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

[whimsychris123]

If you plan to use the 3e campaign setting book in a 5th edition game, is it worth getting the new books for the crunch?

 

[UngainlyTitan]

If you plan to use the 3e campaign setting book in a 5th edition game, is it worth getting the new books for the crunch?

Depends on how much you value the crunch and which crunch you want. The player facing stuff is mostly in Heroes, with the adventures, magic items and more detailed gazetteers in the other book.

 

[MockingBird]

I pre-ordered the books on Dndbeyond so ive only skimmed the digital books. Im not sure about this format. Im guessing it was to big to be one book? Im all for players getting setting info but it seems like most of the lore is in that book. I guess thats on purpose? You just really need the one book? I guess the "adventures" is helpful but its a lot to digest. Just my initial thoughts. I really wish they would just bring box sets back. I love FR by the way.

 

[Horwath]

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

yay, instead of content, lore, mechanics, we're getting AI art slop for our money.
So same as new PHB(even if that art is not AI, it is still bad and uses too much room in PHB)

 

[dave2008]

Speaking of 3rd edition FR books, the Underdark sourcebook from that edition was pretty awesome in its own right. Lots of material to draw from there.

So was the 4e Underdark book

 

[Demetrios1453]

yay, instead of content, lore, mechanics, we're getting AI art slop for our money.

No we are not.

 

[dave2008]

yay, instead of content, lore, mechanics, we're getting AI art slop for our money.
So same as new PHB(even if that art is not AI, it is still bad and uses too much room in PHB)

Art is subjective ( I think this the best art of any edition of the game), but it is objectively not AI slop.

Not to mention you are getting lore and mechanics too. So you appear to be very uninformed about the product.

 

[Horwath]

Art is subjective

hehe, that is so true.

( I think this the best art of any edition of the game)

well, it's hard to beat 4E PHB in bad art category, but 2024 PHB did their best to beat it.

, but it is objectively not AI slop.

is it objective or subjective?

Not to mention you are getting lore and mechanics too. So you appear to be very uninformed about the product.

I didn't say that we are not getting those, but OP did an analysis that we got that at twice the price.
So what is the bloat in the book that can be used for more lore and mechanics? Art.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

is it objective or subjective?

Objective. It's either AI or it's not. This art is not.

Whether or not one likes the art is subjective.

 

[Zardnaar]

No we are not.

Technically its not. It kinda looks like it though except ive seen better AI.

I ordered the alt art ones. Not 100% sure I'll get them though.