Hear ye, hear ye! Your next Dungeons & Dragons audio adventure begins here

Though I've long been enamored with fantasy worlds and tabletop gaming, it was not until five years ago that I embarked on my first Dungeons & Dragons campaign. The first session was a bit daunting, as myself, my husband, and five of our friends sat elbow-to-elbow around a tiny coffee table littered with dice, maps, sourcebooks, player guides, and half-baked character sheets. After much deliberation on races, classes, and ability scores, my first original character was born: Filauria, a Wood-Elf Druid with a skill for communing with wildlife, a tragic backstory involving necromancy (it's probably better we don't get into that), and a penchant for whittling dragon statuettes to avoid conversation in moments of downtime.

I loved playing as a Druid. Over the course of that first campaign, I'd wildshape into everything from a house cat to a gorilla, and frequently cast Giant Insect to build a small army of enormous spiders to fight by our side—much to the chagrin of our Dungeon Master. But part of the beauty of D&D is the freedom to explore, building new characters and establishing new lore. And so when a new quest began last year, I set out as Pip, a Half-Elf Bard who long performed with a circus troupe, engaging in quite a bit of petty theft along the way. (Okay, somewhat dubious in the dependability department, but unparalleled success on acrobatics checks.)

Just who I'll choose to be after Pip's adventure concludes is still undetermined, but what remains certain is the unique wonder and enduring appeal of roleplaying games. This year, D&D is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its release. Since 1974, millions of players have gathered with a group of people—be they friends, family, or strangers—to build a story from the ground up, together. Driven solely by imagination and companionship, these adventures take us to places beyond comprehension through the eyes of creatures and beings with otherworldly abilities. These are worlds and characters that offer escape, all with the grounding element of exploring them alongside a tight-knit community of likeminded folks. And in its purest form, there's no air of self-consciousness or pretension to it—it's just good, inventive fun, alive with the undercurrent of human connection.

It's no wonder we've kept those D20s rolling for five decades and counting. Here's to all the campaigns past and all the journeys still to come. Celebrate alongside us, fellow adventurers, by diving into these genre-spanning listening recommendations tailored to your chosen Dungeons & Dragons class. May the dice be ever in your favor!

Note: The classes featured below are representative of those outlined in the fifth edition of the Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook, published in 2014, and the rulebook expansion, Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. Please also note that 5E is the latest edition of the game as of article publication.

Artificer

"Masters of invention, artificers use ingenuity and magic to unlock extraordinary capabilities in objects. They see magic as a complex system waiting to be decoded and then harnessed in their spells and inventions....The magic of artificers is tied to their tools and their talents, and few other characters can produce the right tool for a job as well as an artificer." —Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

Barbarian

"For some, their rage springs from a communion with fierce animal spirits. Others draw from a roiling reservoir of anger at a world full of pain. For every Barbarian, rage is a power that fuels not just a battle frenzy but also uncanny reflexes, resilience, and feats of strength." —D&D Player's Handbook (2014)

Bard

"Whether scholar, skald, or scoundrel, a Bard weaves magic through words and music to inspire allies, demoralize foes, manipulate minds, create illusions, and even heal wounds." —D&D Player's Handbook (2014)

Cleric

"Clerics are intermediaries between the mortal world and the distant planes of the gods. As varied as the gods they serve, Clerics strive to embody the handiwork of their deities. No ordinary priest, a Cleric is imbued with divine magic." —D&D Player's Handbook (2014)

Druid

"Whether calling on the elemental forces of nature or emulating the creatures of the animal world, Druids are an embodiment of nature’s resilience, cunning, and fury. They claim no mastery over nature. Instead, they see themselves as extensions of nature’s indomitable will." —D&D Player's Handbook (2014)

Fighter

"...perhaps the most diverse class of characters in the worlds of Dunegons & Dragons. Questing knights, conquering overlords, royal champions, elite foot soldiers, hardened mercenaries, and bandit kings—as Fighters, they all share an unparalleled mastery with weapons and armor, and a thorough knowledge of the skills of combat. And they are well acquainted with death, both meting it out and staring it defiantly in the face." —D&D Player's Handbook (2014)

Monk

"Whatever their discipline, Monks are united in their ability to magically harness the energy that flows in their bodies. Whether channeled as a striking display of combat prowess or a subtler focus of defensive ability and speed, this energy infuses all that a Monk does." —D&D Player's Handbook (2014)

Paladin

"Whatever their origin and their mission, Paladins are united by their oaths to stand against the forces of evil. Whether sworn before a god’s altar and the witness of a priest, in a sacred glade before nature spirits and fey beings, or in a moment of desperation and grief with the dead as the only witness, a Paladin’s oath is a powerful bond. It is a source of power that turns a devout warrior into a blessed champion." —D&D Player's Handbook (2014)

Ranger

"Far from the bustle of cities and towns, past the hedges that shelter the most distant farms from the terrors of the wild, amid the dense-packed trees of trackless forests and across wide and empty plains, Rangers keep their unending watch." —D&D Player's Handbook (2014)

Rogue

"Rogues rely on skill, stealth, and their foes’ vulnerabilities to get the upper hand in any situation. They have a knack for finding the solution to just about any problem, demonstrating a resourcefulness and versatility that is the cornerstone of any successful adventuring party." —D&D Player's Handbook (2014)

Sorcerer

"Sorcerers carry a magical birthright conferred upon them by an exotic bloodline, some otherworldly influence, or exposure to unknown cosmic forces. One can't study sorcery as one learns a language, any more than one can learn to live a legendary life. No one chooses sorcery; the power chooses the Sorcerer." —D&D Player's Handbook (2014)

Warlock

"Warlocks are seekers of the knowledge that lies hidden in the fabric of the multiverse. Through pacts made with mysterious beings of supernatural power, Warlocks unlock magical effects both subtle and spectacular. Drawing on the ancient knowledge of beings such as fey nobles, demons, devils, hags, and alien entities of the Far Realm, Warlocks piece together arcane secrets to bolster their own power." —D&D Player's Handbook (2014)

Wizard

"Wizards are supreme magic-users, defined and united as a class by the spells they cast. Drawing on the subtle weave of magic that permeates the cosmos, wizards cast spells of explosive fire, arcing lightning, subtle deception, and brute-force mind control. Their magic conjures monsters from other planes of existence, glimpses the future, or turns slain foes into zombies. Their mightiest spells change one substance into another, call meteors down from the sky, or open portals to other worlds." —D&D Player's Handbook (2014)

Further listening for D&D fans