D&D (2024) New D&D Edition's Player’s Handbook Cover Reveal

Game Informer has revealed the cover to the 2024 Player’s Handbook.

The cover features a gold dragon behind the old-school D&D characters Strongheart the paladin, Mercion the cleric, Elkhorn the dwarf fighter, and Molliver the thief. Ringlerun the wizard is absent (then again he got his showcase on one of the 1E AD&D Player's Handbooks), but a drow mage appears to have joined the party!

 

[Toriel]

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The cover feels very generic to me. I would have much preferred this image instead

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I guess they probably have magical prosthetic limbs as a common magic item from Tasha's Cauldron in the core books, based on that picture of the Gnome Illusionist.

And looks like I was incorrect, in that she's a Halfling Wild Magic Sorcerer...

 

[Stormonu]

For you poor souls that didn't grow up with the LJN figures, these were that era's "iconics":

(Note that "Melf" was renamed "Paralay" for his 2nd figure card and here)

Spoiler

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

Ever since I read in an article that like the name dungeons& dragons has the same brand recognition as Star wars but no one can name a dungeons& dragons character, outside of maybe Drizzt, made me think that wizards really dropped the ball with the IP.

Kind of find it interesting that they are putting some anonymous action figures from the '80s on the cover of the book in 2024 and acting like theyre legendary heroes that everyone should know and love, as if they're on the level of like an Optimus prime or a snake eyes. Oh boy, I'm so glad someone's making a Mercion the good female cleric reference in the 21st century!

 

[ChoomInCT]

I need a wall poster of that Game Informer picture.

PHB cover guy in helmet reminds of the guy from the 2E PHB cover for some reason.

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<EDIT> Also, is that Mercion the Cleric and Elkhorn the dwarf on the cover?

Yes it is, according to the Game Informer article. Strongheart as well.

 

[Parmandur]

The sample campaign setting in the DMG is indeed Greyhawk. "After very few official releases in the last couple of decades, the world of Greyhawk takes center stage. The book fleshes out Greyhawk to illustrate how to create campaign settings of your own." There's even a poster map, with the world of Greyhawk on one side and the city on the other.

Boom, called it.

#GreyhawkConfirmed

 

[Parmandur]

And looks like I was incorrect, in that she's a Halfling Wild Magic Sorcerer...

Yeah, she has a big round head with round ears and small feet, so a Halfling.

 

[Sir Brennen]

More vampires is helpful, but I hope they really flesh out the staples like goblins, orcs, cultists, bandits, urban thieves etc. The 2024 MM has way too few choices for the monsters DMs will often want to use for at least 10 levels of a campaign.

From that Game Informer article:

Rounding things out, the focus on NPCs in the 2024 Monster Manual has been greatly expanded to offer entire varied groups within a given theme - like bandits, pirates, entertainers, mages - each provided for ease of dropping into play without need for prep, and at various levels of powers to match the needs of the game.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Ever since I read in an article that like the name dungeons& dragons has the same brand recognition as Star wars but no one can name a dungeons& dragons character, outside of maybe Drizzt, made me think that wizards really dropped the ball with the IP.

Kind of find it interesting that they are putting some anonymous action figures from the '80s on the cover of the book in 2024 and acting like theyre legendary heroes that everyone should know and love, as if they're on the level of like an Optimus prime or a snake eyes. Oh boy, I'm so glad someone's making a Mercion the good female cleric reference in the 21st century!

Fake it 'til you make it. If they are indeed using these characters throughout the PHB, and maybe all of the 2024 books, 20 years from now, when people are arguing about 7E, these characters will be iconic.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

From the sound of it, Aasimar are in the PHB. "The classic options like humans and elves ... are joined by new included options, like the planetouched Aasimar, the hulking Goliath, and mighty Orcs."

I wonder if we'll get "saintly", "goodly", and "beatific" options?

For the Monster Manual, they tease expanding some of the classic monsters into "families" with more examples at different CR levels. The given example is a lower CR proto-vampire and a higher CR Nightbringer vampire.

I'd be nice if they did this for the critters in the PHB bestiary.