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.

 

[TheSword]

If I'm buying a PDF, hopefully, I'm getting a PDF that I can save on my own media.

Of course. I guess my point is that its intellectual property and once you have it you have it.

 

[Charlaquin]

Would I accept digital only books? No. I prefer having a physical book at the table, and I don't love Beyond's formatting. Will I accept small digital only add-ons that didn't make the cut for the main book? That I might.

If it's niche releases at a reasonable price? Stuff that wouldn't justify a physical release but I'm still glad to have? Things that are basically DM's Guild style products, but with WotC level production values? I can see those having a place, and won't throw a fit if there's no physical option.

I don’t mind some small things being digital only. Updates to pre-2024 subclasses feel to me like something that should be available in a physical format.

 

[AlViking]

How does one steal something that
...

Did you mean to finish that question?

If someone is selling or even leasing something and you acquire it without paying for it, its theft.

 

[doctorhook]

Back in 3.X days, every single D&D product from WotC got released with a free DLC “web enhancement” of bonus content, no login required.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Lae'zel/Outer Planes

Technically, the Outer Planes are not part of the Forgotten Realms, however she does mention the Gith creche on the Tears of Selune in the game.

 

[Charlaquin]

Did you mean to finish that question?

If someone is selling or even leasing something and you acquire it without paying for it, its theft.

Huh. I had started to write a reply and deleted it (or so I thought), because I didn’t think it was going to contribute anything positive to the thread. Guess I must have hit post reply by accident somehow. Anyway, please disregard it, there was really no content of value there.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Gale's Magically Tasty Cookbook. "Turn those old magic items into a treat!"

Recipe 1: Boot's with a nice cheese sauce.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Back in 3.X days, every single D&D product from WotC got released with a free DLC “web enhancement” of bonus content, no login required.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Technically, the Outer Planes are not part of the Forgotten Realms

Is that true for the 5E Realms? I know it was true for the 3E Realms, but WotC has said several times that each edition's canon is edition-specific.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Having played through BG3 a couple of times I do not get the love for Astarion. I guess it’s because he’s the super hot manipulator that you can actually fix. The living embodiment of “I can fix him.”