2026 Gift Giving Guide

A guided way into D&D with adventures, character materials, maps, tokens, and dice. Designed for two to four players and a DM, using the revised rules. Pick the physical Starter Set if you want something to unwrap; digital adventure packs are separate unless the listing explicitly includes both.

The revised core book for players, with character creation, spells, equipment, and the rules you’ll reach for during a game. Check which edition their table uses before buying; this is the 2024 book, also sold as 5.5e.

Enough basic seven-die sets to get a whole little adventuring party rolling. Sensible first dice, spare dice, emergency dice for the friend who somehow arrived without dice. Check the listing’s pack size and colors before choosing.

Prompts and exercises for building a character with a personality beyond “elf with a sword.” A useful gift for someone who’s excited to play but draws a complete blank when asked who their character actually is.

Purpose-built notebooks for character stats, spells, loot, and the suspicious names your DM keeps mentioning. Look for the updated 5.5e printing; older Amazon listings may still show the original 2014-rules journals.

A storage box that opens into a play area, with a dice tray and a clear write-on overlay for a character sheet. It can support a phone or tablet too. Check its dimensions against their usual books and gear; this is an organizer, not a bag of holding.

A soft little treasure chest with teeth, a zippered compartment for dice, and a clip for attaching it to a bag. A fun first accessory that doesn’t require knowing their character class or which books they own. The dice in the product photos aren’t included; the suspicious tongue is.

The revised DM’s toolkit for running sessions, building adventures, and handing out interesting trouble. A strong upgrade for a table using the revised rules. It’s a different book from the 2014 edition, so check the cover and publication year.

The revised Monster Manual released in 2025, with creatures ready to populate the dungeon, swamp, or suspiciously quiet village. Some shops label it “2024” to match the revised core line; look for the new beholder cover.

A suitably ominous home for NPC names, clues, maps, and the villain’s increasingly unsuccessful plans. The embossed cover does a lot of atmosphere work before your DM has said a word. A nice choice when you don’t know which rulebooks they already own.

Hide the notes, the dice, and the fact that this bartender didn’t exist thirty seconds ago. This four-panel screen holds printed reference sheets, so your DM can load it with the rules they actually use.

For sketching the room the party just decided to fight in. A reusable grid is useful even for a DM who usually runs combat in their head; sometimes everybody needs to agree on exactly where that pit is.

A spiral-bound collection of 62 fantasy maps with wipe-clean pages. It lies flat for miniatures and gives your DM something better than “imagine this coffee stain is a castle.” Great for improvised encounters and shorter prep nights.

Michael Shea’s eight-step approach to preparing useful sessions without writing a second novel. The advice works across editions and keeps attention on the things players will actually encounter. Choose the physical book if you’re wrapping it.

Keith Ammann’s guide to thinking like the creatures on the other side of the initiative order. The original book analyzes 2014 monster stat blocks, so check abilities before copying a tactic into a revised-rules game. The approach to creature behavior still earns its shelf space.

Was the ogre frightened, poisoned, or just having a difficult afternoon? These labeled rings put conditions and spell effects right on the battlefield, with four markers for each of 24 effects and a book-shaped storage box. Best for tables that use miniatures; check the fit for unusually large or square bases.

Justin Alexander’s substantial guide to building and running dungeons, mysteries, heists, cities, and wilderness adventures. A good pick for the DM who wants to understand how an adventure works underneath the story. It’s a deep read rather than a quick checklist, and complements Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master nicely.

Solid zinc-alloy dice for someone who wants every damage roll to have a little more ceremony. Pair them with a tray so the dining table doesn’t become part of the encounter. Check the finish and case pictured on the listing.

A reversible tray that folds into shape with magnets and opens flat for packing. An easy gift for the player whose d20 regularly escapes under the sofa. The tray is the gift; dice shown in product photos may be props.

A player-focused supplement for the revised rules, with character options and Forgotten Realms lore. A good fit for someone who wants their hero to feel connected to the setting. Check that the DM is using these options before surprising them with a new build.

Optional character material, spells, and DM tools from the 2014-era expanded rules. Best for a player whose table still uses that material. Revised-rules groups should check which options have already been replaced in newer books.

A 2014-era supplement full of subclasses, spells, and extra tools for the table. It’s a particularly good gift when someone has asked for it by name. As with Tasha’s, check the group’s rules and allowed books first.

For the person who believes every campaign would improve with at least one more dragon. Includes dragon lore, lairs, creatures, and character material. It predates the revised core rules, so treat the mechanical options as something to discuss with the DM.

For the person arriving at game night with three rulebooks, a fistful of minis, and a grocery bag that’s doing its best. The classic Adventurer’s Bag has padded book storage, a foam compartment for sixteen 28mm miniatures, accessory pockets, and straps for a rolled battle mat. Books, minis, and mat aren’t included.

A castle-shaped dice tower that folds flat, with magnets and snaps holding it together when it’s time to roll. The attached tray catches the dice before they invade somebody’s snacks. A useful pick for players who travel to sessions and want a little table theater without carrying a wooden fortress.

