[Updated] Proposed LEGO Dungeon Master Set Mixes Bricks & Tabletop RPGs

Published: February 16, 2017 12:01 PM /

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LEGO Ideas Dungeon Master

Update: The Lego "Dungeon Master" set has crossed 10,000 supporters now, meaning that it's moving onto the next step of getting officially reviewed by Lego. Ymarilego, the creator of the set, posted an update celebrating reaching the milestone and showing some bonus levels.

Original Story Below:

A proposed LEGO set titled "Dungeon Master" that aims to facilitate playing tabletop pen & paper role playing games surged in popularity overnight after a Reddit post on the /r/DNDNext subreddit (helped along by other posts on the site).

The set is being proposed through the LEGO Ideas website which allows anyone with an idea (and the time to mock it up) to propose a LEGO set and gather votes in a fashion similar to a Steam Greenlight campaign. The process is pretty straightforward - if a project manages to hit 10,000 votes within a given timeframe, it will be evaluated in a thrice-yearly "LEGO review" that will determine the marketability of the set. Of course, not all sets are approved, but the company behind the classic plastic building bricks states that everyone gets a fair shake.

The campaign only had 100 Supporters as of January 24, 2017, according to its status page. Following the Reddit post, it quickly went past the 1,000 Supporter milestone and subsequently crossed the 5,000 Supporter milestone. It now sits at just over 6,200 Supporters (out of 10,000 needed for a review) with 765 days remaining to meet that goal. The number of Supporters are growing at a steady pace - it grew by 40 Supporters over the course of this article being written.

The set showcases several configuration examples with the proposed pieces that would allow for a decent variety in rooms. Although the examples shown are fantasy-themed, the creator states that players could add in Minifigures, bricks, and props from other sets to change the theme as needed. Of course, absolutely nothing stands in the way of an intrepid Dungeon Master who wants to use existing LEGO sets in place of other kinds of tabletop miniatures (regardless of the game they're playing). The core point of the set is ostensibly to provide tabletop gamers with a sort of "starter pack" that would contain all of the basics for a fantasy theme. Of course, the "Dungeon Master" title would probably have to change - that term is trademarked byWizards of the Coast. There is also the possibility of a licensing deal with Wizards or looking to another similar pencil & paper RPG such as Pathfinder.

The idea of getting creative and using something like Minifigures for a campaign has been the hallmark of DMs on a budget for years. Some people have gone further and incorporated the "stud and brick" design into gameplay: Brik Wars is a fan-created game that specifically utilizes these types of toys (regardless of the brand) as part of the gameplay.

What do you think of the "Dungeon Master" set? If it were released on store shelves, would you pick it up? For the Dungeon Masters on a budget out there, what have you used for gameplay when you couldn't afford to buy the higher-quality miniatures and set pieces? Let us know in the comments below!

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
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One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N