D&D’s decadelong tradition of hiding Easter eggs early in its books has come to an end

When 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons first rolled off the assembly line with the original Player’s Handbook (2014), it arrived with a very special Easter egg. It’s a goof that’s been repeated dozens of times, one that’s been included in every single hardcover rulebook, sourcebook, and campaign book published over the last decade. And with the release of the Monster Manual (2025), the franchise’s third revised core rulebook, publisher Wizards of the Coast tells Polygon that this little moment of jocularity is officially coming to an end. Pour one out, dear reader, for the fantasy legal disclaimer. I first found the original disclaimer, wedged into a tiny bit of empty space on the copyright page, when I began covering D&D in earnest for Polygon about eight years ago. That’s when, while I was out of town covering E3, the shelf holding the Polygon D&D library leapt off the wall of my bedroom office and impaled my otherwise perfectly functional Ikea desk. As I levered one chunk of laminated pressboard out of the other, the PHB fell open there right in front of me and I saw it for the first time, sitting just below a description of Tyler Jacobson’s depiction of the fire giant, King Snurre. > Disclaimer: Wizards of the Coast is not responsible for the consequence of splitting up the party, sticking appendages in the mouth of a leering green devil face, accepting a dinner invitation from bugbears, storming the feast hall of a hill giant steading, angering a dragon of any variety, or saying yes when the DM asks, “Are you really sure?” [Image: The Player’s Handbook (2024) is the first book for D&D’s 5th edition without a very specific Easter egg. https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/B88A0039.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] I called out a few of my favorites in an article back in 2016, but by and large I’ve not covered these little Easter eggs as they have appeared in various books, letting them simply be for my own amusement — and the amusement of anyone else who might discover them. So when I took receipt of the new Player’s Handbook (2024) last year, you better believe that my first stop was on the copyright page looking for a little dose of joviality. But the disclaimer was not to be found. Same for the Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024) and the new Monster Manual (2025), which releases widely into retail on Feb. 18. Reached for comment, Wizards sent word back from none other than D&D lead designer Jeremy Crawford. He let me know that I wasn’t imagining things, and that fantasy legal disclaimers are no more. Other, slightly more overt Easter eggs can be found throughout the latest D&D books, he said, including things like cameos from the characters in the original Saturday morning cartoon show from the 1980s. But these in-fiction snippets of fantasy legalese have gone the way of THAC0. So, in honor of these comedic little morsels — and the anonymous folks at Wizards who helped them make their way into every game book for 10 solid years — here are the last five 5th edition D&D books and their fictional disclaimers. [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/phandelver.webp?quality=90&strip=all] Sept. 13, 2023 saw the introduction of Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk, which expanded on the first adventure published in the original 5th edition Starter Set: > Disclaimer: The fanatics of Ilvaash can neither confirm nor deny whether they plot to incorporate this book’s owners into a mighty new illithid empire. Any transformations incurred, up to and including face tentacles, are strictly coincidental. [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/planescape_hero_2.webp?quality=90&strip=all] Oct. 17, 2023 was the physical release date for Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse, a boxed set with three different books. As such, it features three different disclaimers, including one in the unmistakable voice of Morte, the beloved floating skull from Planescape: Torment. Turn of Fortune’s Wheel: > Disclaimer: Fortune’s Wheel welcomes guests and currencies from all planes, realities, and timelines. The house takes no responsibility for any harm (financial, physical, existential, or otherwise) endured during games of chance, in interactions with guests or house security, or by running afoul of the proprietor. Gamble responsibly. Morte’s Planar Parade: > Disclaimer: Everything in this book is true — except the parts that ain’t. The planes change, coins and threats adjust a few details, boring bits get more colorful. You know how it is. What’s what? You’re a cagey sort, Chief. I know you’ll figure it out. Sigil and the Outlands: > Disclaimer: The factions of the City of Doors are not responsible for symptoms associated with accidentally happening upon the Cage. Please consult your doctor if you experience any of the following: upset stomach, nausea, existential dread, cleithrophobia, or an irresistible urge to wax poetic about philosophies relating to the multiverse. [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24681751/The_Deck_of_Many_Things_Family_Shot_Art_by_Ekaterina_Burmak_copy.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] On Jan. 5, 2024, after a slight delay due to manufacturing defects, came The Deck of Many Things. One of its two companion books, The Book of Many Things, had the following disclaimer: > Disclaimer: The gods of fate take no responsibility for any alignment changes, deaths, debilitating curses, fiendish enmities, imprisonments, or sudden betrayals, nor for the loss of ability scores, experience points, magic items, physical property, or wealth, resulting from the use of this book. Looks, it’s the Deck of Many Things. What did you expect? [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25435622/B88A9931.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] The penultimate book of the original line, and 5th edition’s most high-level campaign to date, landed on May 21, 2024. Buried inside the cover of Vecna: Eve of Ruin you’ll find the following disclaimer: > Disclaimer: All resistance to the Lord of the Hand island Eye is futile. Any thwarting of his will or his creations is temporary, as the Undying one will eventually remove all evidence of any inferior versions of reality. There will be no mercy for your pitiful souls, which never existed. [Image: https://platform.polygon.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/chorus/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25514329/dfmggzyo.png?quality=90&strip=all] And, finally, from Quests from the Infinite Staircase, which arrived at retail widely on July 16, 2024, I present the last 5th edition fantasy disclaimer ever published: > Disclaimer: Wizards of the Coast is not responsible for dubious interpretations of poorly worded wishes granted by noble genies or other almighty entities. Please send all complaints regarding ill-interpreted wishes to your Dungeon Master in the form of a strongly (and carefully) worded letter. I guess they weren’t all bangers in the end. But I’ll still miss ‘em. Got a favorite of your own? Carefully pull it down off the shelf and drop it — no, not the shelf; the disclaimer — in the comments below. And if you or anyone else knows more about the secret history of these charming little snippets, you know where to find me.