On September 15, Larousse editions released two books simply titled in English "Dungeons & Dragons Collector", which can be translated into French by Dungeons and dragons, the collector. The objective is simple and consists of giving an overview of the license to anyone who would like to find out more about it, with a desire to address neophytes above all.
Volume 1, whose cover is on a red background, begins with a brief history of role-playing games. Then comes the presentation of what tabletop role-playing is, with advice and tips for enjoying your game as a player and even as a game master. After about twenty pages begins the presentation of the playable characters ( cleric, druid, warrior, monk, paladin, ranger, sorcerer, magician, rogue and sorcerer), interspersed with sheets on certain emblematic monsters (Rakshasa, Mimic, Necrophage, Lich, Tyrannoeil, Duergar). In parallel, it is an opportunity to present some of the high places of the universe: the Forgotten Kingdoms, Ravenloft or Eberron.
Volume 2, whose cover is on a black background, goes directly to the heart of the matter, with a very detailed bestiary (ordinary enemies, titans, strange creatures and, of course, dragons), but also files on the major peoples of the Forgotten Realms. Portraits of great heroes are drawn up. We are talking about Minsc and Boo, but also about Vecna, Xanathar, or Drizzt Do'Urden. Finally, this volume takes the time to detail two major role-playing campaigns: "Rime of the Frostmaiden" and "Descente en Averne".
Even if they want to be exhaustive, the books are not daunting. There will not, for example, be all the sheets on the races, before moving on to the sheets on the monsters and moving on to a third type of content. Everything is intertwined, with sometimes a fairly tenuous link from one page to another. The advantage is that it is easier to read, it is devoured like a good book full of anecdotes. On the other hand, if you are looking for specific information, good luck. Admittedly, the table of contents summarizes the titles, but that still covers about fifty entries per book. A small directory of terms with page numbers would have been useful. Instead, at the end, there is a glossary.
Games are also slipped between the pages in order to wake up a reader perhaps too accustomed to playing: maze, logic, seven errors, crosswords, word-arrows. The idea is interesting, although for me it bristles at the idea of having to write my answers on the pages, even if fields have been provided for this purpose.
Perfect transition to talk about the presentation. Everything is beautifully laid out in glossy form, from page 1 to 93, with a modern look and color from start to finish. It's pretty, no worries about that. The text is present, but Larousse knew how to avoid cobblestones which could demotivate those less at ease with words. The illustrations are exactly in the style of what can be found in the official rulebooks.
So you tell me, are these books great? In a way, yes, they are beautiful, well illustrated and documented. But where I find fault is with the location. Larousse has only translated books released in English at the beginning of the year by Farshore editions. The publisher has therefore hired only a translation team, and not a localization team. The texts are certainly in French, there are no mistakes or other language problems, but it lacks a French flavor. To better understand where I'm coming from, for example, the cult game shops are all English-speaking, based in the United States, Australia or the United Kingdom. A bit far to go there. When it comes to podcasts, nothing on the Donjon de Naheulbeuk, but American, Canadian or Australian broadcasts. These are just a few examples of a situation that is repeated throughout the two works. Beyond that, the fan in me regrets that most of the content is related to the Forgotten Realms, me who in my great role-playing days mainly played in the world of Krynn (Dragonlance), certainly much less known.
Then, let's not sulk our pleasure. Even if there would have been room for more adaptation to the target market, the books, beautiful and pleasant to read, are perfect gifts in these upcoming holiday seasons. You will find the books at your favorite booksellers, as well as in online stores, at the price of €15,95 per book.
- Amazon-Tome 1
- Amazon-Tome 2
