Minecraft has given The Forgotten Realms a cubic makeover in the new Dungeons & Dragons DLC. The friends I play D&D with are curiously also the same friends who get the annual itch to set up a Minecraft server, and at least once a year we disappear into the realm of right angles and are lost to the world. As well as this crossover in interests, both D&D and Minecraft provide a space to be creative, social, and enjoy freeform play, so this collaboration between Wizards of the Coast and Everbloom Games seems a natural fit.
In this DLC you can choose from 4 classes: Barbarian, Paladin, Rogue, and Wizard. Though obviously a limited selection next to the tabletop game, you'll be able to specialise by allocating stat points wherever you'd prefer. You'll be looting, upgrading, monster slaying, and of course… rolling a lot of dice.
Seeing some of D&D's classic monsters in the iconic Minecraft style is alone worth the price of entry: Blocky mimics, mind flayers, and beholders? Um, yes please. Those familiar with the setting will also get a kick from experiencing some known areas like Candlekeep, Icewind Dale, and Revel's End, to name a few. The Dungeons & Dragons DLC trailer shows some extravagant builds, varied weapons and armour, and plenty more that had me sending out a group message to try and get a party together asap.
This expansion is fully voiced with its own custom soundtrack, and is part of what seems to be an ongoing collaboration between the two properties. Earlier this year Wizards of the Coast released the third edition of their Monstrous Compendium with a Minecraft Creatures edition. If you've ever wanted to know a Creeper's proficiency bonus or an Enderman's passive perception then this D&D Beyond release has you covered, with stats, information, and artwork for five of Minecraft's staple creatures: a Blaze, Creeper, Enderman, EnderDragon, and Wolf of the Overworld. I might subtly leave this somewhere my DM can see it, in the hope of a creeper in our next session. A sprinkle of Minecraft in my D&D, and with this DLC a big spoonful of D&D in my Minecraft. D&D fans are eatin' good this year in videogames and, after the unforgettable feast of Baldur's Gate 3, this should be a delicious snack.
