Whereas dragons have been featured in loads of prior D&D books—dragons are within the recreation’s identify, in spite of everything—this journey anthology focuses particularly on dragons of their lairs, each chromatic and metallic. My favourite, the gem dragons, are ignored as typical.
The ten adventures are designed for characters starting from degree 1 via 12, with a spread of lair sorts. The challenges fluctuate from straight up “defeat the dangerous dragon” eventualities to working with good dragons, and a few troublesome ethical dilemmas in between.
Dragon Delves provides a number of examples of how and why these adventures may very well be used as one-shots (The DM can’t make it on the final minute, somebody needs to strive DMing or testing out if a brand new group will play effectively with one another earlier than beginning a marketing campaign, including extra adventures to a journey, and many others.). It additionally supplies three concepts for tips on how to flip this journey anthology right into a full marketing campaign. Two are solely based mostly on materials inside Dragon Delves, modified as per the recommendations. The third methodology entails the sooner e-book, Fizban’s Treasure of Dragons. That e-book was developed by James Wyatt, who additionally dealt with recreation design for Dragon Delves together with Amanda Hamon (Phandelver and Beneath).
Simpler DM Preparation
One of many said objectives for Dragon Delves is to make these adventures simple for a DM run on the spur of the second. In any case, typically a DM has to work late or a participant key to the following phase of a marketing campaign may be sick, and many others. As an alternative of canceling, somebody can run a Dragon Delves journey with out a lot prep time. The important thing parts have been given in prior adventures however not at all times constantly. I actually hope this format (the prep web page) turns into customary going ahead.
It begins with a abstract of key plot factors. Subsequent, it lists the steps the DM must take to run the journey, together with an inventory of all of the Monster Handbook stat blocks wanted to allow them to be bookmarked upfront. Lastly, key NPCs are listed in a desk, offering their names, roles, the stat blocks to make use of for them and the areas the place they are often discovered.
Dungeon Delves additionally recommends the Participant Help choices detailed within the DMG. These are methods for gamers to assist the DM by dealing with some features of recreation administration. That is particularly helpful for brand spanking new DMs.
The best is making a participant the fight initiative tracker. My private favourite is the principles advisor. Again once I was operating D&D Journey League, I referred to certainly one of my gamers as “DM’s little helper” as a result of he was so quick at discovering the web page quantity for something that needed to be double-checked. Since my desk measurement was typically bigger than most popular as a consequence of walk-ins, it was extraordinarily useful.
Monster wranglers are helpful however could be tough in some teams, if some gamers are very aggressive. One or two gamers deal with the monsters, utilizing the MM stat blocks. As long as everyone seems to be on the identical web page and nobody takes it personally if a monster run by one other participant does important injury, it may well make issues extra manageable for a DM.
Adventures Ahoy!
Whereas all the adventures are designed for the usual occasion of 4-6 gamers, three are listed as appropriate, with modifications, for a single participant and a DM. These are the third degree journey Baker’s Doesn’t, the seventh degree journey The Dragon of Najkir, and the twelfth degree A Copper for a Music.
One of many issues that makes these viable as a single-player journey is the supernatural reward (blessing, after all), Blessing of the Lone Champion. The blessing lasts for the size of the journey and grants temp hit factors equal to 10 occasions your degree and Heroic Inspiration upon ending a protracted or quick relaxation. That’s undoubtedly an excellent begin. I can’t touch upon whether or not it’s adequate till I playtest it, however I really like that they’re offering the choice.
Dragon Delves additionally directs DMs to the Dungeon Grasp’s Information for tips on how to regulate an journey in case your group is bigger or smaller than the usual. It additionally provides the tough concept behind the strategies within the new e-book. PLEASE NOTE: that these summaries include gentle spoilers!
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- Dying at Sundown is for 1st degree characters. This journey is pretty simple with a inexperienced dragon wyrmling following its late mom’s path.
- Baker’s Doesn’t is for 2nd degree characters or could be run for only one participant. A gold dragon wyrmling could have brought about a hearth at a confectioner’s store and the gamers are tasked by the dwarf baker elevating him with discovering the energetic wyrmling and determining what occurred. How this journey performs out varies relying on a cascading collection of penalties.
- The Will of Orcas is for 4th degree characters, and may happen in any areas with mountains and settlements. A mixture of investigation and fight, this silver-dragon targeted journey has a pleasant twist to it.
- For Whom the Void Calls is for fifth degree characters, and may happen anyplace there’s a cavern with a stream. It contains a little bit of deception with a enjoyable twist. This journey may very well be very useful for a DM who needs to transition their marketing campaign to Spelljammer, as a result of it may well foreshadow that setting.
- Dragons of Najkir is for seventh degree characters and could be run for only one participant. The gamers are dispatched to rescue some folks shipwrecked at an island monastery by a bronze dragon. Greater than a typical rescue, the gamers should make the dragon understand that the particular person it’s defending will not be worthy of its loyalty.
