D&D General More Details Revealed for Forgotten Realms Digital Expansions

Pre-orders are live for the upcoming Forgotten Realms books, with one D&D Beyond listing providing some new details about digital DLC released alongside the books. Posted today on D&D Beyond, the "Forgotten Realms Ultimate Bundle" will include three digital expansions - Astarion's Book of Hungers, Netheril's Fall, and a third "secret" expansion to be named later. The digital expansions will be gradually released over a three week period. Astarion's Book of Hungers will include new player options, while Netheril's Fall will be an adventure book of some kind. Page count is not available, but currently the only way to get these three digital expansions will be through buying the "Ultimate Bundle," which has a whopping price point of $159.99 and includes both physical and digital versions of the other Forgotten Realms books.

What (little) information we know was provided by D&D Beyond and can be seen below:

• Astarion’s Book of Hungers: a digital expansion where players can indulge in their vampire desires with new player options, monsters, and adventure content – all shared by Astarion himself! | Release Date: November 11, 2025
• Netheril’s Fall: a digital expansion where players can explore the lost Netherese Empire in a time traveling adventure | Release Date: November 18, 2025
• A secret third digital expansion – to be revealed soon! | Release Date: November 25, 2025

 

[GarrettKP]

Ok I gotta ask. What did they change with dhampir (if anything)?

Minor stuff. Made them a full species instead of one you can add on, gave them necrotic resistance but removed their ability to not breathe, and that’s largely it.

Oh and made Vampiric Bite an unarmed strike instead of a weapon attack.

 

[GarrettKP]

New backgrounds are:

Carouser (Dex, Int, Charisma)
Feat: Tireless Reveler
Deception and Persuasion
Gaming Set

Vampire Devotee (Str, Con, Char)
Feat: Vampires Plaything
Persuasion and Stealth
Cook's Utensils

Vampire Survivor (Dex, Con, Wis)
Feat: Vampire Hunter
Insight and Religion
Woodcarver's Tools

 

[Remathilis]

Minor stuff. Made them a full species instead of one you can add on, gave them necrotic resistance but removed their ability to not breathe, and that’s largely it.

Oh and made Vampiric Bite an unarmed strike instead of a weapon attack.

Interesting. I fully expected them to go the other way and lien into the undead thing. Well, time to retire the crystal ball I guess.

Disappointed they removed the idea of lineages, but I guess too many flying aasimar Dhampirs...

 

[TravDoc42]

Speaker Devil

Vampire Infernalist

 

[TravDoc42]

Harvester Devil! I can't see the stats yet, just the art on the Monsters listing

 

[GarrettKP]

New backgrounds are:

Carouser (Dex, Int, Charisma)
Feat: Tireless Reveler
Deception and Persuasion
Gaming Set

Vampire Devotee (Str, Con, Char)
Feat: Vampires Plaything
Persuasion and Stealth
Cook's Utensils

Vampire Survivor (Dex, Con, Wis)
Feat: Vampire Hunter
Insight and Religion
Woodcarver's Tools

Origin Feats:

Tireless Reveler lets you give yourself Inspiration when an ally near you uses theirs, PB times a short or long rest.

Vampire Hunter gives advantage against grapple escapes and nonmagic restraints and lets you reduce necrotic damage by PBd6 once per rest.

Vampire's Plaything lets you make a Potion of Healing or Antitoxin each long rest, bonus action dash or disengage PB times a long rest, and have a telepathic connection with your former vampire master if they are alive (work with your DM).

 

[GarrettKP]

View attachment 421912
Harvester Devil! I can't see the stats yet, just the art on the Monsters listing

They are CR 3, with a charm ability that stuns the target and multiattack. Also disadvantage to attack them unless they attacked on their last turn.

 

[GarrettKP]

Just skimmed through, but early impressions are mixed (lean positive) for me.

Species and Backgrounds are very nice, but the General feats are a mixed bag. Some very good, some very bad. Epic Boons are solid. Adventures look fun. But the book is lacking in the layout/art for me.

 

[Echohawk]

Ok I gotta ask. What did they change with dhampir (if anything)?

I'm not familiar with the previous various, but the dhampir species in Astarion's is a medium or small humanoid, with darkvision, spider climb, trace of undeath (resistance to necrotic damage), and a vampiric bite (this does piercing damage with an unarmed strike which either drains—restores hit points—or strengthens—gives a bonus to the next an attack or ability check—equal to the damage dealt). Use of vampiric bite is capped at proficiency bonus times, until the dhampir takes a long rest.

 

[Remathilis]

I'm not familiar with the previous various, but the dhampir species in Astarion's is a medium or small humanoid, with darkvision, spider climb, trace of undeath (resistance to necrotic damage), and a vampiric bite (this does piercing damage with an unarmed strike which either drains—restores hit points—or strengthens—gives a bonus to the next an attack or ability check—equal to the damage dealt). Use of vampiric bite is capped at proficiency bonus times, until the dhampir takes a long rest.

@GarrettKP pointed out the big differences: the VRG ones didn't have to breathe, didn't have necrotic resistance, and could be taken later as a lineage (which kept any racial skills and movem types) or gave you two skills if you didn't keep anything special.

Basically, they made them a regular species. I imagine that they will have to revisit hexblood and reborn down the road. I also imagine this is a taste of a future Ravenloft product, but as I said, my crystal ball is not working as good as I want.