Underdusk D&D Miniatures Advent Calendar, 33 Monsters and Mimics in 28mm

A month of monsters for your next campaign

The Underdusk calendar trades dice for something a Dungeon Master can build whole sessions around. Each of the 24 chambers reveals a mystery miniature, and by the end you have 33 pieces: 16 monsters, 10 mimics and 7 scenery pieces. Since 33 figures share 24 chambers, some days hold more than one find. The headline creature is Krampus, a fitting final boss for a holiday one-shot.

What you get to put on the table

The 16 monsters give you ready-made opponents for the weeks after Christmas. The 10 mimics come in two forms, dormant and monstrous, which is a clever touch: you can place the innocent chest on the map and swap in the toothy version the moment a player reaches for the lid. The 7 scenery pieces include a dragon skull, a harpy nest and a creepy cauldron, the kind of set dressing that makes a battle map feel lived in.

Scale and material

Every figure is in 28mm scale, the common size for D&D heroes and monsters, so these minis stand comfortably alongside the figures you already own. Underdusk uses injection-molded PVC, which it describes as built for heavy table use and easy to paint. PVC is a forgiving material for minis that get handled every session and occasionally knocked off the table.

The Rune Card

A Rune Card unlocks 5e-compatible stats and lore for every creature in the set. That turns the calendar from a box of figures into a small encounter supplement, because you do not have to write a stat block for Krampus yourself. The stats are digital, so you will need a phone or laptop at the table, and Underdusk asks you not to peek until the 24th day.

In the box

• 16 monster miniatures, including Krampus
• 10 mimic miniatures in dormant and monstrous forms
• 7 scenery pieces, such as a dragon skull and a harpy nest
• 28mm scale figures in injection-molded PVC
• Rune Card for 5e-compatible digital stats and lore

Underdusk also promises to replace any piece that arrives broken during the holiday rush, which is reassuring for a gift full of small parts.

Who it is for

Buy this for the person behind the screen. A DM gets a ready supply of encounters, props and surprises, and the mimic pairs alone can carry a memorable dungeon crawl. Players who mainly want a figure for their own character, or who need dice to join a table, will get more from one of the dice calendars ranked above. As a gift for someone who already runs games, though, it is hard to beat in this group.

Popular alternative: ZioTL MTG Dice Advent Calendar, 24 Days with Life Counters and Dice Tray. Browse our full range of advent calendars.

• Size: 12