50 Reasons to Anticipate the Release of the 2024 ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ Core Rulebooks

The 50th year of Dungeons and Dragons is upon us, and it coincides with the 10th anniversary of the 5th Edition of the game. To mark the occasion, Wizards of the Coast is releasing an updated trio of core rulebooks. After speaking with game designers such as Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford, I’d like to share the 50 reasons I’m excited for the release of the D&D Core Rulebooks (2024).

Players’ Handbook (PHB) 2024

1. Full Compatibility. The designers have been very clear that they are not tearing 5e to the ground, and that each of these updated rulebooks will be fully compatible with the 2014 version of the rules.
2. Nostalgia. The D&D cartoon’s characters are being revived and aged up to make their appearance in the Players’ Handbook and Dungeon Masters’ Guide.
3. New Subclass Options. The PHB 2024 includes three subclasses never seen before. These subclasses are the Path of World Tree Barbarian, Circle of the Sea Druid, and College of Dance Bard.
4. 48 Total Subclasses. Each of the 12 core classes will have four subclasses available, making this the most subclasses ever available in a PHB. This means that while classes like Wizard lose some of their least-interesting options, other classes can use that space to shine.

   

5. Wicked Art. The PHB 2014 did not have a large budget behind it, and that is reflected in the lack of art. The 2024 version, however, is dripping with new art to bring classes, species, equipment, and more to life.
6. Class/Subclass Art. For the first time, every class and subclass has iconic art to help bring it to life. In addition, each class’s symbol has been reworked, layering on the flavor available in the new resource.
7. Reimagined Ranger. The Ranger class is arguably the single greatest failure of the current edition. Countless players have created a Ranger character for flavor only to be told that they aren’t powerful enough, aren’t useful, or are outright unwelcome at a table. The 2024 Ranger class is a completely new animal, and feels nearly required at a table.
8. Revised Monk. Much like the Ranger, monks have had a 10-year stint of being less-than-exciting to play. Despite attempts in later resources to offer compelling subclasses, the monk class has never really risen to the occasion. The 2024 Monk, however, is based on the Unearthed Arcana (UA) playtest materials, which saw the highest levels of approval from playtesters across the board.
9. Firearms. In the new rulebooks, not all firearms are considered core, but unlike the PHB 2014, the new version will include gunpowder and at least one firearm for players to explore. Adding these rules to the PHB makes it easier for players to assess whether the trouble of use is worth the trouble without needing to refer to the DMG when designing their character concept.
10. Beginner-friendliness. The first chapter of the PHB 2024 is dedicated to introducing gameplay concepts, and helping players understand the choices they make before they create a character.

    

11. Tutorials. The PHB 2024 does a much better job of “showing” along with “telling.” Art, dialogue examples, and countless small tutorials help players dive in without needing so much guidance from veteran players. These tutorials are scattered across the entire book, making every subject more approachable.
12. Rules Glossary.  A new feature of the PHB 2024 is the Rules Glossary which helps players and dungeon masters find the correct rules for a situation quickly, speeding up the gameplay cycle.
13. PHB Index. The PHB 2024 has a robust index designed to make it easier than ever to find what you need.
14. Fun Melee Combat. With new class and weapon mechanics, including Weapon Mastery, characters who rely on melee combat will have more options, and their gameplay will be more nuanced and strategic than ever before.
15. New Spells. The designers have sought out opportunities to fill niches not currently covered by the spell options. A total of 30 brand-new spells are included to bridge these gaps.
16. Clarified Spells. Many of the spells which work well are sometimes confusing, causing frustration and tension between players or with the DM. A total of 70 of these spells have been updated to enhance clarity and make these spells more fun to use.
17. Rebalanced Spells. A total of 162 spells from the PHB 2014 are updated, rebalanced, or tweaked to make them more interesting, useful, or compelling.
18. New Origin Rules. After choosing a class, players get to choose a species and background. Both have been reworked in their own ways. Most notably, all backgrounds grant feats, meaning they remain relevant to your player for the duration of their games, not just at character creation or low levels.
19. Stats from Feats. Background feats now include a stat boost to your character, so you are no longer tied to your race for that boost. Instead, the choices and circumstances you have experienced are reflected in your character stats rather than whom you were born to.
20. The End of Race. You might have noticed my use of the term “Species” instead of the traditional “Race” when creating characters. This is a big shift, but I’m thrilled to see it. After 50 years, we should be able to move past problematic terms as a community, and “race” was never an accurate word to use to refer to different types of creatures who are not related. Shifting to species adds clarity, and allows players and DMs to discuss topics such as racism without confusion from the game’s innate terms.

