DnD (Dungeons & Dragons) Logo

DnD Logo PNG

The emblem shows: the game, like a dragon’s flame, captivates and fascinates. The Dungeons & Dragons logo conveys vivid emotions, the energy of struggle, and the desire to win. After spending time with dragons, players want to stay in this magical fairy-tale world.

Meaning and History

Dungeons & Dragons prototypes are wargames, miniature models of battlefields with detailing. The original rules system has been borrowed from a variant of Chainmail, released in 1971. Therefore DnD is now recognized as the predecessor of modern role-playing games and the whole RPG industry in general.

In the course of the action, participants can choose their hero instead of a military formation. The characters go on a fantasy adventure where the Dungeon Master is the judge. Heroes form groups, interact with each other and with the population. They work together to solve problems, accumulate knowledge, collect treasure, explore, and participate in battles. Players earn special points, competing to see who earns more in the process. The points they earn allow them to move up a level and become stronger.

The instant success served as a powerful start to the rapid spread of D&D. It still leads the way among role-playing games, having split in 1977 into two parts: fantasy with easy conditions and battle with a heavy rules system. In 2017, Dungeons & Dragons had the highest number of participants enthusiastic about the game: it ranged from 12 million to 15 million in North America alone. At the moment, there are five editions, the last of which appeared in 2014. And the game has only two emblems.

The individual mark of the board game has spread to all kinds of products because its popularity has led to the appearance of cartoon series, comic book magazines, books of the same name, a large number of role-playing video games, and other game varieties DnD.

2000 – 2008

The initial version of the DnD (Dungeons & Dragons) logo was stylized to match the game’s storyline. The designers chose a harmonious combination of military weapons (swords) with the name to do this. They divided the phrase into fragments and placed them in two lines. The letters looked like ancient symbols: they were blood-red, curly, graceful, with long strokes and black shadows. Due to the specific combination of light and dark sides, the signs in the text were acute-angled. And the short stripes painted on them were perceived as flames.

Between the first and second rows was a sharp sword. The blade of a cold weapon was wide, shiny, with a deep groove stretching from the handle to the point. The blade was covered with a noble patina. Ephesus had a complex structure, but the curly elements were arranged symmetrically. According to the design idea, it was a dark gold decor adorning the black leather handle. The background was a golden plate in a frame with twelve screws. Between the words “Dungeons” and “Dragons” was placed an ampersand in the form of a curved dragon. To the left of the mythical character was a red ruby.

2008 – 2014

The debut logo contained a lot of decors and had a gothic design. This was promoted by the style of the inscription, its design, and amazing gold ampersand, reminiscent of the silhouette of a fairy tale dragon. The letters were uppercase, with the emphasis on the first “D,” so they visually formed the abbreviation D&D. The ends of the “E,” “D,” “R,” and “A” had pointed serifs that looked like peaks. The “S” had a serif only in the lower area. The “O” had a vertical diamond in the middle. The letters were colored disturbingly – raging flames with yellow tongues of fire at the bottom. This brutal and massive logo brilliantly conveyed the energy of the game, its concept, and its storyline. Between the words ran a narrow strip resembling a sharp blade.

2014 – today

The emblem is still divided into two halves, one of which is graphic and the other is text. The word combination occupies two lines. The letters are in red and decorated with serifs. They appeared in all the characters and looked like needle-like protrusions. At the same time, the type of letters has changed – they became larger, clearer, with wide spacing. The exception is the combination “RA,” which is written in close conjunction because the feet of the “R” and the “A” is connected. Between the top and bottom of the name is the original ampersand: a silvery gray, cool, steel sign in the form of a vignette. It is a dragon, a fantastic character from the game’s storyline.

Font and Colors

The emblem uses the personalized DnDC font designed by Zentron. Its alternate version is Masquerade, designed by Martin Wait. At any rate, it is an uppercase typeface with thin but clear horizontal serifs. They balance out the thick letters perfectly. Both have the “D” strokes elegantly curved and pointing upward.

The current logo uses a combination of red and silver. The cold chrome looks fresh and contrasting against the scarlet, representing passion, emotional peak, and blood spilled during battles. An earlier version used gold instead of silver.

DnD (Dungeons & Dragons) color codes