Dungeons And Dragons' Latest Content is Risky, Even If It…

At GenCon 2025, Wizards of the Coast finally confirmed what fans have been theorizing for years: Dungeons and Dragons is returning to the popular Forgotten Realms setting with a series of books centered around all things Faerun. Players can explore the Sword Coast alongside familiar faces such as Drizzt Do'Urden, Minsc of Rashemen and Karlach Cliffgate in Dungeons and Dragons' Heroes of Faerun and Adventures in Faerun books. Plus, players who purchase the bundle of both books get some exclusive digital content - a risky move, but one Wizards of the Coast might just pull off due to who they chose to headline said bonus content.

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Dungeons and Dragons Reveals Two New Books for 2025

Dungeons and Dragons reveals two new sourcebooks to be released in 2025, including one that returns to an iconic, fan-favorite TTRPG setting.

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By Eric Law

Digital "DLC Books" Are Risky - But One Character Might Just Make It Work

The Forgotten Realms Ultimate Bundle, currently available for pre-order, retails for a hefty $150 USD. In addition to including physical and digital versions of both Heroes and Adventures, the bundle includes bonus digital maps and dice, an atlas of the entire Faerun continent, and three digital-exclusive books. Currently, the only way to obtain these books is by getting the bundle; they are not yet available for individual purchase, and it is unclear if they will be in the future.

The reveal that the Forgotten Realms Ultimate Bundle will contain exclusive books was initially a controversial one, with some calling them "DLC books" and others annoyed that the bonus books will seemingly not be given out for free to D&D Beyond members, as other digital-only content has in the past. However, the reveal of the books' subject changed at least some of the doubt into excitement. One book remains unrevealed, a second is Netheril's Fall, a time-traveling journey to the ancient Netherese Empire, and the third - and most positively received so far - is Astarion's Book of Hungers, a vampire-centric tome "written by" Baldur's Gate 3's breakout star.

Astarion Is The Perfect Choice To Helm A Bonus Dungeons and Dragons Book

D&D Beyond's official marketplace Website describes Astarion's Book of Hungers as "a digital expansion where players can indulge in their vampire desires with new player options, monsters, and adventure content - all shared by Astarion himself." Following in the footsteps of such books as Volo's Guide to Monsters, Astarion's Book of Hungers makes use of the "narrated by character" gimmick to bring his fans exactly what they want: more of the vampire spawn's signature snark, flirtation, and undeniable charm.

Some fans are still disappointed by the fact that the bonus books are only available to those who purchase the entire bundle, especially because Astarion's Book of Hungers is theorized to contain the highly anticipated Dhampir/Dhampyr species as a playable option. However, Wizards of the Coast's decision to center the first "DLC book" around Astarion is a savvy one. He is one of Baldur's Gate 3's most popular characters, and some of his fans will likely be more than willing to shell out the extra cash for more content of their favorite vampire spawn.

It is definitely possible that Astarion's Book of Hungers, or at least some of the content available within, may become accessible in other ways in the future. Previously, Wizards of the Coast has released books such as Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, which collected a variety of character races from other sources into one.

It is also possible that, due to the popularity of Astarion, the digital book may become available outside the Forgotten Realms Ultimate Bundle in the future. However, regardless of the future, one thing is certain: with the new Forgotten Realms content focusing so heavily on iconic characters from throughout the setting's history, giving Astarion the spotlight in the form of his own book was an inspired choice.

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