Dungeons & Dragonshas exploded in popularity, with millions more players than ever before. While theD&Dfranchise has humble roots as a tabletop roleplaying game, it has turned into a major multimillion dollar franchise, with plenty of official accessories and tie-ins to help players show off their love of the many worlds and creatures of the game. AsD&Dhas grown in popularity, it has found its way into major retail chains as well as being a staple at friendly local game stores.
The tabletop roleplaying game is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year,with new rulebooks and several crossovers with other major brands.This means there are lots of great gifts to choose from when it comes to picking out a gift for that specialDungeons & Dragonsplayer in your life. If you’re looking for a perfectDungeons & Dragons-themed gift, here are a few great options to choose from.
102024 Player’s Handbook
List Price: $49.99 At D&D Beyond, Amazon, & More
The biggest news to come out ofDungeons & Dragonsthis year was the launch of a new “rules revision” of the game itself. Wizards of the Coast (the makers ofDungeons & Dragons) was quick to state that this wasn’t a brand-new edition of the game,but it’s an update that sought to fix some of the flaws of the current Fifth Editionthat remains its most popular ruleset of all time. The first book to feature these updated rules isthe 2024Player’s Handbook, which features a new cover and a new fully-red spine.
While compatible with other current rulebooks,the 2024 Player’s Handbook features major revisions to character-building.All 12 core classes have received major updates, with new features and abilities designed to make the classes more powerful and flavorful in combat. Additionally, thePlayer’s Handbookcontains revised spells and updated rules both in and out of combat. More and more playersare switching overto the new2024 Player’s Handbook, which makes this a solid gift idea.
92024 Dungeon Master’s Guide
The second rulebook released for the 2024 rules revision is thenewDungeon Master’s Guide.Like thePlayer’s Handbook, the newDungeon Master’s Guidecan be separated from the 2014 version by its fully red spine. The newDungeon Master’s Guidealso features a cover featuring several popular villains from the 1980s cartoon series, reflecting the fact that Dungeon Masters are placed in charge of controlling villains within the context of the game.
12 Days Of D&D Lets You Get A Free Gift In D&D Beyond Every Day Until December 15
Dungeons & Dragons players can claim 12 days of free gifts on the D&D Beyond website, regardless of subscription status. Here’s how to get involved.
While thePlayer’s Handbookis meant for everyD&Dplayer,theDungeon Master’s Guideis only meant for the Dungeon Master,the person who manages and runs the game. However, the large chapter on magic items and the new rulesetfor Bastions(a player-created headquarters for adventurers) should make this a must-buy for allD&Dplayers.
List Price: $49.98 at Amazon
SinceDungeons & Dragonsis celebrating its 50th anniversary, Wizards of the Coast teamed up with composer Michael Gatt to makean actualD&D-themed album.Bardic Inspirationwas inspired by the Forgotten Realms, the most iconic ofD&D’s many campaign settings.The record contains 12 tracks, each of which is named after some of the iconic locations and characters of the Forgotten Realms.
What’s more —Bardic Inspirationis actually a physical vinyl album. The double vinyl (technically the second released by Wizards of the Coast in recent years) is perfect for the record collector/D&D fan,with a rich score that’s meant to inspire adventure and evoke the imagination for heroic fantasy. If you want to give someone the gift of aD&Dsoundtrack,Bardic Inspirationis definitely the route you should go.
7LEGO Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale
List Price: $359.99 On LEGO Store
As part of the 50th anniversary,Dungeons & Dragonsalso teamed up with several iconic brands for unique crossover items. One such crossover was the LEGODungeons & Dragonsset calledRed Dragon’s Tale. Instead of adapting a D&D location or story,the Red Dragon’s Taleis meant to evoke the general sense of adventure and danger found in everyD&Dgame. In addition to a castle and dungeon,the set also contains several iconic Dungeons & Dragons monsters, including a red dragon, beholder, and displacer beast.
Wizards of the Coast Announces Surprise TTRPG Release (& It’s Not D&D)
Wizards of the Coast’s Archetype Entertainment has announced plans to publish a tabletop roleplaying game based on the sci-fi game Exodus.
The set contains 3,745 pieces and also includes an actual rules-lightDungeons & Dragonsadventure that’s meant to be played using the set. While recommended for ages 18 and up,Red Dragon’s Tale can be enjoyed by any expert LEGO builder. Just make sure that whoever you purchase this set for has room in their home, the set is surprisingly large, especially when factoring in the red dragon that’s meant to perch on the castle.
6The Making Of Original Dungeons & Dragons
List Price: $99.95 On Amazon
While the2024 Player’s HandbookandDungeon Master’s Guiderepresents the future ofDungeons & Dragons, Wizards of the Coast also paid homage to its past viaThe Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons.This hefty tome is an archive of D&D’s early history, with several early rulebooks from the game’s first edition. Additionally, the book contains correspondence from the game’s co-creators Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, providing an in-depth look at the evolution of the game from a traditional wargame into a roleplaying game.Some of these records have never been made public before, making this a truly unique book.
