Preview of Dungeons & Dragons Young Adventurer’s Guides—Time to Indoctrinate Your Tiny Nieces and Nephews

There’s a new series of Dungeons & Dragons Young Adventurer’s Guides coming out. The first two installments, Monsters & Creatures and Warriors & Weapons, will be published this July. We are delighted to share some images from the books, so you can see that just because these are aimed at younger ages, the lore hasn’t been overly simplified.

MONSTERS & CREATURES
A YOUNG ADVENTURER’S GUIDE
By DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, JIM ZUB, STACY KING and ANDREW WHEELER

“In this illustrated guide, you’re transported to the legendary and magical worlds of Dungeons & Dragons and presented with one-of-a-kind entries for some of its most sinister, foul, and memorable monsters. Featuring amazing illustrations and expert insights on some of D&D’s most dangerous monsters, the guide shines a spotlight on the beasts that scare, excite, and cause trouble for adventurers, from creatures that live underground, to those that dwell in the wilderness and boneyards or soar in the sky. In these profiles you will find information on the size of each monster, its danger level, and tips for how to survive an encounter. The perfect entry point for young fans of fantasy eager to become D&D adventurers, this book also features introductory “Encounter” stories so readers can practice the problem-solving skills they’ll need to fight these monsters when they play a D&D adventure of their own.”

Below we have the introduction and a look at the Beholder, a Black Dragon, and a Demogorgon. There is also a break down of what an encounter might look like.

WARRIORS & WEAPONS
A YOUNG ADVENTURER’S GUIDE
By DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, JIM ZUB, STACY KING and ANDREW WHEELER

“In this illustrated guide, you’re transported to the legendary and magical worlds of Dungeons & Dragons, where you are presented with one-of-a-kind entries for different types of warriors, as well as the weaponry these fighters need for D&D adventuring. This guide includes detailed illustrations of the weapons, armor, clothing, and other equipment that fighters use, and offers the tools young, aspiring adventurers need for learning how to build their own characters, including sample profiles, a flowchart to help you decide what type of warrior to be, and brainstorming challenges to start you thinking like an adventurer whether on your own or in the midst of an exciting quest with friends and fellow players.”

This issue gives a break down of all the fantasy races in the game, as well as information on armor sizes.

If I had one criticism here, it would be that the humans and other humanoid races in the book are mostly white. Dungeons and Dragons is a game played by people of all races and ethnicities, and it would be great if even in a fictional world, kids of color could see those kinds of characters highlighted in the illustrations in multiple creatures/characters—not just one or two per book.

That being said, this is an exciting and fun way to get younger kids into the series, and I look forward to teaching my niece how to play.

(image: Ten Speed Press/Penguin Random House)

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