PUBLISHER: WIZARDS OF THE COAST/TEN SPEED PRESS | RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 6TH
Dungeons and Dragons is a game played by people of all ages all over the world, though getting into it can be a bit of a task, especially for younger types. Its fantasy let’s pretend with rules, but it has its own rich lore. This is where the The Young Adventurer’s Collection comes in.
It’s a set of four previously published small hardback books aimed at young minds. Each delves into an aspect of D&D, but without burdening the reader with rules or similar complexities. So you’ll learn how scary Dragons can be, but without a long list of complicated looking statistics; that’s a job for something like the Monster Manual or the D&D Essentials Kit. Instead, they all dive straight into the juicy world-building, giving the young reader a thirst for adventure. Warriors and Weapons describes the various D&D character classes, races and equipment you may want to play in a game. We get legendary examples, so we get a nice write up of Minsc and Boo, as well as the difference between a vampire hunter’s pack and a dungeoneers outfit. It handles the strangeness of this fantasy world quite deftly throughout, and each book is illustration all the way through.
The Wizards and Spells book is a handy guide to the magic system of D&D (something that’s spawned many imitators) and goes through the types of spells characters will use in a game as well magical weapns, tools, wands etc. Some of these descriptions are quite funny and the whole thing is very light hearted.
Dungeons and Tombs takes the reader through some classic D&D adventures as well as advice for young players and dungeon masters. You are never too young to learn how to map a dungeon or disarm a magical trap. Monsters and Creatures is a treat, a little book filled with lots of weird beasties and a guide to spotting dragons. Each book is well made and will fit easily inside a school bag.
This set is perfect for getting the family into D&D and excellent for encouraging imaginative play. Experienced gamers don’t need this book, but the young ones in their lives may well do. Gorgeous, fun and something special.
