Dungeons and Dragons How Not To Get Eaten by Owlbears

by Anne Toole

So, you’ve decided to be an Adventurer. Good for you! Just a warning, though. There are some really horrible things lurking out there…Things with fangs and glowing eyes. Things that think you look delicious. Not to mention the magical mishaps, erratic wizards, and villainous cutthroats you’ll encounter.Whether you’re facing deadly fauna, urban perils, or merciless monsters, this guide will answer your burning survival questions. Want to know which is the best tavern in Baldur’s Gate, or have a pressing need for tips on how to escape an ogre’s lair? With this humorous handbook in your pack, your adventures will end in fame and fortune, rather than in something’s stomach. and 2023 Wizards of the Coast

Genres: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons, Forgotten Realms, Fiction, Role Playing Games

128 pages, Hardcover

Published September 17, 2024

About the author

Anne Toole is a WGA-nominated writer for computer games, one-hour television, comics, and short fiction. Anne started her career writing for DAYS OF OUR LIVES, then became Head Writer for a game based on the STARGATE SG-1 series. She's written a number of game titles, including the dark fantasy RPG, THE WITCHER, which earned her a Writers Guild nomination. Anne has spoken extensively on games and entertainment and contributed to books from the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). "

Reviews

[H (no longer expecting notifications) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is short, colorful, with useful graphics and a sense of humor that appealed to me.
It is cast as “A Survival Guide for the Forgotten Realms,” and it is very useful in that context.

I have played Forgotten Realms but I don’t have plans to revisit that D&D world.

This book has many good suggestions for adventurers. It also is a good introduction to the world of Dungeons & Dragons and the RPG world beyond.

Some of the generalized things that could make your adventuring more successful include:
Know your role
Equipment and gear
Social survival
Allies and companions
Shopping

This could be a handy reference for your next adventure or just an amusing book on your night table.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 rounded down)
I can see where people are coming from saying that it's hard to tell who this book is for. Aside for it just being enjoyable, I did have a few ideas of how I could use this to enhance my player or dm experience. As a DM, there's small little tidbits that'd help you flesh out the world - such as the names of taverns, popular local cuisines, festivals, local rivalries and clans, and more. Yes there's more lore to be found in other sourcebooks, but if you want inspiration for a homebrew and don't want to wade through all the sourcebooks (or don't have them!) this could be a good place to start. As a player, I think the first part of the book would be useful for new players who want to learn about the classes without being bogged down by stats. I can already see a campaign made around this where a pc picks this book up and the players get to use it on their travels! It wouldn't be game changing, but there is the occasional tip that completely new players might not know (or seasoned players coming up against new foes!). I do like that it reminds players to really immerse themselves in the environment they find themselves in. Do you find yourself in an icy landscape? Use an animal pelt as a warm coat! Lost in a snowstorm? Make a camp and send up a signal flare spell instead of trying to find your way out - it encourages fun (and realistic?) roleplay opportunities that new players might need a bit of help easing into. I just think to be truly useful it could have had a little bit *more* - but technically it did fill the goal the narrator set out to achieve!

[Imptastic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A trivial sourcebook that's frankly more for fun than it is for source. The information presented serves nicely as a cursory introduction to the various creatures, cultures, and locales of Faerun, but leaves much wanting for those who might actually want a more nuanced understanding of the topics.

It also insists on making a clever remark or cheeky quip every couple of sentences, but few resonated with me, and I found that most just came off as uninspired wisecracks.

Despite this, however, the book is absolutely littered with gorgeous artwork that admittedly provides a complimentary ambience of immersion (even if it was pulled from many other existing WoTC modules).

I'd probably get this book as a novelty gift for a fellow Forgotten Realms enthusiast, but nothing more than that. If you like the Realms and are looking for a quick and inconsequential read (or perhaps are on the hunt for inspiration for your next D&D encounter), this might be the book for you.

[Rachael Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am honestly not sure what this book is supposed to be or who it is supposed to be for. It feels somehow simultaneously took high level and too hyper specific to be of much use to a completely unfamiliar player, but entirely too generic for a long time player. The first chapter is completely unintelligible with a hodge podge of advice that oscillates between being in universe, game play specifics, and these odd metaphorical references to what it is like playing D&D itself. For instance, there is a section on Allies and Companions with a "Key Points" box that includes meeting people in taverns and shops, meeting people out in your normal life, and using "Scrying pools" to watch "Live adventures", which seems to be a reference to watching live streams or playing virtual games. There are a lot of instances of this in the first chapter were it feels like these weird meta references to your experience playing the game itself written in in-universe terms, but I feel like only someone who has spent a long time playing the game would pick up on. I didn't pick up on it. My partner pointed it out when I was reading out loud in a desperate attempt to understand what this book is trying to say at all.

