Dungeons and Dragons 5e Sourcebook Tier List

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Beginning in 2014 with the launch of the 5th Edition, Dungeons & Dragons has published numerous books. Ranging from initial adventure paths such as “Hoard of the Dragon Queen” to a fresh set of core rulebooks slated for release in 2024, there’s an abundance of content spanning thousands of pages for both players and Dungeon Masters to immerse themselves in. Among these offerings, sourcebooks that expand on character choices, creature rosters, and other tabletop elements stand out as particularly significant. However, it’s important to note that not every book published under the Dungeons & Dragons banner is of equal quality.

To make it onto this list, a submission should be either a standalone physical or digital book of at least 100 pages published by Wizards of the Coast for the 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons game. The content must mainly focus on resources for players like introducing new species, subclasses, and spells, or providing tools for dungeon masters such as monsters, magic items, setting details, or other useful information. Excluded from this list are adventure modules and anthologies, despite their inclusion of unique monsters and magic items within them.

The primary considerations for these rankings include the quality, quantity, and effect on the game, whereas aspects like artistic merit, duration, and total timeframe hold secondary importance.

S-Tier: The Best Sourcebooks Money Can Buy

  • Xanathar’s Guide to Everything (2017)
  • Tasha’s Cauldron to Everything (2020)
  • Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft (2021)
  • Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons (2021)

Among the top resource manuals for 5th Edition, it’s hard not to mention Xanathar’s Guide to Everything first. Packed with 31 new subclasses, fresh spells and feats, as well as optional resources tailored for dungeon masters, this book has become widely regarded as the “missing pieces” that complement the core rulebooks. Following in its footsteps, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything further expanded upon D&D‘s Xanathar’s Guide, introducing changes that have enriched Dungeons & Dragons gameplay for years to come. These two books truly stand out in the sea of D&D resources.

Both “Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft” and “Fizban’s Treasure of Dragons” are equally renowned books, offering remarkable character options and DM resources. Given their connection to the widely acclaimed “Curse of Strahd,” which is the most popular adventure in the history of 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons, and the fact that both books draw inspiration from the iconic monster central to the entire Tabletop Roleplaying Game (TTRPG) system, it’s no surprise they have enjoyed immense success.

A-Tier: Timeless Classics That Deliver Great Options

  • 5th Edition Core Rules (2014 and 2024)
  • Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount (2020)
  • Mythic Odysseys of Theros (2020)
  • Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse (2022)

Essentially, you can’t play “Dungeons and Dragons” without the fundamental rules, which include the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual. Interestingly, there are two versions of these rulebooks available now: the ones published in 2014 and their revised editions from 2024. These new sets can be used together as they are compatible, each with its own advantages and minor drawbacks. Ultimately, while both sets are excellent individually, combining elements from different eras allows a gaming table to tailor the game specifically to their preferences.

The Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount marked not just the initial venture of Dungeons and Dragons into the realm of Critical Role’s world, Exandria, but it also played a significant role in challenging harmful racial stereotypes. For example, Orcs were portrayed as intelligent rather than being considered unintelligent, and Drow from Dungeons and Dragons were presented as not inherently evil. Similarly, Mythic Odysseys of Theros, the second setting sourcebook for Magic: The Gathering, offered a wealth of innovative features for players and DMs, including Supernatural Gifts and Mythic monsters reminiscent of a boss phase, making it a notable addition to this list.

Speaking informally, “Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse,” with its impressive 268 monster stat blocks and 33 playable species, had high expectations as one of the best Dungeons & Dragons books. This may even have outshone classics like Xanathar’s Guide and Tasha’s Cauldron. Regrettably, it wasn’t released in a vacuum; Monsters of the Multiverse hit shelves around the same time as Dungeons and Dragons was embarking on its One D&D initiative, which eventually transformed into the 2024 rules refresh. As one of the final books to launch before this new era, it found itself in an unusual position, making an otherwise amazing book slightly less exciting and relevant than it could have been due to the impending changes.

B-Tier: Solid Books That Needed More

  • Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica (2018)
  • Minsc and Boo’s Journal of Villainy (2021)
  • Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse (2023)
  • Chains of Asmodeus (2023)
  • The Book of Many Things (2023)

The Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica marked the first instance where Dungeons and Dragons merged with Magic: The Gathering, exploring one of the most beloved settings within the franchise. Despite being condensed into a 256-page book, it was evident that delving into such a rich world proved challenging; for example, only two out of the ten iconic guilds received new subclasses. While the book was excellent, fans have been eagerly anticipating more Ravnica content for over seven years now.

The book titled “Minsc and Boo’s Journal of Villainy” was a tribute to dedicated D&D video game enthusiasts, offering a blend of contemporary updates and timeless adventures set in iconic locations like Athkatla. It also provided game mechanics such as stat blocks and plot hooks for popular characters from games like Baldur’s Gate (including Minsc, Imoen, and Bhaal), as well as characters from Neverwinter Nights (like Aribeth de Tylmarande and Mephistopheles). Similarly, Chains of Asmodeus, created by James Ohlen who has worked on Baldur’s Gate and Dragon Age, showcased more than 50 fearsome creatures from the Nine Hells. These exceptional digital-only fundraising books for Extra Life received little publicity, making them largely unknown to many fans.

