Dungeons and Dragons The Legend of Drizzt Visual Dictionary

by Michael Witwer, R.A. Salvatore

A visually stunning exploration of a legendary fantasy world

The Forgotten Realms offer D&D players an endless array of secrets to uncover, foes to fight, and treasures to be taken. But there is one name that has always stood out from the rest: Drizzt. Drizzt Do’urden.

This legendary drow elf ranger has been adventuring across the Forgotten Realms for decades, whether through New York Times bestselling fantasy novels or award-winning video games. Now Drizzt will take readers on a spectacular journey through his world.

This book showcases Drizzt and his travels through the Forgotten Realms in never-before-seen detail, with the glorious artwork produced by Wizards of the Coast put center stage. From the glaciers of Icewind Dale to the teeming cities of the Sword Coast, and the sinister shadows of the Underdark to the chambers of Mithral Hall, fans can explore the Realms through Drizzt’s eyes as never before with this immersive, extraordinary guide to their favorite fantasy setting.

© and ™ 2022 Wizards of the Coast

Genres: Fantasy, Forgotten Realms, Art, Fiction, Role Playing Games, Dungeons and Dragons

200 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2023

About the author

MICHAEL WITWER is a New York Times–bestselling author known for his work on the Hugo-nominated Dungeons & Dragons: Art & Arcana, the critically acclaimed Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons, and the bestselling D&D Heroes’ Feast cookbook series. His most recent works include Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Dragons, The Legend of Drizzt Visual Dictionary, and his award-winning debut fantasy novel, Vivian Van Tassel and the Secret of Midnight Lake. He also starred on the eOne/Lionsgate cooking show Heroes' Feast, based on his book series of the same name. In 2024, Michael had the privilege of writing the opening feature in TIME’s D&D 50th Anniversary special issue. Michael holds degrees from Northwestern University and the University of Chicago and resides in Chicago, Illinois, with his wife, two daughters, and two sons.

Reviews

[Steven "Steve" · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun guide to all things Drizzt. There is a lot of additional material in here and it is also a guide to the Forgotten Realms and a lot of D&D basics as well. I haven’t read the Drizzt novels since college but the love is still there, and I was glad to relive the magic of the dark elf’s journey.

[Petra Valković · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a long time fan of one of the most famous and iconic D&D characters, Drizzt Do'Urden, this visual dictionary was a must-buy for me. And I wasn't dissapointed. The art is simply beautiful and the guide takes us from the Drizzt character himself, his companions, his foes, adventures as well as lands, cities, bands, monsters, creatures, deities, species, races, types of character classes and maps of the Forgotten Realms which they all are a part of. It can also serve as a short D&D manual which is always cool 😁.
Foreword was written by R.A.Salvatore, the master creator of Drizzt series (I think there are 40+ novels in that long line, I read and have about 30 of them) and the rest by Michael Witwer with the contribution of the Wizards of the Coast and many talented artists.
This is now one of my fav books and it stands well in the shelf company of my novel collection. 😁😎

[Holley T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Docked a star for a couple of errors I spotted

[Anibal · Rating 5 out of 5]

R. A. Salvatore’s Drizzt Do’Urden may not be a household name for everyone, but his influence extends well beyond the core D&D fandom. Featuring in dozens of novels—and even crossing into video games, fan art, and professional illustrations—Drizzt stands as a major fantasy icon

As one of the most influential and immediately recognizable characters in the Forgotten Realms, Drizzt rivals the fame of figures like Elminster Aumar, Minsc & Boo, and Volo. DK’s decision to center an art volume entirely around him was inspired: it draws in long-time saga readers and also captivates fans outside the traditional gaming sphere.

The artwork throughout is simply breathtaking—an invaluable visual resource for anyone familiar with Drizzt’s epic journey, and an indispensable resource for readers of the novels, DMs and players alike. Each spread brims with references to key locations, formidable foes, diverse ancestries, and memorable NPCs. It has some minor mistakes, but nothing truly damning, specially in a art book.

Included Topics
• Drizzt’s saga: a concise timeline and overview of his adventures, gear, and the magical panther Guenhwyvar.
• Companions: character info and art of Bruenor Battlehammer, Catti brie, Wulfgar, and Regis—complete with quotes, gear, personality insights, and visuals.
• Adventuring in the Realms: coverage of deities, character classes, and races—including elves, dwarves, duergar, halflings, humans, gnomes, and orcs.
• Aides and Allies: profiles of figures like Jarlaxle, Zaknafein, Dahlia Sin’felle, the Harpells, and Captain Deudermont.
• Nemeses: detailed entries on Lolth, Yochlol, Malice Do’Urden, Houses Baenre & Do’Urden, Artemis Entreri—as well as iconic items and adversaries such as the Crystal Shard, Ghost King, Obould Many-Arrows, Errtu, Demogorgon, Malcanthet, and Icingdeath.
• Monsters of Faerûn: from chromatic and metallic dragons to giants, goblinoids, Beholders, illithids, demons, and many more.
• Iconic locales: coverage of the Planes, Icewind Dale, Ten-Towns, Underdark, Menzoberranzan, Silver Marches, Sword Coast, Luskan, Neverwinter, Waterdeep, Baldur’s Gate, and beyond.
Each section is eloquently supported by vibrant illustrations and insightful text that ground you in both story and setting. The blend of visual storytelling and lore makes this work an exceptional entry point into the Forgotten Realms—whether you're a fan of Salvatore’s saga or launching a new campaign.

