One, for example, in-game friend lists will be tied to Xbox Live, rather than Neverwinter's existing lists, and there won't be cross-play with the PC version. (There's no word yet on how or if that'll affect other platforms, as Perfect World would only comment on Xbox One plans.)In addition to the console version, Cryptic has also pulled the wraps off the PC version's Tyranny of Dragons expansion, due to arrive Aug. 14. Coinciding with a new storyline event in tabletop D&D, the add-on introduces a new series of quests that revolve around a schism within the mysterious Cult of the Dragon, which will lead to a lot of strange new alliances. Evil dragons will work with humans (and each other), "good" dragons won't step in, and players will ally with a variety of factions – including the secretive Harpers and the Zhentarim, known to fans as one of the most evil organizations in the Forgotten Realms."In the tabletop world, players are going to be playing that storyline, that module, and trying to figure out what this new group of the Cult of the Dragon is up to. And they'll also be able to do that same thing in Neverwinter," says Rob Overmeyer, Neverwinter's executive producer. "There are differences. In Neverwinter, it takes form as this guided story that… doesn't take them to endgame, but stays with the player in something that evolves over time, starting at level 26 all the way up to level 60."In more immediate terms, Tyranny of Dragons introduces new areas and a new class, the Scourge Warlock, which packs a small arsenal of creepy attacks. Highlights include Flames of Phlegethos – which summons a floating skull to vomit liquid fire all over enemies – as well as the ability to drain life from enemies and "curse" multiple marked targets, making them more susceptible to damage from your party's spells. Also new are the Dragonborn, a dragonlike race of humanoids that get exclusive quests and a +2 bonus to any two attributes, among other benefits. They come at a price, however; while the Scourge Warlocks are free, the Dragonborn are available as part of the Dragonborn Legend Pack, which sells for $100 (but is marked down to $75 until the Aug. 14 release).As its title implies, Tyranny also promises to make Neverwinter's flying lizards a lot more prominent. While they're currently rare for players below level 60, the expansion's new "Heroic Encounters" will start tossing dragons at players around level 30. The demo I saw featured a couple of notable dragon fights, including a battle with a lightning-breathing blue dragon and its cultist followers, as well as a peek at a gold-plated, endgame-boss red dragon named Lostmauth, who sits surrounded by molten gold beneath a mysterious, barbarian-inhabited island. It's clear there's quite a bit of content planned here – and unless you want to roll Dragonborn, Tyranny of Dragons is free, which certainly doesn't hurt.

Mikel Reparaz is a freelance contributor who likes free things. Know what else is free? Following him on Twitter @Wikiparaz