Lego Dungeons & Dragons – Red Dragon’s Tale review

After 50 years of adventure, the Lego Dungeons & Dragons set – Red Dragon’s Tale – brings two of the greatest nerd fandoms together. Designed in collaboration with DnD publisher Wizards of the Coast, this Lego Ideas set features iconic creatures like a beholder, a gelatinous cube… oh, and a giant red fire-breathing dragon. There’s a dungeon and everything! This DnD Lego set is a colorful, picturesque display piece filled with hidden secrets.

Beyond the impressive design, the set also includes a custom DnD campaign written by WotC, so you can play using the set as your backdrop, which is neat – who hasn’t used a Lego minifigure to represent their adventurer at least once? Whether assembling it solo or as a group, this build is a rewarding journey to rival some of the best DnD campaigns. Whether you’re a seasoned adventurer or a Lego enthusiast eager to learn how to play Dungeons and Dragons, this set is worth a look.

Specs

Lego Dungeons & Dragons Red Dragon’s Tale specifications:

Design Quality

The set breaks down into three stand-alone components, each with unique heights, shapes, sizes, and colors, creating a striking asymmetry that’s easy on the eyes. The regal purple tavern roof and lush green grass pop against the grey stone castle and bridge, while the dragon’s fiery red and orange hues add another bold splash of color.

Subtle details—like stained glass tiles above the tower door or a painting on the wall—bring more vibrancy to the scene. The circular curve of the bridge adds contrast to the tall tower. Assembled, the set components blend seamlessly to create a fantastic homage to DnD.

This set is packed with DnD monsters and references to the DnD universe, each adding variety to design and build. The awakened tree – which I kept calling an Ent during our campaign (much to the DM’s annoyance) – adds a happy little character to the scene. The beholder, with its lilac body and 11 eerie eyeballs, adds a dynamic mix of spheres and tentacles, while the owlbear is just an adorable little fella.

Smaller details, like lurking spiders, mischievous mimics, and scattered myconids, breathe even more life into the setting. The set includes 6 minifigures representing player characters with a variety of DnD classes and DnD races: an elf wizard, dwarf cleric, gnome fighter, orc rogue, plus a Dragonborn and an innkeeper NPC. There are three classic Lego skeletons, too! Rounding up the lineup, you’ll find a displacer beast, a gelatinous cube, and, of course, Cinderhowl, the menacing red dragon I mentioned earlier.

Cinderhowl is the real star of the show. Without her, this Dungeons and Dragons set would just be… well, Dungeons. Cinderhowl’s wings are made of cloth, a piece obviously created just for this set – it’s nice to see cloth being used for more than just capes. She’s fully articulated, too. Her tail has ball and socket pieces meaning you can bend it in every which way. You can even move her claws.

This sounds great, but she has a problematic habit of shedding parts whenever you move her, especially her jaw. Her bottom jaw and fire element are held together with just one small block, which isn’t really up to the job.

This set is packed with intricate details and hidden surprises. A crack in the wall conceals a spider, while a seemingly ordinary rock in the meadow conceals money and a key. There are hidden doors galore. Turning the set around reveals the tower’s four floors: a dungeon and basement, a shrine room, a study, and a dragon egg chamber—each filled with carefully crafted details.

The gelatinous cube cleverly hides items like a frying pan, while books, lanterns, coins, and gems are scattered throughout, perfect for players looking to collect loot during the campaign. The tavern detaches, and lifting the roof unveils its interior. The bed lifts up to reveal that it is not a bed at all – it’s a mimic! There is a chest complete with a compass… oh, no, wait, that’s also a mimic! The only question is, where are the stairs?

Ease of Assembly

Over the course of a week, my partner and I took turns building this set while watching British sitcom Gavin & Stacey. With four instruction booklets included, you can build each section separately before slotting them together to form the final structure. It’s well suited for a group project. We decided to take a more linear approach, building it piece by piece. As we progressed, my partner commented that the experience felt like we were embarking on an adventure—one piece at a time.

