In celebration of Dungeons & Dragons‘ 50th anniversary, LEGO has brought to life a set honoring the beloved franchise. Dungeons & Dragons is many things—it’s a tabletop game, it’s lore, it’s books, it’s movies, and for many, it’s simply a way to live out their dreams of epic adventures and fantastical worlds. So, of course, it comes as no surprise that this LEGO Dungeons & Dragons set is actually a LEGO Ideas set, which means it started life as a fan creation. And when you put it together, that love comes through loud and clear.
Armed with a set provided by LEGO, my stalwart party companions, and some supplies of choice (a cupcake tin and lots of snacks), I set out to build this gorgeously fantastical piece. My full review of this LEGO Dungeons & Dragons set is below, but in summation, much like the game itself, this D&D set feels alive and rife with possibilities.
Jump to: The Spirit of D&D in LEGOs // The Build // The Minifigures // The Creatures // The Dragon // Life Lessons // How Much Does the LEGO Dungeons & Dragons Set Cost?
How Does the Dungeons & Dragons LEGO Bring D&D to Life?
So, how exactly does LEGO bring Dungeons & Dragons to life in this new set? We suspect fans might have this question, and it’s a fair one. After all, Dungeons & Dragons is a choice-based game, and it feels like it might be difficult to capture its spirit in one LEGO set. But, as always, LEGO rises to the occasion. The answer is two-fold. First, LEGO calls upon a few D&D stalwarts from the D&D Monster Manual and brings to life some races commonly associated with the game, such as elves, dwarves, and wizards. But secondly, the set really goes beyond that to capture the spirit of storytelling throughout the build.
Here are some examples of how the Dungeons & Dragons set brings an element of discovery and creation into its build to ensure the journey of putting the set together (and its outcome) depends heavily on the choices you make in your LEGO campaign.
Right from the start, this set feels different than others. Bag one, step one has you put together a “Dwarf Cleric.” While the LEGO manual gives a little insight into what a cleric is, it leaves the rest up to you. What is the name of your cleric? The set invites you to ask. Your cleric channels divine magic from a god, the LEGO manual then notes, but which god? One might intuit that the dwarf cleric serves the sun god Lathandar based on the design of their shirt. But we suppose it could also be the god of spring… Wait a minute, are we making a character sheet? And we’ve barely snapped two LEGOs together. Much like the game itself, that’s how this Dungeons & Dragons LEGO set sucks you in right from the start.
The Minifigures in the Dungeons & Dragons set are also especially cool because they come with several customizable options. While LEGO Minifigures often have more than one face, in this case many different choices can be made—including gender, weaponry, good vs evil affiliations, etc. A couple Minifigures actually come with no explanation at all. Are they a non-playable character, a party member you haven’t adopted yet, or a villain? You decide! While we’re not sure if this was fully intended, Minifigures that swap gender with ease do seem like a queer-positive development, and we approve.
In addition, I would describe the LEGO Dungeons & Dragons set as full of secrets. You, the DM, might know there are four cherries and two peppers hidden in the boxes at the Tavern, but a passerby sure won’t. And you’ll have to roll for perception to find some of the doors that you build and then hide. Just make sure you don’t fall into the trap you laid 10 pages ago and then forgot. (Or you’ll end up in the secret dungeon that only has a bucket and a set of handcuffs inside of it.)
The D&D LEGO Build and Its Minifigures
The Build
The LEGO Dungeons & Dragons set creates a full fantastical scene. It includes a cozy tavern for bards to write their songs, a bewitching tower full of enchantments, a verdant garden, and a loot-filled dungeon where danger and treasure await. I would say that it’s the perfect fantasy build for anyone who doesn’t have the space or time for LEGO’s more elaborate The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell set. While in situ the build only feels slightly less complex than Rivendell’s, it draws to a close much quicker. The LEGO Dungeons & Dragons set contains 3,745 pieces (32 bags) and four instruction books.
Although there’s less of it, and it’s a little less challenging than Rivendell, this Dungeons & Dragons LEGO set is still complicated in all the best ways. Not to mention, it contains plenty of those satisfying moments where tricky parts snap together exactly how you’d hoped. The set additionally offers a welcome variety of build types, from elaborate stonework designs to sweeping plant life to rocky terrains.
