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.

 

[Echohawk]

Not quite.
It looks like the digital+physical bundle no longer gives early access.
Instead, if you have the Hero subscription tier (and do either digital OR digital+physical) preorder, you get access 1 week early.

Interesting, that's a change to the previous model, isn't it? I have to say that I prefer the early access being linked to the subscription tier instead of a physical purchase.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

You said there was a fundamental disconnect in mechanics.

Races working by a completely different means, and backgrounds adding feats, is a fundamental disconnect in mechanics. It requires adaptation to use 2014 races or backgrounds in 5.5e. Exactly as changes to the skill list required adaptation from 3e to 3.5e...

Yeah. No. You are wrong here.

 

[MerricB]

Interesting, that's a change to the previous model, isn't it? I have to say that I prefer the early access being linked to the subscription tier instead of a physical purchase.

Yep. I'm with you - much prefer it this way.

It was even better when just a digital purchase gave you early access, but that went away some time ago.

(And I'm presuming I can then share the books with my campaigns early as well - can't see why not, as it's worked that way with other early access titles!)

Cheers,
Merric

 

[Demetrios1453]

Yep. I'm with you - much prefer it this way.

It was even better when just a digital purchase gave you early access, but that went away some time ago.

(And I'm presuming I can then share the books with my campaigns early as well - can't see why not, as it's worked that way with other early access titles!)

Cheers,
Merric

To agree with what you said elsewhere, since I don't need the physical bundle to get early access due to having Master Tier. I can instead support my LFGS and get the alternate cover without having to double-dip and incur the expense of buying a second physical book.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Uhhhh, both the digital AND PHYSICAL books? Is it me, or is this new? Not sure if @FitzTheRuke has said anything yet in this thread, but that seems like a not-good-thing for brick and mortar stores who sell D&D

They've been doing that for awhile (since Dragonlance, I believe?) Yeah, they're trying to find yet another way to cut us out, which is a shame, but it's also understandable. As a consolation (and it really is a very good consolation) they're back to giving us the books two weeks early (though they have their digital books available early as well, for their subscribers) and they've recommitted to giving us those exclusive covers. Overall? I'm not overjoyed, but I am satisfied that they still consider us to be important, even if they'd like to make as much on their own as they can. It's more of a shrug than a rage, if that makes sense.

Overall, as long as they make products that are good enough to buy, I'll be able to keep selling them (for as long as they keep making print versions). If they were really smart, they'd sell us cards with digital codes that our customers could use to unlock Digital products. On the one hand, they'd be using us to teach our customers the joys (mixed as they can be) of digital, while also allowing those of our customers who want digital to be able to buy them from us.

 

[Greg K]

Overall, from the videos that I have seen, the nicest thing that I can say is that there is a lot of pretty artwork and I will, likely, adopt both the orc and backgrounds from the playtest and 2024 phb. I might also borrow weapon masteries, but I am going to look at some third party takes first.

 

[mamba]

I stand to be corrected but I think the current arrangement is:

• FLGS can release the print version two weeks before the official release date. The alternative covers are also exclusively available at your FLGS.
• Buying the bundle of digital and physical on DDB is (probably) cheaper than buying digital on DDB and physical from your FLGS. The bundle also gets you access to the digital version two weeks earlier.

If that's not a correct summary of the current situation, someone please say so!

concerning the second item, $60 cheaper than MSRP for the three books + digital. Early access apparently only if you have a DDB subscription, 1 week for Hero and 2 weeks for Master tier

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Agreed. IMO, new players and casual players cannot handle custom backgrounds. Leave that to veteran or hardcore players.

Pick two skills and an origin feat, and make up a backstory for your character. If someone can't do that, how are they going to handle classes?

Honestly given you'd still have premade backgrounds for those that don't want to make their own, and that custom backgrounds are super basic and easy anyways, it just didn't make sense to me not to have it in.

 

[mamba]

Races working by a completely different means, and backgrounds adding feats, is a fundamental disconnect in mechanics. It requires adaptation to use 2014 races or backgrounds in 5.5e.

if you want to use the race with a 2024 char, yes (very minor, ie remove the attribute points from the race, done). If you use all 2014 stuff for a 2014 char no.

 

[Horwath]

Agreed. IMO, new players and casual players cannot handle custom backgrounds. Leave that to veteran or hardcore players.

can you be even more condescending to new players??
unless this is sarcasm, sometimes it translates poorly into written form...

only problem I have seen with new players is if we are starting at higher level and they chose to play casters.

if players can pick 2-4 skills from classes then they can pick 2 more from backgrounds