Dungeons & Dragons: 10 Stories That Are Perfect For Beginners
When it comes to Dungeons and Dragons, getting lost in all the lore and the geography of non-homebrew adventures is a common thing. The lore of the Forgotten Realms can be a mess and there's really no constant canon-- the whole thing is more like a template or backdrop for adventures. That's why regular D&D sessions might not be the best way to learn about D&D lore.
Thankfully, some awesome authors know the potential of D&D's worlds and have crafted stories that feature some of the most popular places and characters in the franchise. There is a mix of novels, video games, and comic books that present D&D stories some of which have been integrated into the core books of D&D. Here are 10 of those stories for those interested in some lore.
10 NEVERWINTER NIGHTS GAMES
Some D&D video games are just too good that they became an accepted canon for a particular city's history. That city is Neverwinter, which is the star setting of Neverwinter Nights by developers Bioware.
It's a grand adventure that starts off small and eventually becomes a bid to save the whole city and possibly the world from a plague called the Wailing Death and anyone who might have been involved with it. The graphics are old but there's a remastered version and players are mostly there for the roleplaying and the story anyway.
9 DARK ELF TRILOGY
When it comes to D&D stories, one can't go wrong with veteran fantasy author R.A. Salvatore. One of his most widely-known D&D works, the Dark Elf Trilogy books, introduced the edgiest and elven antihero to ever exist in D&D, Drizzt Do'Urden.
As such, the Dark Elf Trilogy is Drizzt's adventures where he struggles with morality of his own race's culture. To that end, Drizzt is a rejectionist of his race's evil stereotypical ways and should provide D&D beginners with a wealth of inspiration for their next character.
8 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: LEGEND OF DRIZZT: NEVERWINTER TALES
Can't get enough of Drizzt? Then have some more of him but this time, in graphic novel form and full-2D glory! The Legend of Drizzt is an adaptation of R.A. Salvatore's beloved Drizzt and more of his misadventures in Neverwinter and around the continent of Faerun.
Much like the Dark Elf Trilogy, the Legend of Drizzt graphic novel series is a dark and morally conflicting take on Dungeons and Dragons thanks to the antihero protagonist. It also features some of the more common landscapes and monsters in D&D lore.
7 THE ICEWIND DALE TRILOGY
For more of Drizzt's stories, The Icewind Dale Trilogy again from R.A. Salvatore brings to light some of his subsequent escapades following the Dark Elf Trilogy. Do bear in mind that those are not necessary readings in order to get into this one.
This time around, Drizzt travels far north up in Icewind Dale, which is the closest thing to the Arctic region in Faerun. He teams up with some unlikely allies such as Wulfgar the Barbarian and Regis the Dwarf to end a long-brewing darkness in the region.
6 LEGENDS OF BALDUR'S GATE
Is Drizzt too dark for some of you? Then it might be better to look into other D&D heroes such as Minsc, an altruistic and goody-two-shoes-type hero who allotted most of his points in strength and dexterity and forgot that intelligence and wisdom exist. He depends on his trusty hamster for the things he lacks the most.
This leads to unconventional encounters and solutions to problems that Minsc might have caused himself. The best way to start with his party's story is with the Legends of Baldur's Gate graphic novel.
5 CLERIC QUINTET
Cleric Quintet is another book from R.A. Salvatore but doesn't feature Drizzt this time. Instead, it introduces a new hero called Cadderly, a scholarly priest who is more clear-cut and conventional than an angsty drow elf.
Cleric Quintet, in that regard, is about Cadderly's attempt to thwart the troublesome Chaos Curse in Faerun while struggling with his faith and religion. It definitely showcases a lighter tone compared to Salvatore's Drizzt books and is a more standard sword and sorcery fare.
4 CUTTER
Then again, there might be beginners who just love the disturbing darkness surrounding the drow and their culture. That's why popular drow stories like Cutter exist. It's a graphic novel about a half-drow Doum'weille who inherits an evil sword and has been cast out from her clan.
That sword is none other than Cutter, whom the whole graphic novel is based on. The whole story is Doum'weille's plight to cope with her new life involving the malicious and hungry Cutter who always craves for battle and blood.
3 CONAN
Conan the Barbarian is one of the poster boys of fantasy and is also the primary inspiration for one of the most popular D&D classes. To that end, Robert E. Howard's Conan stories are a must for anyone looking for some D&D-esque stories.
Whether it's the 1982 film or the original stories one consumes, they are bound to be inspired and entranced by the instinctive and amoral Conan. It's not exactly D&D lore, but it's close enough for beginners to grasp how most adventures are more fun with barbarians in them.
2 CRITICAL ROLE: VOX MACHINA ORIGINS
The beloved Vox Machina is the creation of the Critical Role D&D web series. Beginners ought to watch those as well and if they want a little more background on each member of the Vox Machina party, then Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins should scratch that itch.
Vox Machina Origins details separate adventures of the Critical Role characters. There is also an ebook or novel named Legends of Vox Machina for those that want to use their imaginations.
1 BALDUR'S GATE GAMES
Last but not least is another video game that's often considered as the best among D&D-based video games, Baldur's Gate. The two games and their expansions are set and named after the legendary city of Baldur's Gate where a third of all the sinister events in the Forgotten Realms takes place.