The upcoming Forgotten Realm-focused books were the center of D&D’s big reveals at GenCon, where it detailed the regions, factions, subclasses and backgrounds available to players.
The popular TTRPG publisher previewed a lot of the upcoming content that is coming out in Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerun and Adventures in Faerun, a duology of D&D volumes that will bring an updated version of the Forgotten Realms to players.
The Fandomentals received an early preview of the game’s content.
Adventures In Faerun
Adventures in Faerun is the book for aspiring DMs and lore fiends who wish to go deeper into the world of the Forgotten Realms. The book focuses primarily on five regions across Faerun, each of which bring a different flavor to a campaign.
- The Western region of Calimshan, best known for sprawling deserts and embraces a non-western fantasy concept. The setting’s design is shifting away from its past and was developed in partnership with academics of cultural and religious studies in North Africa
- The North-oriented Dalelands, which is perhaps the more high-fantasy of the five regions
- The fae-themed Moonshae Isles
- The frostbitten and cold Icewind Dale
- Finally, the dark, urban-oriented Baldur’s Gate.
The book will contain 50 of D&D’s new two-page format dungeons that are intended to be easy to pick up and run, and range across the regions and level spectrums. There are also a lot of tools in the book to bring flavor to the stories, including new options for developing “renown” with factions (an idea introduced in the 2024 ruleset.)
The books will also hold stats for iconic villains from Forgotten Realms history, including options to run a “Chosen of the Dead Three” if players wish to have a campaign involving Baldur’s Gate 3 villains like Lord Gortash or Orin the Red. There are also specialized humanoid stat blocks in the book, such as special stats for drow.
Heroes of Faerun
The player-side guide for future Forgotten Realms adventurers focuses primarily on providing players with new tools and options to bring unique flavors to the game.
The team announced eight new subclasses:
- College of the Moon Bard
- Knowledge Domain Cleric
- Banneret Fighter
- Oath of the Noble Genies Paladin
- Winter Walker Ranger
- Scion of the Three Rogue (a class primarily focused on the Dead Three, a prominent antagonistic force from Baldur’s Gate 3)
- Spellfire Sorcery
- Bladesinger Wizard
The book will also introduce “Circle Magic”, a tool that will allow multiple spellcasters to team up and cast high-level spells and add additional effects to D&D.
Players who want to be involved with iconic Forgotten Realm factions like the Harpers or the Cult of the Dragon will now have options for how to build relationships and renown with them. As they interact or perform tasks with the groups, they may earn a number of in-story benefits. These may include things like housing, discounts, magic items, NPC allies on request and (in at least one case) a dragon egg.
The factions will include:
- Cult of the Dragon
- The Emerald Enclave
- The Harpers
- The Lord’s Alliance
- The Order of the Gauntlet
- The Red Wizards of Thay
- The Zhentarim.
The book does contain multiple background options, including backgrounds that can attach players to these iconic Forgotten Realm factions.
The book will also contain an extensive section detailing all of the 42 gods of the Forgotten Realms and have attached epic boons (feats acquirable at high-levels) that will make a player into a chosen of particular gods.
Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn and Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn is expected to released on Nov. 11, 2025.
The original books are just the start. D&D Beyond also intends to release three additional “DLC” options that provide new character options and story tools to players. First is Astarion’s Book of Hungers, which is scheduled to release on Nov. 11, 2025. This book will offer options to play vampires in D&D. There will also be Netheril’s Fall, a time-traveling tale focused on the lost Netherese empire in Nov. 18, 2025. The third DLC was not revealed yet, although it is scheduled for Nov. 25 release. The DLCs will offer “very meaty options,” D&D’s team told attendees, and hold plenty of character options.
Players can pre-purchase the two main books, the DLCs and 50 additional maps on DnDbeyond right now.
