2025: Must-Read Dungeons & Dragons Books Revealed

Dungeons & Dragons is experiencing a remarkable resurgence in popularity, fueled by factors like the success of Stranger Things, the Honor Among Thieves movie, and the widespread appeal of Baldur's Gate 3. This makes it an ideal time to delve into the world of tabletop roleplaying. However, navigating the vast landscape of fifth edition (5e) D&D, particularly the wealth of third-party content, can be daunting for newcomers. This guide focuses primarily on official Wizards of the Coast publications, excluding the essential Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual (updated in 2024), assuming you already possess these core rulebooks. If not, acquire them first.

How often do you play D&D?

Once a weekOnce every two weeksOnce a monthOnly when everyone can get togetherAnswerSee Results

First-Party Content Recommendations:

• Xanathar's Guide to Everything (Sourcebook): A crucial sourcebook (2017) offering numerous player options, including subclasses, racial feats, and spells. It also includes helpful tools for Dungeon Masters (DMs) and optional rules expanding on core rulebook concepts. Highly beneficial for players seeking diverse character builds.

• Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (Sourcebook): Similar to Xanathar's, this sourcebook provides expanded player options and enriches core rulebook mechanics. It features optional class features, new spells, and DM-focused rules for sidekicks, hazards, and interactions with monsters. Excellent for enhancing class diversity.

• Waterdeep: Dragon Heist (Adventure): A compelling adventure emphasizing roleplaying, intrigue, and social encounters over straightforward dungeon crawling. It features multiple antagonists, allowing for replayability and surprising twists.

• Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse (Sourcebook/Adventure Bundle): A comprehensive exploration of the Planescape setting, including a setting book, monster manual, and adventure. It offers rich details, intriguing factions, and a captivating campaign.

• Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk (Adventure): A substantial expansion to The Lost Mine of Phandelver, returning players to Phandalin to uncover a cosmic horror conspiracy. The inclusion of Mind Flayers and the nostalgic return to Phandalin make this a compelling choice.

• Eberron: Rising from the Last War (Sourcebook/Adventure): This sourcebook presents a unique setting with floating castles and airships, offering a departure from the Forgotten Realms. It includes new playable races (Dragonmarks) and a campaign set in the eerie Mournland.

• Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen (Adventure): Introduces the Dragonlance setting, featuring large-scale combat encounters and dragons. It's ideal for players who enjoy epic battles.

• Curse of Strahd (Adventure): A gothic horror adventure remake of a classic, featuring vampires and creepy encounters. A supplement, Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, further expands the setting.

• The Wild Beyond the Witchlight (Adventure): This Feywild adventure emphasizes roleplaying and offers multiple solutions to problems, including a unique carnival setting. It also includes new playable races and backgrounds.

Notable Third-Party Content (briefly mentioned):

• Strongholds and Followers (MCDM Productions): Adds rules for player bases and NPCs.
• Flee, Mortals!/Where Evil Lives (MCDM Productions): Redesigned and new monsters, plus a dungeon.
• Tome of Beasts/Creature Codex (Kobold Press): Extensive monster manuals, particularly useful for high-level play.
• Grim Hollow (Ghostfire Gaming): A dark fantasy setting.

This selection offers a diverse range of options for enhancing your D&D experience, whether you prefer intricate roleplaying, epic battles, or exploring unique settings. Let us know your favorites in the comments!