D&D (2024) Is the 2024 rules update a new edition? Argue about it here (not everywhere else)!

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

As much fun as it is having this question infect every other thread, how about we go crazy and centralize the conversation in one place?

So, in 2024, if you're using the new PHB, MM, DMG and whatever other books are released to support them, are you playing a different edition of Dungeons & Dragons than those using the 2014 core books?

Why or why not?

 

[Parmandur]

I went with "No," but it's really more "depends on how you define the word 'is'" situation.

Is it a radically new approach to game design like 3E, 4E, or 5E? No.

Is it going to have a different ISBN than the 2014 book? Yes. Will it be interoperable with the 2014 material? Yes.

 

[gorice]

OK, but where's the 'maybe' option?

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

It's not a New Edition.

It's more of a solo act.

On the one hand-
Everybody's talking all this stuff about D&D (now now)
Why don't they just let 5e live?
WOTC don't need permission, make their own decisions
That's, that's WOTC's prerogative

On the other hand-
5e is drivin' me out of my mind!
That's why it's hard for me to find
Can't get 5e out of my head!
Miss it, play it, love it
(Wrong move you're dead!)
One D&D is .... poison
Never trust new rules and species
One D&D is .... poison

 

[Vaalingrade]

No. A .5 isn't a new edition. But yes, it is 1,000,000,000% a .5. You don't completely rewrite every class and species an not get at least a .5,

However, it is also not 'just' 5e and certainly not 'just' D&D and they should give up on that.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Based on what I've seen it's too soon to tell. And there are multiple different meanings of edition.

Fundamentally it's up to the community to decide. If, after about a year, when people talk about playing a game then in general they specify OneD&D (or whatever) the way they do 3.5 or 2e it's a new edition. If they just talk about 5e most of the time the way we still do 4e (without specifying Essentials) then it's a revision. There are things WotC can do to influence that of course. But we don't know now and won't know until 2025.

 

[mamba]

It’s compatible with 5e, so calling it a new edition or not is mostly about marketing.

In the past they emphasized the new edition to get people to buy the new books, this time they do not, to not disrupt the runaway success.

I do not care either way. It is whatever WotC says it is, because compatibility gives them the option to go either way. If it were incompatible it would need to be called a new edition, but it isn’t, so revision works just fine.

 

[mamba]

But we don't know now and won't know until 2015.

when did you write this?

 

[Neonchameleon]

when did you write this?

Typo fixed thanks

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

OK, but where's the 'maybe' option?

This is the internet. We don't do nuance.