The Best Dungeons and Dragons Books in 2025

Dungeons & Dragons is experiencing a remarkable resurgence in popularity, fueled by factors such as the show Stranger Things, the Honor Among Thieves movie, and the immense success 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 Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (5e) can be challenging for newcomers, especially given the abundance of high-quality third-party content. This guide focuses primarily on official Wizards of the Coast publications, leaving aside the extensive third-party offerings which often cater to more experienced players. We also omit the essential Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual, assuming these core rulebooks are already acquired. If not, acquire them first! You can find updated versions below.

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First-Party Content Recommendations:

Core Rulebooks (Updated 2024)

• Player's Handbook: $49.99 at Amazon
• Dungeon Master's Guide: $49.99 at Amazon
• Monster Manual: $49.99 at Amazon

Sourcebooks

• Xanathar's Guide to Everything: A highly valuable sourcebook (2017) offering numerous player options, including subclasses, feats, spells, and helpful DM tools. See it at Amazon

• Tasha's Cauldron of Everything: Expanding on core rulebook concepts, this sourcebook (2020) provides additional player options, new spells, and DM tools for sidekicks, hazards, and more. See it at Amazon

Adventures

• Waterdeep: Dragon Heist: A captivating adventure emphasizing intrigue, social encounters, and political conflict, offering multiple antagonists for replayability. See it at Amazon

• Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse: An excellent three-book bundle exploring the Planescape setting, including a setting book, monster manual, and adventure. See it at Amazon

• Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk: A significant expansion to The Lost Mine of Phandelver, this adventure delves into a cosmic horror mystery. See it at Amazon

• Eberron: Rising from the Last War: A sourcebook and adventure set in a unique war-torn world with airships and floating castles. See it at Amazon

• Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen: An adventure introducing the Dragonlance setting, featuring large-scale combat encounters and dragons. See it at Amazon

• Curse of Strahd: A classic gothic horror adventure featuring vampires and creepy encounters. See it at Amazon

• The Wild Beyond the Witchlight: An adventure set in the Feywild, emphasizing roleplaying and offering multiple solutions to challenges. See it at Amazon

Notable Third-Party Content (brief mention):

While this guide primarily focuses on first-party content, some noteworthy third-party options include Strongholds and Followers, Flee, Mortals!, Tome of Beasts/Creature Codex, and Grim Hollow.

This list provides a starting point for expanding your D&D library. Let us know your favorites in the comments!