The following chapters are a lot more useful being an overview of various locations in the forgotten realms. It is a little generic but a fun overview of what kinds of things a person might encounter in D&D. My only real bugbear with these chapters is the strong authority the book speaks with, as though you will definitely encounter these things in every D&D game you ever play.

Overall, I'm very uncertain what this book is meant to be, but there is lovely art and a few small gems here and there.

[Jamieb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Essentially this is just the Player's Handbook, Monster Manual and Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide simplified down into the least amount of information possible while not providing you with enough to play the game or really learn about the Forgotten Realms. Most everything gets one or two sentences and entire areas of the Realms get covered in a hand sized page or two.

The gimmick of being an 'in universe' book doesn't help to improve it at all either, given the lack of information presented and the fact that it doesn't do anything to get you to care about the fictional author. It's not informative, it's not funny, it doesn't tell you anything that you couldn't learn with more depth elsewhere and it's crammed full of recycled art that takes up half or more of each page.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could have been an amazing, must-have tool for dnd. It’s charmingly approached with silly interjections, has gorgeous illustrations, and covers the “key elements” I guess of each area, city, realm, and beyond of Faerun. However, it doesn’t quite land. If it had suggested encounters, stats, or worldbuilding/narrative tips it would work for DMs. If it had maps, people to seek out, allies and enemies to be aware of, or more helpful character creation pages - this would be an amazing player tool to build backstory and make their game feel alive. Instead, it feels a bit like a teaser for their other books. If you only had this, you couldn’t play or create a game (unless you had a huge imagination!). It’s a visual aide. And it is lovely. But it’s not largely helpful.

[Felix | Weiße Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun little info snippets. Probably a good first introduction to the DnD World but for experienced players it's mostly the little jokes that are fun.

Sadly it never touches any mechanics so its mostly useless for playing.

But it gives a decent overview. I would have loved small little maps that show where in Faerun this is located on the pages that talk about certain places.

Buy this for newbies or if you want a book to get some ideas while sitting on the toilet.

Don't buy this if you want to deep dive into DnD Lore.

[Emma Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am fairly new to DND and only started playing about 6 months ago so I was looking for a book that gave me an overview of Faerun really. This king of did that. The illustrations were nice but the infer was lacking and minimal. I think I could get the same info just googling each area to be honest. It would certainly be no good for anyone who isn’t a novice.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read much of Volo, but this guy is sending some mixed messages about him.

I enjoy all of the young D&D adventurer books, and wish I had stuff like this when I was a kid. It would've been in a prime spot on my bookshelf for its artwork, easily accessible information, and variety of topics and places to read about.

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and lighthearted introduction to the world and realms of Dungeons and Dragons. Perfect for people like myself, who have never delved into the game, but have enjoyed other Dungeons and Dragons media.

[Enaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a fun little book that could be used as a quick introduction to the world of the Forgotten Realms. I really liked the in-character perspective and tidbits of lore; it has a lot of flavour in my opinion, and visually, it looks great.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a silly little handbook that is more cheek and glam than actual resource, but the production value is high and the narrator’s voice is consistently humorous. Entertaining and visually pleasing, while at the same time providing a solid introduction to Faerun for newcomers.

[Dan Brigman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, short art-filled book about the basics of the Forgotten Realms. It's not meant to be a guide to run your character more effectively, but it is a fun read, nonetheless.

Recommended for those seeking out more information about D&D information.

[Mikayla M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book! I would recommend this if you have any new players starting a faerune campaign and they need to have an introduction about any cities/areas. Easily digestible and doesn't show any stat blocks with out of character info.

[Serge Huybrechts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice and light little book on the Forgotten Realms. Don't expect to go deep into anything. The first part is a great introduction, the second part is an overview of interesting locations.

[Ashley Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun and entertaining

[Prisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

a really fun, expansive book of inspo for the aspiring DM with writer's block

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the pocket versions of the game books

[Jovi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun little book to kill time 3.5

[Davey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guide is a solid introduction to the realms of DnD. DMs can easily use this as a reference for new players. I really want to explore the realms in future campaigns. 🧙‍♂️

[Boyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was less informative but funnier than I anticipated. Entertaining!

[Audrie Correa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute speed-run on everything an adventure needs to know about the Forgotten Realms and beyond.