The Details
The devil is in the details in this set. Angled blocks create cool jagged windows, brown and green blobs form a symphony of evergreen trees, and flame-filled lanterns light up the way. The colors are gorgeously vivid. A curl of smoke equates to a fireplace below.
The Dungeons & Dragons set also contains a plethora of miniatures in its depths. Little dragon eggs, coins, jewels, mushrooms, inkwells, spell books, staffs, weapons, and bags of loot emerge to decorate the halls of this building. The beer steins even have a foam float. And there’s a tiny lute!!!
The Dungeons & Dragons LEGO Minifigures
Your LEGO Dungeons & Dragons party includes six minifigures in total. As mentioned, each Minifigure from this set comes with many choices. Here’s a rundown of them all.
The LEGO D&D set’s Minifigures include:
- Dwarf Cleric – This D&D LEGO Minifigure comes with two hair choices, braided or basic, two heads, bearded or smiling, and a beard you add on top. We hear Dwarven ladies also love a beard. (We named ours Marigold.)
- Gnome Fighter – The Gnome Fighter comes with four different expressions and a variety of weapons.
- Orc Rogue – Sneaky, sneaky. The Orc Rogue comes with a couple of heads, a crossbow, and some knives. But is he friend or foe? You decide. He definitely seems chaotic either way. (We named ours Hawthorne.)
- Elf Wizard – The Elf Wizard is one powerful lady. She comes with a changeable head. (We named ours Belladona.)
- The Mysterious Dragon Sorcerer? – This mysterious Minifigure isn’t given any description at all in the pages of the LEGO Dungeons & Dragons book. And isn’t that the fun of it? He seems like some kind of dragon-loving sorcerer to us, though.
- A Dragonborn Minifigure – He seems like a friendly fellow, but who he is in your LEGO Dungeons & Dragons set is entirely up to you.
Building Dungeons & Dragons Creatures Out of LEGOs
A truly unique facet of this set is that in addition to Minifigures and miniatures, builders get to use actual LEGO blocks to create familiar monsters from Dungeons & Dragons. While many sets center on their architectural facets or their figure builds, it’s neat to see both blended here. In total, you’ll get to build six types of small creatures out of LEGOs and one VERY big one. The creatures are skeletons, a Gelatinous Cube, an owlbear, a Beholder, a Displacer Beast, a mimic, and, of course, a dragon.
Using the blocks in this way allows fans to see LEGOs in a new light. And delightfully, the types of LEGOs snapped together vary for each creature, making for seven nuanced experiences.
Cinderhowl the Red LEGO Dragon
The pièce de résistance of the LEGO Dungeons & Dragons set is the Cinderhowl the Red Dragon build. Cinderhowl takes up eight out of 32 bags of this set. That’s 1/4 for those of you whose stats tend away from intelligence. Building this LEGO dragon is some of the most complex work in the set. But, boy is Cinderhowl worth it. (He can even sit on your shoulder)
You might not typically play a god in your D&D campaign, but you sure feel like one as you raise this dragon to life, starting with his skeleton and ending with his wings. Cinderhowl has articulated feet, a mouth that can open and close, and wings that actually flap. He is well worth your while. He could honestly be a Dungeons & Dragons LEGO set all on his own.
Life Lessons From the LEGO Dungeons & Dragons Set
It wouldn’t be an adventure without some life-changing realizations. Here are just some my party experienced on this LEGO Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
- It’s all a matter of perspective.
- Don’t start building your last four bags of LEGOs at 11 pm.
- Sometimes, you just have to turn it over one more time.
- The only time you’ll be happy to step on a LEGO is when one you need has fallen onto the floor.
- It’s about the build, not the destination.
- Jeremiah, Todd, and Howard are excellent skeleton names.
- Get yourself a party member who can cook.
- Sometimes, we all need a little stability, even if we’re a Dungeons & Dragons LEGO set.
How Much Does the Dungeons & Dragons LEGO Set Cost, and Where Can You Buy It?
The LEGO Ideas Dungeon & Dragons LEGO set is now available for purchase on LEGO’s website. This D&D set costs $359.99.