Is Warhammer older than D&D?

As a passionate gamer and content creator, this is a question I‘ve researched extensively. And the short answer is: No, Dungeons & Dragons is the older game by a significant margin.

As you can see, D&D predates Warhammer by almost a decade, with the now iconic D&D box set coming out in 1974.

However, I think this is almost the less interesting part of the discussion. Because while D&D laid down many of the initial rules and mechanics, Warhammer has contributed massively when it comes to worldbuilding and lore.

Let‘s take a deeper look shall we?

Dungeons and Dragons – The "first" RPG

When Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson put together that original D&D box set in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, I don‘t think they had any inkling of the absolute behemoth they were about to create.

The mechanics were adapted from an earlier miniature wargame called Chainmail and revolved around exploring underground dungeons, defeating monsters, collecting treasure and leveling up your abilities.

So the building blocks were there. But D&D turned it into a fully fledged roleplaying experience, with players assuming the roles of fantasy characters like fighters, wizards, elves and dwarves.

And the key was getting your friends round the table, rolling those funny shaped dice and telling a story together.

The founding fathers – Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson (photo credit: Wizards of the Coast)

Suddenly you weren‘t moving pieces around a board. You were a mighty barbarian wielding a battle axe, or a crafty bard weaving magical songs. And fueled by that shared imagination, adventures could go anywhere.

Of course, D&D wasn‘t an overnight success. But by the late 70s and early 80s it was gaining serious momentum. And almost 50 years later now, it‘s absolutely integral to gaming history.

Just look at some of these milestones:

And all told, global lifetime sales for Dungeons & Dragons are estimated to be over $1 billion dollars. That‘s pretty insane when you think about it!

But the largest legacy in my opinion is all the games, from tabletop RPGs to computer games like Elders Scrolls, that just wouldn‘t EXIST without those pioneering D&D mechanics and sensibilities.

So Dungeons & Dragons absolute deserves its reputation as the "first" and most iconic RPG.

Warhammer Fantasy Battle – enriching the lore

Now, Warhammer coming in 1983 had the advantage of learning from what D&D had established. The core mechanics of miniatures, stats and dice rolls weren‘t innovative.

But where Games Workshop found fertile creative territory was in fleshing out a wider fantasy world within which battles and quests could take place.

And this is where decades of lore come into the picture.

Because few fictional worlds across ANY genre can compare to the sheer depth and scale established in the Warhammer Fantasy setting across armies, factions, landscapes, histories and characters.

Now sadly the original Warhammer Fantasy game was discontinued in 2015. It was replaced by Age of Sigmar which advanced the timeline significantly.

But at its peak, some of the sweeping epic lore of this dark fantasy world included:

• Hundreds of key historical events stretching back millennia
• Detailed political tensions between factions like the Empire, High Elves and Skaven
• Incredible maps of different realms and continents
• Entire dark magics and chaos pantheons
• Dozens of influential characters like Emperor Magnus the Pious

And these factions weren‘t just generic stereotypes. Creative Assembly have done an amazing job bringing them to life through the Total War: Warhammer strategy games.

Just a subset of the diverse Warhammer Fantasy factions and races (image credit: Total War Wiki)

But this grand world filled with magic and monstrous creatures has continued influencing tabletop gaming and beyond.

And for me it showed the storytelling potential of deeply considered fantasy settings. Potential that games like D&D have tapped into bigtime, with lore-rich worlds like the Forgotten Realms.

So while D&D deserves the most credit for creating a whole new play experience, I think Warhammer demonstrated how intricate world building and backstories can take that experience to the next level.

Which brings me to the final chapter in this ongoing story…

The future looks bright my friends!

Given I still regularly play and create content around both Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition and big Warhammer games like Vermintide 2, you could say I have skin in the game!

And almost 50 years since D&D first brought unlikely groups of friends together around the table, interest has literally never been higher.

The online actual play scene is positively booming. Critical Role raised $12M on Kickstarter for their animated specials. And mainstream brands like Nike are running D&D inspired shoe campaigns!

Even after its controversial ending, the Game of Thrones TV series demonstrated that expansive fantasy worlds FILLED with rich lore have enormous mainstream appeal.

And this is the real legacy of both D&D and Warhammer in my opinion. Between them they helped codify fantasy tabletop and roleplaying experiences for generations to come.

Both games will continue evolving. But the core love for telling stories, sharing adventures with friends and exploring the possibilities of imagination will ensure their spirit lives on forever.

So which game is older or came first doesn‘t seem like the most relevant question. If you‘re still reading at this point, clearly you love fantasy worlds and lore as much as I do!

And on that note friends, I‘m off to prepare for my next D&D livestream. But please share YOUR most treasured memories or lore from either epic franchise in the comments below!

Let‘s keep these important conversations going. Until next time adventurers…happy gaming!