Gem Dragons return to Dungeons & Dragons 5E courtesy of new sourcebook

Dungeons & Dragons 5E’s next published book doubles down on the second part of its name and stretches across multiple in-game universes. Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons will detail the lives, eccentricities and magical influence of the loot hoarding lizards when it releases October 19th.

Announced as part of a recent press conference, Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons packs a lot of scaly source material between its pages. The eponymous and eccentric wizard - and not so secret avatar of the dragon-god Paladine - will serve as guide and colour commentator in much the same way that Volo, Mordenkainen and Tasha have for past supplements. The tome features ecological information on all currently known dragons, along with reintroducing the elusive gem dragons back to the game. These psychically gifted beasts were last included in a 3rd Edition Monster Manual.

The book will outline stat blocks for several gem dragon age groups, along with their more common chromatic and metallic cousins, and Dragonborn players will appreciate draconic ancestry options for all of them. Monks and rangers can check out new dragon-themed subclasses in The Way of the Ascendent Dragon and the Drake Warden, while everyone else will be privy to feats, magical items and other adventuring oddities.

Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons will explain the cosmic role dragons have played in the creation of not just the Forgotten Realms - Dungeons & Dragons current canonical setting - but every other one. Some dragons have become so powerful that they apparently contacted their alternate dimension counterparts and merged their powers to transcend the boundaries of reality as great wyrms or elder gods. Bahamut, Tiamat and perhaps even old Fizban are prime examples.

“Dragons are an essential part of the Material Plane,” game designer James Wyatt said, according to Polygon. “They were there when it was made. That’s why they have such a tremendous influence on the world around them when they establish their lairs. Their magic seeps out into the terrain, with their hoard as a focus of that magic.”

Those familiar with Fizban will be wondering if his origin in the Dragonlance setting of Advanced D&D and the book series from Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman mean anything about the future of D&D printed books. "It's not that, it's really a book about dragons across the whole of the D&D multiverse; it's not specific to any given D&D world," said D&D executive producer Ray Winniger “We're happy to be reintroducing at least some elements of that."

Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons will be available in retail as a hardcover book beginning October 19th and will cost $49.95 (£36). Like past books, local game stores will be offering an alternate art cover that will be available on the same day as the standard edition.