D&D (2024) 2024 Player's Handbook Reveal #1: "Everything You Need To Know!"

Each day this week, Wizards of the Coast will be releasing a new live-streamed preview video based on the upcoming Player's Handbook. The first is entitled Everything You Need To Know and you can watch it live below (or, if you missed it, you should be able to watch it from the start afterwards). The video focuses on weapon mastery and character origins.

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There will be new videos on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week, focusing on the Fighter, the Paladin, and the Barbarian, with (presumably) more in the coming weeks.

 

[DarkCrisis]

I mean, the only people who are acting surprised Pikachu face are the ones who could not parse that a rules update was going to be broadly compatible but individual rules or options were going to need conversion.

You know, aside from WotC now flat out stating this book replaces the old book and is minimally compatible. Sure you CAN play your old and possibly weaker character BUT HEY BUY THE NEW BOOK FOR UPGRADES!

 

[Scott Christian]

The background art is pretty neat. I like the concept. It may not be my favorite art, but the concept is really cool. It will be interesting to see how the character-building process gets deconstructed by the community.

 

[bedir than]

Any word on half-elf?

 

[overgeeked]

Backwards compatibility:

• "this book does replace the 2014 Player's Handbook" (no mix-and-matching, but characters built with old book can play alongside characters here. for combat "2024 rules are what should be used" (2014 rules "will grind") if 2024 character played with 2014 rules.

So not backwards compatible in any real sense. It’s almost 3.5 all over again.

 

[overgeeked]

You know, aside from WotC now flat out stating this book replaces the old book and is minimally compatible. Sure you CAN play your old and possibly weaker character BUT HEY BUY THE NEW BOOK FOR UPGRADES!

And why would you when the new stuff is new and shiny…sorry, “glowed up”…and everything is better and more powerful now.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

You know, aside from WotC now flat out stating this book replaces the old book and is minimally compatible. Sure you CAN play your old and possibly weaker character BUT HEY BUY THE NEW BOOK FOR UPGRADES!

It was always an update to the core game system. Backwards compatibility means you should still be able to use older options with the new system, not that everything designed for the new system will work if you try running it using the old system.

In other words, the goal is something akin to being able to run a piece of software designed for Windows 95 on modern systems, not being able to run modern software on Windows 95.

 

[Scribe]

Any word on half-elf?

Good question, anyone?

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

Any word on half-elf?

Nothing as of yet, but I expect there will likely be a video going more in depth on species options later today.

 

[Cadence]

Top Amazon Result for: Player's Handbook 2024



Sixth one down:

"The 2024 Core Rulebooks provide new options for players and DMs along with updates and improvements to the classes, mechanics, items, and monsters of fifth edition. All updates are being done with care to make sure anything from fifth edition will continue to be fully playable."

 

[Argyle King]

Sounds mostly good.

I still wish backgrounds retained 2014 style features instead of feats, but it is what it is.

I'm also still pretty meh about cutting half-elves and half-orcs. I vaguely remember an old interview mentioning that change was to improve inclusivity and remove problematic content. However, for me, the change does the opposite; there are D&D players who have mixed backgrounds and/or blended families.

In a previous thread, I had said I wasn't particularly excited about 5.5. I still wouldn't necessarily say I am "excited," but I realized that I'm more likely to buy the new core books.

I had that realization after recognizing that I haven't bought anything in a long time. So, for me, going from 2014 to 2024 is a big change, as I have virtually no monetary investment in what people call "post-Tasha's."