New Tyranny of Dragons 2023 Rerelease Review
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Does this version offer a new hoard of D&D goodness or does it stink worse than a rotting dragon carcass? We break down everything you need to know.
Back in the summer of 2014, Wizards of the Coast officially unveiled the fifth edition of D&D. The first campaign book to coincide with this new rule set was Hoard of the Dragon Queen, a series of adventures set in the Forgotten Realms which took characters from Levels 1-8 (notably, the first three chapters were also released for free as part of the D&D Adventurers League). The book was followed up several months later with the Rise of Tiamat, which picks up where the previous campaign left off, and takes the characters from Levels 8-15.
Collectively, these two books are referred to as the Tyranny of Dragons, with the story revolving around the Cult of the Dragon and their plot to free the evil dragon goddess Tiamat (one of DnD’s most notorious BBEGs) from her prison in the depths of the Nine Hells.
Both books received fairly mixed reviews among fans and critics (with Hoard of the Dragon Queen arguably being the weakest of the two entries). In addition to some fairly linear sequences, one of the biggest issues players found at the time was the somewhat muddy rules, as D&D fifth edition was still experiencing a number of early growing pains (notably the game was actually designed by third-party publisher Kobold Press under commission from Wizards of the Coast). There were also a significant amount of errors in both 2014 releases that Wizards of the Coast would later correct in their online errata.
In 2019, Wizards of the Coast unveiled a special single volume edition of Tyranny of Dragons that was initially only available from select local game stores and online specialty retailers. That book included a full errata, a reworked opening chapter and new cover art from artist Hydro74. The book also incorporated a significant amount of player feedback from the first two releases to smooth out the progressive curve of the quests and addressed a number of rules discrepancies. The 2019 edition also included new resources for players and dungeon masters that were previously available online, as well as a selection of behind-the-scenes concept art.
Now, in 2023, Wizards of the Coast is rereleasing Tyranny of Dragons as yet another single hardcover volume. This is actually the first D&D book release of 2023 and will be followed up with the heist-themed adventure anthology Keys from the Golden Vault, the supplements Bigby Presents: Glory of Giants and The Book of Many Things and the revamped Phandelver Campaign.
So is this re-release of Tyranny of Dragons worth picking up? Let’s take a closer look.
Table of Contents
What’s different in this version of Tyranny of Dragons?
What’s in the adventure? (Spoilers included!)
What’s the art and design like?
Hoard of the Dragon Queen (2014), Rise of Tiamat (2014), Tyranny of Dragons Single Volume Edition (2019) and the Tyranny of Dragons Rerelease (2023)
What’s different in the new 2023 version of Tyranny of Dragons?
First let’s get one important detail out of the way: this book is a reprint of the 2019 single volume edition. Other than having a new cover, correcting a few minor typos and featuring a new page layout, all of the content is virtually identical to what was published in 2019. The only other notable difference is that while the 2019 book was exclusive to select game stores and online retailers, this new 2023 reprint is available in major book retailers and on Amazon.
So really this book is designed for players who either haven’t previously played the campaigns or who did pickup the original editions way back in 2014 and are looking for an updated version. Below is a brief bullet summary of these differences, just to make things extra clear.
Differences from the 2014 versions of Horde of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamat
- New introductory chapter
- Corrections of errors related to both rules and the overall campaign structure
- Rebalancing of several encounters, NPCs and items (many of which were considered either too difficult or too easy)
- Additional DM notes and guidances to run the campaign and speed up play (previously only available online)
- Gallery of concept art spotlighting Tiamat and the Cult of the Dragon
Differences from 2019 Single Volume Special Edition
- New cover art
- New page layout and some corrections of minor typos
- Available on Amazon and other retailers (rather than a game store exclusive)
What’s in the adventure?
— CONTAINS SPOILERS! —
If you haven’t played Tyranny of Dragons before, the campaign is set in the Sword Coast area of the Forgotten Realms. The story finds the players dealing with the followers of the dragon goddess Tiamat, who are attempting to free her from her infernal prison. And while the original 2014 books were really meant as separate standalone campaigns (in fact you could play Rise of Tiamat without having completed Horde of the Dragon Queen), the single volume Tyranny of Dragons provides an overview chapter that helps better connect the adventures into a more cohesive storyline.
In the adventures that originally made up Hoard of the Dragon Queen, players find themselves tracking down members of the Cult of the Dragon who are stirring up trouble in a remote area of the Sword Coast. Our heroes soon discover that the cultists are building a treasure hoard in an attempt to resurrect Tiamat. The climax of the story comes as the players confront the cultists and stop their attempts to free Tiamat from her imprisonment. By the end of these adventures, players should go from Level 1 to Level 8.
The adventures originally found in the The Rise of Tiamat pick up the story, with the Cult of the Dragon regrouping and expanding their reach. The players must then build a coalition of some of Faerûn’s most powerful factions in order to stop the growing threat. The choices players make during these adventures will determine which specific factions will help (or hinder) their progress as they prepare for the final assault on the Temple of Tiamat. When the dust settles, players should have hit Level 15 (assuming they’ve survived).
While Tyranny of Dragons isn’t perfect, it does have a number of standout element. The sheer variety of enemies, monsters and NPCs is impressive, and players will get to experience a large swathe of some of the best locations in the Sword Coast. There are some pretty cool new magic items and artifacts to be found (including the legendary Dragon Masks).
Ultimately, the entire adventure will take more than a few months of regular sessions to run, and it really offers a nice mix of D&D playstyles, with plenty of opportunity for roleplaying, dungeon crawling and combat. Despite its flaws, it’s really a solid outing for both new and experienced players alike, and the single volume really does smooth out some of the rough edges that existed in the original 2014 versions.
— END OF SPOILERS —
What’s the art and design like in the new hardcover?
As mentioned previously, the 2023 version of Tyranny of Dragons is really just a reprint of the 2019 single volume special edition. That being said, if you don’t already own that particular book, what you get here is genuinely impressive. The art (including the new 2023 cover) is absolutely gorgeous, and the overall layout and design is spot on.
The behind the scenes concept art that comes with this book is also solid, and really showcases the incredible range of artists that Wizards of the Coast have working for them. Say what you want about their business practices, but WotC knows how to create some stunning visuals.
Should you buy this book?
Wizards of the Coast is definitely under the microscope these days given the OGL 2.0 controversy, so this book likely isn’t going to be getting the warmest reception among longtime fans who might see the 2023 rerelease of Tyranny of Dragons as a cash grab by recycling existing materials from their catalog of published DnD 5e books.
And while it might not be one of the best DnD 5e campaigns ever created, it’s still a solid experience, and if you’re a DM and haven’t run it before, you might want to pick this book up.
You Won’t Like This Book If…
- You already own the previous editions of Horde of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamat
- You’ve already purchased the 2019 single volume special edition of Tyranny of Dragons
- You’ve already played the Tyranny of Dragons campaign before
- You’re expecting a significant overhaul of some of the weaker points of Tyranny of Dragons
You’ll Like This Book If…
- You haven’t played previous versions of Horde of the Dragon Queen or Rise of Tiamat
- You’re looking for a fairly long campaign that takes characters from Level 1-15
- You’re a fan of the Forgotten Realms and the Sword Coast
- You’re a DM looking for a solid D&D fifth edition campaign experience
You can order the new 2023 Tyranny of Dragons hardcover rerelease from your local game store, book seller or directly from Amazon.
Final Rating
15 out of 20.
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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, first learning 4th edition in High School. He’s too terrible at voices to be a Dungeon Master but has been playing 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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