Beadle & Grimm’s “Dragon Delves DM Vault” (Deep Dive)

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Recently, Wizards of the Coast launched their new Dragon Delves anthology, which features 10 never-before-published D&D adventures, each of which is focused around a specific dragon type. As part of the release, popular third-party TTRPG publisher Beadle & Grimm’s also recently launched a new tie-in product.

The Dragon Delves DM Vault,is a high-end collectible box set that contains maps, player hands outs, encounter cards, additional source material and even a custom-made metal amulet – all of which ties into the new anthology. The collection is available now via the B&G website.

So what new draconic goodness lurks in the depths of Beadle & Grimm’s new DM Vault? Below, we delve into all the details. (For full transparency, we have received a review copy from Beadle & Grimm’s but have otherwise not been compensated for this review).

What’s included in the DM Vault for “Dragon Delves“?

The new Dragon Delves DM Vault is actually the first offering from Beadle & Grimm’s to feature the new DnD 2024 rules. The box set contains the following:

Battle maps

The set contains 22 gridded battle maps which are designed for use with miniatures. Each Battle Map is labeled with the specific adventure and area its from, and they come in three sizes: 16×20, 24×32 and 24×36. For context, a standard Chessex Battlemat is about 24×26, so size-wise they’re impressive.

The art is also fantastic, with a style we haven’t really seen from past D&D products. Notably, there was a little bit of pixelation on some of the larger maps (which is likely from working with the original map assets provided by Wizards of the Coast), but that’s a minor quibble and overall these are fantastic for use at the table. The specific maps are as follows:

Dragons Delves Adventure	Map Name	Map Size
Death at Sunset	Redwood Grove	24×32
Death at Sunset	Death at Sunset’s Lair	24×32
Baker’s Doesn’t	Confectionery Conflagration	16×20
Baker’s Doesn’t	Fill’s Bakery	16×20
Baker’s Doesn’t	Candy Cottage	24×36
The Will of Orcus	Temple of Orcus (North)	24×32
The Will of Orcus	Temple of Orcus (South)	24×32
For Whom The Void Calls	Starglass Waypoint Lower Level (Areas S6-12)	24×32
For Whom The Void Calls	Starglass Waypoint Upper Level	24×32
The Dragon of Najkir	Monastery Upper Level (North)	24×32
The Dragon of Najkir	Monastery Upper Level (South)	24×32
The Dragon of Najkir	Monastery Lower Level (North)	24×32
The Dragon of Najkir	Monastery Lower Level (South)	24×32
The Forbidden Vale	Garden of the Dragon (G14) (Map 6.3)	24×32
The Forbidden Vale	Garden of Unearthly Delights (Center)	24×32
The Forbidden Vale	Garden of Sacred Repose – West (G1; G6-12)	24×32
Before the Storm	Cobblehook Cove Area B6, B9, B10	24×32
Before the Storm	Cobblehook Cove Area B13 (Dragon Fight)	24×36
Shivering Death	Shivering Death’s Lair (North)	24×36
Shivering Death	Shivering Death’s Lair (South)	24×36
Copper for a Song	Nakari’s Lair Area N17, N18 and West part of N15 (Dragon Fight)	24×32
Dragons of the Sandstone City	Haskasori’s Lair Area H15/H16	24×32

Encounter Cards

The box set also included 28 Encounter cards featuring various monsters and NPCs. The front of each card has an illustration (all of which is taken from the published Dragon Delves book) and the back contains detailed stat blocks (all of which use the new format from the 2024 Monster Manual). This mean that in theory you can hang them from your DM screen for quick reference.

The art again, is absolutely amazing, with some really unusual styles on display. One addition that would have been nice to see would be the name of the creature or NPC, but again, that’s a minor quibble.

Player Maps

The B&G Dragon Delves DM Vault also contains three maps which are designed to be given to the players to help immerse them in the world and plan their next move. Each of the maps is 8.5×11 (so the same size as a standard piece of printer paper) and are as follows:

• The Forbidden Vale Overland Map (for the adventure “The Forbidden Vale”)
• Village of Respite (for the adventure “Before the Storm”)
• Godsbreath (for the adventure “Copper for a Song”)

Player Handouts

The set also contains four printed player hands outs, which are designed to add some immersion to the game. All are beautifully put together and really are a great way to make the adventures feel more alive. They are as follows:

• A letter (for the adventure “Death at Sunset”)
• A map (for the adventure “The Will of Orcus”)
• A recipe (for the adventure “The Forbidden Value”)
• Song lyrics (for the adventure “Copper for a Song”)

Holy Symbol of Orcus

Like all B&G box sets, the Dragon Delves DM vault also includes a physical object (which they refer to as an “artifact”) that can be given out to players during a specific point in the adventure. In this case it’s a metal dragon skull amulet and chain representing the holy symbol of the demon prince Orcus. It’s impressively hefty and well designed and a nice touch if you’re looking to add some immersion to your game. Plus, if you’re style is a little more on the goth side you could easily rock one of these in public.

DM Aid

The box set also offers a four page booklet that offers ways to connect all ten adventures into a single connected campaign that can take a party from Level 1 to 12. While the Dragon Delves anthology itself offers similar suggestions, what B&D provides is actually way better. They also include a call back to the Patron “Rupert Sidebottum” a Beadle & Grimm’s NPC who was actually first introduced in Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons Silver Edition back in 2022.

Even more useful to players, is a table which breaks out character creation suggestions using the 2024 Players Handbook, with hooks on how to link individual characters to specific adventures. It’s a nice touch and something that really helps add more depth to the adventures.

How much is the Dragon Delves DM Vault?

The new Beadle & Grimm’s Dragon Delves DM Vault box set retails for $120 USD. There’s also an additional cost for shipping and handling, although the B&G website does also offer interest-free instalments via their ShopPay program.

This is actually a fair bit cheaper than what we’ve seen with other B&G box sets (such as their Gold Anniversary: Quests from the Infinite Staircase, which retailed for $349 USD), so if you’ve never picked up a B&G product before, now might be the time to consider it.

Is the Beadle & Grimm’s “Dragon Delves DM Vault” worth picking up?

Pros

• Far more affordable than past B&G products
• Unique artwork and impressive overall design
• A great selection of table-ready battle maps

Cons

• Not quite as many bells and whistles as previous B&G box sets
• Minor quality issues with print materials (i.e. some pixelation on maps)
• Would have been great to see more unique content created exclusively by B&G

Final Thoughts & Review Score

If you’re planning on running Dragon Delves and looking to really wow your players, then Beadle & Grimm’s DM vault box set is something you should definitely consider. The price point is not nearly as high as past B&G products and while you also don’t get nearly as much content, what you do get it a solid bang for your buck. It’s also worth noting that you could easily repurpose a lot of the material in the set for other adventures and campaigns, which makes it a fairly versatile product beyond Dragon Delves itself.

In other words, if you have the gold and interest, this is one Beadle & Grimm’s product that worths delving into.

Final Review Score: 18 out of 20

You can order your copy of the new Dragon Delves DM Vault now via the B&G website.

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