- The Forbidden Vale is for ninth degree characters and can take three to 4 classes. Gamers are employed to cease fires begun by a crimson dragon, who can also be defending a magical backyard. Gamers can resolve this journey with out killing the crimson dragon.
- Earlier than the Storm is for tenth degree characters. Pirates, egged on by a black dragon, have looted a city, stealing the magic merchandise that protects it from storms. Then ending can fluctuate based mostly on a mix of penalties.
- Shivering Dying is for eleventh degree characters. To finish a lethal heatwave, the stays of the frost large Elakdras are wanted to carry out a ritual, however which means going into the lair of a merciless white dragon.
- A Copper for a Music is for twelfth degree characters and is about in Godsbreath, a location launched in Journeys By means of the Radiant Citadel however any coastal city with farmland close by may very well be substituted. It may also be run for only one particular person. Gamers should discover the lacking verses to a magical tune and may use something from cajoling to fight to get them from a copper dragon, who can also be elevating two inexperienced dragon wyrmlings.
- Dragons of the Sandstone Metropolis is for twelfth degree characters and can be utilized, because the e-book’s introduction defined, as a method to tie all the adventures right into a marketing campaign. The evil blue dragon Anthradusk has killed the brass dragon protector of a subterranean metropolis and is making ready a nefarious ritual utilizing the dragon’s egg. Gamers can discover the ruins, encountering a sphinx within the course of, whereas working to thwart Anthradusk’s ritual. Failure implies that Anthradusk may have extra energy and allies to terrorize the countryside.
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Studying the credit for this e-book is a bit bittersweet since each Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford have left Wizards for Darrington Press. The e-book is definitely devoted to Perkins “…for his many years of contributions to Dungeons & Dragons.” I think an upcoming e-book will probably be devoted to Crawford.
Perkins was one of many contributing designers together with different veterans like F. Wesley Schneider, Jason Tondro, Makenzie De Armas, Justice Ramin Arman, and extra. Makenzie De Armas was lead rule developer together with Crawford and Ron Lundeen. Artwork credit are particularly lengthy because of the inclusion of traditional artwork from prior books by Jeff Easley, Larry Elmore, Clyde Caldwell and plenty of extra, plus fashionable artists like Jabari Weathers, Ed Kwong, Jodie Muir, and so many others.
What I Appreciated
Adventures designed to be run with minimal prep – that’s one thing we want extra of in at this time’s busy world. I just like the setup that makes that attainable. Extra of that, please.
The e-book does an excellent job explaining tips on how to match these quick adventures (largely taking only one or two classes) into an current marketing campaign, each should you’re conserving it primary, and if you wish to put within the effort and time to customise the adventures to suit extra deeply and seamlessly into your marketing campaign. I additionally like that there are a number of the way to succeed as a substitute of all of them being targeted on hack and slay. There’s loads of fight alternatives in each journey, however inventive gamers have room to bask in different ways.
The brand new artwork is terrific. I started to single out my favorites, however then realized I used to be on the trail to quote all of it. Each covers seize the spirit of the e-book effectively, however I truly preferred the common cowl extra – a rarity for me – over the alt cowl. Greg Staples’ common cowl has a terrifying majesty I like. Justine Jones’ alt cowl is described as “a psychedelic dream of dragons.” It’s pretty, however doesn’t resonate with me as a lot.
What May Have Been Higher
Upon opening Dragon Delves, I preferred {that a} totally different sort of dragon was the main target of every journey. Then I observed that every chapter ended with “Historical past of [type] Dragons” and was excited. That instantly modified to disappointment worthy of a tragic trombone sound impact once I flipped to a type of sections.
To me, “Historical past of Pink Dragons” and such feels like some form of dragon lore or maybe data on some notable dragons of that sort. Lately, Wizards has executed a terrific job of offering journey seeds, story data, and different nuggets of concepts {that a} DM might broaden in to their very own journey. Just a few quick profiles of notable dragons or histories of varied dragon exercise would have match that mould completely and will have been a variety of enjoyable. As an alternative, the historical past of dragons in query are retrospectives of previous dragon art work from varied D&D books and adventures. Sure, that’s good, however it’s a letdown. Your mileage could fluctuate.
And whereas that is much less of a “didn’t like” and extra of a “dissatisfied” Dragon Delves doesn’t embrace any new monsters. Coming so quickly after the up to date core books, I’m not stunned, particularly contemplating prior launch patterns, however one of many enjoyable issues in new books is new creatures.
In Abstract
In case you like dragons and journey anthologies, Dragon Delves is a no brainer. It has sufficient flexibility to suit a wide range of DM wants, whether or not that’s operating the adventures as is, raiding them for parts that may be repurposed in different adventures, and so forth. The adventures have sufficient selection to work for nearly any group’s play fashion.
I give it a strong B+. Whereas I like a variety of the e-book and the way it’s organized to make life simpler for a DM, the dearth of latest creatures, although comprehensible, and the frustration over the Historical past of Dragons sections shave off some factors. The artwork retrospective is fascinating, however for my style that house might have been used higher.
