Forgotten Realms Books to Have Several Digital DLCs, Including One Featuring Asterion

Wizards of the Coast plans to release several "digital DLCs" alongside the upcoming Forgotten Realms rulebooks. This week, Game Informer released a pair of articles about the upcoming Forgotten Realms rulebooks. Tucked away in the article is the announcement that the upcoming releases will include several "digital DLCs" that expand on the new setting. One example was Asterion's Book of Hungers, which focuses on urban vampire adventures featuring the character from Baldur's Gate 3.

No other details were made available about the upcoming releases, such as whether the new supplements will be paid DLC or free to D&D Beyond subscribers. Wizards has released several digital-only supplements alongside their various books, ranging from mini-bestiaries to supplementary adventures, but all were free to D&D Beyond subscribers or available as pre-order bonuses.

Since the Forgotten Realms books aren't currently available for pre-order, it's hard to say whether this is a new strategy or simply a continuation of current works. The fact that Wizards commissioned art specifically for Asterion's Book of Hungers and the usage of the phrase "digital DLC" suggests that this might be a new monetization scheme for the company, albeit one that makes sense given the growing use of D&D Beyond's marketplace.

 

[Morrus]

Wow. This is not a thread about the Forgotten Realms, is it? In fact, when I squint, I'm sure I can see people debating a whole bunch of things which are not suitable for this forum. If you want to talk about world hunger or the philosophical nature of evil or climate change or eating meat, go do it in a thread which is not about the Forgotten Realms, on a forum that is not about TTRPGs. Whatever you do, don't do it here.

 

[TravDoc42]

I wonder if Asterion's Book of Hungers will have any mention of the vampires under Westgate? That seems in vein (hah) with the idea of that supplement!

 

[Tea Cozy]

The typo has people really thinking Astarion's name is spelled with an e.

Astarion Ancunín

Astarion Ancunín, was a high elf rogue and vampire spawn who dwelt in Baldur's Gate during the late 15th century DR.[1] As an undead, the noble high elf had very pale skin, short silver-white curly hair, bright ruby eyes, an athletic build, and, by human standards, appeared to be in his late...

forgottenrealms.fandom.com

 

[GarrettKP]

3 exclusive digital expansions: Astarion's Book of Hungers, Netheril's Fall, and a secret third expansion – to be revealed soon!

Three expansions confirmed in the preorder page.

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

"Leleanor's Whole Realms and Parts of Abeir Catalogue"

My players need to know how much pure quicksilver costs goddamnit!

Lol.

Lmao even.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Lol.

Lmao even.

View attachment 413009

Oh, so it's back? That was a really useful equipment source book back in 2e.

 

[Parmandur]

Oh, so it's back? That was a really useful equipment source book back in 2e.

It's the item section in the new books. Apparently a lot of items, pef the Beyond page.

 

[Selas]

So they're gonna use that name for the Item section in the new books? Kinda neat reference.

Also, the digital expansions will be sold separately once the FR books come out for the people only interested in those; there's a thread in DDB confirming it.

 

[TravDoc42]

So they're gonna use that name for the Item section in the new books? Kinda neat reference.

Also, the digital expansions will be sold separately once the FR books come out for the people only interested in those; there's a thread in DDB confirming it.

Thank goodness! Thank you for this!

 

[Demetrios1453]

So they're gonna use that name for the Item section in the new books? Kinda neat reference.

Also, the digital expansions will be sold separately once the FR books come out for the people only interested in those; there's a thread in DDB confirming it.

Great to hear that last part. You may want to cross post that to the DLC thread, as people were already getting preemptively upset over the possibility they may not be.