Top D&D Books for 2025 Revealed

Dungeons & Dragons is currently experiencing a golden age, fueled by the popularity surge from shows like Stranger Things, the success of the Honor Among Thieves movie, the proliferation of tabletop-focused podcasts and YouTube shows, and the phenomenal success of Baldur's Gate 3. There's never been a better time to dive into the world of D&D and start rolling for initiative.

Navigating the vast landscape of Dungeons & Dragons' Fifth Edition (5E) can be daunting for newcomers, especially with the abundance of high-quality content from third-party creators. If you're new to the hobby and unsure where to begin, here are our top recommendations for the best Dungeons & Dragons books to buy in 2025. For additional guidance, be sure to check out our beginner's guide to D&D.

First-party content

Before we delve into our recommendations, a few disclaimers: This guide will primarily focus on first-party content, as third-party content often caters to seasoned players looking to enhance their dungeon crawling experiences. Additionally, we'll exclude the three essential books: the **Player's Handbook**, the **Dungeon Master's Guide**, and the **Monster Manual**. These core rulebooks, updated in 2024, are foundational and should be your starting point before exploring further. If you haven't acquired these, you can find the latest versions below or skip to our recommended sourcebooks.

Player's Handbook Core Rulebook

12$49.99 at Amazon

Dungeon Master's Guide Core Rulebook

7$49.99 at Amazon

Monster Manual Core Rulebook

5$49.99 at Amazon

Xanathar's Guide to Everything (Sourcebook)

Xanathar's Guide to Everything

10See it at Amazon

Since its release in 2017, Xanathar's Guide to Everything has become an indispensable sourcebook, offering a wealth of player options with over 25 subclasses, 20 racial feats, new spells, and more. It also provides valuable tools for game masters, such as trap-building guides and optional rules to enrich core concepts like downtime. While more beneficial to players, this sourcebook is a must-have for expanding party options, from Wizards learning War Magic to Monks mastering the drunken fighting style.

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (Sourcebook)

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

5See it at Amazon

Similar to Xanathar's, Tasha's Cauldron of Everything enhances player options and builds upon core rulebook ideas. It introduces optional class features for every class, new spells, and new rules for game masters regarding sidekicks, natural hazards, monster negotiations, and supernatural environments. This sourcebook is essential for adding diversity and depth to your D&D party.

Waterdeep: Dragon Heist (Adventure)

Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

3See it at Amazon

Waterdeep: Dragon Heist is a standout adventure filled with intrigue and roleplay. Unlike typical dungeon-centric adventures, this quest focuses on social encounters, political conflicts, and subterfuge. It begins with a famous explorer drawing the party into a conflict between criminal enterprises, promising hidden riches. With four possible antagonists, game masters can keep the adventure fresh even for returning players. For an extended campaign, consider the follow-up, Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage.

Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse (Sourcebook/Adventure Bundle)

Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

4See it at Amazon

Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse is a comprehensive bundle that explores the fascinating multiversal setting at the heart of the Forgotten Realms. Unlike the disappointing Spelljammer, this bundle delivers rich setting details, intriguing factions, and a robust monster manual in Morte's Planar Parade. The adventure, Turn of Fortune's Wheel, promises exciting narrative twists, making it a must-have for fans of one of D&D's most beloved settings.

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk (Adventure)

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

3See it at Amazon

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk expands on the classic Lost Mine of Phandelver, taking players back to Phandalin to uncover the mystery of magical obelisks. This lengthy campaign delves into cosmic horror with Mind Flayers, making it a unique and thrilling adventure, especially timely after the success of Baldur's Gate 3.

Eberron: Rising from the Last War (Sourcebook/Adventure)

Eberron: Rising from the Last War

9See it at Amazon

Set in a war-torn world with floating castles, skyscrapers, and airships, Eberron: Rising from the Last War offers a unique setting. It includes new species options like Dragonmarks and a campaign focused on the eerie Mournland. This sourcebook is perfect for groups interested in both roleplay and action-packed adventures.

Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen (Adventure)

Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

1See it at Amazon

Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen introduces a new setting to 5E, featuring mass combat encounters and dragon-centric warfare. Focused on the death knight Lord Soth and his draconian army, this lengthy adventure also offers new player options, making it a compelling choice for epic battles.

Curse of Strahd (Adventure)

Curse of Strahd

5See it at Amazon

Curse of Strahd is a classic gothic horror adventure, remade from the first edition of the game. With its vampires, blood, and eerie atmosphere, it's a timeless favorite. For further exploration, consider the supplement **Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft**.

The Wild Beyond the Witchlight (Adventure)

The Wild Beyond the Witchlight: A Feywild Adventure

0See it at Amazon

The Wild Beyond the Witchlight is perfect for roleplay-focused groups, set in the enchanting Feywild with a carnival backdrop. It offers multiple problem-solving options beyond combat, along with new playable species and backgrounds, including the unique opportunity to play as a carnival performer.

Third-party content

While we primarily focus on first-party content, we can't overlook a few exceptional third-party titles:

• Strongholds and Followers by MCDM Productions adds rules for giving parties bases and NPC allies, inspiring Wizards' upcoming Bastion rules.
• Flee, Mortals! by MCDM Productions revamps D&D monsters and introduces new ones, complemented by the adventure book Where Evil Lives.
• Tome of Beasts/Creature Codex by Kobold Press expands the monster roster, especially useful for high-level challenges.
• Grim Hollow by Ghostfire Gaming offers a dark fantasy setting with extensive support books for a deep dive into a grim world of war and dark magic.

These are our top recommendations for the best Dungeons & Dragons books to consider in 2025. Have we missed any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments, or explore some of our favorite D&D dice sets and D&D merchandise for additional inspiration.