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.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Fine enough house rule. I am less interested in such a mechanic existing in the core rules, but to each their own.

Why not? Is it important to you that power comes without consequence?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Have you considered playing another game that doesn’t have these problems?

I do my best.

 

[MockingBird]

Have they previewed what new character sheets will look like? Really hoping they stay relatively the same.

 

[KYRON45]

I do my best.

I wish you well traveller.

 

[Micah Sweet]

To me, it's simpler than that. For modern D&D, which is based on the idea of being character concept focused, I want any diegetic elements within a class to be, at best, a suggestion.

If I want to use warlock mechanics to represent a divine champion or an arcane student, I can do so. If I want the patron to be important, and create narrative complications, the DM and I will discuss how to implement that.

Yeah, to be honest all of that is a problem for me. But then, I'm not very enthusiastic about character concept-focused play. To me, the setting should be the focus, and how the players interact with it and each other through their PCs the play.

 

[mamba]

Additionally, "I chose this class, so everyone in the party is going to be forced into my personal plot every time my patron wants something" is something some parties may be okay with, but you can't rely on it broadly.

not disagreeing with this, but if the point is not the archetype (and that to me very much includes having a patron), why not pick a different class in the first place

 

[Remathilis]

Why not? Is it important to you that power comes without consequence?

Because again, I don't like being on a puppet string to the DM who can literally cripple my character because I didn't role play them the way they would. And I don't want to give DMs that power in the rules. Unless you are going to create ways to cripple every class for acting out of character, then there shouldn't be any.

 

[Micah Sweet]

not disagreeing with this, but if the point is not the archetype (and that to me very much includes having a patron), why not pick a different class in the first place

Yeah. I thought personal plots (for everyone) is what this whole modern trend of play was about. Every PC gets to be the star.

 

[KYRON45]

Yeah, to be honest all of that is a problem for me. But then, I'm not very enthusiastic about character concept-focused play. To me, the setting should be the focus, and how the players interact with it and each other through their PCs the play.

Aren't the characters part of the setting?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Because again, I don't like being on a puppet string to the DM who can literally cripple my character because I didn't role play them the way they would. And I don't want to give DMs that power in the rules. Unless you are going to create ways to cripple every class for acting out of character, then there shouldn't be any.

Then why bother with classes based on narrative concepts at all? Why not just have a laundry list of cool powers with point costs to choose from?