2024 has been a monumental year for Dungeons and Dragons. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, D&D has collaborated with popular video games like Destiny 2 and Dead by Daylight, been turned into its own line of Lego products, and released its Player's Handbook — the first in a wave of new rulebooks designed to revamp the game's fifth edition.
Players looking to pit their newly created characters against the game's most iconic monsters are in luck. In addition to the upcoming Monster Manual and Dungeon Master's Guide, Wizards of the Coast's recent D&D Direct event revealed details for its first adventure supplement in this roll-out of updated books. Though currently untitled, this supplement offers a collection of adventures that revolve around the game's namesake monsters: dragons.
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Dungeons and Dragons changes course on an unpopular update that was planned for D&D Beyond as a part of the new 2024 core rulebook releases.
New Dungeons for New Dragons
This book is currently being referred to as "The Dragon Anthology." It is confirmed to not only be the first adventure supplement released next year but also the first supplement to utilize the new 2024 rules for D&D. The anthology is described by D&D's Senior Designer Amanda Hamon as being "a book of ten short adventures that all feature dragons in dungeons." While this content may sound simplistic to seasoned DMs and adventurers, James Wyatt — another Senior Designer for the game — justified the book's draconic focus, stating that "it's kind of surprising how many people say that they've never actually fought a dragon in D&D."
The Dragon Anthology Compared to Fifth Edition's First Adventure Book
Rather than overcomplicate its narrative at launch, this updated version of D&D is following in 5E's footsteps. The first of 5E's adventure modules — 2014's Hoard of the Dragon Queen — similarly played it safe by centering around dragons and adhering to many tropes of the fantasy genre. However, the two books will greatly differ in the content they deliver.
Hoard of the Dragon Queen offered up an entire campaign that saw players attempting to thwart the Cult of the Dragon in their attempt to revive the draconic goddess Tiamat. The adventure module even received a direct sequel in the form of The Rise of Tiamat, which would allow players to further expand their campaign and grow attached to its narrative. The Dragon Anthology will instead simplify players' experiences even further by offering up unrelated, bite-sized adventures that can be inserted into larger campaigns or enjoyed on their own.
Predictions for the Dragon Anthology's Adventures
Wizards of the Coast has yet to reveal any specifics on the Dragon Anthology's adventures, though the book will likely feature content akin to the many anthology books released under D&D's previous set of rules. These include Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Candlekeep Mysteries, and the recent Quests from the Infinite Staircase. These supplements typically contain adventures that are thematically related yet follow unique plots. Each of their adventures is also intended for players of a certain level, meaning that the contents of these books increase in difficulty as the DM reads on. Given Wizards of the Coast's track record with other releases, the Dragon Anthology will likely mimic the structure of similar books from 5E.
Where the Dragon Anthology should hopefully be able to set itself apart is with its portrayal of dragons. While the Monster Manual has yet to be released, Wizards of the Coast has already confirmed that major dragon changes for D&D are inbound. The game's 10 dragon types — red, blue, green, white, black, silver, gold, brass, bronze, and copper — will all be receiving massive lore changes to distinguish both their personalities and playstyles. Between the 10 dragon types and the Dragon Anthology's 10 adventures, the book has the opportunity to showcase these flashy changes and demonstrate the versatility of these classic monsters in combat as well as narrative.
When to Play the Dragon Anthology
The Dragon Anthology is currently slated to release in the summer of 2025. This places it between the February 18, 2025 release of the Monster Manual and the new Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set which will be coming out in the fall of next year. The book will be available both physically and digitally through D&D Beyond.
- Franchise
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Original Release Date
- 1974
- Publisher
- Wizards of the Coast
- Designer
- E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson