D&D 5E (2024) Next issue of Game Informer will have details on the two upcoming Forgotten Realms books

[TravDoc42]

Here's a new and detailed breakdown of the books, and what will be included in the various packages, plus a FAQ section:

Everything You Need to Know About the New Forgotten Realms Books

Live your legendary story in the Forgotten Realms! Discover endlessadventures and new character options that plunge you into Faerûn’s most i...

www.dndbeyond.com

Might not be a bad idea to have this on its own thread, or spread it among all the other threads.

One new thing is that the "10 locales" (which we know from the original Game Informer articles are actually large regions) are confirmed to be in HoF.

"Dive into adventures set during iconic Netherese events, and face terrifying new monsters, including several new phaerimm."

So not only are phaerimm confirmed, there's gonna be more than one type! Neato!

 

[Demetrios1453]

"Dive into adventures set during iconic Netherese events, and face terrifying new monsters, including several new phaerimm."

So not only are phaerimm confirmed, there's gonna be more than one type! Neato!

I wonder if these DLCs are a bit of a test run for them to be a recurring feature for expanding the setting, with maybe one to a few each year? This one seems very much like the old 2e Netheril boxed set, for example. If they keep putting them out, with "mini-setting" coverage for different regions, it would be just like in the old 2e days where you'd get a few 32/64 page booklets each year covering various regions/factions/miscellaneous subjects, just in this case digital and not print. And actually, if that's what they're looking to do, I'd be perfectly happy to keep purchasing them to get that extensive coverage of the setting again - as long as they were of good quality, of course. Heck, this would work in other settings as well - it's easy to imagine a DLC for each of the planes for Planescape, for example.

 

[Parmandur]

Here's a new and detailed breakdown of the books, and what will be included in the various packages, plus a FAQ section:

Everything You Need to Know About the New Forgotten Realms Books

Live your legendary story in the Forgotten Realms! Discover endlessadventures and new character options that plunge you into Faerûn’s most i...

www.dndbeyond.com

Might not be a bad idea to have this on its own thread, or spread it among all the other threads.

One new thing is that the "10 locales" (which we know from the original Game Informer articles are actually large regions) are confirmed to be in HoF.

Based on what @GarrettKP has shown of the 10 region-based Backgrounds, I think we misinterpreted the Game Informer article on regards to the 10 regions, because the regional Backgrounds seem to touch on the Dalelands, Icewind Dale, the Moonshaes, Calimshan...and Thesk?? I half wonder if the third DLC will be Gazateera for 5 more locals that get the Baclgroudns in the Heroes book.

Key points about the DLC:

"Dungeon Masters and players alike will find new character options—including the Dhampir species, 18 feats, and three vampiric backgrounds—perfect for adding gothic flair to any campaign."

"The book also offers powerful DM tools: new monster stat blocks for devil-worshipping vampires, bite-sized adventures where players team up with Astarion, and a fully detailed map and backstory for Astarion’s favorite tavern from before the events of Baldur's Gate 3."

...

"Step through time-traveling gates to explore the arcane wonders of High and Low Netheril—complete with city maps, gazetteers, and new magic items that were previously lost to history. Dive into adventures set during iconic Netherese events, and face terrifying new monsters, including several new phaerimm."

So the third DLC will have 7 Species, confirmed.

 

[Parmandur]

"Dive into adventures set during iconic Netherese events, and face terrifying new monsters, including several new phaerimm."

So not only are phaerimm confirmed, there's gonna be more than one type! Neato!

The way that is phrased makes me think the Phaerimm will be in the main physical book...but the time-traveling advenfure will have more varieties of them. Nott sure if the 2E Netheril time travel campaign had variations on them...

 

[GarrettKP]

So the third DLC will have 7 Species, confirmed.

I wouldn’t say that yet. Technically we don’t know that Astarion’s won’t have more species than just Dhampir, just that that’s the one they teased.

But that being said, I could see the third supplement being species that are regional to sections of the realms. The four Genasi for Calimshan, for example.

