New Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide Art and Details Revealed

The marketing cycle for the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide is underway. Wizards of the Coast has released the first video and accompanying article previewing the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide. Wizards has already told fans what's actually in the new 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, so there's not much in terms of actual new details. The video/article revealed that the Bastion system got another look from designers after its initial Unearthed Arcana playtest, that there will be a DM's Toolkit for everything from "alignment to traps," now arranged in alphabetical order, and that there will be 400 "new and improved" magic items.

The 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide will also be the home of rules for crafting magic items and a new Greyhawk campaign setting guide, with a focus on showcasing how Greyhawk can be customized or be used as a model for homemade campaign settings. Finally, the Dungeon Master's Guide will contain a lore glossary and a full chapter about D&D cosmology, the latter of which helps to drive home the idea of the D&D multiverse.


While much of this information was already known, the video and article did show off a LOT of new art, some of which can be found below:

 

[Older Beholder]

The really bad part about that piece is the skin tones and facial features are almost identical, this feels... lazy at best.

I'm not sure what you mean by the skin tones and the facial features being identical?

 

[Jahydin]

Not going to lie, I'd actually pay extra to get a nice hardback version with no art.

 

[Oofta]

Not going to lie, I'd actually pay extra to get a nice hardback version with no art.

Not that I'm picking on you, but I just don't get it. The art style may not be to certain people's liking but it is not AI, it's not lazy, they didn't cheap out on this. Personally I prefer art that wasn't digitally generated, and the art is just ... okay ... for the most part. It doesn't capture my imagination like some older art, it's better than some of the other art we've had throughout the years. That's okay. I'm not the target audience for it. Adjusted for inflation, these are still the cheapest versions of the books ever. Likely even so if they took out all the art because of the extended page count.

Don't like the art? Ignore it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Finally got a chance to watch the video (it has been a week). As always, these videos are pretty good about hyping up their new products and most of what they say sounds good.

As always, though, there are still more things I want to know, but more is coming, obviously.

 

[Quickleaf]

Finally got a chance to watch the video (it has been a week). As always, these videos are pretty good about hyping up their new products and most of what they say sounds good.

As always, though, there are still more things I want to know, but more is coming, obviously.

I for one am thrilled about these innovations for 2024!

Learn to play sections, glossaries, indexes, strongholds, random tables in the monster book? D&D is way ahead of the curve now!

…

“do you want to tell them or should I…?”

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I for one am thrilled about these innovations for 2024!

Learn to play sections, glossaries, indexes, strongholds, random tables in the monster book? D&D is way ahead of the curve now!

…

“do you want to tell them or should I…?”

Honestly, I don't need D&D to lead the field. I'd just like them to catch up. (As always, fingers crossed for useful charts printed on the end pages and bookmark ribbons in the 2034 don't-call-it-an-edition.)

 

[Jahydin]

Not that I'm picking on you, but I just don't get it. The art style may not be to certain people's liking but it is not AI, it's not lazy, they didn't cheap out on this. Personally I prefer art that wasn't digitally generated, and the art is just ... okay ... for the most part. It doesn't capture my imagination like some older art, it's better than some of the other art we've had throughout the years. That's okay. I'm not the target audience for it. Adjusted for inflation, these are still the cheapest versions of the books ever. Likely even so if they took out all the art because of the extended page count.

Don't like the art? Ignore it.

I'm still trying to understand it myself, honestly. New D&D editions have been the most exciting moments of my life since I started playing 30 years ago. Most of the art throughout the years I've loved, but 4E was a great example of me not really liking the art, so I ignored it and had a blast digging into the new rule set.

This art though is just an eyesore. Nothing to do with skill; all the artists are absolutely talented. It has everything to do with the tone that drew me to D&D in the first place. The first time I cracked open AD&D as a kid I couldn't help think I was looking at something old and forbidden. It was fantastical, but also grounded in the myths and legends of our ancestors that gave it weight.

This latest edition has none of that weight. In fact, I'm pretty sure that was 100% their intent going in on this edition: Tear out everything that anchored D&D to what was and inject it with what is. Who cares about ancient stories and myths that have been passed down for centuries, I want to be a pink & purple haired Minotaur (3ft. tall with 20 STR) that's LOL RaNdOm that likes to hang out at the local human pub (where they are warmly accepted, of course) to meet all her equally quirky bestest friends in the world to get up to some shenanigans, tee-hee-hee.

The new art beautifully captures this new D&D, but I just want nothing to do with it.

 

[Nikosandros]

@Greg Benage I really don't get the laugh, the Dragonborn is looking at the Rogue, and she is looking at him...? The eyeline is quite clear in the picture?

Yes, for me it is also very clear. The three characters are discussing with each other and they are unaware of the beholder behind them. The dragonborn and the purple-haired person are looking at each other while the third person is also looking at the dragonborn.

 

[AK_Ambrian]

Deleted because someone else had already posted the info.

 

[AK_Ambrian]

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