D&D: ‘The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons’ is Full of Lore, Not Rules
WotC’s unexpected new dragon book contains a ton of lore about dragons, but you won’t find much in the way of rules at all in The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons.
One of the soon to be released new books for D&D, The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons, was announced earlier this year instead of last year. Which makes it slightly more unexpected than the other books on the 2023 schedule. But there’s a reason for that.
Though The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons is all about the “& Dragons” part of Dungeons & Dragons, the book isn’t a traditional D&D book. At least not in the way we’ve come to expect it.
The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons Pre-Order Available Now
This book is touted as “the ultimate dragon lover’s guide.” What does that mean? It’s part field guide, part illustrated storybook. In other words, it’s a big old book of lore. Specifically D&D dragon lore, per the book’s description:
Lavishly illustrated and carefully detailed, The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons invites D&D fans of all ages into the magical world of dragons. Where do black dragons incubate their eggs? How large is a baby dragon? Find all the answers you seek – and more – in the wizard Sindri Suncatcher’s personal notebooks, packed with meticulous research and wondrous insights. With every turn of the page, let your imagination soar as you uncover majestic art, undiscovered lore, and other mystical secrets. An enhanced edition of The New York Times bestseller A Practical Guide to Dragons, this book captures all the wonder and awe of D&D’s most revered creatures. Whether you’re a Dungeon Master looking to enrich your D&D campaigns or a fantasy lover in search of a new adventure, you’ll be sure to find something to spark your imagination in this marvelous and comprehensive guide.
The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons updates the 2006 A Practical Guide to Dragons. And like the first, it builds on the notebooks of Sindri Suncatcher, now a Wizard instead of a mere apprentice. The first book was intended as a companion for Dragonlance, with the authorial character of Suncatcher as a three-and-a-half foot tall Kender, notorious for “collecting magical tokens, storytelling, and fighting dragons.”
This book promises a lot of inspiration and artwork. And if done well, this can inject a ton of new life into the game. We absolutely adored Jim Zub’s lore-exploring Young Adventurer’s Guide series.
So even though you won’t necessarily find new types of dragons or other monsters or magic items, you might find exactly what you need to inspire your next campaign.
What “new lore” could there possibly be to uncover? Perhaps something about the new “Great Wyrm” category of dragons that span multiple realities?