 

[Parmandur]

I wouldn’t say that yet. Technically we don’t know that Astarion’s won’t have more species than just Dhampir, just that that’s the one they teased.

But that being said, I could see the third supplement being species that are regional to sections of the realms. The four Genasi for Calimshan, for example.

This preview seems fairly thorough on that side, if there were more species in these two DLC they would mention it.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

"Dive into adventures set during iconic Netherese events, and face terrifying new monsters, including several new phaerimm."

So not only are phaerimm confirmed, there's gonna be more than one type! Neato!

It suggest

I wouldn’t say that yet. Technically we don’t know that Astarion’s won’t have more species than just Dhampir, just that that’s the one they teased.

But that being said, I could see the third supplement being species that are regional to sections of the realms. The four Genasi for Calimshan, for example.

I think if Genasi are in DLC3 it'll be 1 race with lineages, but I hope it's more then the usual 4 types, but that we also get like Void Genasi too.

I can see Genasi (Calimshan), Saurials & subtypes (Dalelands), Eladrin maybe with a choice of creature type between humaniods fey & celestial (Moon Shae Isles), Icewind Dake Yeti maybe?, Baldur's Gate hybrid race (for half anything), Wemics, and Lox maybe or Hexborn and Reborn?

I think the 3rd DLC is a kind of races of DLC, because Astarion got 1 race and all the DLC feats and 3 of the backgrounds, it seems like the last DLC 7 species & maybe some backgrounds are in the last surprise DLC.

Or the species in the last DLC could be tied to a new FR video game or somekind of cross over with another setting like MtG somehow, like Leonin & Veldykn somehow end up in the Forgotten Realms.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Based on what @GarrettKP has shown of the 10 region-based Backgrounds, I think we misinterpreted the Game Informer article on regards to the 10 regions, because the regional Backgrounds seem to touch on the Dalelands, Icewind Dale, the Moonshaes, Calimshan...and Thesk?? I half wonder if the third DLC will be Gazateera for 5 more locals that get the Baclgroudns in the Heroes book.

Key points about the DLC:

"Dungeon Masters and players alike will find new character options—including the Dhampir species, 18 feats, and three vampiric backgrounds—perfect for adding gothic flair to any campaign."

"The book also offers powerful DM tools: new monster stat blocks for devil-worshipping vampires, bite-sized adventures where players team up with Astarion, and a fully detailed map and backstory for Astarion’s favorite tavern from before the events of Baldur's Gate 3."

...

"Step through time-traveling gates to explore the arcane wonders of High and Low Netheril—complete with city maps, gazetteers, and new magic items that were previously lost to history. Dive into adventures set during iconic Netherese events, and face terrifying new monsters, including several new phaerimm."

So the third DLC will have 7 Species, confirmed.

What else does that leave besides maybe some backgrounds because Astarion got the feats?

 

[Parmandur]

What else does that leave besides maybe some backgrounds because Astarion got the feats?

The bundle totals suggested there would be maybe 3 new Backgrounds, and the Astarion book has 3 Backgrounds.

My hypothesis is that maybe tge third book is a set of Gazateers for the other 5 Locales that get aome player facing detail and Backgrounds in the Heroes book, but are not further detailed in the AG, including the extended Species options.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

The bundle totals suggested there would be maybe 3 new Backgrounds, and the Astarion book has 3 Backgrounds.

My hypothesis is that maybe tge third book is a set of Gazateers for the other 5 Locales that get aome player facing detail and Backgrounds in the Heroes book, but are not further detailed in the AG, including the extended Species options.

Could be. Personally I lean towards it being a Species book, adding the seven new Species, but also exploring the lore of Species in MOM & maybe the Eberron Species. Like AoF does the PHB races and this 3rd DLC does all these other Species both the 7 new ones, MOM Species and Maybe a few from other sources, maybe FR lore for the Spelljammer Species as well, they are AL legal after all.

Or the delayed announcement could be to tie into another product, but if so what product?