Forgotten Realms books from D&D include Astarion-themed digital bonuses
In November 2025, Wizards of the Coast is set to release two new books for the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms setting: Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn and Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn. These books, aimed at both players and Dungeon Masters, promise to offer an immersive and expansive Forgotten Realms experience.
Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn
The first book, Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn, is a player-focused guide that emphasises character creation and development within the Faerûn setting. It includes 8 subclasses tied to Forgotten Realms lore, such as the Bladesinger Wizard and Scion of the Three Rogue. Additionally, it offers 18 new backgrounds and 34 feats for unique character customization, as well as 19 spells, including the new Circle Magic cooperative spellcasting mechanic.
Other features of Heroes of Faerûn include 3 magic and 12 non-magic items, guidance on worshiping 42 gods, rules for divine Renown, information on 8 factions, a player-oriented overview of 10 famous Faerûn locales, a digital Atlas of Faerûn map accessible via compendium and D&D Beyond, and a pre-order bonus: The Dallabad Oasis Animated Map for D&D Beyond.
Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn
Meanwhile, Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn is aimed at Dungeon Masters and offers dynamic and flexible adventures alongside deep lore. It sets players in iconic regions like Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale, allowing them to engage with classic villains, perilous quests, and expansive storytelling opportunities.
The Ultimate Bundle
For those looking to extensively explore Faerûn’s mythology, character options, and adventures, the Forgotten Realms Ultimate Bundle is a premium collection priced at around $159.99. This bundle includes physical and digital copies of both books, as well as three digital expansions.
The first expansion, Astarion's Book of Hungers, is a vampire-themed supplement that adds the option to play as a half-vampiric dhampir. It also includes three vampiric backgrounds, 18 more feats, stats for devil-worshipping vampires, short adventures where players get to ally with Astarion, and a detailed map and backstory for Astarion’s favorite tavern. Previous Forgotten Realms books have often included annotations and commentary from famous characters like Volo, and Astarion's Book of Hungers will reportedly include "very flirty letters from Astarion".
The second expansion, Netheril's Fall, is a time-travel-based adventure that explores the lost Netherese Empire. A third "secret" digital expansion will also be released, details of which are yet to be revealed.
Gaming Laptops to Enhance Your Forgotten Realms Experience
To enhance your Forgotten Realms experience, PC Gamer has published an article discussing the best gaming laptops for the occasion. The article considers the Gigabyte G6X, Razer Blade 14 (2025), MSI Vector 16 HX AI, Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10, and Gigabyte Aorus 17X.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 is the best high-performance option, while the MSI Vector 16 HX AI is the best mid-range option. The Gigabyte Aorus 17X is the best 17-inch option, the Razer Blade 14 (2025) is the best 14-inch option, and the Gigabyte G6X is the best budget option.
The author of the article, Jody Macgregor, is a former music journalist who has written for various publications, including Rock Paper Shotgun, The Big Issue, GamesRadar, Zam, Glixel, Five Out of Ten Magazine, and Playboy.com.
[1] https://www.wizards.com/dnd/products/product.aspx?x=dnd/products/books/rpg/frheroes [2] https://www.wizards.com/dnd/products/product.aspx?x=dnd/products/books/rpg/fradventures [3] https://www.wizards.com/dnd/products/product.aspx?x=dnd/products/books/rpg/frultimate [5] https://www.pcgamer.com/the-best-gaming-laptops/
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