RPG Evolution: Gift Ideas for Dragon Fans

Know someone who loves dragons? Look no further!

Please Note: I'm a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to http://amazon.com. Amazon regularly posts and delists items so these may not all be in stock, and if you plan to purchase these for the holidays check delivery times as some may be shipped from overseas. Listings are in price order from lowest to highest.

Dragon Playing Cards ($7)​

These cards are designed with dragon images and colors, making them ideal for playing poker, blackjack, or other card games when you don't have enough players for a tabletop game. They are made of premium material with a linen finish, which also makes them spill-proof.

Dragon Toy Figure ($15)​

This dragon toy is likely inspired by Game of Thrones. It's made of plastic and features hand-painted features and uniquely molded textures. It measures 8.5 inches wide and 8 inches long.

Sterling Silver Dragon Earrings ($17)​

These 925 sterling silver earrings are half an inch in size. They are tarnish resistant, hypoallergenic, nickel-free, lead-free, cadmium-free and are small enough to be comfortable to wear all day.

Heavy Metal Black Book Ends ($18)​

These book ends are shaped like dragons. They are suitable for holding magazines, books, DVDs, games, and more. They are made of heavy metal and have a matte texture. The dragon itself is a cut out, so you'll need light colored books or magazines on the ends to make it work.

Flavery Dragon Egg ($30)​

This is a surprise egg that contains a beautiful crystal dragon that is 3D printed and has movable joints. The dragon is 12 inches long and has a pearly sheen. The egg is also 3D printed and has a rainbow color.

Dragon Necklace ($37)​

This dragon pendant that is made of 925 sterling silver and has a heart-shaped crystal in the center. The crystal is also available in different colors and birthstones. The pendant is 25.5 x 20.5 mm and comes with an 18+2 inch chain.

Dragon Costume ($40)​

Ever wanted to ride a dragon? Well now you can with this costume! It's made of high-quality waterproof polyester and includes an air pump that requires batteries. It comes in two sizes: 63 inches and 72 inches.

 

[sevenbastard]

Here is what gets me. That dragon figure is $15. An official D&D wizkids dragon of the same size would be at least 4 times that. I get Hasbro wants it's cut, but think of how much better all of our tables would look with low cost minis?

Any one who plays Warhammer feel free to jump in and tell me "You don't even know bro how well you have it".

Also how big of a stretch is is for a toy company to make toys. Hasbro has to have some ecomomybof scale on making minis?

 

[talien]

Here is what gets me. That dragon figure is $15. An official D&D wizkids dragon of the same size would be at least 4 times that. I get Hasbro wants it's cut, but think of how much better all of our tables would look with low cost minis?

Any one who plays Warhammer feel free to jump in and tell me "You don't even know bro how well you have it".

Also how big of a stretch is is for a toy company to make toys. Hasbro has to have some ecomomybof scale on making minis?

For a long time, one of my hobbies was trolling toy stores and garage sales for compatible figures -- at least close enough in scale -- so that I could use them in my D&D games. When you get to bigger creatures this becomes a lot easier. To your point, if what you care about is using a figure that roughly looks like what it should on the table, there are a LOT of options.

Generally speaking though, you're paying for convenience. You know the monster looks like what it should and is sized the way it should. Reaper had this problem in that they would say, make a giant centipede but not scale it so it fit a one-inch base, and thus would make it less than ideal for D&D games where a giant centipede is a small creature.

Another example is the stirge. Stirges come in large groups, but the nature of the D&D miniature randomization packs was that they ended up being rare. These critters were hard to get, and thus became very expensive. So a pack of six stirges became far more expensive than some of the larger figures. My solution was to take some kind of bug monster from other miniature games, rebase them, and use those instead.

In short, it's really on us. The market bears what we're willing to pay. I'm happy to be creative with my choices -- once I got a 3D printer, it completely cured my interest in buying or converting any miniature, ever.

 

[aramis erak]

Here is what gets me. That dragon figure is $15. An official D&D wizkids dragon of the same size would be at least 4 times that. I get Hasbro wants it's cut, but think of how much better all of our tables would look with low cost minis?

Any one who plays Warhammer feel free to jump in and tell me "You don't even know bro how well you have it".

