We’re all looking forward to November 11th for the upcoming release of two monumental Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks, “Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn” and “Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn”, but almost anyone can admit that they are somewhat overdue. Crafted for the latest 2024 D&D ruleset, these twin encyclopedias will offer much-needed insight into the wider Forgotten Realms setting, featuring expanded lore, new adventures, player options, and plenty more to cement Faerûn as the perennial favorite of RPG setting enthusiasts. 

Expanding the Forgotten Realms Landscape

The narrative centerpiece of D&D, and easily its most recognized setting, The Forgotten Realms has historically placed the bulk of its stories in or around the
Sword Coast region. While it comes with its benefits, such an overwhelming amount of published material within the Sword Coast leaves many with the sense that the larger Forgotten Realms is, to some extent, neglected or overlooked. For decades, players have yearned to explore beyond the traditional settings of D&D, going so far as to venture into faraway worlds like Eberron or Krynn, but for as long as Toril has existed, the world has been packed with adventures in the Sword Coast’s very own backyard. With “Adventures in Faerûn” and “Heroes of Faerûn”, Wizards of the Coast responds by broadening the scope to include diverse regions of Faerûn with all-new narrative possibilities. 

The best part? Nobody gets left out. One release, Adventures in Faerûn, is a sourcebook built for DMs as a veritable treasure trove of setting-relevant information, while Heroes of Faerûn is an all-in-one toolkit for players wanting to get more out of Faerûn. Chances are, if you’re playing D&D, you’re in one of those two camps, so let’s take a closer look at these releases and see what's got D&D fans excited for these upcoming releases. 

Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

Designed primarily for Dungeon Masters, Adventures in Faerûn is an expansive guide that puts at least five distinct but familiar settings into the spotlight: Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, The Moonshae Isles, The Dalelands, and

 Calimshan. Each presented with unique gameplay conventions and genres, ranging from urban fantasy intrigue to survival horror. DMs are constantly looking for a plug-and-play companion that can fit into their various campaigns and storytelling styles, and Adventures in Faerûn aims to heed that call with everything the Forgotten Realms has to offer. 

Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn provides a wealth of resources, including:

• Detailed exploration of 5 familiar settings, with “gazeteer” briefs for each location.
• Over 50 new adventures designed for levels 1-15 players + an all-new starter adventure for levels 1-3, The Lost Library of Lethchauntos.
• 37 new monsters and villains. 
• 12 new magic items.
• Regional Bastion options for the new Bastion mechanics, which add strategic depth and narrative hooks tied to each region.
• 52 VTT-ready maps.

With Adventures in Faerûn alone, November 11th will be a significant drop for fans of D&D., especially since the last time areas like Calisham and Moonshae Isles have seen any substantial amount of spotlight has been since the earlier editions. The Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide, released in 2008 for 4th edition D&D, was the last entry by Wizards of the Coast that could be considered a predecessor to Adventures in Faerun, making it close to 20 years since players have had a good look at the world outside the Sword Coast. Notably, 2023’s hit RPG release Baldur's Gate 3 takes place outside the Sword Coast, in the city of Baldur's Gate, which has reignited interest in the Forgotten Realms at large. Something Wizards of the Coast seems to be aware of with numerous references, easter eggs, and direct appearances from staples of Baldur’s Gate 3. 

Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn 

Whereas Adventures in Faerûn shines as the DM's companion, Heroes of Faerûn is crafted to be a compendium of player options. A character-centric guide designed to empower players to forge deeper connections with Faerûn through tons of character options, mechanics, and more. 

Highlights include:

• Eight new subclasses.
• Circle Magic: A new spellcasting system.
• Nineteen new spells
• Eighteen new backgrounds.
• An impressive thirty-four new features.
• Eight new factions of the Forgotten Realms
• Expansive insights into 42 Gods linked with Renown rewards.

With so much to offer, Heroes of Faerûn is shaping up to be a necessary pickup for D&D players old or new. Every element of character creation is touched upon, expanded, and furthered with mechanics new to the Forgotten Realms. Plus, thirty-four new features are a colossal update on their own, poised to redefine character creation completely. 

D&D Forgotten Realms Guide Bundle by Roll20

For those seeking a comprehensive experience, Roll20 offers a Forgotten Realms Guide Bundle that includes both books in digital format, along with a set of additional digital content related to each release.

Along with everything included in Heroes of Faerûn and Adventures in Faerûn, The Forgotten Realms Guide Bundle comes packed with:

• Unique maps for all five distinct locations: Baldur’s Gate, Calimshan, The Dalelands, Icewind Dales, & Moonshae Isles.
• The Lost Library of Lethchauntos. A dungeon crawl adventure designed to take characters from level 1-3, ready for Roll20.
• 30+ Adventure outlines with ready-to-run adventure hooks and content for DMs to plug into their Forgotten Realms adventures.
• A beastiary with 20+ new and returning monsters, plus tons of exciting stat blocks of iconic villains featuring interactive character sheets.
• Custom macros to make rolling tables a snap.

Plus, special pre-order bonus battlemaps available in our Bonus Pack 3, dropping October 7 and available through November 10th.

A New Era for the Forgotten Realms

As a pair, these sourcebooks are more than just a comprehensive, in-depth exploration of the underexplored settings of D&D. For new and returning players or GMs, these dual compendia stand to be a fixture in any roleplayer's toolkit. With eye-catching goodies like new subclasses and features in Heroes of Faerûn, and promising supplements like adventure hooks and lore in Adventures in Faerûn, Wizards of the Coast aims to refresh one of the most beloved settings in tabletop RPG history for a new generation of players.

Reflecting the shift in design philosophy toward more customizable, narrative-driven experiences, the Forgotten Realms guides are structured to provide fans with all the tools they need without restricting them with step-by-step instructions. While Adventures in Faerûn will come with tons of content to propel your gameplay further, you’ll notice a greater focus on setting information than strictly laying out events in sequence. Adventure outlines and adventure hooks are core components, complemented by statistical and biographical information to create a fuller picture of a world that serves as a framework for DMs to craft their own narrative. Plus, player options are in abundance, reflecting the new customization-forward design approach to character creation that the 2024 Player Handbook and Dungeon Masters' Guide brought forward earlier this year. 

With its November 11 release, richly diverse content, and digital enhancements, these books are poised to be landmark additions to any D&D library, reinvigorating the iconic Forgotten Realms with fresh adventures, lore, and heroic potential for years to come.