Are you a Dungeon Master looking to add just a little bit of extra magic to your campaign? Beadle and Grimm’s might be just what you’re looking for to take your D&D sessions from ordinary to extraordinary.
The company was founded by a group of friends who have been playing Dungeons & Dragons together for the last 27 years. Matthew Lillard, Bill Rehor, Charlie Rehor, Jon Ciccolini, and Paul Shapiro aim to take some of the most fascinating components of D&D, like maps, monsters, and puzzles, out of the imagination and into the real world.
Beadle & Grimm’s made their debut at the Stream of Many Eyes in June, with sample items even appearing briefly in a game helmed by Mark Hulmes.
On Twitter, Beadle and Grimm’s described their collections as “authentic physical artifacts and elements to give your players as immersive a tabletop play experience as possible! Maps, minis, letters, and many more things that we can’t talk about… yet!”
The first kit will be a supplement to Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, a new Dungeons & Dragons adventure for levels 1-5 coming in September. The Platinum Edition is jam-packed with illustrated encounter cards that will fit over a DM screen, battle maps, over 20 miniatures, art, and even handouts like letters or diary pages.
At the Stream of Many Eyes, Matthew Lillard revealed that they had actually come up with and pitched the idea to Wizards of the Coast at the Stream of Annihilation the year before.
“So [Dungeons and Dragons’] Mike Mearls and Nathan Stewart were on a street corner, and I was sitting with all my buddies,” Matthew told Geek & Sundry. “I was like, ‘I’m going to go pitch the company.’ And they were like, ‘No! Don’t!’ And I said, ‘F*** you, I’m going to go do it!'”
Wizards of the Coast was intrigued, and one year later, Beadle and Grimm’s and their box made a big splash the first night of the D&D event.
A huge thank you to @Wizards_DnD @NathanBStewart @Gregtito #dnd and all of the amazing performers, crew, staff and visitors who helped make #SoMEDnD such an amazing launch of Beadle & Grimm’s Pandemonium Warehouse! Looking forward to more fun and games! pic.twitter.com/CX9vJbpNRS
— Beadle & Grimm’s (@BeadleAndGrimm) June 4, 2018
“What makes the [Stream of Many Eyes] weekend spectacular is the fellowship that transpires over the three days,” said Matthew. “It’s a celebration of who we are as people and the community we belong to. It’s hard to quantify what that means to those of us who call ourselves ‘gamers’ or ‘D&D players’ or ‘nerds.’ To come together and have a kick-ass time, and celebrate what makes us unique… it’s perfect.”
The Platinum Edition is currently available for pre-order at a retail price of $499.00 with a planned release date in November 2018. Keep an eye on Beadle and Grimm’s website for more announcements, editions, and adventures coming soon.
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Featured Photo: Kelly Knox
All Other Photos: Beadles and Grimm’s
Prototypes pictured, not final Waterdeep: Dragon Heist Platinum Edition content.