Dungeons & Dragons Endless Quest gamebooks are back in the wild! The series, which ran in the mid-80s and again in the mid-90s, returned with new books written by Matt Forbeck released by Penguin Random House and Candlewick Entertainment through a deal with Wizards of the Coast.
What are they? D&D gamebooks. They’re squarely Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA)/Endless Quest (EQ) style novels set in Forgotten Realms. While each of the books stands alone, they exist in the same setting and timeframe.
What classes are you playing? The classic core.
Who is Matt Forbeck? A writer with roots in game design starting with D&D 2e and so many more games. Focusing in on his D&D prose credentials, he’s authored an Eberron trilogy and did the D&D younger-readers series, The Knights of the Silver Dragon.
Why is this a big deal? Really, the answer to that question is the answer to this question: Where are they available? Target. You can buy these at the standard online retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc), but why this series is a big deal is that it’s available in brick and mortar Targets throughout the United States. Add to that, these books are shelved with the “Young Readers” books for ages 8 to 13. This product is not targeted [no pun intended] at the existing base but at new readers.
Penguin Random House, Candlewick, and WotC are putting their best foot forward with this. First, Matt Forbeck is the correct writer for this with the right resume and popularity to make this work. Second, the books are awash in art taken from 5e books. While these are recycled pieces, these are great pieces so that’s not a problem (and considering these are entry-level books, the reader is unlikely to be aware that the art is repurposed). Third, the books are well laid out and solidly printed, they look great! These four D&D books are getting a level of exposure that D&D specifically, and RPG in general, has not had in years. These Endless Quest novels will be some future RPGers gateway into a love of tabletop gaming.
This article was contributed by Egg Embry as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. Please note that Egg is a participant in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to DriveThruRPG. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you have a pitch, please contact us!
What are they? D&D gamebooks. They’re squarely Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA)/Endless Quest (EQ) style novels set in Forgotten Realms. While each of the books stands alone, they exist in the same setting and timeframe.
What classes are you playing? The classic core.
- The fighter’s story is entitled Escape the Underdark.
- The rogue’s story is To Catch a Thief. The biggest note here is that, despite the class being “Rogue”, the characters in this book clearly see the reader as a thief.
- The wizard’s tale is Big Trouble.
- The cleric’s is titled Into the Jungle.
Who is Matt Forbeck? A writer with roots in game design starting with D&D 2e and so many more games. Focusing in on his D&D prose credentials, he’s authored an Eberron trilogy and did the D&D younger-readers series, The Knights of the Silver Dragon.
Why is this a big deal? Really, the answer to that question is the answer to this question: Where are they available? Target. You can buy these at the standard online retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc), but why this series is a big deal is that it’s available in brick and mortar Targets throughout the United States. Add to that, these books are shelved with the “Young Readers” books for ages 8 to 13. This product is not targeted [no pun intended] at the existing base but at new readers.
Penguin Random House, Candlewick, and WotC are putting their best foot forward with this. First, Matt Forbeck is the correct writer for this with the right resume and popularity to make this work. Second, the books are awash in art taken from 5e books. While these are recycled pieces, these are great pieces so that’s not a problem (and considering these are entry-level books, the reader is unlikely to be aware that the art is repurposed). Third, the books are well laid out and solidly printed, they look great! These four D&D books are getting a level of exposure that D&D specifically, and RPG in general, has not had in years. These Endless Quest novels will be some future RPGers gateway into a love of tabletop gaming.
This article was contributed by Egg Embry as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. Please note that Egg is a participant in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to DriveThruRPG. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you have a pitch, please contact us!
