Dragon Delves Review: Is This D&D Anthology Worth It?
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Dragon Delves puts a dragon into the center of an adventure without requiring months of campaign buildup. Its ten adventures cover characters of levels 1–12 and the familiar chromatic and metallic dragon types. The useful distinction is that meeting a dragon does not always mean fighting one: the collection leaves room for helping, investigating, bargaining, and hunting.
I would consider it for a DM who needs individual adventures to insert into a campaign. The anthology format is less compelling if you want one continuous story with a cast and central conflict already developed across the whole book. There is guidance for connecting the adventures, but choosing an anthology still means deciding how its parts belong together.
Baker's Doesn't shows the broader appeal
The level-three adventure Baker's Doesn't begins in Hubbleton, where a confectionery fire sends the characters into an investigation. A gold dragon wyrmling, competing culinary businesses, and a fairy-tale forest give the mystery a distinctly different flavor from defending a town against an ancient dragon.
That premise is a useful selling point. Players can question witnesses and investigate a local problem before dealing with something extraordinary. The village is easy to place near a forest in an existing setting, and the opening does not demand that the party already have a history with dragon politics.
Its colorful storybook art also communicates a tone. A DM looking for grim military fantasy should not assume every chapter feels that way simply because dragons appear throughout. Choose the chapter whose atmosphere matches the group as well as its level.
The preparation support has a practical job
Adventures open with a summary, preparation guidance, required stat-block references, and an important-NPC table. That organization addresses something DMs repeatedly need: knowing what to gather before the first session rather than discovering a missing reference midway through an encounter.
I would use the table as a starting point for a small session sheet. Add what each NPC wants from the party, what information they can provide, and what changes if the characters ignore the problem. Those notes turn reference material into decisions you can present quickly.
“Ready to run” should still involve reading the complete adventure. A quick-start section can orient you; it cannot make an unfamiliar mystery understandable through magic. Check the required core references and decide how any rewards affect your current campaign.
It also offers a smaller table an entry point
Three adventures are identified as suitable for one player, with additional support for that format. This means one player plus a DM, rather than a promise that every chapter is designed for fully GMless solo play.
For a household where assembling a full party is difficult, that is a meaningful feature. Read the relevant guidance before creating the character. A lone adventurer needs appropriate opportunities to investigate and survive; running an unchanged group encounter against one character is a different proposition.
Choose by relationship, not just dragon color
Before selecting a chapter, ask what kind of dragon encounter the campaign needs. Does the group want a dangerous patron, a mystery, a rescue, or a confrontation with a powerful enemy? Then look for an adventure that supports that relationship.
If you are inserting a chapter into a longer story, connect its opening to one existing concern. A missing merchant, promised favor, or blocked trade route is enough. Adding three unrelated lore explanations can make a convenient detour feel more complicated than the campaign it was meant to help.
Is it worth buying?
I would buy Dragon Delves for variety within a strong theme, especially if one of its discrete adventures or supported small-table options fills a real gap in the calendar. Its preparation aids and varied artistic approach give it a useful identity beyond a collection of dragon battles.
I would wait if the group wants a sustained campaign or has little interest in dragons. Identify a chapter you would actually run before purchasing. An anthology becomes good value when its adventures leave the shelf and reach the table.