Dungeons and Dragonsreleased updated versions of itsPlayer’s HandbookandDungeon Master’s Guidein 2024. These served as the foundation for a revised rule set which will continue into this year.Dungeons and Dragonsisn’t technically crafting a brand-new addition just yet, but its newest revisions have quickly proven to be the next best thing.
The Dragon Anthologywill be one of the next guidebooks released by Wizards of the Coast and is currently scheduled to drop in 2025. Although it still lacks a specific release date,The Dragon Anthologywill reportedly release during the summer. This clearly paintsThe Dragon Anthologyas an expansion ofThe Monster Manual, which will be released in February. With these two books pairing so well together, it makes anotherpotentialDungeons and Dragonsguidefeel inevitable.
Dungeons and Dragons Needs a New Dungeon-Building Guide in 2025
The Dragon Anthologyseems like a no-brainer in order to set the new rules apart from the old, which seems to be a clear priority for developers despite the difficulty of the task itself. Dragons have always been essential to the game’s identity, with their menacing stature and ancient power granting them instant icon status. In short, they aren’t one-half of the game’s moniker for no good reason.
With that in mind, it begs the question of howWizards of the Coastmay seek to address the game’s other half: Dungeons. As anyone who has playedDungeons and Dragonscould tell you, designing this kind of labyrinth is no easy task. Dungeons can contain everything the game has to offer, from combat to puzzles, and even a few troublesome social encounters. Placing all of these elements in one location is difficult enough, but making it engaging for each player around the table is another world of challenge.
The Dungeon Master’s Guide Needs its Own Version of The Dragon Anthology
to address this, the guidebooks released so far contain more than a few references to dungeon-building and the rules thereof.The Dungeon Master’s Guidein particular contains the most wisdom on dungeon-building, which makes perfect sense given the Dungeon Master is almost always the person who will tackle this subject the most. While this has been a nice start, a more in-depth book would go a long way.
Thankfully,The Dragon Anthologyshows that there is a clear possibility for such a guide. After all, it’s not as if theMonster Manualwill contain no references to dragons whatsoever. Instead, theMonster Manualwill lay a foundation whichThe Dragon Anthologycan build upon. In that same vein, designing dungeons is a tricky enough topic to demand a new book that builds on the foundation laid by theDungeon Master’s Guide. Most importantly, a proper guide to dungeons should include a whole host of samples to draw from.
Designing what’s in a dungeon is undoubtedly the most difficult part of the process, but even drawing up the layout of the dungeon itself can prove to be a real challenge. Players can always homebrew their own monsters, but that doesn’t make theMonster Manualany less necessary. Just as theMonster Manualprovides hundreds of monsters for players to fight against,Dungeons and Dragonscould release a “Dungeon Guide” complete with dozens of dungeons for players to explore. Both are equally important to the role of aDungeon Master, and both would complement each other to make the new set of rules feel that much more complete.
Dungeons and Dragons
Created by Gary Gygax, Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop game in which players craft their own worlds and band together to take on adventures through mysterious realms outlined in companion materials. One of the best role-playing games ever made, it has been adapted into a variety of video games and other media.