Also how big of a stretch is is for a toy company to make toys. Hasbro has to have some ecomomybof scale on making minis?

Remembering the days of Ral Partha minis for $0.50 or less in the FLGS bulk bins, and in blisters for $1....

The thing is, inflation since 1981 is about 4×...
Lead was about $1.15 per kg - if it were still legal to sell lead minis, lead's only gone up to about $2.35/kg...

But there was this issue with lead and pewter minis... and many minis manufacturers switched to either a lead free "white metal" -- running (depending upon specifics) $20-$40 per kg...
Others went to injection molded plastic... which has a high setup cost...

3d printing is rapidly coming down to the point that, without a large up-front cash flow, they don't make sense to produce commercially.

The Reaper Models mode is huge pre-order, to fund not just running the pre-order, but the store sales bulk, too... and the ability to rerun the given molds if they run out..

But as many of us are going to cheaper methods than minis...

• pogs/counters/tokens
• meeples
• gaming cubes
• printed plastic sheet "flats" with bases.
• Cardboard flats with bases
• cardstock "minis" - A-frames or triangular tubes.

The market changed, the games industry is changing to match.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

As a major dragon fan:

Cards look decent but very, very busy.
Toy is...fine? It's most of the dragon appearance tropes that don't appeal to me so it's not for me but I can see why others would want it.
Earrings are cute. I don't have piercings but I would totally consider wearing those if I did.
Bookends look good. I have no need of them, but would love such a thing if I did.
Egg is...fine, I guess, but I personally have tried to move away from purely decorative curios. Also looks like it would be a nightmare to dust. I could see it for a dedicated gaming room or workplace curio though.
Pendant is alright, would have preferred including an alternative that looks a little more masculine, but apart from the heart cut it ain't too bad.
Costume is silly, but if it actually has a battery-powered air pump to keep its structure, $40 seems a bit more reasonable, air pumps can't be terribly cheap. So many costumes these days are ridiculously expensive despite being very low-quality.

 

[Dire Bare]

Here is what gets me. That dragon figure is $15. An official D&D wizkids dragon of the same size would be at least 4 times that. I get Hasbro wants it's cut, but think of how much better all of our tables would look with low cost minis?

Any one who plays Warhammer feel free to jump in and tell me "You don't even know bro how well you have it".

Also how big of a stretch is is for a toy company to make toys. Hasbro has to have some ecomomybof scale on making minis?

There are some fantastic toys out there, that make great "miniatures" for our gaming tables, to be sure.

But toys are aimed at a different, more broad, market than gaming miniatures. It's not all about the amount of plastic involved, the quality of the sculpt and paint job, but about how many they can expect to sell, that determines the price. And yes, the D&D brand adds to the price point, for sure.

But still, I've wondered, like you and others, why Hasbro can't seem to leverage their main job, making toys, to support D&D. Why license out to WizKids for the miniatures and some board games? Why license out to Renegade Games for board, card, and RPG games? Obviously, they have their reasons, but I can't help but think this is indicative of the struggles the toymaker is having.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Costume is a great idea, sadly I will have probably forgotten all about it Halloween time 2024

 

[CleverNickName]

Costume is a great idea, sadly I will have probably forgotten all about it Halloween time 2024

Then you shouldn't wait for Halloween! This costume is great for all sorts of holidays and occasions:

• Weddings. Especially if you're the ring-bearer or best man. And, bonus: you'd only have to rent half the tuxedo.
• Job interviews. I guarantee that if you stroll up in this costume, you'll get hired on sheer audacity alone.
• Company picnic. You'll be the hit of the party, especially with all the kids. And if they have a bouncy castle, you can pretend to assault it!
• Funerals. Just get some construction paper and cut out some giant blue teardrops, tape them to the dragon's face, and you're both in mourning.
• Book readings/book signings. If the book is about dragons, the audience will love you. If the book is not about dragons, you wouldn't be there in the first place.
• Parent-Teacher Conferences. Your kids will already be mortified from their home life colliding with their school life. Might as well lean into that energy, and make everyone uncomfortable.
• I could go on. Baby shower? Yes. Church revival? Yes. Babysitting? Absolutely yes.