Build rooms and corridors, rearrange them, and watch the players insist on climbing over the walls. A good gift for a DM who enjoys physical scenery. Check the exact configuration and contents; the different sets aren’t interchangeable shopping quantities.

A collection of characters to reach for when the party wants to interview every person in town. Useful for motives, quirks, and faces you can adapt to your own world. Check any included 5e mechanics against your table’s rules.

For the DM who likes giving the party something to do besides hit things. A source of hazards, puzzles, and dungeon material to adapt into a campaign. Match the difficulty and mechanics to the people actually sitting at the table.

Maps, tables, and story hooks for the moment your players turn left instead of right. Useful as an idea bank even when you never run a page exactly as written. It’s written for 5e; revised-rules DMs should check the mechanical details.

Six classic adventures remastered for fifth edition, including a trip into the very strange Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. A nice gift for a DM who enjoys older dungeon ideas but wants a newer presentation. This anthology predates the revised core books.

The DM-focused companion to Heroes of Faerûn, built around places and adventures in the Forgotten Realms. Choose this for the person running the campaign; Heroes is the player-facing book. Both belong to the revised-rules era.

A portable alternative to hauling an entire miniature collection: 64 weighted discs in Medium, Large, and Huge sizes, plus five sheets of reusable creature clings. Peel, stick, and populate the encounter. Particularly useful for DMs building a collection from scratch; the discs are flat tokens, so don’t buy this expecting sculpted miniatures.

Ten dragon-centered adventures for characters from level 1 through 12, with lair maps and quick-start summaries for the DM. A good gift for someone who wants more actual dragons in their Dungeons & Dragons. Written for the revised rules; they’ll need the revised core books, including the Monster Manual, to run it.

Eleven paints, two brushes, three miniatures, and instructions in one box. A friendly introduction to basecoating, washes, and drybrushing. Look for Core Skills, SKU 08906; the color expansions are separate products.

Another approachable way into painting RPG miniatures, combining paints and models in a starter package. A good alternative to the Reaper kit rather than something you need to buy alongside it. Check the listing’s included contents before choosing a version.

Keeps ordinary acrylic miniature paints workable for longer while you blend colors and fuss over tiny boots. Useful once someone has moved beyond painting straight from the bottle. Check that you’re buying the complete palette, not only replacement sheets.

A grip for holding a miniature while you paint it, rather than decorating your fingertips and rubbing off yesterday’s work. Check the base sizes the handle accepts, especially if their favorite models are large monsters.

Three brushes for different painting jobs, from broad coverage to smaller details. A sensible addition for someone nursing one battered brush through every stage of a model. Brush soap and a little care will make the gift last longer.

For the player starting to assemble and clean up miniatures as well as paint them. A collection of basic hobby tools is more useful than improvising with the kitchen scissors. Check the included tools and the materials their models use before choosing a kit.

Three rounded drybrushes in different sizes for bringing out scales, fur, stone, and all those little details hiding in dungeon scenery. A useful next step beyond a basic brush set, especially for terrain painters. Start with a light load of paint and practice on a spare piece before attacking the prized dragon.

Brush soap is an unexpectedly good gift for someone who already has paints and a favorite brush. Add water, work it through the bristles, and rinse to help remove acrylic paint and keep those points in shape. Pair it with the brush set above for a small, useful painting bundle.

Recipes inspired by the worlds of D&D, from tavern food to a meal worthy of the whole adventuring party. A good gift for the person already feeding everyone at game night. Pair it with an offer to handle the dishes.

More D&D-inspired cooking for someone who already owns the original Heroes’ Feast. A nice way to bring the campaign’s atmosphere to the table before initiative. Check dietary preferences before planning the meal around your favorite monster.

A coffee-table book about fifth edition’s art, development, and people, with interviews and more than 900 pieces of artwork, photography, and advertising. For the fan who can spend twenty minutes explaining why one particular dragon illustration is the best dragon illustration.

A visual history of the game through its artwork and design. A lovely choice for someone who enjoys the older books, the strange early monsters, or simply looking at an unreasonable number of excellent fantasy pictures.

A tour through D&D’s settings and multiverse, mixing art, lore, and short fiction. A good match for someone who wants to explore the worlds between campaigns, with no character sheet required.

An illustrated introduction to D&D creatures for younger readers and monster enthusiasts. It focuses on ideas and encounters rather than teaching the complete game. A good gift for someone who loves the creatures before they’re ready to tackle a full rulebook.

A book of jokes and puns for the bard, the dad-joke specialist, or the friend who’s already been asked to stop naming NPCs. You’re giving them more material. The consequences are yours to live with.

A separate, quick-playing D&D-themed card game for the nights when the full campaign can’t happen. A fun choice for someone who likes the fantasy but doesn’t want to learn a roleplaying system. Look for the base game if they don’t already own it.

A standalone cooperative board game where one to five players tackle Strahd and other Ravenloft monsters, each with a different puzzle to solve. Ages 10+, with games taking about 45–60 minutes and nobody required to DM. Best for gothic-horror fans; owners of other Horrified games should expect a familiar foundation.