    

21. The Equipment Catalogue. In a huge shift, the equipment chapter is expanding to include a visual catalogue for items which simply show a picture of the item, its name, and its price. This will make it easier for dyslexic players like myself to find the information we need without having to sift through walls of confusing text.
22. New Crafting System. Since the release of the PHB 2014, there have been profession tools, but very few of them actually had a purpose. It could often feel lackluster to gain proficiency with a tool because the tool didn’t actually do anything. With the new system, crafting goods, armor, and magic items have clear rules which are easy to understand.
23. Class Balance. In the PHB 2014, certain classes easily outshone others. With 10 years of feedback and playtesting, they’ve identified features which felt unbalanced in one way or another. Features such as a Druid’s wildshape or a Ranger’s Favored Enemy are being brought closer to center.

    

24. Class Pacing. Classes will also progress at a more similar pace, making power spikes in a group’s composition easier to predict and manage for the DM. In the 2014 versions of each class, some classes received extremely powerful bonuses at level 20, while others, such as Sorcerer, could have received their level 20 bonus via a workaround at a lower level. For example, a level 20 Sorcerer receives 4 sorcery points at the end of each short rest. A level 1 Sorcerer could multiclass into 1 level of Warlock, which refreshes two spell slots at the end of a short rest. Using level 1 Sorcerer features, a level 1 Sorcerer can turn those two spell slots into sorcery points at a rate of 2:1, effectively receiving their level 20 perk the first time they level up. The new class pacing makes every level you take in your first class matter, and the sacrifice of not reaching level 20 due to multiclassing is a much more important decision to make in the PHB 2024.
25. The PHB 2014 is Still Valid. The original PHB and its SRD are still valid, meaning you aren’t required to switch to the new progression if you don’t want to. This also means players who can’t afford to purchase new materials but want to build their own characters will continue to be able to do so.
    

    Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG) 2024

26. “More mindful of a DM’s time.” Jeremy Crawford used this phrase in a recent presentation, and it really hit home for me. The DMG 2024 is tuned to be a tool to refer to instead of a tome to memorize.
27. Learn to DM. The DMG 2024 kicks off with a chapter which teaches you how to DM. Contrast this with the DMG 2014 which had you wading into world creation before learning what gameplay looks like, and it is quickly apparent that the designers have listened to their players with this update.

    

28. Dungeon Master’s Companion. The DMG 2024 is designed to be a companion, something you can refer to every game without stalling the gameplay. This philosophy is applied throughout the book, making it much easier for DMs to find what they need and move on.
29. More Longevity. Various components of the design of the DMG 2024 are meant to ensure that this book is useful long after you learn to DM, and helps you stretch your limits to try new things.
30. The Art Perspective. The art in the DMG 2024 is approached from a surprising perspective: A DM’s. The 2014 version doesn’t show what a table looks like with a group of players. In the update, not only does the art portray the heroes, it also shows the players, the DM, and the play environment. This can help newer DMs get their bearings faster, and illustrates some of the lessons better than the written word could do.
31. Encyclopedia of Play. A comprehensive encyclopedia is included in the DMG 2024 which helps DMs sort out countless pieces of content, including traps, hazards, initiative, and other topics which pop up in the middle of play. The idea is that you can get the rules you need, make a decision for your game, and move on.
32. New Show-and-Tell Features. The DMG 2024 moves from pure description into a style which shows how an interaction might go. Whether you want to know how to get your players to roll initiative or add advantage to their roll, these examples show you some of the language, patterns, and narrative tools you can use, and how to use them.

