Let’s start this review saying thanks to Marco Bertini and Pierfrancesco Lucchetti for providing us with a digital copy of The Dragon Compendium. With this supplement for D&D5e, we explore more deeply one of the most fascinating creatures for any adventurer. If you plan to focus your campaign on dragons, The Dragon Compendium will help you incorporate new elements more related to these creatures into the story. In fact, you will find a new race, a new class, magic items, spells and monsters created specifically for the occasion.
You can purchase the compendium on the Dungeon Masters Guild website (in English and digital format) for $9.95.
A New Race in The Dragon Compendium: Review of the Half-Dragon
Half-dragons are rare creatures that represent the union of two seemingly distant worlds that fate has decided to unite. Although their appearance is humanoid, most decide to retreat into small, isolated communities. Sooner or later, draconic features such as scales, claws or even wings will appear making their bond obvious.
The legacy of the progenitors does not stop at mere appearance, however. The blood in their veins carries with it innate magic, resistance and fearsome breath, making Half- Dragons formidable allies (or enemies). In the manual you will find all the power variables derived from their ancestors: to each type of dragon, particular abilities correspond. For example, the offspring of black dragons possess acid-type spells and can breathe both in water and on land, while those of green dragons prefer poison and have an advantage in intimidation.
A New Class in The Dragon Compendium: the Soulbonded
The Soulbonded are individuals who are part of a very ancient order, composed of those who at birth are mysteriously bound to the soul of a dragon. This bond is unbreakable and becomes a fundamental part of their existence, as well as the certainty that they will be destined for something great.
This link brings undeniable advantages. Selected spells and a manifestation of the dragon itself at our side, which will gain power in tandem with the character.
The Soulbonded follow one of the following three subclasses:
- Dragon Knights: moved by honor and courage, they dedicate their lives to the service of the weak. As their power increases, these Soulbonded will be able to ride the very manifestation of the dragon bound to them.
- The Sages: these scholars decide to take the path of truth-seeking, using the wisdom and knowledge of dragons to question the nature of the bond itself and the power of draconic magic. Usually, they become excellent spellcasters.
- The Devourers: embracing the wildest and deepest part of their bond, they become solitary hunters and the very weapon in the service of the dragons’ bloodlust. In their corrupted form, they intimidate by shapeshifting and depriving enemies of their vitality.
New Magic Items
In this section, we will find 13 new items designed for your adventures.
In addition to useful support for your party, some items are linked to draconic cults or clans, thus creating useful cues for the continuation of a quest.
Not to mention the trinkets for which draconic relics are key parts in the creation of the same, making it easy to target a Soulbonded or Half-Dragon for the materials its capture might procure.
For example, in order to create Dragon Skin Bracelets, it will be necessary to make use of scales and claws from a young dragon in order to gain resistance to a given element. For a Sword of Draconic Breath, on the other hand, the ingredients required for creation include, in addition to a scale, the skin: depending on the dragon from which they were taken, we will be able to create a blade of energy consisting of different types of breath.
A good base, in short, for any master who wants to vary the story by already finding himself with numerous alternatives.
Monsters: Did Someone Say Dragons?
The joy and delight of any self-respecting good adventurer, this chapter brings us 17 new creatures to face.
We start with a Challenge 1 up to an important 22, thus giving all parties a chance to face a fair fight. Our least challenging opponent will then be a Barbed Dragon, a small-sized opponent that is extremely territorial and ready to defend the nest, suitable for a group of newbies. Quite another story, however, is represented by the dreaded Purple Dragon. Armor class of 20, an impressive 490 hit points and the ability to ignore any failed saving throws. In contrast, our opponent greets us with a puff of acid fog that not even too slowly dissolves enemies. A creature representing a perfect end-of-campaign target, for example.
The only disappointment is that the monsters have not been placed in Challenge order. Without a final summary, one is forced to quickly flip through all the pages to find what might suit them.
Aesthetics Review of The Dragon Compendium
In its 53 pages, the compendium is packed with quality illustrations. In general, the aesthetic is in line with that of the official D&D5e manuals.
The beautifully illustrated cover is by Leonardo Borazio and depicts a majestic Soulbonded in the act of observing her dragon companion.
The interior illustrations (borrowed from Wizards of the Coast with all the relevant permissions) are beautifully done, and the illustrators were able to indulge in using a large number of shades to give detail to the various dragon types.
Flipping through it, however, the feeling is that of having bought an official manual, since the layout and font are virtually identical to the original.
Conclusions of the Review of The Dragon Compendium
Dragons have always been among the most evocative creatures in the fantasy universe. So this compendium is a recommended purchase for those who want to delve more deeply into their nature.
The addition of new items and monsters also helps masters in need of thematic cues. The new class and race expand the options for players in an intriguing and balanced way. A collection of inspired ideas, in short, for D&D5e players looking for something new.
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