First major update for fifth edition sets 43-year record

The first major update for Dungeons & Dragons’ fifth edition has become the fastest-selling release in the almost half-century history of the roleplaying game.

Xanathar’s Guide to Everything introduces more than 25 sub-classes to the standard fifth edition character options, as well as a bunch of extra spells, feats and the ability to randomly generate a backstory for an adventurer. On the DM side, it expands the way that traps and magical items can be used in a campaign. There’s also a host of changes and tweaks to the standard D&D ruleset.

The book came out toward the end of November and, according to publisher Wizards of the Coast, has since become the quickest-selling release ever put out for Dungeons & Dragons in the 43 years since the RPG was created.

In the US, Xanathar topped the Wall Street Journal’s non-fiction rankings for the week it was released – that’s the whole non-fiction genre, not just for hobbies and games.

Over here in the UK, it’s currently just outside Amazon’s Top 200 rankings for all books, placing 17th in its hobbies and games category. Anecdotally, we’ve heard it’s been hard to track down in person in shops – so you might find it easier to find a copy online.