Dark Horse Reveals First Dungeons & Dragons Comic

Dark Horse has revealed its first Dungeons & Dragons comic, the result of a new licensing deal between the comics publisher and Wizards of the Coast. Today, The Gamer posted a preview for Dungeons and Dragons: The Fallbacks, a new comic book focused on an adventuring group of misfits. The team consists of elf ogue Tess, human fighter Anson, the tiefling bard Lark, dwarf cleric Baldric, and otyugh companion Uggie. The Fallbacks previously were featured in two novels published by Random House and also appeared in artwork in the new 2024 Core Rulebooks.

The new comics series will be written by Greg Pak, with pencils by Wilton Santos, inks by Edvan Alves, colors by Raul Angulo, and letters by Nate Piekos. The four issue miniseries will launch starting in October 2025.

​

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

If you like guns in your D&D then fine, if you don't then fine but D&D is not, generally, medieval. Sure it has medieval influences but it also draws heavy influences from fantasy literature like Tolkien. At least it did anyway, I get the impression that has become less and less the case over the years as D&D has evolved it's own mythology. Also, the middle ages (medieval times) lasted a looong time, the 5th - 15th century, and I believe guns weren't a thing until the 1200s or 1300s (I didn't look it up, just going from memory) so for most of the middle ages guns were not in use.

For most of the middle ages, guns were not in use, but neither was full plate. Full plate armor was a response to the development of firearms. Any D&D setting without guns should logically also top out at breastplates and splint. If your idea of a "knight in shining armor" looks like this, that knight should also be packing heat.

 

[Hex08]

For most of the middle ages, guns were not in use, but neither was full plate. Full plate armor was a response to the development of firearms. Any D&D setting without guns should logically also top out at breastplates and splint. If your idea of a "knight in shining armor" looks like this, that knight should also be packing heat.

You are correct and i don't disagree. It just kind of brings us back to my point that D&D just has medieval influences (along with other influences) but isn't a medieval game. If you like guns or not in your game it's cool and the same with full plate. However, I would argue that the armor is more tied the general public's perception, even if that perception is wrong, of the middle ages from books, TV and movies than guns.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

D&D is not, generally, medieval.

Quite. Or indeed at all, ever. I don't care about about guns particularly, I just get irritated when people who know nothing about history go on about D&D being medieval.

And the best explanation for why there are no guns (or pants) in your setting is a wizard did it.

 

[GrimCo]

Sure, firearms are present in the time of full plate harness. Plate started to spread around Europe 1400-1450, peak was in late 1400s. Firearms of that period - hand canons ( primitive tube like devices), matchlock arquebus ( 1450-1470), bomards and cannons. Wheellock is from around same period as Maximilian armor ( heavier armor made in response to better hand guns). By the time of snaplocks (mid 16th ct) and flintlocks (17th ct), full plate harness was phased out.

I have no problems with guns in D&D. They are just inferior option. Plain old Wand of magic missile has better range, precision, works in all weather conditions and has greater rate of fire until we come to mid 19th ct firearms that use cartridges ( lever action rifles and double action revolvers.

D&D is very anachronistic, it blends stuff from different periods, but it caps at early renaissance in most offficial settings.

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

Sure, firearms are present in the time of full plate harness. Plate started to spread around Europe 1400-1450, peak was in late 1400s. Firearms of that period - hand canons ( primitive tube like devices), matchlock arquebus ( 1450-1470), bomards and cannons. Wheellock is from around same period as Maximilian armor ( heavier armor made in response to better hand guns). By the time of snaplocks (mid 16th ct) and flintlocks (17th ct), full plate harness was phased out.

I have no problems with guns in D&D. They are just inferior option. Plain old Wand of magic missile has better range, precision, works in all weather conditions and has greater rate of fire until we come to mid 19th ct firearms that use cartridges ( lever action rifles and double action revolvers.

D&D is very anachronistic, it blends stuff from different periods, but it caps at early renaissance in most offficial settings.

Anyone can make a gun and they can be manufactured at scale. Depending on the edition not everyone can make a wand of magic missile, not can everyone use them or mass produce them.

If it were possible to give every conscript, doughboy or private a wand of magic missile, surely a setting would have done so already. Even Eberron doesn't go that far.

 

[GrimCo]

Realms has magic items galore, Wand of magic missile 1 are minor items available by the bucketload. But rules wise, going by 3.x, it's faster to crank up Wands. Any level 1 caster with MM spell and craft wand feat can do it in 1 day for 375 gold. By contrast, musket, using crafting rules, takes few weeks. Progress is in silver pieces, check*DC, and if you fail check, it can range from no progress to lose half material. No feats needed, but you need quite a few ranks (10-15) in craft skill to consistently succeed on Craft DC (by taking 10).

Eberron city guards use Wonds of magic missile, if CGPT is correct. It's been a while since i last read Eberron, but it says House Cannith produces them on industrial scale, and they are quite common among populace. It's equivalent to guns in USA. In FR, decent chunk of bodyguards, adventurers and similar people have them. They are common.

 

[Laurefindel]

Quite. Or indeed at all, ever. I don't care about about guns particularly, I just get irritated when people who know nothing about history go on about D&D being medieval..

And yet, it advertises itself more medieval and renaissance-like in its aesthetics than Victorian, or Napoleonian, or Frontier Western, or even Age of Sail Caribbean. Or at least, it used to.

Even in the old, almost psychedelic Erol Otus period with laser guns and crashed spaceships, characters are faux-medieval and romanticized Viking à la Wagnerian opera.

Now, more and more, D&D’s aesthetics is all over the place from the Stone Age to US prohibition period. Cool for me if it’s my jam, but it shouldn’t come to anyone’s surprise or irritation if I don’t enjoy that aesthetic. I don’t need a ph.D in medieval history to know that a fedora is clashing with my Excalibur knight.

 

[Mournblade94]

deleted elf/rogue commentary

 

[Mournblade94]

Sigh. As expected, the negative, toxic and "clever" comments abound . . .

And add in some gross comments about the elf rogue being heavy.

If you don't care for the artwork, the characters, or the tone . . . that's fine. But the kind of comments we're seeing in this thread are the kind that makes me embarrassed of our hobby sometimes.

I don't think the comments have been negative. I'm a fat dude and when i see "adventurer" like the elf especially it looks wrong. these arent Larp characters, they should reflect the fiction better. As an overweight person that "elf" feels like pandering to fill in a box.

 

[Mournblade94]

And yet, it advertises itself more medieval and renaissance-like in its aesthetics than Victorian, or Napoleonian, or Frontier Western, or even Age of Sail Caribbean. Or at least, it used to.

Even in the old, almost psychedelic Erol Otus period with laser guns and crashed spaceships, characters are faux-medieval and romanticized Viking à la Wagnerian opera.

Now, more and more, D&D’s aesthetics is all over the place from the Stone Age to US prohibition period. Cool for me if it’s my jam, but it shouldn’t come to anyone’s surprise or irritation if I don’t enjoy that aesthetic. I don’t need a ph.D in medieval history to know that a fedora is clashing with my Excalibur knight.

I absolutely can't stand the Art aesthetic of the 2024 D&D. Its skillfully done but its likr I'm seeing art of modern day LARPers playing a character.