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:

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Then I noticed the thread was 150 posts complaining about the artwork which tells me they didn't actually talk about the book's content in any way in the video, so I'm not going to bother.

I thought they did a good job of talking about the book and their goals for it and some new stuff in it, like lots of worksheets (that will be uploaded to their website) to make running a campaign easier.

This thread is not indicative of the video, IMO.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

I thought they did a good job of talking about the book and their goals for it and some new stuff in it, like lots of worksheets (that will be uploaded to their website) to make running a campaign easier.

This thread is not indicative of the video, IMO.

I watched the whole video and thought they surely told me what the book is about.

That does not mean I like all of the new art. But it does tell me believe I will like a lot of the new content though…enough to buy the DMG at least…

 

[Keefe the Thief]

While I know that I'm late for this discussion, I love that every book preview discussion we have these days is page 1 'hate this art', page 2 'its AI' and page 3 'here is A Paladin in Hell that was good was it'.

I, meanwhile, look at that one picture and think 'a dark-skinned character in a D&D book'. How glad I am that the 80s are over. runs away

 

[Oofta]

While I know that I'm late for this discussion, I love that every book preview discussion we have these days is page 1 'hate this art', page 2 'its AI' and page 3 'here is A Paladin in Hell that was good was it'.

I, meanwhile, look at that one picture and think 'a dark-skinned character in a D&D book'. How glad I am that the 80s are over. runs away

I think a lot of people are looking at the old art with nostalgia colored glasses. Over the years there has been great art, terrible art and a whole lot in between. I like some of the new art well enough even if I don't particularly care for digital art.

That, and some people seem to want to complain about everything, mostly just because things have changed. But the only constant is change.

 

[Parmandur]

While I know that I'm late for this discussion, I love that every book preview discussion we have these days is page 1 'hate this art', page 2 'its AI' and page 3 'here is A Paladin in Hell that was good was it'.

I, meanwhile, look at that one picture and think 'a dark-skinned character in a D&D book'. How glad I am that the 80s are over. runs away

I have rarely seen The Diacourse about art on this forum so accurately skewered.

 

[Azzy]

I think a lot of people are looking at the old art with nostalgia colored glasses. Over the years there has been great art, terrible art and a whole lot in between. I like some of the new art well enough even if I don't particularly care for digital art.

This. While there were some standout pieces of art from yesteryear, there's also a lot of mediocrity and also outright crap.

That, and some people seem to want to complain about everything, mostly just because things have changed. But the only constant is change.

There is that, too.

 

[mikeburke]

I think a lot of people are looking at the old art with nostalgia colored glasses. Over the years there has been great art, terrible art and a whole lot in between. I like some of the new art well enough even if I don't particularly care for digital art.

I have had my own strange journey with nostalgia. I was out of D&D for at least 20 years (2nd edition) until 2014 when a few things happened: 5e came out, I moved to Seattle WA and I landed a job where I could afford to indulge in a hobby.

I got the 5e books as they came out, got excited listening to Dragon Talk and had a great time with the game. I was amazed at the quality of production, the art, and how the hobby was so much bigger and brighter.

Five years later I moved to Austin TX, discovered DCC and realized that there were a bunch of people looking to bring back the art style, artists and game style of the stuff I’d imprinted on. Hit me right in the feels. I bounced across and followed the trail back to 1e, BX/OSE and then 2e, where I’d last left the hobby. Bought more books. Dragon and Dungeon mags. Etc. It all rekindled that sense of excitement I first felt opening up the 1e DMG and being utterly confused and enthralled in equal measure.

At some point I realized I was spending all my time collecting and looking at it all, but not playing it. Ok, maybe my wife pointed this out because I’m too thick to notice such things. Anyway, it was getting a bit out of control to be honest. The D&D movie came out around this time.

Many boxes found their way to Noble Knight for trade-in and I was back to just drive-thru reprints of the 1e PHB/DMG/MM (couldn’t let them go). Much shelf space (and head space) reclaimed.

Somewhere in all this, the 2024 edition was announced, and I got back on the 5e wagon, tracking Unearthed Arcana, getting re-energized all over again.. super engaged by the (to my eyes, wonderful) art and even the people making the game, looking forward to it all. Maybe some kind of weird nostalgia for how I felt when I first discovered 5e? I can’t explain any of it.

None of the above is intended as a value judgement on the worthiness or otherwise of any version of D&D.

Sorry, long post on a somewhat tangential topic.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

I have rarely seen The Diacourse about art on this forum so accurately skewered.

Well, it’s odd. I dislike some of the tone from the phb mostly. Love the covers of all of them so far.

But I will grant you this: saying the art is “bad” is odd. It’s all well executed. Even the pieces I don’t like.

And when I look back at 1e…some greats. And some that are not pretty darn amateur.

I assume some folks don’t like the tone or subject and then are telling themselves it’s poorly executed or AI?

 

[Parmandur]

Well, it’s odd. I dislike some of the tone from the phb mostly. Love the covers of all of them so far.

But I will grant you this: saying the art is “bad” is odd. It’s all well executed. Even the pieces I don’t like.

And when I look back at 1e…some greats. And some that are not pretty darn amateur.

I assume some folks don’t like the tone or subject and then are telling themselves it’s poorly executed or AI?

I can understand not vibing with given art: but, man, sometimes it gets weird.

 

[mamba]

This is a very weird argument, because this seems extremely clear and obvious?

yeah, I’d say the same, she is absolutely not looking or pointing in the direction of the dragonborn