D&D (2024) D&D 2024 Player's Handbook Reviews

On Thursday August 1st, the review embargo is lifted for those who were sent an early copy of the new Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook. In this post I intend to compile a handy list of those reviews as they arrive. If you know of a review, please let me know in the comments so that I can add it! I'll be updating this list as new reviews arrive, so do check back later to see what's been added!

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Review List

• The official EN World review -- "Make no mistake, this is a new edition."
• ComicBook.com -- "Dungeons & Dragons has improved upon its current ruleset, but the ruleset still feels very familiar to 5E veterans."
• Comic Book Resources -- "From magic upgrades to easier character building, D&D's 2024 Player's Handbook is the upgrade players and DMs didn't know they needed."
• Wargamer.com -- "The 2024 Player’s Handbook is bigger and more beginner-friendly than ever before. It still feels and plays like D&D fifth edition, but numerous quality-of-life tweaks have made the game more approachable and its player options more powerful. Its execution disappoints in a handful of places, and it’s too early to tell how the new rules will impact encounter balance, but this is an optimistic start to the new Dungeons and Dragons era."
• RPGBOT -- "A lot has changed in the 2024 DnD 5e rules. In this horrendously long article, we’ve dug into everything that has changed in excruciating detail. There’s a lot here."

Video Reviews
Note, a couple of these videos have been redacted or taken down following copyright claims by WotC.

• 2024 PHB Rules Changes D&D 5.24 (Treantmonk's Temple)
• Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook 2024 Preview & Review | Key Takeaways and Comparisons with 2014 (Awesome Black)
• 10 Unexpected Changes in the D&D 5E 2024 Player's Handbook (This Effin' GM Games)
• Every Class and Subclass Change for 2024 (d4: Deep Dive)
• D&D Player's Handbook 2024 Winners & Losers! (The Character Sheet on ComicBook.com)
• 2024 Player's Handbook First Look Review (Dungeon Dudes)
• The 2024 Player's Handbook: Full Spoilers Review (DnD Shorts)
• Full Early Review! D&D 2024 Player's Handbook (JoeFudge)
• First Look at the 2024 Player's Handbook for Dungeons & Dragons (GameMasters)
• 2024 PHB Flip through (Jorphdan) [taken down]
• D&D New Player's Handbook, DM's Guide, Monster Manual, and Project Sigil Info (maturemindedgamers)
• 2024 Player's Handbook: Questions Answered! (Alphastream)
• D&D 2024 Player's Handbook Walkthrough (Sly Flourish) [redacted]

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Release timeline (i.e. when you can get it!)

• August 1st: Reviewers. Some reviewers have copies already, with their embargo lifting August 1st.
• August 1st-4th: Gen Con. There will be 3,000 copies for sale at Gen Con.
• September 3rd: US/Canada Hobby Stores. US/Canada hobby stores get it September 3rd.
• September 3rd: DDB 'Master' Pre-orders. Also on this date, D&D Beyond 'Master Subscribers' get the digital version.
• September 10th: DDB 'Hero' Pre-orders. On this date, D&D Beyond 'Hero Subscribers' get the digital version.
• September 17th: General Release. For the rest of us, the street date is September 17th.

 

[Zardnaar]

Well our groups up to 3 copies of the hew PHB and getting another copy for Christmas.

Think we have 5 copies 2014 for comparison.

 

[Cadence]

Odd thing:

Why do the level's 4-8-12-16 say "Ability score improvement" in the tables instead of Feat, since the actual description of it in the text says "Ability score feat [...] or another feat of your choice for which you qualify".

 

[Azzy]

Odd thing:

Why do the level's 4-8-12-16 say "Ability score improvement" in the tables instead of Feat, since the actual description of it in the text says "Ability score feat [...] or another feat of your choice for which you qualify".

That threw me, too.

 

[wedgeski]

Well our groups up to 3 copies of the hew PHB and getting another copy for Christmas.

Think we have 5 copies 2014 for comparison.

Everyone in my main 5-person weekly group bought one, a distinct increase from the 2014 uptake!

 

[MGibster]

I just recently purchased the PHB and I think it's a much better introduction for new players that previous editions were. I also like the art more that I do for 3.0/3.5 and 2014. I love that the illustrations of armor actually look like armor someone might have worn.

I'm not wild about the order you create characters though. I always like selecting species and then class rather than starting with class. But it works.

 

[Clint_L]

About three months into my beginner's campaign, which started in September and has been using the new rules from the get-go. I have to say, they seem like an improvement, overall, though I am not noticing huge changes.

There are eight players (briefly nine!). Three of them are fairly experienced, with one being a DM in his own right. Two had played a few times before but had minimal knowledge. Three were completely new to D&D and RPGs in general. Three girls, four boys, one non-binary. Fighter, druid, bard, rogue, wizard, artificer, cleric, sorcerer. Also a ranger, briefly but they didn't stick around.

Fights are a bit slower with the addition of weapon masteries; whether that is a flaw or feature is sort of a matter of perspective. Part of the issue is that the fighter is a total novice and she is still wrapping her head around the game. On the other hand, creating and levelling characters has been notably easier in general. I put this down to the rules being much better organized and generally more intuitive.

This is still a low level campaign, but class balance is generally slightly improved. My most experienced player made a druid, and he is unimpressed with the changes to wild shape; after trying Circle of the Moon for a few sessions I let him switch to Circle of the Stars.

Anyhow, I would say "so far, so good" is my overall reaction when it comes to the 2024 PHB and new players.

 

[Dr_Sly]

I just recently purchased the PHB and I think it's a much better introduction for new players that previous editions were. I also like the art more that I do for 3.0/3.5 and 2014. I love that the illustrations of armor actually look like armor someone might have worn.

I'm not wild about the order you create characters though. I always like selecting species and then class rather than starting with class. But it works.

Yeah I don’t understand the “job description before species” thing either. I guess they have newbies that are looking for a sense of purpose / a “role” to fulfill in mind.

 

[Dr_Sly]

Everyone in my main 5-person weekly group bought one, a distinct increase from the 2014 uptake!

Haha me too! Except I buy all the copies of the PHB. Then share them at the table. You always need 2-3 copies minimum! Especially for the people looking for that darn spell they can’t remember the details for, skimming over entire chapters every time there’s an encounter.

 

[Corinnguard]

I'm not wild about the order you create characters though. I always like selecting species and then class rather than starting with class. But it works.

In a 'trip down memory lane' sort of way. "Before I was a member of this particular character class, I worked as a (insert background) for a living."

This approach is okay. It's simple and easy to use. However, it could use a little more crunch IMO.

 

[MGibster]

Yeah I don’t understand the “job description before species” thing either. I guess they have newbies that are looking for a sense of purpose / a “role” to fulfill in mind.

I can understand it as class is the most important, defining feature of a character in D&D. It doesn't really matter very much if your character is an Elf, Halfling, Goliath, or Human as the game won't be significantly different for you no matter which species you choose. i.e. An Elf Monk will play pretty much the same as a Halfling or Dwarf Monk.

I grew up under the old paradigm where each race had bonuses or penalties applied to their attributes. If I wanted to play a Fighter then picking a Halfling might not make a lot of sense. If I'm coming into the game as a new player, picking class first makes sense because whatever species I select isn't going to have any impact on my character's class.