D&D General Initial Thoughts on the Two 2025 Forgotten Realms books

[AlViking]

Very practical breakdown, Mike. Keen to hear your thoughts in more detail!

This is an unpopular opinion, but I don't think the 3E FRCS is all that great. It's a lot of: "This place has a powerful wizard. And a forest. In the forest are ogres and trolls." Wash, rinse, repeat. It may be comprehensive, but I just don't find it very gameable.

In contrast, the new FR campaign setting books are eminently gameable. I was prepared to be hugely disappointed by the mini-adventures in Adventures in Faerun, but they're actually pretty good. I have no doubt I will use many of them. Likewise, the focus on a handful of regions isn't a division by geography, it's a division by genre. Want to play a standard game? Go to the Dales. Want to play high magic? Calimshan. Etc. These books feel like a DM's toolbox.

Finally, between the FR campaign setting, the Starter Set, and the new core books -- the 5.5E design team is a hit machine. They are delivering quality stuff, consistently.

While I have the utmost respect for the senior developers that have moved on from WOTC, I sometimes wonder if some of the old guard leaving was a good thing. I'm sure most of the projects we're seeing today were planned months and months ago but the people actually working on it are new(er) and bringing in a fresh perspective. So I'm curious about what's going to come out in the next year and if it continues to hit those high notes - at least for people that do things like use FR as their campaign setting.

 

[Mercurius]

I just skimmed them on my lunch break. I was planning on buying them because I love setting books, even though I haven't been playing of late and haven't run the Realms, but after looking at them, decided not to. I might change my mind, but in the end I just wasn't wowed. They're nice books, but for my purposes--reading--they don't seem to offer much that is new, or that I prefer how its been done now vs. the 3E books. Plus, I'm not a huge fan of the art; I'd only buy the alt covers, but the inside is just...too....(insert your preferred adjectives).

Anyhow, for my demographic--semi-retired from playing, buys books that are interesting to read and look at, with evocative settings--it doesn't justify the $110 price tag. I'll save the cash for Dolmenwood and/or whatever Free League comes out with next. But if I was actively playing and/or running the Realms, I'd get both books.

 

[SlyFlourish]

Very practical breakdown, Mike. Keen to hear your thoughts in more detail!

This is an unpopular opinion, but I don't think the 3E FRCS is all that great. It's a lot of: "This place has a powerful wizard. And a forest. In the forest are ogres and trolls." Wash, rinse, repeat. It may be comprehensive, but I just don't find it very gameable.

In contrast, the new FR campaign setting books are eminently gameable. I was prepared to be hugely disappointed by the mini-adventures in Adventures in Faerun, but they're actually pretty good. I have no doubt I will use many of them. Likewise, the focus on a handful of regions isn't a division by geography, it's a division by genre. Want to play a standard game? Go to the Dales. Want to play high magic? Calimshan. Etc. These books feel like a DM's toolbox.

Finally, between the FR campaign setting, the Starter Set, and the new core books -- the 5.5E design team is a hit machine. They are delivering quality stuff, consistently.

It's funny, I was just looking at sections of the new FR Heroes book's Guide to the Realms, where there are more than one instance of "this forest is filled with dangerous monsters".

Many of them are good actionable descriptions but some are too vague for my liking.

All the rest of what you say I'm on board with.

 

[SlyFlourish]

I really enjoy this format for a review.

It's really just my notes for the two shows I'm going to be on.

 

[Piperken]

Greatly appreciate the time to provide this for everyone; I def. plan on listening/reading to the two broadcasts when they're available.

 

[SlyFlourish]

While I have the utmost respect for the senior developers that have moved on from WOTC, I sometimes wonder if some of the old guard leaving was a good thing. I'm sure most of the projects we're seeing today were planned months and months ago but the people actually working on it are new(er) and bringing in a fresh perspective. So I'm curious about what's going to come out in the next year and if it continues to hit those high notes - at least for people that do things like use FR as their campaign setting.

It's worth noting that Jason Tondro was the lead designer and he's been writing RPG stuff for a while. He was at Paizo before he was at WOTC.

 

[Piperken]

...Anyhow, for my demographic--semi-retired from playing, buys books that are interesting to read and look at, with evocative settings--it doesn't justify the $110 price tag. I'll save the cash for Dolmenwood and/or whatever Free League comes out with next. But if I was actively playing and/or running the Realms, I'd get both books...

The Dolmenwood trio & practically everything from Free League is very well-made. Dolmenwood is also something I am looking at as well.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

You really want the new character options and monsters.

I wish Beyond still had the à la carte options. I can't see me dropping that much cash for material I'll mostly not use.

 

[bedir than]

It's worth noting that Jason Tondro was the lead designer and he's been writing RPG stuff for a while. He was at Paizo before he was at WOTC.

They also brought in Chris Sims for both books. Petrisor is back with D&D as opposed to Magic. Wyatt is involved in both books.

