Dungeons and Dragons has stuck with 5th Edition for over a decade now, and One D&D hardly felt like a true new edition. Some fans have even come to call it “D&D 5.5” as it just adds and restructures the system, rather than introducing something truly new. While 5e is a fine system, it’s definitely oversaturated. Familiarity is nice and all, but for veterans who want some spice but can’t get people to play non-D&D games with them, it can get tough.
That’s where third-party D&D 5e overhauls come into play, and this upcoming hardcover features one of the most popular.
Level Up: A5E Gate Pass Gazette Annual 2025 is a hardcover composed of 12 issues, each adding tons of new content for Level Up A5E. It’s a grab bag of everything from class features to monsters, neatly tucked into 250 immersive pages. It’s the type of expansive content you love to see for D&D books. For those unfamiliar with the Level Up A5E overhaul, here’s a quick rundown of what it aims to do.
It stands for Level Up Advanced 5th Edition, and aims to enhance the existing ruleset without actually replacing it. Unlike many overhauls, A5E is very “plug-and-play” with its additions. You can use all of its tools for a whole new experience, or just add a cool class or monster. Either way, it’s fully compatible with base 5th edition.
The Gate Pass Gazette is the monthly magazine that regularly adds new content to Level Up A5E. The hardcover makes it way easier for fans of Level Up: A5E to catch up and enhance their games. While I will always be an avid propagandist for playing non D&D systems, I do appreciate Level Up A5E’s efforts. The Monstrous Menagerie books are especially awesome, as I always found base 5e monsters a bit bland.
You can support Level Up: A5E Gate Pass Gazette Annual 2025 on Backerkit here.
The Wargamer Discord has plenty of players eager to play some D&D 5e. For some official supplements, the D&D release schedule will keep you updated.