D&D: Volo’s Guide To Monsters
Dungeons & Dragons
Hardcover
Wizards Of the Coast
Release Date: November 15, 2016
Cover Price: $49.95

There are two schools of thought when it comes to expansion books. The first sees extra non-core books as a waste of money or even as a ploy to get them to part with their hard-earned wages, whereas the second is more open-minded and is happy to utilize these extra tomes to enhance and elaborate on their adventures. I have forever been part of this second group, happy to have more text and knowledge to increase the entertainment value of my role-playing games. I presume if you are reading this then you also have an interest in expansion books, since that’s what Volo’s Guide to Monsters perfectly represents. Still curious? Good, I’ve got quite a bit to say about it!

If you’re like me, you find that there is a slight lull in the TV viewing schedule around the holidays and during the months of January and February as some of the shows me and the wife watch regularly (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for instance) are on winter break.

So, in the mean time, I’ve come across a new show to obsess over and have become a weekly viewer. The best part is that it’s not even on TV as most people know it. The name of the show is Critical Role and it is shown on Thursdays on Twitch on the Geek and Sundry Twitch channel from 9-12 CST (most nights, they often play longer). You can also catch the episode on Mondays when it’s posted to Geek and Sundry’s web page.

Dungeons & Dragons: Out Of The Abyss
Hardcover
D&D Accessory
Wizards Of The Coast
Release Date: September 15, 2015

Awww, hell. This one’s a doozy! Dungeons & Dragons: Out Of The Abyss is the newest hardbound adventure from Wizards Of The Coast, enabling dungeon masters (DMs) the world over to entrench their players in the Rage Of Demons storyline. But unlike modules in the past (and for past editions), this one can be a true starting point for fledgling characters. In fact, with this campaign setting being in the Underdark, I can almost guarantee it to entice folks to get back into the game and draw in newbies, too. Not familiar with the Underdark? Then let me explain.

Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual
Hardcover
Wizards Of The Coast
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Cover Price: $49.95

The second of three core books from Dungeons & Dragons has arrived (you might remember me mentioning it in this article here)! Today we welcome the Monster Manual to our D&D rulebook collections. Wedged between the covers of this tome we find classic monsters along with a plethora of less common creatures. In total, more than one hundred fifty types of beasties are compiled here. But it’s more than just statistics here, many of the entries are steeped in legend and lore.

Included within these pages are twelve different dragons, over half a dozen giantkind, and a multitude of demons and devils. Creatures unique to Dungeons & Dragons like beholders, displacer beasts and mind flayers are also given space within this compendium. Orcs, kobolds, ogres, and the like are in here, too. And no monstrous book would be complete with the ever popular goblin and related kin. I could go on and on, but there is no need. Suffice to say there is a wide array of creatures that any Dungeon Master will be happy to throw at hapless adventurers.

Player’s Handbook
Dungeons & Dragons
Hardcover
Wizards of the Coast
Release date: August 19, 2014

Two weeks ago, I arrived home to find a package from Wizards Of The Coast on my doorstep. Having just reviewed the Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set a few weeks earlier, I knew what this was. I immediately ripped the envelope open and found not one but two books inside! Today’s article is about the first one, the D&D D&D Player’s Handbook! The newest incarnation of a game book that I have been using for the better part of my life and it was all mine. If you are having trouble understanding how I felt, just imagine Gollum holding the One Ring and you aren’t far off. In fact, I probably cackled a bit without even thinking about it.