Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel was announced last week, promising an anthology rich with enchanting adventures. Like Candlekeep Mysteries, Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel has thirteen ready-to-play adventures that Dungeon Masters can use for one-shot adventures or as encounters for existing campaigns.

The book releases on June 19, 2022, and until then, you'll want to leverage your Dungeons & Dragons product availability to kickstart conversations with Dungeon Masters and D&D players.

You can also use these conversations to generate fresh hype around Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate—the upcoming Magic: The Gathering set releasing June 10. Through the right conversation in-store, plus weekly D&D nights, you can make the most out of this crossover for the ages.

Introduce Dungeon Masters & Players to Magic: The Gathering

Baldur's Gate is one of the most popular locations in D&D—and a familiar setting can help considerably as you build interest that transforms into engagement over time. A popular way to set the scene for a new Magic player is to describe the game as two wizards coming together in battle, which may also feel familiar.

The Magic website has a robust resource to help new players learn the ropes, including everything from how to read a Magic card to how to arrange the battlefield for play.

Once you capture their interest, find out other aspects about Magic that interest them. Are they invested in D&D because of the multiplayer social gameplay elements? Invite them to Commander Nights to get a taste for the long-form strategic fun of the Commander format.

Get Magic Fans Started with D&D

You'll always want to keep your eyes and ears open for the reverse: if a Magic player shows some interest in your D&D product lineup or events, invite them to one of your D&D nights, and maybe offer to teach them to play through a short oneshot in-store.

You may also direct them to our full playlist of videos available on YouTube

Of course, you can always point these customers to the quintessential new player product: the D&D Starter Set. Depending on whether they're interested in telling the story or playing, you may recommend they dive right into the Player's Handbook or Dungeon Master's Guide.

The great thing about adventure anthologies like Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel is each adventure isn't tied to an existing setting, and is designed to be run in one session—this makes it easy for Dungeon Masters to help new players to get their bearings without worrying about long-term commitments.

However, if your customers and their friends are interested in playing regularly, you may want to take the opportunity and designate a D&D game night in your store.

Top Tips to Host a D&D Night In-Store

Like any event type, you want to be sure there is enough player interest, so we recommend collecting feedback from the community so you can determine what works best.

If you're trying out a D&D event in-store, here are some simple tips to keep in mind:

Start early. Like the Commander format for Magic, a D&D session takes a long time—sometimes, up to 4 hours. Make sure your event runs long enough for players to enjoy themselves, even if they don't finish their game session that night.

Don't overlap with other in-store events. D&D groups vary in size—a party plus their Dungeon Master may be as few as four or as many as eight (or more!) people. Keeping your D&D night separated from other in-store events ensures these players have the space they need to feel comfortable.

Stock up on accessories for play. While D&D can be played with only pencil, paper, and imagination, having accessories available can help make the game easier or more fun. Consider merchandising miniatures and paints, dice, DM screens, and spell cards near the D&D books so they're easy to find.

Consider offering snacks. Nothing says tabletop RPG like gathering your friends around a bowl of salty snacks. If you're able, you may consider offering some for purchase while players spend hours adventuring. If your store is part café, you could rename some of your signature drinks or snacks to help build an immersive tavern atmosphere.

Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel releases June 19, 2022, giving you plenty of time to figure out a D&D event night for your tabletop gaming community. As you build out your Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate schedule, be sure to use Wizards EventLink to ensure your events are easy to find for your whole community.