Two popular gaming universes collide, as Minecraft x Dungeons & Dragons becomes a reality. This comes by way of a DLC for Minecraft and official bestiary stat blocks for D&D.
Mojang Studios and Wizards of the Coast partnered for this crossover that seems particuarly odd in that it is only happening now. Dungeons & Dragons has been a global phenomenon since the 1970s when the tabletop roleplaying game was created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Meanwhile, Minecraft has been one of the most dominant sandbox video games ever created, selling more than 238 million copies since debuting in 2011.
Announced as part of the D&D Direct event held by Wizards of the Coast and parent company Hasbro, Minecraft x Dungeons & Dragons will bring familiar elements from the world’s most popular fantasy tabletop roleplaying game to the Minecraft worlds.
The adventure is building!#DnD x @Minecraft coming Spring 2023.
Watch the trailer now: https://t.co/HxJiv9J5Fm pic.twitter.com/BNqwKX7LUJ— Dungeons & Dragons (@Wizards_DnD) March 28, 2023
Although the game already has a similar theme with Minecraft Dungeons, the DLC will incorporate the official Dungeons and Dragons character classes, creatures, locations, and other gameplay features into the Minecraft landscape.
Four D&D basic character classes will be included in the DLC: Paladin, Barbarian, Wizard, and Rogue. Minecraft players will be able to assign stat points similar to the TTRPG version of D&D, although modified to fit the Minecraft system. Oddly, the Fighter and Cleric classes seem to have been ignored in favor of the Barbarian and Paladin, respectively.
There will also be a new way to interact with NPCs. Similar to the D&D interactions, a d20 will be rolled when talking with an NPC, with their response varying depending on how successful the roll results are.
Of course, a D&D crossover would not be complete without the magic and monsters of the classic RPG. Spells like Fireball, Magic Missile, Shield, and more will be available to learn, as well as magic items such as weapons, armor, and more. Plus, Minecraft players can do battle with displacer beasts, mimics, mindflayers, gelatinous cubes, beholders… oh, and dragons!
Aside from the broad D&D tropes, there will be elements specifically from the fan-favorite Forgotten Realms campaign, which is the same setting for the live action film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Locations such as Candlekeep and Icewind Dale will be accessible in the 10-hour long D&D story mode, as well as encounter familiar foes like the Red Wizards of Thay.
But the crossover content doesn’t end with the Minecraft DLC. D&D Beyond has added the stat blocks for creatures staple to the Minecraft universe. Included as part of the Monstrous Compendium Vol. 3, tabletop Dungeon Masters can now pit their group of adventurers against Minecraft’s Blaze, Creeper, Ender Dragon, Enderman, and the Wolf of the Overworld.
Fans of Dungeons & Dragons can unlock the Minecraft creatures’ stat blocks on the D&D Beyond platform for free by logging into the site or on the official app. Once claimed, the Minecraft creatures will be added to the D&D Beyond Sources section.
Partnering with Mojang is a big move to introduce Minecraft players to D&D, particularly with the recent controversies regarding the Open Gaming License (OGL) that left a sour taste to fans of Dungeons and Dragons. While no specific date was announced for the Minecraft x Dungeons & Dragons DLC, it is expected to arrive on the Minecraft Marketplace this Spring 2023. The official Minecraft x Dungeons & Dragons DLC marketing description reads:
Coming soon this Spring 2023. Experience a dramatic tale unfold with Minecraft’s Dungeons & Dragons DLC. Explore iconic locations in the Forgotten Realms like Icewind Dale and Candlekeep, battling Beholders, Mimics, and more.
Minecraft is available on Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X platforms. Meanwhile, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves arrives in U.S. theaters on March 31, 2023.