Overall, this set is a satisfying build with minimal repetition—a rarity for something of this size. The only real repetition is in assembling Cinderhowl’s limbs. Unique pieces, like the golden dragon pins in the shrine room, add extra charm and detail. It’s clear that a lot of thought went into the design, yet it remains an accessible and relaxing build. Perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon with something playing in the background.

But this is not the most stable of sets. While it’s rare for Lego sets for adults to be designed for interactive play rather than just display, its fragility makes actually playing with the set frustrating. Moving the set, detaching sections, or even just turning it around can cause pieces to fall off.

The awakened tree has been particularly troublesome – not only does my cat love chewing it, but it also feels like the slightest touch could make it fall off. The base also tends to shed pieces when repositioned, and I’ve even found a random piece that fell off without any clue where it came from. As mentioned before, Cinderhowl is prone to breaking, and despite multiple attempts, we couldn’t get her to sit on the bridge as shown in the official images. This fragility is easily the set’s biggest flaw.

Pricing

The Dungeons & Dragons set comes with a hefty price tag—$359.99 / £314.99, one of the most expensive Lego sets on the market right now. But when you break that price down brick by brick, it costs around $0.10 / £0.08 per piece, making it a solid deal compared to other large-scale Lego sets.

As a comparison, the Lego Legend of Zelda: Great Deku Tree set comes in at $0.12 / £0.10 per piece – the DnD set has the edge in value. And this set isn’t just a display piece—it also serves as an immersive backdrop for your DnD campaigns.

One minor annoyance is that the included campaign is only available digitally. My partner wanted a physical book to display alongside the set. As a DnD Dungeon Master, he finds flipping through a physical book much easier during a session. A printed version of the campaign would have been a thoughtful addition, adding even more value to the set.

Considering the high price tag of this set, more minifigures would have been welcome. A DnD Lego Minifigure set was released alongside this one, allowing you to expand your collection, but that means spending more money. If you’re a completionist like me, it will get expensive. (I’m just one minifigure away from completing the set!)

The campaign

The campaign is short, sweet, and easy to follow. It offers four playable characters, with the innkeeper and Dragonborn Alax acting as NPCs. The player sheets are simplified, making the game accessible even to newcomers.

The storyline is straightforward, linear, and somewhat predictable, but it’s a good way to explore the set while providing a gentle introduction to DnD. While the campaign is not aimed at high-level players, it still provides a fun experience for anyone who wants an excuse to play with the big cool Lego set.

Of course, you can replay the campaign with different characters and parties, or even create custom campaigns around it. That’s the beauty of DnD—your imagination is the limit! Whether you’re tweaking the story or inventing entirely new quests, the possibilities are endless.

Verdict

The Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale set is a remarkable fusion of intricate design, storytelling, and interactive play, making it a standout piece for both Lego and DnD fans. Its striking colors, varied architecture, and wealth of hidden details create a visually engaging display, while the diverse cast of creatures and minifigures bring the world to life.

This set is an impressive tribute to the DnD universe, offering an experience that extends beyond just building to evoke everything there is to love about D&D.

However, its high price, fragile elements, and digital-only campaign may not appeal to everyone. While the set provides good value per piece, the lack of a physical campaign book feels like a missed opportunity. Still, the potential for custom campaigns and creative storytelling makes this a versatile and engaging addition to your Lego collection. Whether you’re a seasoned Dungeon Master or a newcomer to the realm of DnD, this set is a fantastic way to bring your tabletop adventures to life—one brick at a time.

Looking to find more incredible Lego sets? Check out our article on the best Lego Ideas sets, or if you need to cut back on expenses, the best cheap Lego sets list has a few good ones on it too. Or perhaps check out the best DnD games on PC if you are hungry for more DnD content, and what new releases are coming out on the DnD release schedule.

Source: Wargamer