D&D 5E (2024) Here's The Covers of BOTH of November's Forgotten Realms Books

We've known for some time that in November, WotC will be releasing not one but two Forgotten Realms books--one aimed at players, the other at Dungeon Masters. Thanks to Game Informer, we now have a look at the covers of Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerun and Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerun. The article showcases more art, and is well worth checking out--and for those who want more, the print magazine has a full feature previewing the books.

 

[mamba]

Non-rhetorical question for anyone who doesn't like these covers: What would you prefer to be on the cover of a Forgotten Realms product?

I'm genuinely curious.

something that doesn’t look like a poorly rendered mockup for a mobile game

As someone pointed out, the SCAG cover looks much better

 

[Corinnguard]

That sounds SO COOL!!! I'll definitely have to check that out, thank you so much!!

You're welcome. If you were to play a Spirit Dragonborn, here's one cultural trait from the Dragoncult Culture you ought to get for your character.

Ethereal Umbra: Common amongst the essence dragons, this umbra shimmers with draconic will. While this umbra is active you can move through nonmagical solid objects and occupied spaces as if they were difficult terrain. Opportunity attacks made against you while this umbra is active have disadvantage. You cannot move further than 5 feet into walls or other solid objects in this way. If you would end your turn in an occupied space, you are shunted into the nearest unoccupied space and take 1d6 force damage.

Draconic Umbra. Dragon cultists are often blessed with power from the object of their devotion so that they may spread their dragon’s word or further its plans. As a bonus action, you can cause draconic power to course around you in a draconic umbra. This draconic umbra lasts for 1 minute or until you use a bonus action to end it. Once you have used this trait, you cannot use it again until after you finish a long rest.

This feature would allow your character to 'ghost' through things.

 

[MSWallack]

The character choice is puzzling, especially for Adventures in Faerûn. Is Valindra really that iconic to warrant taking up the full cover? I wouldn’t even place her among the top 30 most notable antagonists in the setting, but maybe I missed a Valindra fanclub somewhere. If I had to choose a Faerûnian lich for a cover, I’d choose Szass Tam or Sammaster. I’d also make them more lich-y in the art.

Heroes of Faerûn is better in this regard, and Minsc and Karlach are great choices from a marketing perspective due to BG3 (even if I personally don’t much care for the game). Vajra Safahr is fine, I suppose, though not the setting’s foremost wizard. She was also in the cover for the Monster Manual. Jarlaxle is the real puzzler here — would have been a better fit among the antagonists in the DM’s book, no?

I have to disagree, at least a bit, with the comments about the cover characters simply because the vast majority of people who see these covers won't have any idea who these characters are (or even know that they are supposed to be established characters within the game universe). Using established characters is a nod to the fans but the real goal is simply to come up with striking art that might entice someone to pick up the book from a shelf, take a look, and then purchase it.

 

[TravDoc42]

You're welcome. If you were to play a Spirit Dragonborn, here's one cultural trait from the Dragoncult Culture you ought to get for your character.

Ethereal Umbra: Common amongst the essence dragons, this umbra shimmers with draconic will. While this umbra is active you can move through nonmagical solid objects and occupied spaces as if they were difficult terrain. Opportunity attacks made against you while this umbra is active have disadvantage. You cannot move further than 5 feet into walls or other solid objects in this way. If you would end your turn in an occupied space, you are shunted into the nearest unoccupied space and take 1d6 force damage.

Draconic Umbra. Dragon cultists are often blessed with power from the object of their devotion so that they may spread their dragon’s word or further its plans. As a bonus action, you can cause draconic power to course around you in a draconic umbra. This draconic umbra lasts for 1 minute or until you use a bonus action to end it. Once you have used this trait, you cannot use it again until after you finish a long rest.

This feature would allow your character to 'ghost' through things.

What a cool ability!! Very fitting for a Spirit dragonborn! Thanks again for enlightening me to this!!

 

[Professor Murder]

I wonder what the alternative covers for both books will look like.

Same. Not sure I will get these, as I am not looking to run a FR campaign in the immediate future, but FOMO is real and I get the alt covers whenever possible.

 

[Corinnguard]

Same. Not sure I will get these, as I am not looking to run a FR campaign in the immediate future, but FOMO is real and I get the alt covers whenever possible.

I am not sure if I'll get these books as well since any info about classes and such will eventually appear on dnd2024.wikidot.com, where I would be able to look at them for free. The upcoming covers for these two books look so atypical compared to what I've seen on other 5e books.

 

[Professor Murder]

I am not sure if I'll get these books as well since any info about classes and such will eventually appear on dnd2024.wikidot.com, where I would be able to look at them for free. The upcoming covers for these two books look so atypical compared to what I've seen on other 5e books.

Real Talk, I don't see the cover when it' on my shelf, just the spine.

 

[Dire Bare]

What paywall are you talking about? I clicked on the link in the OP and went right to the article. I don't have a subscription to Game Informer,* so no paywall I can see - or are you talking about something else?

*This wouldn't be a WotC paywall if it was a paywall anyway.

The main, larger article, is only available to subscribers . . . behind a paywall. Or if you pick up the print magazine at your local store.

Which, I'm personally totally fine with. A whole lotta upset over nothing, IMO.

 

[Cergorach]

Yes, you’re right. They won’t put a white male like Minsc on the cover anymore…

Minsc is only there because he's the side piece of Boo 'The Space Hamster'...

 

[Superchunk77]

Good lord, those covers are awful. They look like FR young readers novel covers or something.