Wizards has never really published anything likeThe Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons, and it’s entirely possible that they won’t ever again. If you know aD&Dplayer who is a super-fan, or someone who has been playingD&Dfor decades,The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragonsis a fantastic gift idea.It’s a must-have look back at the history of the earliest days of the game.
5D&D: Icons of the Realm - Hand & Eye of Vecna
List Price: $129.99 On WizKids.com
The Hand and Eye of Vecna are two of the most infamous magic items ofD&Dlore. Vecna is one ofD&D’s most famous villains,an evil lich that eventually became a god of undeath.One of Vecna’s many attempts at world domination plays out in theVecna: Eve of Ruinadventure that came out this year. For those who either love (or love to hate) the infamous Vecna, WizKids has made a very unique item — a physical version ofVecna’s Hand and Eye.
New D&D Video Game Confirmed By Hasbro, Commander MTG Video Game Also In Development After Major Shake-Up
Hasbro’s CEO confirmed that several new video game projects are in development, including new Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering games.
In D&D lore, the hand and eye of Vecna are cursed magic items that were all that remained of Vecna during a battle with his former lieutenant Kas. In order to wield a fraction of Vecna’s powers, the items must be physically attached to the user’s bodies.WizKids' recreation of the Hand and Eye of Vecna comes with a glass display case, so it’s perfect for sitting on a D&D table in between combat sessions.
4Acererak’s Treasure - Dice
List Price: $18.99 on Amazon
One of the few physical things you need to playDungeons & Dragonsis a set of dice, with the game requiring a twenty-sided die to make checks and several other kinds to make damage rolls when successfully attacking.An entire cottage industry has emerged around making various kinds of dice,ranging from standard hard plastic to dice made literally of precious jewels and metals.
While there are plenty of different dice companies out there, Sirius Dice has also made a special “mystery dice” product. Named after a different famedD&Dlich,Acererak’s Treasureincludes one of 78 different dice sets, ranging from wood to crystal.Each randomized bag also includes an “ability coin” representing a different player ability of some kind.Part of the fun of these dice sets is not knowing what you’ll get, which makes this a great gift for anyD&Dplayer.
3D&D Beyond Subscription
List Price: Starting At $25.99/Year
D&D Beyond has emerged as one of the must-have digital tools forDungeons & Dragons.The officialD&Dsite serves as a digital character builder and rules compendium for the game, with Wizards updating the site with every new release.Recently, Wizards has also started to offer third-party rulebooks and adventures on the site,offering even more variety for players to choose from.
Dungeons & Dragons Just Launched a New Live Experience That’s Unlike Anything You’ve Seen
Dungeons & Dragons: The Immersive Quest blends theater, multimedia stations, and video to create an epic adventure for visitors.
D&D Beyond’s marketplace requires players to purchase individual rulebooks, but players also needa subscriptionin order to access the full suite of tools. There are two tiers of subscriptions, both of which offer unlimited characters. The Master Tier also adds group access to any rulebooks purchased through the website, allowing any members of a campaign to access subclasses or other material. Given that D&D Beyond is used by so many players,a subscription would make for a great gift for just about any player.
2Baldur’s Gate 3
List Price: Starting At $59.99 On Steam, Physical Editions Start At $69.99
One of the top games of last year,Baldur’s Gate 3is one of the most accurate and immersiveDungeons & Dragonsvideo games ever made. The game is set in the Forgotten Realms and features a group of heroes forced together after learning they’ve been implanted with tadpoles that will eventually transform them into mind flayers. In addition to accurateDungeons & Dragonsgame mechanics,Baldur’s Gate 3offers a nearly limitless amount of story choices, offering an immense amount of replay value.
The only downside toBaldur’s Gate 3is that, as one of the most popular games of last year, there’s a decent chance that aD&Dlover will already have the game. However, this is a great game to get for someone who’s even mildly interested inDungeons & Dragons, asit offers one of the most accurateD&Dexperiences found outside of an actualD&Dtable.Baldur’s Gate 3is availableon most platformsnow.
1Figurines Of Adorable Power
List Price: Starting At $12.99 On UltraPro’s Website
Both Funko and UltraPro make various cutesy D&D figures meant for shelf display. While Funko POP! figures are more popular, the Figurines of Adorable Powermade by UltraProhave an extra level of charm. These figures feature various classic D&D monsters and characters, ranging from black dragons to giffs to mind flayers. They also come painted with a matte finish, withsome figures having alternate color schemes to choose from.
If you need a cheapD&Dgift idea, the Figurines of Adorable Power are a great idea.They look great on the shelf, aren’t too large, and there are plenty of weird options to choose from. It’s hard to go wrong with a flumph, a classicDungeons & Dragonsmonster that’s almost too friendly to be considered a threat. You can find the Figurines of Adorable Power on UltraPro’s websites or at many game stores.
Sources:D&D Beyond(1,2),Amazon(1,2,3,4),LEGO,WizKids,Baldur’s Gate 3,UltraPro
Dungeons and Dragons
Dungeons and Dragons is a popular tabletop game originally invented in 1974 by Ernest Gary Gygax and David Arneson. The fantasy role-playing game brings together players for a campaign with various components, including abilities, races, character classes, monsters, and treasures. The game has drastically expanded since the ’70s, with numerous updated box sets and expansions.
