Dungeons & Dragons Turns 40

In January 1974 Dungeons & Dragons hit shelves for the first time. It was a game that would change the history of boardgames and war-games forever…

“Those war gamers who lack imagination,” the game’s co-founder, Gary Gygax, wrote in the game’s first introduction, “will not be likely to find Dungeons and Dragons to their taste. But those whose imaginations know no bounds will find that these rules are the answer to their prayers.”

And, perhaps, this is why so many readers are D&D players (or D&D players are readers – I’ll let you argue that between yourselves!); Pat Rothfuss, Peter V. Brett, Diana Rowland, Jim C. Hines, Mary Robinette Kowal, Sam Sykes, Myke Cole and Saladin Ahmed are among the many authors who have been spotted playing D&D at various conventions over the years, but I’ve no doubt many of you guys reading this have given it a go too.

Those who haven’t probably suffer from either A) Being tricked into believing the game is overtly complex or B) Not having any friends ‘nerdy’ enough to play it.

If A’s your problem, as I said, you’ve been fooled; sure there’s a learning curve, but it doesn’t require a degree in rocket science to work out. To play the game all you need is the latest rulebook, a character sheet for each player (a piece of paper) and a 20 sided dice. From there, you nominate a player to serve as the ‘Dungeon Master’ (basically a referee and storyteller) who will determine the settings and outcomes of encounters. Each person who plays (other than the dungeon master) has their own customised character who is part of the players’ party. Campaigns can be relatively quick or they can last many, many years.

If B’s stopping you, then maybe you’re not looking hard enough. Although D&D is often laughed at and touted as only being for a small percentage of diehard geeks: over the years, D&D has attracted more than 30 million followers and more than $1 billion in book and accessory sales. The game can be as serious or lighthearted as you want it to be, you certainly don’t need to be a committed fantasy nerd to enjoy it.

If you’ve already played the game, please do leave us a comment and let us know your experiences 🙂

What’s next for D&D?

Well, although it is certainly far from its heyday (Joe Abercrombie tells the sad talk of his next-door neighbour’s son not even having heard of it), the franchise is far from dead or even dying; earlier this year, Warner Bros. acquired the rights to make another D&D film and its publishers, Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, plans to release a fifth edition of D&D this summer (details below).

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Tyranny of Dragons is Coming!
Adventurers Prepare…

Starting later this year, look for D&D’s next exciting storyline to take place, Tyranny of Dragons, with events that span the world and products across the entire spectrum of gaming. Keep watching for more news and information to follow in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, we wanted to preview the first hint of the gathering events, and a first look at the artwork in development.

A white dragon plunders caravans heading north to Icewind Dale. In the Silver Marches, a scornful red dragon torches a town that refuses to pay a king’s ransom. Elsewhere, dragon-worshiping barbarians in Viking longships attack merchant vessels leaving Neverwinter, while masked heathens infiltrate a noble villa in Waterdeep, murder its lord, and steal a draconic artifact.

Dragons and their allies are threatening the Sword Coast and the North, but why now, and to what end?

For years, the evil Cult of the Dragon has devoted itself to creating undead dragons in a vain attempt to fulfill an ancient prophecy. However, the cultists were misguided. They misunderstood. But now, under new leadership, the cult believes that the prophecy does not speak of undead dragons, but of a dragon empire that’s been extinct for 25,000 years. Tiamat, the queen of evil dragons, has languished in the Nine Hells for millennia. The cult believes that the time of her return is at hand.

The cult has a new face and a new mission. It seeks to free Tiamat from the Nine Hells and bring her into the Forgotten Realms. To accomplish its goal, the cult needs five ancient dragon masks and the support of evil dragons everywhere. The cult leaders—each one a “dragon whisperer”—have reached out to the evil dragons of the Sword Coast and earned their allegiance.

Meanwhile, evil dragons in cahoots with the cult seek to amass a treasure hoard worthy of their dark queen, not by plundering their own hoards (of course) but by stealing money from cities, caravans, good-aligned dragons, merchant ships, and other sources. Their ravenous hunt for treasure throws the Sword Coast into upheaval. Neverwinter, Waterdeep, Baldur’s Gate—no city is safe from their depredations.

The situation is dire. However, the Sword Coast is far from defenseless. Powerful factions are ready to rise up and put an end to the tyranny of dragons. Adventurers throughout the Realms must join forces to face Tiamat, destroy the Cult of the Dragon, and prevent the rise of a new dragon empire. In their hands, the future lies.

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