Dungeons & Dragons is cool now. Or perhaps it always was and people are just now discovering it. Whatever the case, there's been a stronger push to welcome newcomers to the hobby. Wizards of the Coast, who publish the game, have taken to putting out a series of starter sets aimed at easing new players into the adventuring life. One idea is to use crossovers to bring in those that might be on the fence about playing. The latest of these takes the sheer weirdness of Rick and Morty and makes a dungeon out of it.
The new set is called Dungeons & Dragons Vs. Rick and Morty. Like many Dungeons & Dragons starter sets, it sells for about $20 on Amazon or at your local game store. It comes with the essentials to begin playing D&D; there's a Dungeon Master screen, a book of basic rules, a short dungeon, pre-made characters based on Morty's family, and a set of special dice. The dice set has a color scheme that matches the weird science-y electricity of Rick and Morty's logo.
As for the adventure itself, it's suitably Rickified. From the very start the text makes it known that this isn't quite the standard D&D romp. For one, it doesn't put stress on role play and story. To quote the book itself: "Why are you here? No one cares. Don't tell me your backstory. We're here to kick ass and find treasure. That's your motivation. Now get ready to roll!"
It's all designed as if Rick himself created the dungeon. The environment descriptions are written in his voice. That's why there's little concern for context and a heavy emphasis on how much stuff you can kill. That said, it also acts as a great introduction into the fundamentals of D&D. Players will obviously learn combat from fighting everything the dungeon throws at them. But they'll also encounter puzzles thanks to the strange universe of Rick and Morty.
For instance, there's a giant mouth that acts as a door to one room. It will pose a riddle, and offer only one chance to solve it. It will slobber gross things at the players if they dawdle (the book is very descriptive about it). It'll also each any items or weapons the players might try to use on it. The lesson that the environment itself can be hostile is a good lesson to teach new D&D players. It'll prepare them for the mimics they'll encounter later.
And yes, there's a room full of pickles.
Dungeons & Dragons Vs. Rick and Morty is available today. It's a great introduction for new players, but also a great pick for veteran D&D players. DMs will appreciate the chance to be openly aggressive and have it be a part of the story. Everyone wins. Well, except for all the dead goblins.