Upon first impression, the “Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse” boxed set appeared to be an excellent resource, offering comprehensive setting details and distinctive monsters for dungeon masters to effortlessly conduct games set in Sigil and the Outlands, as depicted in Planescape: Torment. However, the title is somewhat deceptive; it contains minimal information about the broader multiverse, making it challenging to fully leverage Sigil’s role as a planar nexus without additional research.

As a dedicated gamer, diving into the world of Dungeons and Dragons, I can honestly say that The Book of Many Things was an exceptional addition to my gaming arsenal. Packed with over 50 intriguing magical items, innovative player options such as feats, backgrounds, and spells, and the groundbreaking introduction of a character with autism – a first for this iconic universe, it set the stage for greatness.

However, being the last product to be released before the 2024 rules refresh left it in an unfortunate position. Its unique theming, while impressive, ended up being its downfall as it was overshadowed by the freshness of the new core rules. This oversight unfortunately diminished its overall impact on the game, despite the undeniable quality that lies within its pages.

C-Tier: Decent Books With Some Big Issues

  • Acquisitions Incorporated (2019)
  • Eberron: Rising from the Last War (2019)
  • Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos (2021)
  • Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants (2023)

Acquisitions Incorporated served as an amusing campaign manual based on the podcast of the same name, featuring Penny Arcande and overseen by previous directors of Dungeons & Dragons, Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford. Despite being entertaining, the character selections in this sourcebook are worryingly unbalanced, with some spells either utterly ineffective or far too potent for their designated level. Caution is advised for Dungeon Masters before they let their players utilize content from this non-canonical guidebook.

Rising from the Last War” brought a multitude of playable races, character features, creatures, and magical gear to the table, but what truly stood out was the introduction of the Artificer – the first new class to be added post-launch in the 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons. However, “Tasha’s Cauldron” later reintroduced the Artificer and made improvements to aspects like Group Patrons, which somewhat diminished its unique appeal.

As “Eberron: Forge of the Artificer” approaches towards the end of this year and brings updates for the Artificer according to the 2024 core rules, it is expected that “Eberron: Rising from the Last War” will largely lose its relevance or usefulness.

The engaging read, titled “Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos“, is truly a fantastic book that’s hard to resist. Its appealing backdrops, magical artifacts, monstrous creatures, and the endearing Owlin race make it an excellent choice for any collector. However, there are two points worth mentioning about this third Magic: The Gathering setting book. Firstly, it may not have offered as many player options as desired. Secondly, it unfortunately introduced a scourge for Dungeon Masters everywhere – the troublesome Silvery Barbs spell. This potent first-level spell has caused chaos at gaming tables since its introduction in this book, and even renowned actual play dungeon masters like Matt Mercer of Critical Role and Brennan Lee Mulligan of Dimension 20 haven’t been able to escape its impact.

To put it straight, the game module Bigby Presents: Glory of Giants should be ranked higher on this list due to its rich giant-focused character options, magic items, and creatures. However, it’s important to note that its release was clouded by various issues. Firstly, compared to previous editions, the book contained less content and fewer pages. Secondly, it was the first product launched following an increase in the prices of Dungeons and Dragons. Thirdly, some images in the original publication were discovered to be generated by AI and were later replaced. Lastly, this product hit the market during the testing phase of the 2024 core rules.

D-Tier: Outdated and Underwhelming Options

  • Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide (2015)
  • Volo’s Guide to Monsters (2016)
  • Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes (2018)
  • Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron (2018)
  • Spelljammer: Adventures in Space (2022)

The “Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide,” published during the 5th Edition, was the initial supplementary book released and is among the shortest on this list, spanning 159 pages. This book offered vague details about various locations along the Sword Coast in the current age, as well as mechanically weak subclasses like the Purple Dragon Knight Fighter and the Battlerager Barbarian. Notably, some of its better features, such as the Tiefling race and Bladesinger Wizard, have been re-released in subsequent publications.

It’s great to note that insights from the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide have been applied to subsequent products, and we can anticipate that the Forgotten Realms Player’s Guide in D&D’s future offerings may represent an improved approach to exploring the widely-loved setting.

The two books, “Volo’s Guide to Monsters” and “Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes,” were truly impressive on their own and would have easily earned an A or S tier rating in the past. However, with the release of “Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse,” these previous books have been made redundant because they no longer appear to be available for purchase on D&D Beyond. Essentially, the newer book has republished the creatures and species from those earlier titles, making them outdated in comparison.

Rising from the Last War.” Furthermore, with the upcoming release of “Eberron: Forge of the Artificer” by Dungeons and Dragons, the book’s content is expected to become even more irrelevant. Consequently, there’s little need for its continued use.

The “Spelljammer: Journeys Beyond the Stars” collection comprises three separate 64-page booklets – “Astral Adventurer’s Guide”, “Boo’s Astral Menagerie”, and “Light of Xaryxis”. Unfortunately, these books fell short of expectations. The Spelljammer rules offered minimal direction for managing space battles, the player choices were limited and lacked excitement, and the books contained relatively little engaging content overall.

Beyond just saying that, the Hadozee race, resembling monkeys, were not only known for their glide but also had a significant vulnerability in their mechanical systems. Additionally, their artistic expressions stirred up a lot of debate because they often depicted racial stereotypes, which caused controversy. Here’s hoping that if Dungeons and Dragons revisits the Spelljammer universe in the future, they will have better outcomes.

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2025-08-28 02:10