Dungeons & Dragons: Lore & Legends (First Look)
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New illustrated book offers a look at the art and decade-long history of D&D fifth edition
Dungeons & Dragons stands on the edge of a major new shift in the beloved tabletop RPG. Next year, Wizards of the Coast will be releasing an updated version of the game. But it won’t be a new edition, instead it will an update to the existing fifth edition of D&D that was first published in 2014.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of D&D 5e (which remains the best selling edition of the game), Wizards of the Coast and Ten Speed Press are releasing a new hardcover illustrated book entitled Dungeons & Dragons: Lore & Legends. The book, which was published on October 3rd, is available now for order from your local bookstore or Amazon.
What’s included in Lore & Legends?
Not be confused with Legends & Lore, a supplement for AD&D 1st edition, Lore & Legends chronicles the history of the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons, starting with its debut in the summer of 2014 when D&D sales were at an all-time low after the disastrous release of the largely panned fourth edition.
The book chronicles how fifth edition essentially resurrected the game, with sales even surpassing the success of the original game in the 1980s. Lore & Legends also shines the spotlight behind-the-scenes, with interviews with the designers, artists and players who helped make D&D 5e so successful.
At its core though, Lore & Legends is really a visual guide, and includes more than 900 pieces of artwork, photography and advertising. The book itself is also written by Michael Witwer, Kyle Newman, Jon Peterson and Sam Witwer, all of whom have contributed to similar books in the past, including Art & Arcana and the more recent Heroes Feast: Flavors of the Multiverse D&D cookbook.
What Editions of the Book are Available?
While there is a standard edition of the book available (which retails for an MSRP of $50 USD), there are also variants available, including a special edition from Penguin Random House (which retails for $130 USD) that features an original cover and slipcase illustrations by Hydro74, three gatefold Through the Ages features that showcase how the artwork of several iconic monsters and characters has changed across editions, and a pull-out drawer that doubles as a dice tray. The drawer holds a 24” x 36” adventure map of Faerûn illustrated by Jared Blando, an 8” x 10” art print of the original fifth edition Starter Set cover artwork by Jaime Jones, and a custom resin d20 die.
Notably, there is also an Exclusive Edition available online and in-store from Barnes & Noble to US consumers (which currently retails for $45 USD).
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a decade since D&D fifth edition was first released. And while its seen its share of ups and downs under the stewardship of Wizards of the Coast, there’s little doubt that it also remains one of the best editions of D&D ever created. With a new update to 5e on the horizon, Dungeons & Dragons: Lore & Legends offers some much needed introspection on what makes the game so special.
You can order your copy now from your local bookstore, online retailer or Amazon.
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Ollie Delano is a Staff Writer who lives in Chicago, Illinois where he majored in Journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He’s been playing Dungeons & Dragons for over 10 years and currently plays in a weekly game group where he rolls way too many natural 1s and chugs way too much Mountain Dew. His favorite D&D campaign setting is Eberron and his favorite character to play was a Tiefling rogue named Draxiss who enjoys both literal and figurative backstabbing.
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