Hats off to DK and Michael Witwer for crafting The Legend of Drizzt Visual Dictionary. It is a lore rich celebration of one of fantasy’s most enduring characters.

[Francisco · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book in the long tradition of Dorling Kindersley encyclopedias that have been around for some 40 years, this is essentially a visual guide to not only the Drizzt stories and lore but also The Forgotten Realms in general, particularly those areas and monsters that Drizzt interacts with in the novels where he stars.

The first half of the book is more specifically about Drizzt and the lore around him. His main allies and enemies get full pages, sometimes a spread and sometimes two of detailed information on their relationships, weapons, costumes and so forth.

The second half of the book covers the Forgotten Realms more generally, with sections on the peoples of the realms (such as different kinds of Elves with some attention given to the Drow, of course) and also D&D character classes. Towards the end we get info on main locations such as Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter or Menzoberranzan as well as monsters, from liches to good and evil dragons. A pretty fun book and for me as someone who has only recently gotten back on the train of the Salvatore Drizzt novels, a great companion if you've missed some of the 30 plus volumes of story, it really helped me bridge the gap to the more recent novels.

[Esoteric Grimoire · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is that this book is delightful. I was inspired to buy it after watching the Prime Video documentary "Eye of the Beholder" which details the history of dungeons and dragons artwork from the old TSR days to the present. Looking to whet my appetite for similar media I landed on the "Dungeons and Dragons: The legendary of Drizzt Visual Dictionary" by Michael Witwer. It does not disappoint. The dictionary follows RA Salvatores Drizzt character and his various adventures around the continent of Faerûn, fleshing out the events, people, and places that the title character visits. The illustrations are full color, and the captions give the reader a lot of data to work with. I would recommend this text for any fans of the Forgotten Realms setting, any fans of the Drizzt series, and any aspiring dungeon masters out there looking for inspiration.

[Michael Tharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is visually stunning. Beautiful art and great descriptions.
After thirty plus novels there are so many facts listed that this makes it a must for old and new fans.

However, there are some characters that did not get a fair and accurate treatment. I am talking about Regis. Regis or Rumble Belly is, as of the Companions, now known as Spider Parafin. He, like Carrie-Brie, Wulfgar, and Bruener were reincarnated. Yes he is still halfling but inherited genasi blood from his mother.
None of this is mentioned in the books. Everyone else’s reincarnation history is told but not Regis. This makes it an unforgiving mistake. Hence the 4 stars.
If you are going to write a history covering all of the characters. Cover ALL of them.

[Fabienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book with fabulous artwork. A must have for all Dungeons & Dragons fans. A full on tome of lore on The Legend of Drizzt.
The Forgotten Realms are a treasure trove of adventures, and this time Drizzt Do’Urden will be your guide. Discover many maps, timelines, creatures and more that make this book the leading manual to The Forgotten Realms.
This book is truly a 5 out of 5 stars, with a wonderful foreword by the R.A. Salvatore himself, a comprehensive guide masterfully written by Dungeons & Dragons expert Michael Witwer (Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana, Emprire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and The Birth of Dungeons & Dragons).

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the images as well as the commentary and backstory. My only significant critique is the lack of tagging. It'd be nice if the images referenced specific novels and points in the Drizzt timeline providing additional needed context.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome visuals and recaps for Drizzt characters and environments and for D&D in general.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

drizzt do’urden, loml

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the R.A. Salvatore books. I’ve been a fan for 35 years and this book was great.

[Jason Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colorful jaunt through the Forgotten Realms. Did an overall good job of bringing most of the narrative threads together across the immense corpus of novels and campaign material.

[Ivancevic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Puno zanimljivih ilustracija koje detaljno opisuju dnd svijet

[Aloysius · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good examination of one of the most famous heroes in all of D&D!

[Bud Winn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reference and overview

[Daniel Lavan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as art books go, this was good! It's something I'll definitely pick up as I continue to read through the series proper.

[Betül · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingggggggg

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

They left out several places and people I was hoping to see, but overall it's a great visual reference.

[Hugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning illustrations! What a gorgeous book.

[Fernando Moreno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative

Quite a good resume of drizzt adventures i loved the figures and the structure of the book, i lo love this universe and reimainded me many good times

[AnaDeCintra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pesar de que todo el diccionario visual tiene mucho que ver con Drizzt, por supuesto, a mi me gustó porque me hace un resumen bastante amplio de lo que es el mundo de Reinos Olvidados si no te quieres leer sus infinitas novelas, o leerte un monton de manuales. La verdad es que este libro ayuda bastante a ubicarse dentro del mundo y, sin por encima te gusta Drizzt, te hace un seguimiento muy detallado de toda su trayectoria y de sus compañeros.