D&D 5E Companion thread to 5E Survivor - Sourcebooks & Campaign Settings

I own and use just about every book on this list! I have two books that are tied for Favorite, but for the most part I like them all. In fact, there are only two that I would give a thumbs-down.

Volo’s Guide to Monsters
Xanathar’s Guide to Everything
Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes
Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
The Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
Acquisitions Incorporated
Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

Legend:
Bold text = I've played it/used this material
Italics = I own a copy
Underlined = Strongest opinion (favorite, least favorite)
Green text = Like it/enjoyed reading it
Black text = Lukewarm opinion, neither liked nor disliked it
Red text = Dislike it/didn't even like reading it

About the only criticisms I have about the books listed are:

• Acquisitions Incorporated: amusing read, but I've never really used anything from this book. I might end up using it someday in an Eberron game, though.
• Fizban's Treasury of Dragons: I didn't like what they did to Greatwyrms, and the general simplification of dragons. I like my dragons super-complicated, or at least as complicated as the PCs!

We ran Eberron for a three-year campaign. I played the role of a Human Abjurer (Mark of Making), and he went from 1st level all the way up to 17th level. We busted a cabal of vampires in Sharn, we liberated a kingdom from the Lord of Blades and his fascist regime, and we ended with a showdown in The Demon Wastes against the Bleak Council.

It was...fine. We had fun. I can see what people like about it. There's lots of lore, it's not Forgotten Realms, there are lots of character options, it's not Forgotten Realms, there are cool places to explore, it's not Forgotten Realms, and it's not Forgotten Realms. (Did I mention it's not Forgotten Realms? Because let me show you how it's not Forgotten Realms!)

But it's not the best campaign setting I've ever played. It felt overwrought and bloated to me--loads of ideas and features, but they didn't really flow together very well. (And I say this as a fan of Mystara!) Everything from airships, mad scientists, and sentient robots, to stone-age barbarians and hedge magic...it was like a Wayne Reynolds painting: incredibly detailed and colorful, but very busy and noisy and a weird amount of facial piercings. It's Mystara++.

Give me Wildemount. For me, it strikes the right balance of form and function...the setting isn't as broad as Eberron (few are!), but I feel like it's a lot deeper and the different flavors are better-matched.

CleverNickName said:

Give me Wildemount. For me, it strikes the right balance of form and function...the setting isn't as broad as Eberron (few are!), but I feel like it's a lot deeper and the different flavors are better-matched.

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I'm just old, and tired of learning yet another batch of lore... I do like Brennan Lee Mulligan, though, and he wrote some of it, which is why a copy sits on my shelf (skimmed but) unread.

RealAlHazred said:

I'm just old, and tired of learning yet another batch of lore... I do like Brennan Lee Mulligan, though, and he wrote some of it, which is why a copy sits on my shelf (skimmed but) unread.

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I grabbed the Eberron book at the strong recommendation of several folks here, and yeah, I'm too old for it. Its AMAZING, but also overwhelming.

I feel like they need to do more sourcebooks in single settings. For example, Sword Coast Adventuring Guide was pretty bad. However they made Forgotten Realms there basic setting. They should've comeout with a source book on another part of Faerûn such as Mulhorand, Veldorn Plains of Purple Dust etc. They not only could've easily added many subspecies, subclasses magic items, creeatures and even some spells. It would've been a product that could appeal to both players & DMs. Could do the same thing Eberron (and now Dragonlance). They did do it wth Ravenloft with Van Ritchen's Guide. Such a missed opportunity for limiting themselves to teh Sword Coast because of Neverwinter and Drizz'it books (whoch I love but there is more the the Sword Coast)

Downvotes Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, with a comment "say no to overpowered subclasses."
Then upvotes Xanathar's Guide to Everything, the book that gave us the Hexblade, the Swashbuckler, and War Magic.

That's certainly...a point of view, I guess.

If only.

I did not see an option for none of the above. I only own a couple of them but have not been interested over the last few years with what has been coming out. I guess Tasha's and Xanathar's are more PC options and not world books so I see some value in them.

Unpopular Opinion mash up - Spelljammer wasnt that bad lol.