At GenCon 2025, Wizards of the Coast finally confirmed what fans have been theorizing for years:Dungeons and Dragonsis 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 inDungeons and Dragons’Heroes of FaerunandAdventures in Faerunbooks. 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.
Digital “DLC Books” Are Risky - But One Character Might Just Make It Work
TheForgotten Realms Ultimate Bundle,currently available for pre-order, retails for a hefty $150 USD. In addition to including physical and digital versions of bothHeroesandAdventures,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 theForgotten Realms Ultimate Bundlewill 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 isNetheril’s Fall,a time-traveling journey to the ancient Netherese Empire, and the third - and most positively received so far - isAstarion’s Book of Hungers,a vampire-centric tome “written by"Baldur’s Gate 3’sbreakout star.
Astarion Is The Perfect Choice To Helm A BonusDungeons and DragonsBook
D&D Beyond’s official marketplace Website describesAstarion’s Book of Hungersas “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 asVolo’s Guide to Monsters, Astarion’s Book of Hungersmakes 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 thefact that the bonus books are only available to those who purchase the entire bundle, especially becauseAstarion’s Book of Hungersis 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” aroundAstarionis a savvy one. He is one ofBaldur’s Gate 3’smost 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 thatAstarion’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 Coasthas released books such asMordenkainen 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 theForgotten Realms Ultimate Bundlein the future. However, regardless of the future, one thing is certain: with the newForgotten Realmscontent focusing so heavily on iconic characters from throughout the setting’s history,giving Astarion the spotlightin the form of his own book was an inspired choice.
