You may have read Simon Yule’s review of Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons for Dungeons & Dragons 5e last November, and thought, “well that’s great, but when will there be a special edition from Beadle & Grimm’s?” Well, good news: Beadle & Grimm’s recently released a Silver Edition of just that book.
If you’re a fan of Dungeons & Dragons but this is the first time you’re hearing about Beadle & Grimm’s, then you’re in for a treat. Beadle & Grimm’s Pandemonium Warehouse is, to put it succinctly, a company of gamers who set out on a mission to deluxify your gaming experience (my words, not theirs…but B&G, feel free to use it!) I have reviewed several of their deluxified D&D editions, most recently having covered the amazing Platinum Edition of The Wild Beyond the Witchlight.
As with my other reviews of Beadle & Grimm’s Editions, this will not be a review of Fizban’s itself, but instead a review of everything that you’ll find inside the Silver Edition boxed set to enhance your gaming experience. Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons is a sourcebook rather than an adventure module, so there won’t be the same level of spoilers as many of my other Beadle & Grimm’s reviews. However, if you’re a D&D player and like to be surprised by everything your dungeon master throws at you, then you may want to proceed with caution.
What’s in the Beadle & Grimm’s Silver Edition of Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons?
Arriving in a much smaller container than the aforementioned The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, this still-hefty box contains a plethora of delights. Here are all the goodies you’ll find inside.
When you first open the box, you’re greeted by a single-sheet reproduction of Elegy for the First World, a piece found at the beginning of the Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons book. Removing that, you’re greeted by the Beadle & Grimm’s insert, which includes a welcoming letter, index of contents, and credits. And just below that, you hit the juicy meat of the Silver Edition.
One of the staples of a Beadle & Grimm’s edition are physical artifacts that can be used as props or jewelry during a game. In this case, these artifacts can be used with the included mini-adventure, Into the Belly of the Beast. Also for the first time, each one comes in its own Beadle & Grimm’s-branded bag.
First up is a small dragon’s tooth, with a draconic symbol carved into one side. It includes a cord so it may be worn as a necklace.
Also included are 4 wearable pins, designed to look like hoard scarabs.
Not an artifact, but still something you can hand out to a player, is the Coin of Completion.
While Fizban’s isn’t an adventure module, it’s still nice that there’s a commemorative coin available to go with the set, especially if you’ve been collecting them from other editions. This one has a very nice sculpted flip side, which recreates the illustration on the Silver Edition box cover.
Next up is a boxed set of 25 quick-reference cards. There are magic items that may be found in a dragon’s lair:
As well as draconic gifts that dragons may bestow on adventurers:
As with other Beadle & Grimm’s editions, there are folding Encounter Cards. There are 60 of them for Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons, and they’re designed to be hung over a dungeon master’s screen so that an illustration of the encounter faces the players, while the dungeon master has access to the encounter’s stat block and any other information needed to run the encounter.
There are separate cards for the different life stages of some of the dragons. The illustration remains the same, though the size of the illustration varies to match the age of each dragon.
Here are the other sides of those same cards:
All of the book’s artwork is also reproduced onto cards which may be hung on the dungeon master screen.
Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons may not be an adventure module, but Beadle & Grimm’s has designed a book of encounters, Dragon Tales From the Warehouse, for dungeon masters and players to enjoy.
The first part of the book is a series of 10 encounters with different dragon types, ranging from 4th level all the way up to 17th.
The second section of the book is a full one-shot adventure for 3rd-level characters, Into the Belly of the Beast, where the sapphire dragon Xanyannethrun has hired characters to test her lair’s defenses. This adventure incorporates the artifacts included in the Silver Edition, and is written by Elisa Teague.
There are four included Battle Maps, printed on two double-sided pieces of canvas paper. One of these, Xanyannethrun’s Belly, is for use with the included Into the Belly of the Beast adventure.
Along with the Battle Maps, there are several included handouts. These all come on different types and weights of paper, lending an authenticity to the props. They are for use with the various encounters in Dragon Tales From the Warehouse.
For players that want to jump right into the action, Beadle & Grimm’s provides 4 pre-generated player characters, featuring the gem dragonborn race and new character options in Fizban’s.
And of course, it wouldn’t be a Beadle & Grimm’s boxed set without the sourcebook itself. Included with the Silver Edition is the complete Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons, broken down into four shorter, softcover books.
Finally, there’s a collection of 15 laminated dragon lair maps in a folder. You can use a dry-erase pen to make notations and mark progress on these maps.
Beadle & Grimm’s Silver Edition of Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons: The Verdict
If you’ve read this far, it’s a safe assumption you’re a fan of Dungeons & Dragons. So the big question is: do you like just dungeons? Or do you like some dragons in your game? If the answer to the last question is “yes,” then you’ve definitely come to the right place.
Beadle & Grimm’s attention to detail with the creation of this edition is fantastic. The dragon theme is graphically reinforced throughout, with dragon scales appearing on the fringes of the lair maps and reference cards, and even appearing on the inside lining of the box itself.
I had previously said that this isn’t a review of the Wizards of the Coast book Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons. But let me just say, that if you’re looking to incorporate any dragons into your campaign, then Fizban’s is a must-have toolbox for a dungeon master.
Beadle & Grimm’s Silver Edition of Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons is that toolbox…but with all the tools included inside, too. Maps, handouts, item cards, artifacts, and all the other contents of the box will help enhance any game of D&D that requires a dragon. And even should you choose to eschew the dragons, there are new character options and abilities for the players.
But really, what’s the fun of Dungeons & Dragons without an occasional dragon or two?
If you’re interested in Beadle & Grimm’s Silver Edition of Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons, you can purchase it at the Beadle & Grimm’s Pandemonium Warehouse for $185.
Beadle & Grimm’s provided me with a copy of this boxed set, but had no input into the review.
