Column: LEGO Ideas 21348 Dungeons & Dragons is good for non-D&D fans

While it comes at a high price, LEGO Ideas 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale is nothing but good news for LEGO Castle enthusiasts, whether you prefer history or fantasy.

I am undoubtedly part of the target audience for 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale – being a fan of LEGO sets for nearly two decades and both a player and Dungeon Master in Dungeons & Dragons for one. As mentioned in my review, 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale has impressed me, but I can see why the price might intimidate non-D&D fans who are debating on skipping this set.

21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale is the newest licensed LEGO Ideas set, coming as the latest in the partnership between the LEGO Group and Hasbro. Alone, it’s not too notable but it launches on the same day as the Mimic Dice Box gift-with-purchase, a tie-in adventure book and there’s a D&D Collectible Minifigures series coming in September.

Whether or not all of this was planned when the challenge started in 2022, it’s clear that the LEGO Group is confident in this new partnership with Wizards of the Coast. Licensed sets have a strong history in the LEGO portfolio and 2023’s top-selling themes included LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Harry Potter. Star Wars specifically is always in one of the top spots, demonstrating that there is proven success with licensed sets.

For LEGO Castle or similar enthusiasts planning on skipping 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale, the licensed D&D partnership starting with the LEGO Ideas set is nothing but good news. Despite the high price, LEGO Ideas 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale is almost certain to highly appeal to a considerable number of LEGO Castle and fantasy enthusiasts, D&D fans and those who enjoy both LEGO sets and D&D – including myself.

It has yet to be seen whether or not the set is going to be a success but even should the model not sell well, the September 2024 D&D minifigure series is almost guaranteed to be nearly a tenth of the price for a taste of LEGO D&D. It could be a much more accessible entry into this world and with useful pieces for Castle enthusiasts to collect. Either way, I’d wager that this partnership is going to be seen as a success by the LEGO Group and Wizards of the Coast.

While 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale leans heavily into the fantasy angle, it doesn’t exactly alienate LEGO enthusiasts who prefer traditional Castle models, as explained by designer Mark Stafford in a recent roundtable with LEGO Fan Media.

“Yeah, I don’t see why not. It’s some fantasy creatures on a pretty nice ruined castle,” responded Stafford when asked whether he believed the set could appeal to those unfamiliar with the source material. “With a tavern out front, I think it would blend in quite nicely in any Castle display at a fun event.

“I don’t think we’re excluding anybody by making it D&D – they might be a little weirded out as to why this black panther creature has tentacles on its back and six legs or what a Beholder is, but I don’t think it’s going to stop anybody from enjoying it. I tried to keep a lot of it generic.”

Provided that there is a future between the LEGO Group and Wizards of the Coast beyond the minifigures coming in September, LEGO D&D could theoretically be a reason for the LEGO Group to give Castle a new full theme, tying it into a license for some more reliable profits.

That’s not to say that LEGO Castle isn’t profitable – it wouldn’t have lasted as long as it has if that were the case. There’s simply evidence that homegrown content is more of a challenge to nurture, as was recently explained by LEGO Group CEO Niels B. Christiansen, referring to LEGO DREAMZzz, “You don’t build a homegrown IP in six months or nine months.”

While Castle has 45 years of factions and builds, D&D has 50 years of stories, recurring characters and arguably more reach than the LEGO theme. Admittedly, removing the D&D elements for more medieval models could become tiring but LEGO Castle has a deep history with undoubtedly fantastical elements, most notably from 2007 to 2009. For the right displays, LEGO D&D sets could be integrated with little to no changes.

Of course, that all depends on whether or not there is a future for LEGO D&D beyond the September 2024 minifigure series. In any case, the minifigures included in 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale are more than compatible enough with minifigures of all shapes, sizes and source materials thanks to a lack of skin colours on the printing.

Overall, it paints a promising picture for the future of LEGO Castle, whether it gets another full theme or sticks to the occasional LEGO Icons or Creator sets as it has been recently. Using a license to bring some familiarity and a larger audience into the concept of medieval or fantasy LEGO sets could be nothing but good news for LEGO Castle enthusiasts in the long run.

Even for those with nowhere near as much confidence as myself in the new LEGO D&D content, you can’t deny that 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale is at least going to provide some useful pieces to Pick a Brick for custom builds and minifigures alike. LEGO Castle has been back for a while now but we could be on the precipice of something extremely promising for fans of the classic theme.

21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale launches on April 1 for LEGO Insiders or on April 4 widely for £314.99 / $359.99 / €359.99.

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