    

33. Greyhawk! The Greyhawk campaign setting, originally designed and introduced by Gary Gygax himself, is being brought to the DMG 2024, so DMs can see what a campaign looks like, what the pieces of it are, and how it is executed.
34. Greyhawk Campaign Tools. To go along with the Greyhawk campaign setting, two critical features are included to make this setting fully useful to a new DM. The first is a poster map included in the back of the book, which unfolds to make it easier for players and DMs to explore the world. The second is the Greyhawk Gazetteer which takes a deep look into the city of Greyhawk, bringing a location to life.
35. Magic Items. There are over 100 magic items in the DMG 2024, meaning DMs have more resources for outfitting their party without relying on extra resources.
36. Cartoon Gear. Along with the general expansion of magical items, the weapons and gear of the characters of the D&D Cartoon are included. This means that you can tap into that sweet, sweet well of nostalgia and gear up like the cartoon heroes.
37. Bastions. Player parties can now obtain and maintain their own bases, known as bastions. Depending on what the players are skilled in, they may be able to add crafting equipment, merchants, and even magic items to their bastion.
38. Lore Glossary. Ever wondered who Baba Yaga is? How about the Mad Mage, Xanathar, or Szass Tam? The Lore Glossary has you covered. This resource explains the basic lore of many times, locations, people, and artifacts which have a legendary presence in the world.
39. Maps! There is an entire appendix of the DMG 2024 dedicated to maps to help you play your games.
40. Campaign Trackers. Spread throughout the book are pages meant to be copied which help a DM track the progress of their campaign, players, NPCs, and magic items.
41. DMG Index. A thorough index helps DMs quickly get to the page they need to find, so your game can keep moving along after your Ranger asks to build a pit trap, or a Rogue has a new idea for poison.
42. Online Materials. DMs will be able to print out the handouts from the DMG 2024 from DnDBeyond, meaning you don’t need to goober your books trying to make decent copies. No more copies which are 30% steel-gray gradient from the gap created by the book.
    

    Monster Manual (MM) 2024

    

43. So Many Monsters. Promising to feature over 500 monsters, the MM 2024 is set to be the single largest release of monsters D&D has ever published in one go.
44. Brand New Monsters. There will be at least 75 monsters which have never appeared in an official resource.
45. Improved Category Longevity. Some categories of monsters are being expanded to allow them to stay relevant longer. An example of this is skeletons, which will be expanded upon to make them threatening beyond the first few levels of play.

    

46. More Non-Player Characters (NPCs). To help DMs quickly get the stats they need for an NPC, a decent focus of the expansion of this book has been to fill in some of the niches presented by NPCs as currently presented.
47. Expanded Groups of NPCs. Some groups are being expanded to help match the pace or progress of your group. Expanded NPC groups include performers, pirates, vampires, liches, and more.
48. New High-Level Threats. New epic monsters like the Ooze of Annihilation round out the highest combat ratings (CR).
49. Rebalanced Challenge Ratings (CR). When using monsters from the MM 2014, many DMs find it difficult to make encounters which push players. Part of this is down to tuning, as the CR of most monsters isn’t reflected in their powers, abilities, armor scores, and/or damage. By leaving the CR the same for each monster, but making them a good bit meaner, the moderate-to-high CR monsters in the MM 2024 will hit harder and be meaner than those players may have encountered before.
50. Higher Experience Point (XP) Budgets. The final adjustments to monsters in the MM 2024 is in the guidance for how much XP a DM can spend on monsters based on the level of the party. Higher XP budgets will mean more difficult fights, but they can also foster quicker progression if a group can handle the threats.

Which features are you excited about? What do you hope to see from your favorite class/species/monsters? Stay tuned, as we will review these books in full once they are available to the press. In the meantime, you can keep an eye on other new products in the Dungeons and Dragons store, and watch for the preorder to become available.

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