The new Lego D&D set has finally broken cover, and it's a monster. In some cases, quite literally – there are many classic Dungeons & Dragons foes included within the mega kit.
Due to launch this April 4 (or April 1, if you're part of the free Insider program at Lego), Lego Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon's Tale is made up of more than 3,700 pieces, has half-a-dozen adventurer minifigures under its belt, and features multiple creatures for them to tangle with. Yes, the Lego D&D set has a price to match – it's $359.99 at the Lego store or £314.99 if you're based in the UK. But that's fairly par for the course in terms of the best Lego sets, and there's honestly more here than I was anticipating. Especially because it includes a "specially created Dungeons & Dragons adventure book, created in partnership by Wizards of the Coast and the LEGO Group, to offer a completely new and unique play experience."
That's why I've been going over the Lego D&D reveal with a fine-tooth comb to uncover all those juicy Easter eggs – as a level 20 nerd when it comes to the best tabletop RPGs, this is kinda like Christmas for me. Alongside these nods, you'll also find more information about the Lego D&D set itself below, including that exclusive adventure.
Lego Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon's Tale
This kit is based on the community-submitted design by Lucas Bolt, and they worked closely with the Lego design team to bring this set to life. Comprised of 3,745 pieces and standing at 19 inches (48cm) tall, this is a pretty mighty build on the whole. Particularly because of the adventure written by D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast that allows you to give this kit a practical use as well as an aesthetic one.
Apparently, this adventure will see "players start in a tavern, uncover a sorcerer’s villainous scheme, and... face off against a fire-breathing foe!" It'll be run by TV and voice actor Anjali Bhimani this April 1 for D&D content creator Ginny Di, Critical Role's Luis Carazo, Lucas Bolt, and Lego designer Jordan Scott. You'll be able to catch it on the official D&D YouTube channel or Lego's site.
Anyway. Here's what I've spotted so far:
- Myconids: This is slightly harder to spot, but is one of the coolest features of the Lego D&D set. Hidden away at the back in the general images are these mushroom folk, and they're just adorable as minifigures.
- Gelatinous Cube: Following a tease on Lego's social media, the least scary-looking D&D monster is slowly wobbling towards our heroes in this set. This teeny version contains a skull and what looks to be either a shield or, if I want to push the boat out, a badge for the Zhentarim (a criminal organization in D&D).
- Mimic: We've already had one of these shapeshifting monsters teased via Lego's social media, and although the classic treasure chest variant isn't visible… well, let's just say I don't trust this tavern one bit. The oddly sticky-looking roof, a very suspicious name (the 'Inn Plain Sight'), and what might just be a purple tongue sticking out from under the stairs makes me wonder if the whole building is, in fact, a Mimic. That may be a stretch, but it'd be a cool one nonetheless.
- Ooze: Speaking of that weird pink-purple mass under the stairs, it may possibly be an ooze. I can't get a good angle on it, but it definitely looks suspect.
- Dragon cultist: I don't know about you, but I'm getting weird vibes from the innkeeper with his dragon necklace. The Cult of the Dragon is a regular pain in adventurers' butts during D&D, so this would be a fun nod to those enemies… and potentially a good plot hook for the accompanying adventure.
- Owlbear: Although it's not immediately obvious visible in some of the images on the Lego store, you can see the iconic D&D creature that is part bear, part owl in the set's general image.
- Displacer Beast: You don't want to be on the business end of these panther-like monsters, so the adventurers in this pack have their work cut out for them.
- Beholder: Another iconic monster put front and center are my beloved beholders. These eye-creatures are infamously paranoid, powerful, and deranged.
- Dungeon staples: There are numerous little nods to dungeon-delving cliches in this set, so rather than listing them individually, I'll just round them up here. First up is obviously the red dragon end boss (called Cinderhowl) guarding its egg seen at the top of the tower, along with the most iconic minions – a trio of skeleton goons. A shield bearing a beholder likeness can also be seen tucked away in the set too, alongside green-flamed candles that give big 'evil wizard' energy. A magic weapon (possibly made from a dragon's tooth?) can also be seen, which is only right – what's a dungeon without some cool loot, after all? Questing for this gear is a traditional adventuring party of an orc Rogue, dragonborn Bard, gnome Fighter, elf Wizard, and dwarf Cleric.
Regarding the design, Bolt said that "the Dungeons & Dragons theme combined with my love of history, fantasy and making games, inspired me to create a playable layout with different challenges and routes to explore. I had so much fun designing this piece, and it is a real privilege seeing my design developed into a detailed LEGO set to celebrate 50 years of the iconic game."
Global Play Lead for D&D, Dan Rawson, added that "Lego bricks and Dungeons & Dragons have been used by fans to generate stories and build adventures for so long that bringing these two creative brands together during our 50th Anniversary felt like a no-brainer. With the amazing LEGO Ideas set designed by Lucas Bolt, the adventure package available on D&D Beyond, and the Lego Minifigure series coming this fall, fans will have so many new sparks of imagination available to enjoy creating fantasy stories together with friends and family."
This set will launch on April 1 if you sign up to be a free Lego Insider, or April 4 for everyone else.
For more brick-based goodness, check out our guide to the new Lego sets out this month. You can also swot up on D&D with this list of the best Dungeons & Dragons books.
