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.

 

[Sulicius]

New crafting rules! Bonus action potions! Interesting stuff.

 

[LaTia J]

I'm moderating the live chat, but I truly hope y'all are enjoying this video!

 

[darjr]

4.2k watching

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

Epic boon feats at level 19!

 

[Stormonu]

Wow, it only took them ten years to catch up with the community?

The book is sure going to be pretty. Going to have to go back over the Xanthar crafting rules, but I thought we already had crafting rules?

 

[Kobold Stew]

Words of the day: designers worked with "Intentionality"; everything is "glowed up".

Backwards compatibility:

• "this book does replace the 2014 Player's Handbook" (no mix-and-matching, but characters built with old book can play alongside characters here. for combat "2024 rules are what should be used" (2014 rules "will grind") if 2024 character played with 2014 rules.

PHB rules changes:

• Potions take a bonus to drink
• still 48 subclasses
• species and background are each half of pre-class
• backgrounds list three ability scores, choose either +1/+1/+1 or +2+1 from among these.
• creature appendix bigger; includes all the mounts and familiar/enhanced options, and druids have selection
• Circle of the Moon "will have to visit the Monster Manual" at high enough level.
• Summon spells give an option of creatures summoned (cf Tasha's)
• Soul Knife, Psi Warrior, Aberrant Sorc, GOO warlock all confirmed
• Circle of the Sea, College of Dance, Path of World Tree all confirmed.
• there is a weapon mastery feat (paralleled with Magic Initiate)
• 75 feats include background and "epic" feats at level 19; some of Tasha's feats have migrated.
• more Fighting Style options than 2014.
• inspiration not what was in playtest: now allows reroll (not advantage) to apply to any roll (incl. damage, healing).
• arrays and point buy both mentioned
• character creation chapter has table to show which backgrounds enhance which classes. (This suggests the free mix-and-match of 2014 is gone).
• guidelines for stating at 3rd level (or other levels) also provided.
• species: goliath, aasimar, and orc confirmed.
• Orc adrenaline rush now recharges on short/long rest.
• Aasimar celestial revelation not a choice: options are avialable whenever it is used.
• crafting rules for magic limited to potions and scrolls

DMG:

• adventures, bastions, campaign setting, lore glossary are the four new chapters.
• includes 5 short sample adventures
• Greyhawk material includes postermap (city and world on different sides)
• lore glossary includes mithril, adamantium.
• players run the bastion, in a "bastion turn" -- a minigame not requiring the PC to be present, but players trigger events. (Bastion turns controlled by player, e.g. for use if game night is cancelled).
• treasure section: biggest chapter.
• more common magic items and "some nostalgic delights" (like those in D&D cartoon)
• crafting magic system broader than what's in PHB
• "tracking sheets" will be downoadable: for a new NPC, to build settlements, for players on bastions, for DM to track magic items dispensed, and session planning.
• chapter 1 "the Basics" for new DMs; ch 2 "running the game"; ch 3 "the DM toolbox" traps, poisons, siege engines, NPC building, curses, hazards, that were scattered in the 2014 DMG.
• ch 3 is arranged alphabetically.

Monster Manual:

• more than 500 monsters
• over 75 new monsters. (filling in families of monsters, such as new vampires)
• NPC groups (bandits, priests, mages, performers, pirates all confirmed), being relevant over more of a campaign.
• "almost all of the art in the book is new"
• CRs of all monsters stays the same, and have been adjusted accordingly
• apex versions of some creature types filled in: colossos for constructs; Blob of Annihilation for ooze; arch-hag for fey; elemental juggernaut.)

 

[Kurotowa]

Sounds like they walked back the freeform Background rules a bit. They're talking about them a lot more as if they were fixed packages, although ones with some choices involved. Not sure how I feel about that, or if freeform is still an official option.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

Aasimar celestial revelation is no longer fixed once chosen - can choose to use a different one each time it is used.

 

[darjr]

Rerolls. It’s what most people are doing g anyway.