Gift Guide For Gamers 2024 — ‘Dungeons & Dragons: Worlds & Realms’

Welcome to the table,

It’s that time of year again. In the face of a world that feels out of control, I’m going to roll on like some deranged icon of the Holly and Jolly. I will forge ahead like the Krampus of the dungeon crawl and tell you dear readers my 2024 picks for this years Gift Guide For Gamers!

First up on the stack may be one of the best Dungeons & Dragons publications of the last few years. Dungeons & Dragons: Worlds & Realms by Adam Lee proposes to be an “an illustrated, story-driven retrospective celebrating the immersive worldbuilding of D&D since the iconic game’s inception in 1974. Legendary mage Mordenkainen takes adventurers on a fantastical journey through the multiverse, delving into memorable and fascinating lore and locations across all five editions of the game.”

When my pals at Ten Speed Press sent this over to me, I knew for sure it would be all of that, but it is honestly so much more. The way this collection of observations and excerpts crafted in the voice of Mordekainen feels like a travel journal brings me a real sense of joy.

One of the reason I have always loved publications like Dragon Magazine is their ability to expand upon the lore found within the pages of my existing TTRPG books. I want to know the ecology of a mimic, I want to know why the Aboleth do the things they do. Who built the orbs of dragon kind and why?

The more lore I have at my fingertips, the better worlds I can build, and the more stories I can tell. Worlds & Realms is a lore masters guide to Dungeons & Dragons at its core. It’s a must have for anyone who loves world-building or running games in the landscape of multiverses that D&D exists within.

The art in this book is also incredible. It features some of the most beautiful renderings from the 50 year history of D&D. So many old friends, locations, and enemies make an appearance. What was most astounding to me, even as someone who has a office packed with D&D books, magazines, and comics, is that I had not even some of this art before.

Also impressive is Worlds & Realm‘s ability to dance between the known worlds in the Material Plane. Greyhawk, Mystara, Daragonlance, Ferûn, and Eberon are all covered in detail. There is enough to hook those who want to explore more deeply into these settings, but there is also a good amount of information for those looking for an overview.

One of my personal favorite bits was flipping through the pages and landing on the entry about Skullport and the Xanathar. I’ve been a fan of that mulit-eyed mob boss for years. The entry here in the Ferûne section really did him justice. It was also really cool to find they had collected some great art offerings from over the years. Then, in a few short page turns, we were on to exploring the red wizards of Thay.

That’s what this book does so well. The pacing is nearly flawless and it makes digesting information on lifetimes of knowledge very accessible to both the seasoned adventurer and those new to the table.

The book also does a great job getting outside of the Material Plane as well. It also explores the inner and parallel planes, and even diving into the far realms, the nine hells, and places beyond.

I can’t recommend Dungeons & Dragons: Worlds & Realms highly enough. It has easily earned one of the top spots on my 2024 Gift Guide for Gamers.

Until next time, I really need them to do a “items and artifacts” next… or something. I am so delighted by this book. 10/10 all day!