The idea that the old guard is gone requires people to ignore the old guard.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I'm gathering my notes together for a talk with Morrus tomorrow and for a segment on my Lazy RPG Talk Show digging into the two new Forgotten Realms books. I thought i'd share my notes, get your thoughts, and answer any questions.

Should You Buy Them?

Instead of asking if one should buy the books or not, we should ask what our own criteria is to decide if we should buy those books based on those criteria.

• Are you a fan of the Realms and its lore? If not, these probably aren't the books for you.
• Would you run a campaign in the FR soon in one of the five regions? If not, you can wait until you are unless you're a huge Realms fan.
• Do you want the in-store special edition covers? Now's the time.
• Do you want these as permanent artifacts in your rpg library? They do feel like the kind of book we could pick up and read 20 years from now.
• Do you and your players use D&D Beyond in the Realms? Get the Adventurers guide on DDB or get your players to buy it and buy the two physical books for yourself.

Alternatively, pick up the 3rd edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Sourcebook (more later).

Observations

• The Heroes of Faerun covers a ton about the FR. It’s more of a campaign sourcebook than I expected for a player-focused book.
• I’m still studying the mini adventures but I think I dig the style. They give me enough to riff a session.
• The Icewind Dale section is different enough from Rime of the Frostmaiden but I still feel like another new (old?) region would have been better.
• There’s a lot of the Sword Coast here. If you’re tired of the Sword Coast, these books may not be for you.
• The Dalelands is a typical European style fantasy setting of small towns and heroes with a big elven ruin nearby. I'd love to run a campaign here. It's a huge meaty section.
• The two books reference each other. They’re really one big book.
• The heroes guide is probably useful on D&D Beyond but I wouldn’t get the adventure guide there. Pick up the physical copy of both for referencing.
• There's lots of use of renown and bastions.
• Factions focus on character factions, even for "bad guy" factions, but there's enough lore here to help GMs build them out as villains. Lots of other smaller factions described. Big meaty section.

Page Count per Section

Heroes Book

• Character Options, 32 pages
• Guide to the Realms, 48 pages
• Gods of Faerun, 33 pages
• Whole Realms Catalog, 7 pages
• Magic, 11 pages
• Factions, 39 pages
• Total Lore Pages: roughly 120 pages.

Adventure Book

• Running the Realms, 6 pages
• Adventures, 32 pages
• Dalelands, 45 pages
• Icewind Dale, 38 pages
• Calimshan, 32 pages
• Moonshae, 29 pages
• Baldur's Gate, 35 pages
• Lost Library of Lethchauntos adventure, 15 pages
• magic items, 5 pages
• monsters, 38 pages

These Books are Expensive

• $50 for Heroes (192 pages)
• $60 for Adventures (288 pages)
• $110 for the two books
• If you're running a campaign with D&D Beyond, Mike's recommendation is Heroes physical + DDB and Adventures physical for $150...
• Total rough word count of the two books is about 221k words.

Comparing it to the 3rd edition Forgotten Realms book

• The 3rd edition Forgotten Realms book was roughly 300k words (79k words more)
• The 3rd edition FR book cost $39.95 in 2001 – about $73 in 2025 dollars.

Thus...

• 3e Campaign Setting: $0.24 per 1,000 words (inflation-adjusted)
• Adventures + Heroes of Faerun, 2025: $0.50 per 1,000 words

About twice the price!

The art is way bigger in these books than the 3e FR campaign sourcebook, but it's still pretty expensive.

The 3rd Edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Sourcebook is the gold standard:

• $16 on DTRPG
• About $35 for a used copy

You Should Get the 3rd Edition FR Campaign Guide if...

• The price of the new books is too high.
• You want to play in the 1372 DR (pre Spellplague)
• You're not playing 5th edition D&D but still want to play in the Realms

You Should Get the New Books if ...

• The price isn't an issue for you.
• You plan to run a campaign in one or more of the five focus regions.
• You want to play in the most recent timeline.
• You dig all the new art.
• You want a ton of short adventure outlines.
• You really want the new character options and monsters.

Different strokes for different folks, I am not a fan of the 3e FR Campaign Guide. It was both too much and not enough. In that in practice I found it difficult to use at the table. I got too much information to remember and unless I had pre-digested it into a set of bullet points not easy to find what I was looking for at the table. Now I was not good at organising information in those days (still not good but better than I was).
I should add lore is not a priority for me, I can take it or leave it. Mostly leave it unless it impacts or drives what every is currently going on.

I have not read all of it, just a quick skim but am currently reading the Forgotten Heroes book and so far, it seems to be in my sweet spot for regional information.
I love the short adventures, this the kind of stuff I really want since encounters and adventure ideas are things I struggle with (plus the map, can never have enough maps). In principle I like circle magic, I will reserve judgement on the execution.