Sourcebooks & Shows
Every D&D book worth owning, and every actual-play show worth watching. Your reading list and watch list, sorted.
The Official Catalog
All links go to D&D Beyond — the official digital platform. Books marked ★ Essential are the ones we'd grab first if we were starting from scratch.
Player's Handbook (2024)
The updated 5e PHB — revised classes, new character creation rules, and a fresh coat of paint on the core rules. The starting point for every player.
Dungeon Master's Guide (2024)
The revised DMG with better organized advice, new tools for building worlds and encounters, and a sample setting to run right out of the box.
Monster Manual (2025)
A complete overhaul of the monster roster — every creature rebuilt with new stat blocks, lore, and encounter hooks baked right in.
Beyond the Big Publisher
The best TTRPG content isn't always from Wizards of the Coast. These indie studios are pushing the hobby forward with ambitious books, original systems, and genuine passion for the craft.
Avantris Entertainment
Folk Horror, Space Opera & Woodland Chaos for 5E
Avantris makes massive, lavishly produced 5E supplements with their own actual-play shows built right in. Their books don't just give you rules — they give you a world, a cast, and a reason to care.
★ Flagship
The Crooked Moon
632-page folk horror tome for 5E. Dark woods, witching hours, and dreadful folktales. One of the most ambitious indie TTRPG books ever made.
MCDM Productions
Tactical Combat & Deep Worldbuilding
Matt Colville's studio makes supplements that take D&D's weakest points — monsters, warfare, strongholds — and completely rebuild them. Their Flee, Mortals! monster book alone is worth the price of admission.
★ Flagship
Flee, Mortals!
A complete monster book that redesigns how creatures work in 5E — minions, retainers, villain actions, and monsters that actually feel dangerous.
Kobold Press
Deep Lore, Weird Monsters & Tome of Beasts
The gold standard of third-party D&D content. Kobold Press has been publishing high-quality 5E supplements for years — their Tome of Beasts series alone adds hundreds of unique monsters to your game.
★ Flagship
Tome of Beasts 1, 2 & 3
Three volumes of original monsters — over 1,000 creatures total — all designed to feel distinct from the Monster Manual and immediately usable.
Darrington Press
Critical Role's Official Publishing Arm
Critical Role's in-house publisher. Home to Daggerheart (their new narrative RPG system), Candela Obscura, and official Exandria sourcebooks. If you love the show, this is where the canon lives.
★ Flagship
Daggerheart
A brand-new narrative RPG system built for cinematic storytelling — dual d12 dice, hope/fear mechanics, and a focus on character-driven drama over tactical combat.
Ghostfire Gaming
Grim Hollow & Dark Fantasy 5E
Specialists in dark, gritty 5E content. Their Grim Hollow setting strips out the heroic fantasy safety net and replaces it with transformation, corruption, and genuine consequence.
★ Flagship
Grim Hollow: The Campaign Guide
A dark fantasy setting where players can transform into monsters, corruption is a real mechanic, and death has weight. Perfect for mature, story-driven campaigns.
Hit Point Press
Humblewood & Whimsical Adventures
Canadian indie studio known for beautiful production values and heartfelt design. Humblewood is their breakout hit — a woodland setting full of bird-folk, mouse-folk, and surprisingly deep lore.
★ Flagship
Humblewood
A 5E campaign setting in a magical forest populated by anthropomorphic woodland creatures. Gorgeous art, original classes, and a tone that works for all ages.
Watch & Listen
The shows that prove tabletop RPGs are some of the best storytelling happening right now. Podcasts, YouTube series, and streaming shows — sorted by vibe.
Critical Role
D&D 5e / Daggerheart
Epic, emotional, world-class voice acting
The show that brought D&D to millions. Three full campaigns of legendary storytelling, plus the new Daggerheart system in Campaign 4. Matthew Mercer's DMing is a masterclass in improv and world-building.
Dimension 20
D&D 5e / Various
Cinematic, wildly creative, always surprising
Brennan Lee Mulligan runs some of the most inventive campaigns in actual play — from a high school fantasy to a heist in the Rat Grotto. Every season is a completely different genre. The production value is unmatched.
Aabria Iyengar / Exandria Unlimited
D&D 5e
Collaborative, character-driven, joyful chaos
Aabria's GMing style is pure collaborative storytelling — she follows her players into the chaos and makes it feel inevitable. Exandria Unlimited and her work on Dimension 20 are essential watching for GMs who want to learn improv.
Avantris
D&D 5e
Cozy, heartfelt, genuinely funny
A group of friends playing D&D with warmth and humor that feels like being at the best table you've ever sat at. Avantris has built one of the most beloved communities in actual play — the vibes are immaculate.
StoryQuest
Various
Narrative-focused, indie systems, thoughtful
StoryQuest explores the full breadth of tabletop RPGs — not just D&D. If you want to see what games like Blades in the Dark, Ironsworn, or Mothership look like at the table, this is your gateway.
The Adventure Zone
D&D 5e / Various
Hilarious, surprisingly emotional, family-made
The McElroy family playing tabletop RPGs — starts as pure comedy and somehow becomes one of the most emotionally resonant stories in the medium. Balance Arc is a must-listen. Bring tissues for the finale.
Not Another D&D Podcast
D&D 5e
Comedy-forward, improv-heavy, deeply weird
NADDPOD started as a comedy podcast and became a genuine epic. Emily Axford's DMing is some of the best in the business — she builds worlds that feel lived-in and lets her players break them beautifully.
Worlds Beyond Number
Custom / Narrative
Literary, slow-burn, deeply considered
Brennan Lee Mulligan, Aabria Iyengar, and Lou Wilson in a podcast-first actual play with original music and a world built from scratch. If you want actual play as literature, this is it.
Oxventure (Outside Xbox)
D&D 5e
Chaotic, British, extremely funny
Six video game journalists playing D&D with absolutely no regard for the rules as written. Johnny Chiodini's GMing is endlessly patient and creative. The party is a disaster. It's perfect.
We're not affiliated with any of these shows or publishers — we just think they're great. All links open in a new tab. Know a show we missed? Tell us about it.
Keep Exploring
Everything you need to run a legendary one-shot.