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.

It’s here! Finally! The first installment in the new Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition releases hits stores this month at an extremely enticing price point. And while some fans are hesitant to pick this up, grumbling that it’s all about the money, there are a lot of changes that are meant to draw in new player of all ages. And who doesn’t want to show the next generation of gamers what all the fuss is about? My friends, I present to you the Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set!

I’m going to cover the content of this box set first, if you don’t mind (and if you do, that’s unfortunate because I’m doing it anyway). Included in this package is a concise 32-page rulebook that quickly covers the basics of how to play. Describing the major attributes of a character and how certain scores can bestow advantages and cause disadvantages, the beginning of the book is geared to the newbie.

As I mentioned last week, there’s a lot going on in the world of Dungeons & Dragons this summer. Not the least of which is their new logo! And though I only briefly mentioned it in my article, more information has been made available that you might find interesting.

The new logo is cool; I like the way each letter has a spike (or two) coming off of it. Makes it seem more diabolical, I suppose. But the big news rests on the little symbol between the words, the ampersand. It is this small piece of the logo that has the largest impact. Polarizing fans the world over, this logogram was designed by Glitschka Studios at the behest of Hasbro. But what they created was just the start; Hasbro altered the ampersand by giving it more depth through a more artistic rendering. The final addition is the change of coloration, turning a flat single colored item into a chromed multidimensional version.

Continue reading for more and to see some images.

As you may already know (since I told you about it here), this year marks the 40th anniversary for Dungeons & Dragons. And what better way to celebrate than by releasing a ton of new books, modules, games, and a new logo?! Wizards of the Coast has just announced the release dates for a plethora of items that will surely find many of us flocking to our book or game shops looking for these latest and greatest additions to what is arguably the best role-playing game franchise ever!

Here’s what we know so far about the new releases for summer and fall 2014. I’ve included a few sample photos below to give you a taste of what’s to come.