Dungeons & Dragons has turned 50 years old. By now, you have probably already heard about it because, let’s admit it, Wizards of the Coast is making a real effort to make the anniversary feel special. While many other companies simply make small reminders or some little celebration without much meaning, at Wizards they’re really pampering one of their beloved children. Giving it all the effort it deserves on such a special birthday.
We won’t fool ourselves. It would be hard for this anniversary to be something greater than the book they’ve published showing the entire history of the original books and their origins. Or the new revised version of the fifth edition, which promises radical changes to the way Dungeons & Dragons is played. But that doesn’t mean this celebration doesn’t have charm or that it won’t cause an impact among game lovers. And also an unexpected need that no one saw coming.
The Royal Mail, the United Kingdom’s postal service, has revealed that they will issue 14 stamps to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons. The main set will consist of eight stamps, offering a selection of eight iconic game monsters: the Red Dragon, the Owlbear, Vecna, the Gelatinous Cube, the Mind Flayer, the Mimic, the Trembling Beast, and the Beholder. To make them even more special, when these stamps are placed under ultraviolet light, they’ll reveal a secret: Four of them will display the D&D logo, while the other four will reveal a drawing related to the monster they represent.
The Red Dragon will have a dragon head, Vena will have a skull, and the Mimic and the Beholder will also have their own motifs, although these haven’t been revealed to us yet. Furthermore, the remaining six seals will represent a group of six adventurers participating in a magical adventure. With a tiefling rogue, a human bard, an elven warrior, a dwarven paladin, and a draconic wizard, they will include everything you would expect from a classic group in this amazing role-playing game.
If you’d like to get your hands on this series of 14 stamps, The Royal Mail has already put them on sale for pre-order. They can be purchased together, separately, and even in special versions of the same 14– a small delicacy for all fans of the world’s oldest role-playing game.
