Summary

• The Making Of Original D&D is a comprehensive look at the earliest days of Dungeons & Dragons, including never-before-seen documents and concept art.
• The book showcases early character sheets, rules, spells, and personality traits from the 1970s era of D&D, offering insight into the game's evolution.
• This thick and detailed book is a must-have for Dungeons & Dragons fans, providing a deep dive into the history of the beloved tabletop RPG for its 50th anniversary.

Of all the Dungeons & Dragons books releasing this year, The Making Of Original Dungeons & Dragons 1970-1977 may be the most unique. To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the series, Wizards of the Coast is releasing this collection of the earliest DnD materials 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 book.

The Making Of Original D&D will be released on June 18, 2024 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&D is easily the thickest. This is a comprehensive and extensive look at D&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 at D&D in the 1970s. The good and the bad are all on display here. History can be messy, and the book doesn’t shy away from presenting outdated concepts for posterity’s sake.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.

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 - and it’s nice to see how much DnD evolved, especially in its earliest era.

Other D&D books like Arts & Arcana have given a sort of crash course through the tabletop game’s long history, but The Making Of Original Dungeons & Dragons 1970-1977 looks to be far more in-depth, even though it is primarily focused on a very specific moment in DnD history. This is clearly a book designed for fans, both longtime or recently new, and it seems like a great way to explore Dungeons & Dragons history for its 50th anniversary.