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DnD – TOP 10 Sourcebooks

TOP 10 Sourcebooks for Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

For now, the fifth edition of the classic Dungeons and Dragons RPG offers us around 30 different Sourcebooks. But which of them are the best? Which of them are kinda necessary? In this post we will show you our TOP 10 Sourcebooks for DnD 5e. Order on this list goes from the most necessary books to the ones that will be a great addition to your adventures and campaigns! First seven positions are clearly the Sourcebooks, while the last 3 are Setting Books recommended by us! Fasten your seatbelt and go with us into a journey around The Forgotten Realms!

Note: Miniatures presented in this post are a gallery of our recent projects for the DnD setup. Monsters presented here are 3D printed and are mostly not related with any of the showcased books. However, miniatures are a phenomenal and immersive tool to use as a Dungeon Master!

1. Player’s Handbook

This is one of the most important books you’ll ever need. No matter if you can find the basic rules online, this book is on a whole different level. Beautiful illustrations and a huge load of lore are supplemented with a huge character creation section. 

Classes, races, spells, equipment and much information that you can use to create the most satisfying character ever (from different origins to the ways you can imbue the personality of your hero) are all included. 

This book should be your bible, no matter if you’re just playing a character or pulling the strings of the campaign as a Dungeon Master!

You can check the contents here.

2. Dungeon’s Master Guide

This book is directed more to those masterminds who are creating the whole plot in their heads and then let their fellow players immerse into their adventures. 

Here you can find all of these useful tables as well as tips and information about world building, being in charge of your player’s characters lives and many more (for example about different planes of reality and how to build a Planar Travel plot). You can also find guidelines to create your own spells, equipment options or even monsters and NPCs. Icing on the cake is the list of the dozens of magical items, artifacts and treasures that your players may find on their way to glory!

Definitely must read if you’re planning on launching your own campaign.

You can check the contents here.

3. Monster Manual

Another huge book for the DMs. 

Here you can find over 150 new monsters to insert into your campaigns. No matter if your campaign is more puzzle focused crime-solving or a true slaughter through armies of monsters, in a certain point your adventurers will face enemies. 

Here you can find a full variety of them, from the ones that can attack in hordes like zombies or goblins to the legendary creatures that will be a challenge even for the prepared team like Mind Flayers or Dragons.

You can check the contents here.

4. Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

This book provides us with a huge ruleset expansion. 

First part of the book is for both players and DMs. It provides us with 33 new subclasses that are not featured in the Player’s Handbook, a guideline to write even more accurate characters and consider his/her origins, personal decisions and the most crucial live events.

Second part of the book is for the DMs. This part provides you with information about various effects, random encounters, downtime activities for your players and even guidelines about possible traps to set.

We highly recommend that book if you want to add depth to your characters or prepare even more enjoyable campaigns.

You can check the contents here.

5 & 6. Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything & Volo’s Guide to Monsters

These two books were written by the ones of most recognizable adventurers of all time – Tasha and Volo.

The first book is a good position for both players and DMs as it not only allows you to even more customize your origin but also introduces skills and subclass changes. Icing on the cake for the players are over 30 new subclasses as well as a variety of new feats that they can unlock. 

DMs will find some guidelines here, including puzzle making and many things involved around magic (including Magical Tattoos and more).

Full contents are available here.

Second Book is another expansion of Monster Manual, providing us with over 120 new monsters to drop straight into your adventurers faces. But hey, it is not the end. This book also gives you a huge amount of knowledge about Beholders, Mind Flayers and some more creatures. Nice addition is a part that introduces a few monster races as playable ones!

Full contents can be found here.

7. Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

“Last” Sourcebook on our list and before you think “ah, well, another bestiary” – yes, but… It also provides us with 30 new playable races!

Over 250 different monsters (including reworks for monsters known from the previous books) will be a huge buff to your arsenal, Dungeon Master.

Players, there are a variety of new playable races, such as Githyanki (known, for example, from last year bestseller Baldur’s Gate 3), Genasi, Kobolds, Fairies and even more. 

I think a cool addition to this book may be Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, where you can learn more about introduced playable races.

You can check the contents here.

8. Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Eberron, the first setting book on our list, took us to the world, where airships and magic-fuelled robots and artifacts are part of the unending war.

This Dungeons & Dragons Sourcebook provides us not only with the complex world of Eberron, but also provides us with a brand new class – Artificer and a few more new options for the character creation. 

Introduced class is kind of a magic-talented tinkerer that can enchant objects, make their own artifacts and even more.

You can check the full contents here.

9. Mythic Odysseys of Theros

One of the most beloved settings for this RPG system is from the crossover of 2 great franchises: Dungeons & Dragons and Magic the Gathering. 

Theros is a world highly inspired by Ancient Greek mythology. The whole new world is supplemented with few new mechanics that, however, can be implemented in any DnD campaign. Mechanics of worshiping (or not) to a Gods Pantheon of Theros are surrounded by the amazing and legendary artworks, that you can feel the might of the universe just from watching through pages of this book.

You can see the full contents here.

10. Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

Last book on our list lets you build a truly grimm campaign. 

These mysterious pages guide you through the gloomy and gothic realm of Ravenloft. You will, as a DM, learn about building horrifying campaigns and truly immerse your players into the world of horror. Nobody can feel safe in the mists of Ravenloft.

You can check the whole contents here.

This is the end of our TOP 10 Sourcebooks for Dungeons & Dragons. We hope that it was helpful and see you in the next post in which we will spot TOP 10 Campaign Books for DnD!

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