We’re finalizing the release schedule for new Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks in 2025. Following the release of the updated core rulebooks in 2024, Wizards of the Coast has been consistently delivering new content. On November 11th, players can get their hands on two new books that return the game to the popular Forgotten Realms setting. Heroes of Faerun is designed for players, offering new options for their characters, while Adventures in Faerun is a guide for Dungeon Masters to help them run campaigns in the region. Together, these books provide a lot of information to help you fully explore the Forgotten Realms.
The latest Forgotten Realms books are available individually or as a set, but they’re designed to be used together. One book is for Dungeon Masters and dives deep into five different areas of the Forgotten Realms, complete with over 50 ready-to-use adventures. The other is a player’s guide featuring eight new character classes, a new magic system, and tools for developing detailed character backgrounds. Despite a few minor issues, this collection is a rich source of lore that will inspire fantastic characters and adventures in the Forgotten Realms of D&D.
Rating: 4 out of 5
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| A ton of detail compared with prior sourcebooks | Books work best as a pair, but getting both costs over $100 |
| New classes and mechanics specific to the setting | Offers only mini-adventures, not a full new Forgotten Realms campaign |
| Well-organized and easy to browse for the right details |
Heroes of Faerun and Adventures in Faerun Detail the Forgotten Realms Like Never Before
We’ve seen many guides for players and Dungeon Masters over the years, but this one is a standout. It’s packed with far more detail than similar books we’ve used before. Specifically, Heroes of Faerun gives players tons of information to create characters deeply connected to the Forgotten Realms. It covers local holidays, gods, backgrounds, and character classes all tailored to different regions. You can easily get lost in the rich lore and build a character that truly feels like they belong in Faerun.
The Adventures in Faerun book is a fantastic resource for Dungeon Masters, covering a huge amount of the Forgotten Realms. It’s divided into five chapters, each focusing on a different area: the Dalelands, Icewind Dale, Calimshan, the Moonshae Isles, and Baldur’s Gate. Each chapter provides a detailed look at the region, including its people, magic, current conflicts, and how to run adventures there. You’ll also find new magic items and creatures unique to each area.
Both books are full of information, but they’re surprisingly easy to use. One of the best things about newer Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks is how well they’re organized. You can quickly find what you need, and these new Forgotten Realms books are excellent reference guides because of this. But beyond just being organized, how good is the actual content?
New Classes & Adventures Offer Variety for Every Kind of Play Session
The biggest strength of these new character options for the Forgotten Realms is their variety. Heroes of Faerun introduces new subclasses for classic classes—Druid, Cleric, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, and Wizard—each with a unique Forgotten Realms twist. Plus, players can align themselves with well-known factions like the Emerald Enclave (from Baldur’s Gate 3) and the Harpers (featured in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves), adding even more depth to character creation.
This book offers something for everyone, not just players. Adventures in Faerun serves as both a guide to the Forgotten Realms setting and a collection of over 50 short adventures for Dungeon Masters. These adventures are set across the diverse regions of the Forgotten Realms and range in style from traditional high fantasy to darker, more realistic urban fantasy and everything in between.
These books offer players and Dungeon Masters a huge amount of material for adventures in the Forgotten Realms. They expand character creation and spellcasting possibilities, and give DMs plenty of inspiration for both quick, single-session games and longer, ongoing campaigns. However, these books don’t provide a complete, pre-written campaign ready to play.
The Forgotten Realms Books Continue a New D&D Trend, And Your Mileage May Vary
Similar to its predecessor, Dragon Delves, Adventures in Faerun is a collection of individual adventures. Unlike some older sourcebooks that focused on one long campaign within a specific location, this book provides the basic framework for shorter, self-contained stories. This reflects a current trend in Dungeons & Dragons: providing Dungeon Masters with tools to build their own campaigns rather than complete, pre-written ones. As a result, how much you enjoy this two-part series set in the Forgotten Realms will likely depend on how much you like creating your own adventures.
If your Dungeons & Dragons group loves building characters and exploring the game’s rich history, Heroes of Faerun will be a welcome addition. I anticipate spending a lot of time using this book to create detailed character backgrounds. While the new character classes and abilities are neat, experienced players might not find them revolutionary. The real strength of this book lies in its extensive lore, not necessarily in new gameplay mechanics.
What about Dungeon Masters? If your group wants a long, epic campaign that lasts for months, you’ll need to be creative. While these shorter adventures all take place in the same area, it’ll be up to you to connect them into a larger story. Players and DMs who love to build their own worlds will appreciate having extra material to work with. However, if you prefer a fully pre-written campaign with lots of ready-to-go text, Adventures in Faerun might not have enough for you.
Overall, I was quite impressed by how much detail these books include. They really complement each other as a set, but even if you only want new character options from Heroes of Faerun or extra content and short adventures from Adventures in Faerun, each book still adds a lot to your D&D collection.
You can now purchase physical and digital copies of Forgotten Realms: Heroes in Faerun and Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerun through D&D Beyond. A physical copy of Heroes in Faerun costs $50, and Adventures in Faerun is priced at $60.
The publisher supplied us with PDF versions of the Forgotten Realms sourcebooks for this review.
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2025-11-11 18:45