Summary
Of all theDungeons & Dragonsbooks releasing this year,The Making Of Original Dungeons & Dragons 1970-1977may be the most unique. To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the series, Wizards of the Coast is releasing this collection of the earliestDnDmaterials from Gary Gygax and others from the earliest days of the now-beloved tabletop RPG. At a press-only event, Screen Rant was given an early glimpse at the upcoming book.
The Making Of Original D&Dwill be released on August 14, 2025 with an MSRP of $99.99. Right away, it’s apparent what a beast of a book this is. Compared to previous book releases of this caliber,The Making of Original D&Dis easily the thickest. This is a comprehensive and extensive look atD&D’s past, touching on both the celebratory and controversial aspects of those early days. It also compiles never-before-seen documents and concept art that will surely please fans.
What’s Inside The Making Of Original D&D 1970-1977
Letters, Character Sheets, & Early D&D Designs Are On Display
It’s apparent early on that a lot of love and details went into compiling this book, providing an extensive look atD&Din the 1970s. The good and the bad are all on display here. History can be messy, andthe book doesn’t shy away from presenting outdated concepts for posterity’s sake. This means the book feels like a true history of its source material, rather than a sugar-coated one or a revisionist history that omits the bad parts.
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From early character sheets and workshopping rules, to lists of spells and personality traits, the items shown during the preview offered insight into Gygax and co.’s processes in some truly interesting ways. For instance, one sheet of yellowed notebook paper shows the “Personality” of a character with stats and another shows a wizard’s “Weapon Classifications.” Letters and correspondences give even more insights into those creative attempts - andit’s nice to see how muchDnDevolved, especially in its earliest era.
OtherD&DbookslikeArts & Arcanahave given a sort of crash course through the tabletop game’s long history, butThe Making Of Original Dungeons & Dragons 1970-1977looks to be far more in-depth, even though it is primarily focused on a very specific moment inDnDhistory. This is clearly a book designed for fans, both longtime or recently new, and it seems like a great way to exploreDungeons & Dragonshistory for its 50th anniversary.
