Amazon is currently offering a chunky 40% discount on the DnD adventure Tyranny of Dragons. Combining both Hoard of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamat into one story arc, this module delivers cult conspiracies, moral choices, and Tiamat, the legendary Dragon Queen herself.
This DnD book has just what you'd expect from a game called Dungeons and Dragons, with a healthy helping of each. It provides a fairly long campaign that both old and new players can sink their fangs into, and an introduction to the Forgotten Realms, my favorite DnD setting. It also gives the DM plenty of room to embellish, crafting in-jokes (or inn-jokes) and epic moments along the way.
Our story begins with Hoard of the Dragon Queen, where a town comes under attack by a dragon and its allies. As the plot unfolds, you learn more about the sinister Cult of the Dragon.
Then you move on to The Rise of Tiamat, which, much like The Lord of the Rings, begins with a pivotal gathering, as Faerûn leaders unite to confront the growing threat. The cult seeks to summon Tiamat, the five-headed Queen of Evil Dragons, from her prison in the Nine Hells.
The Rise of Tiamat features four council sessions that punctuate the story, each reflecting the party's progress and influencing the alliances they forge. While Tyranny of Dragons offers a structured narrative, it doesn't hold your hand as tightly in the second half, giving players the freedom to explore, negotiate, and shape the outcome. These council meetings serve as narrative anchors, drawing the party back into the heart of the conflict so they don't end up too off-topic.
One of my favorite aspects is the flexibility in character advancement. Using milestone leveling, you can choose key events during the campaign that trigger level-ups. In Hoard of the Dragon Queen, characters typically gain a level after each chapter, all bar chapter five.
By the end of this adventure, players should reach level eight, ready to begin part two: The Rise of Tiamat. Should you wish to beef up a new character that you want to run across multiple campaigns, this is a great adventure to start with. By the end, characters can potentially be at level 15.
Tyranny of Dragons certainly isn't perfect. Online, it's gained plenty of criticism for some unbalanced encounters and slightly wonky plot points. We'd still recommend it if you want a structured campaign based around DnD dragons, however, or just want to see the iconic villain Tiamat in action. And the good news is that there's plenty of free homebrew content online that will help a DM run this beast.
If you're already designing a character in your head, ready to embark on this adventure, those in the US can head over to Amazon and get their copy for $29.99. Meanwhile, UK Amazon customers can bag their copy at a 25% discount, bringing the price down to £31.15. This deal might not stick around for long, so if it's caught your eye, now's the time to grab it.
If you'd like some help creating your DnD character for this campaign, check out our guides on DnD classes and DnD races and species. I'll be playing my next campaign as a chaotic evil Tabaxi.
Or if you've got epic DnD tales to tell, we'd love to hear them over on our Community Discord, where we have a melting pot of enthusiasts, Wargamer writers, and perhaps some people you can inspire to start playing.