Tomorrow is a very big day for LEGO and D&D fans, with LEGO Ideas 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale preparing to hit store shelves. But this massive new set also ushers in a few optional items that go along with it. Beginning on April 1st, the Red Dragon’s Tale campaign book will be available in the LEGO Insiders Rewards shop (US | CAN | UK) for 2,700 points. And if you purchase the new LEGO Ideas set between April 1st – 7th from the LEGO website, you’ll be able to pick up the 168-piece LEGO Dungeons & Dragons Mimic Dice Box GWP along with the massive tower (US | CAN | UK). The GWP may also be available from resellers via eBay. I got a chance to look at both before they hit store shelves. Read on to find out if these accessories are worth picking up!

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

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The campaign

For those not familiar with D&D, a campaign is a story, usually multiple sessions long, used by the Dungeon Master (or DM) to guide the other players during the game. It includes possible monsters to encounter, descriptions of setting, and other general world-building and plot notes. It’s far more a guide than a strict set of rules, though, as players in D&D are allowed the freedom of choice at pretty much every turn. If a campaign is designed to be short enough for a single session (playable in ~4 hours), then it’s typically referred to as a one-shot. Red Dragon’s Tale very much falls into the one-shot typing, and comes pre-loaded with characters to play (not something typical of longer campaigns). I won’t be covering a play-by-play of the story contained in this physical version of the one-shot, in part because the campaign will be available for free in a digital format through D&D Beyond. But also, I don’t want to spoil the campaign for those hoping to play it. For those reasons, we’ll be focusing on the physical attributes of the book.

The campaign literature arrived in a sleeve adorned with the red dragon from the set. Contained within, I found a beautifully-illustrated, 20-page book. It’s contents include variants of the Red Dragon’s Tale campaign with D&D rules and a simplified version for those who may be new to rolling dice and taking actions. It also has character sheets for the four players/minifigures in the set, all the NPCs, and 4 pages for notes. A Monster Manual and Player’s Handbook are needed to play the one-shot. However the LEGO set itself is optional but recommended, as everything in this story is also in the set (every monster, weapon, potion, trap, etc.).

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The mimic

Moving on to the GWP, let’s start with the box. Contained in more of a frame of yellow studs than an actual box, the image on the front is actually the set’s instruction booklet. The box’s rear side has no information specific to the set itself. And cracking it open, I find a single bag of parts and the aforementioned instruction manual.

First, a base is formed, with 8 studs on each side facing outward, ready for tiles in a future step. The chest’s 4 walls are erected next, continuing the pattern of outward-facing studs, and popping in a blue bar where the mimic’s tongue will eventually clip in place.

The exterior is tiled off in a frame of dark gray, and the bottom jaw is added. Plenty of purple accents make it clear that this is no ordinary chest of treasure! A set of brackets in the rear hold a pair of bars, awaiting the lid later in the build.

Next, the top of the chest comes into being. Curved slopes and a railed plate form up three sides of the lid. A pair of click hinges hold the mimic’s face in place, as it’s assembled next. The eyes, a unique print from what I can tell, are particularly off-putting in the best way. The top set of teeth are also assembled as the lid comes together.

The top and bottom halves clip together, and a blue tongue is built, lolling out of the mouth of this stealthy beast. And as the title of this GWP suggests, it’s the perfect container for your prettiest math rocks, easily accessed when you need to perform a constitution saving throw.

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Conclusions and recommendations

I’ve already sung the praises of LEGO Ideas 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale in our TBB review earlier this month. It’s a wonderful set, highly-anticipated by the LEGO and D&D communities, and it’s going to sell quick! As such, I think the quality of the mimic is a bit moot. You’re going to buy 21348 early if you don’t want to wait until the set is eventually back in stock, and the mimic is a nice bonus on top of that. Evaluating it in a vacuum, the set is an excellent gift-with-purchase, and a great-looking desk toy. Here’s hoping it makes a return at some point later on.

And as for the Red Dragon’s Tale campaign book, I’m the kind of person who always appreciates physical media over digital. Handwritten notes, DVDs, albums, and even LEGO bricks are all examples in my life where I show this preference. And D&D media is no different, as I look to the left of my laptop at my hard copy of the Player’s Handbook. This was a required purchase for me, even though I play most of my RPGs online (through Roll20). Similarly, for a cost of about $20 worth of Insiders points, the physical version of Red Dragon’s Tale is a great choice!

Available April 1st through 7th, LEGO Dungeons & Dragons Mimic Dice Box GWP is a 168-piece GWP that comes with LEGO Ideas 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale (US | CAN | UK). And also available April 1st for 2,700 points from the LEGO Insiders Rewards site (US | CAN | UK), Red Dragon’s Tale campaign book is another companion to the new D&D set.

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