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.

 

[Charlaquin]

So what background is the "both my cat and I wear matching outfits" art attached to?

I don’t think that’s attached to a background, since according to the video, the key arts for each backgrounds are all of, well, backgrounds - that is to say, environments, with no characters in them. The idea being for the player to imagine their own character in that environment.

 

[Charlaquin]

If the Assassin is even 50% as bad as it was in the UA, I'm genuinely shocked at WotC for sticking with it. Hopefully they did a ground-up rebuild.

It seems basically unchanged from the UA.

 

[Greg K]

My perspective is that if I want a swashbuckler character, all I have to do is make a melee Rogue or finesse Fighter.

For myself, neither gets the job done to satisfaction

 

[Yaarel]

I don’t think that’s attached to a background, since according to the video, the key arts for each backgrounds are all of, well, backgrounds - that is to say, environments, with no characters in them. The idea being for the player to imagine their own character in that environment.

Depicting backgrounds as places also emphasizes that backgrounds are an aspect of worldbuilding the setting.

 

[Yaarel]

They figured “awesome-are” sounded better than “ass-um-are”

Heh, or worse, "assy mar".

 

[Chaosmancer]

If the Assassin is even 50% as bad as it was in the UA, I'm genuinely shocked at WotC for sticking with it. Hopefully they did a ground-up rebuild.

We have a sneak preview:
Changes from the UA 6?

• You get a Poisoner's Kit and Disguise kit on top of getting the proficiencies at level 3
• Level 9 keeps the unerringly mimic speech or writing with an hour of study, but replaces the rest with the ability to move after using Steady Aim. Which isn't bad.

And those are the only changes. Surprising Strikes is still only on the first turn of combat and only +rogue level damage, which was the biggest knock against the assassin. That just is not enough damage to make it appealing at low levels. So, I'll have to consider how to improve it.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

And those are the only changes.

Oh dear. I am mystified as to what mental model of assassin they have at WotC. It's not Assassin's Creed, it's not Hitman Codename: 47, it's not the Assassin series of books by Robin Hobb, it's not Dishonored, it's not Mr Teatime from Discworld, it's not Artemis Enteri, it's not Pyrre Lakatur (thank god!), it's not the Faceless Men from ASoIaF, it's not any of the various and assorted teenage girl assassins, I'm just really struggling to work out who they're thinking of, who is not even good at killing people, but weirdly good at faking documents and putting on non-magical disguises.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm just really struggling to work out who they're thinking of, who is not even good at killing people, but weirdly good at faking documents and putting on non-magical disguises.

Mission: Impossible.

Which, yes, is a pretty silly archetype to zero in on.

 

[Azzy]

Needs more polearms.

Right? What's a weapon list without a Bohemian ear spoon?

 

[Yaarel]

Mission: Impossible.

Which, yes, is a pretty silly archetype to zero in on.

The "Assassin": less assassin, more spy.