D&D (2024) The 2024 Core D&D Rulebooks Are Coming In May

21st May 2024 is the official release date!

Update--WotC has taken down the promo image and replaced it with one without a release date. See more here.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

The price would be three times $60, so $180 instead of $60.

It's not happening.

I mean, it's SO not happening that it's not worth arguments. A better use of the time might be to think of what a future "Everything" guide might contain, to define what might go into a second "PHB"-type book. Especially now that it looks like Tasha's and Xanathar's might be 80% "eaten" by the new Core.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

I disagree. There were no other editions than 1e and 2e. Basic and it's expansions were a different game of D&D and not different editions, and the skills and powers books were not a new edition or a .5. They were just optional rules for 2e.

There were multiple versions of the game around Basic (White Box, Blue box and Red box were different, AD&D, and AD&D 2nd Edition, and 2E had a redesigned black cover series of Core Books and the Player's/DM's Options series, all of that before 3rd.

 

[Parmandur]

I mean, it's SO not happening that it's not worth arguments. A better use of the time might be to think of what a future "Everything" guide might contain, to define what might go into a second "PHB"-type book. Especially now that it looks like Tasha's and Xanathar's might be 80% "eaten" by the new Core.

So, there are a lot of Subclasses and such still in Xanathar's, and a few in the PHB. Since they seem bery comfortable with Tasha's material still, I could see the next Everything booster book bringing forward all the PHB options remaining (Necromancer, Tempest Cleric, etc. 7 options between Cleric and Wizard), and all remaining Xanathar's options in some form (stuff like Samurai may get a less on the nose name), and plenty of of new Subasses entirely and any rules elements not in the core books (like the awesome LifePath stuff), and then marking Xanathar's as Legacy.

 

[Zaukrie]

Do we think non-core classes (Artificer, are there others?) will be in a setting book, or a PHB 2? Or am I remembering everything wrong?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Maxperson said:
I disagree. There were no other editions than 1e and 2e. Basic and it's expansions were a different game of D&D and not different editions, and the skills and powers books were not a new edition or a .5. They were just optional rules for 2e.

I imagine that your thoughts on the subject would have been very different if the Skills and Powers material had been included in the Black-version PHB instead of offered in their own book. The game was SIGNIFICANTLY changed by the addition of that book, even if, as you say, it was only "optional". The monsters were quite different in the Monstrous Manual. The 2e black books were definitely 2.5 (If you are one to think of things in .5s, like you are, @Maxperson). They just weren't called that.

Essentials in 4e was also definitely 4.5 and not called that. 2024 is also 5.5 AND NOT CALLED THAT. The only thing that was called .5 was 3.5. There's no precedent for it, except for in the heads of those who are HEAVILY influenced by 3.x. It's just a name chosen once, 20 years ago. It's not better nor more accurate than any other name they give it.

 

[Parmandur]

Do we think non-core classes (Artificer, are there others?) will be in a setting book, or a PHB 2? Or am I remembering everything wrong?

Well, currently it's in Tasha's, and theybare taking Tasha's options as-is and putting them into the PHB, so it doesn't need an update as it stands. I do expect if they make some sort of return to Eberron, like a Xendrik slipcase set or something, they will reprint it.

 

[Yaarel]

The only thing that was called .5 was 3.5. There's no precedent for it, except for in the heads of those who are HEAVILY influenced by 3.x. It's just a name chosen once, 20 years ago. It's not better nor more accurate than any other name they give it.

Yeah. The ".5" was a novelty name that appealed to computer geekery, like "2.0".


My impression is, the shift from 3.0 to 3.5 seemed at first a minor tweak, that turned out to be a big deal, that effectively forced players to repurchase all of the same books.

I expect the 2024 characters to play fine alongside 2014 characters, and in this sense everything is 5.0.

But we will see. All of us will know if 2024 turns out to be 5.0 or 5.5.


I will happily purchase the 2024 core books, because I want a rulebook with all of the updates anyway.

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah. The ".5" was a novelty name that appealed to computer geekery, like "2.0".


My impression is, the shift from 3.0 to 3.5 seemed at first a minor tweak, that turned out to be a big deal, that effectively forced players to repurchase all of the same books.

I expect the 2024 characters to play fine alongside 2014 characters, and in this sense everything is 5.0.

But we will see. All of us will know if 2024 turns out to be 5.0 or 5.5.


I will happily purchase the 2024 core books, because I want a rulebook with all of the updates anyway.

5E is way more modular in design that 3E: much easier to take out options and replace them with others without causing downstream effects

 

[Maxperson]

There were multiple versions of the game around Basic (White Box, Blue box and Red box were different, AD&D, and AD&D 2nd Edition, and 2E had a redesigned black cover series of Core Books and the Player's/DM's Options series, all of that before 3rd.

Yeah, but none of those were editions of the AD&D. They were a separate D&D game. Basic, BECMI, etc. The 2e books with new art changed next to nothing as far as rules go, so those weren't even a half edition. So we have 1e, 2e, 3e, 3.5e, 4e(maybe essentials was a .5) and 5e. And soon 5.5e.

 

[Barantor]

Haven't read all the replies, but I have this sinking feeling that the physical books aren't what they are releasing, but the digital books on Beyond and their new virtual tabletop with a pre order for the physical books. This lets them work on the rules up till the last minute and push folks into their digital marketplace they are working on.