It's been 50 years since Dungeons & Dragons changed the tabletop gaming landscape, and to celebrate, Wizards of the Coast has released The Making Of Original Dungeons & Dragons 1970-1977. The new book is a comprehensive and extensive look at the earliest era of D&D, often shown from the perspectives of its co-creators Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax through reprinted drafts, letters, and drawings.

The Making Of Original D&D is a massive book. Compared to the rulebooks and campaigns D&D releases, it's nearly triple the size. Compared to other behind-the-scenes books, like Arts & Arcana: A Visual History, it's still noticeably thicker. In fact, for nearly 600 pages, fans are invited to get a close-up look at the creation of the most popular fantasy roleplaying game of all time. With creation and commentary by Jon Peterson and additional info from Project Lead Jason Tondro, the pages of The Making Of Original D&D are packed with interesting tidbits and reprinted writings - including reprints of the original D&D rulebooks.

An Impressive Look At D&D's History

The Earliest Era Documented Like Never Before

The Making Of Original Dungeons & Dragons 1970-1977 is made up of four parts. Part 1, titled "Precursors," reveals the earliest parts of the ideation process, including early character sheets and correspondence between Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax regarding Blackmoor. Part 2, aptly titled "The 1973 Draft Of Dungeons & Dragons," is exactly that along with information on Greyhawk and revised maps.

Part 3 is a reprint of the printed first edition of D&D alongside comparisons between the drafts and published versions. This third part, "Original Dungeons & Dragons," is really the cornerstone of the entire book, allowing readers to flip through reprinted versions of the original three D&D rulebooks that were included in the first-ever boxed set: Men & Magic, Monsters & Treasure, and The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures.

The final part, "Articles and Additions," runs the gamut of Greyhawk maps and monsters' attacks and damage to a look at the first issues of The Strategic Review and The Dragon, the official D&D magazine that ran in printed form until 2007. The final pages comprise early information on gods, heroes, and demi-gods before closing with an Afterword that sets the stage for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.

The Early Drafts Of Dungeons & Dragons

D&D History, Presented Warts And All

The true history of D&D was at times messy. There's racism and misogyny that pervade some of the early materials, something that isn't shied away from here but is presented with disapproval. There was also in-fighting between Arneson and Gygax, and other notable problems, which can be seen at various times throughout The Making Of Original Dungeons & Dragons.

The book does a good job of presenting these problems in order to stay true to the historical record, with notes showing how these elements are harmful. And it's not just the problematic materials that have this balancing act. The Making Of Original D&D may be celebratory in nature, but it's also a historical record, and it succeeds in that regard, too. This isn't some revisionist history or shallow look into D&D's past, it's a presentation of D&D's creation, warts and all.

Artwork, Correspondences, & Character Sheets

Final Thoughts On The Biggest D&D Book Ever

Getting to flip through letters, early character sheets, and even the earliest drafts of D&D are highlights. However, there are times, especially later in the book, when some additional commentary might've helped. And although some of these documents and drawings have appeared previously, there are some items that will likely be seen for the first time by even the most diehard D&D fans.

The Making Of Original Dungeons & Dragons 1970-1977 looks and feels like a textbook, for better and for worse. Those looking for a casual or fun look at D&D's past may be turned away by the more academic approach found here. Still, this is arguably the best way to look at reprints of the first D&D rulebooks, and it's also a great way to check out drafts and early writings from the TTRPG's founders. A must-have for D&D historians, it's an excellent look at what would become the foundation for Dungeons & Dragons.