jasper
Rotten DM
Dungeon Master Guide 2024 Review
I have the FLGS ALT Cover.
TLDR. Nice beginner chapters. Some parts lean toward the player than the DM. Great for a brand new dm. But occasionally light on details. DMS will have to go to third party to get greater detail. If you have more than three years as DM, get it when it been discounted.
Some art has the problem of one color and many shades making the pictures look muddy. Other art work is great.
4.5 Stars for new DMS.
Chapter 1. The Basics. This is a great chapter for any level of DM. The play style and atmosphere section is interesting. I love the call outs on page 19 on the peasant railgun.
Chapter 2. Running the Game. Has things shifted from the 2014 DMG and some nice ideas on morale under the Fight or Flight section (P 48). And the variant of training to gain levels is interesting.
Chapter 3 DM’s toolbox. Stresses Alignment is descriptive. The chase rules need work but they tell a DM they can create a better set geared toward the current players. The custom background page is a little light and will only help new DMS. Creating a creature/magic item/spell section is more like reskinning the thing. So that is a little too light in information.
Metal stress appears to replace the madness affects from 2014. It just does damage. I would suggest DMs use Madness but not often.
Firearms and Explosives are a welcome addition. However, it appears “Reload” time is left up to the DM.
The Gods and Other Powers is interesting but I have issues with once a pc elects to choose a god, they automatically don’t need their god on going approval to get spells. This is DM and session 0 conversation.
Hazards are great but I think they should be in monster manual or at least appear in the monster listing of Beyond app.
The Mobs section is great but seems to not flow well.
NPC section is interesting and a quick name generator. I love the loyalty score section.
Poison section is a quick blurt on harvesting poisons. DMs should look elsewhere for more detail.
Traps section is great but the Building a Trap table is kind of weak. I would change the attack bonus on the higher tiers.
Chapter 4 Creating Adventures is great for new dms. The common map symbols should become standard in WOTC upcoming adventures. The example adventures are good for anyone.
Chapter 5 Creating Campaigns. Is a nice overview but is light on details. The Greyhawk part is great for basic sandbox homebrew.
Chapter 6 Cosmology. Nice overview and some great detail. It is interesting that creatures of opposite view may acquire a cumulative minus 1d4 over time if they are not in their native plane.
Chapter 7 Treasure. Hack. Spit. 100 magic items for a party of four at level 20! Crafting magic items is two simple charts. The tools, and time. So the cost of item is the following, cost of item from the shop plus x gold and y days. The special features are a welcome homebrew group of tables.
The magic item conflict section still has a Charisma save which is still too low. I do suggest DMs rework this part.
The random charts have been change to rarity and arcane, arms and armour, implements, and artifacts.
Chapter 8. Bastions. Are an interesting mini game but lacks detail. Spend x money and get so many five foot squares to drawn on your graph paper. However, this is just for the player. Bastions are something you could just plug into a computer game which grants the player the reward when they level to certain milestone.
This chapter should have covered ideas on how DMs should run strongholds, home bases, etc. for players with things to talk to you players and things never to do.
Appendix A. Lore Glossary. An addition for players and DMs who have not played or did no research of the game.
Appendix B. Maps. Are black and white mostly. And have be reference during the book to be used as a sample. But they don’t follow the standard stair mapping icon. But just add up or down by a stairway to let you know the direction. If there are steps you are left guessing the elevation.
As an experience DM, other than the magic item section, the only tabbing/book marking I have done is the hazards, mob, traps, and Greyhawk sections.
I have the FLGS ALT Cover.
TLDR. Nice beginner chapters. Some parts lean toward the player than the DM. Great for a brand new dm. But occasionally light on details. DMS will have to go to third party to get greater detail. If you have more than three years as DM, get it when it been discounted.
Some art has the problem of one color and many shades making the pictures look muddy. Other art work is great.
4.5 Stars for new DMS.
Chapter 1. The Basics. This is a great chapter for any level of DM. The play style and atmosphere section is interesting. I love the call outs on page 19 on the peasant railgun.
Chapter 2. Running the Game. Has things shifted from the 2014 DMG and some nice ideas on morale under the Fight or Flight section (P 48). And the variant of training to gain levels is interesting.
Chapter 3 DM’s toolbox. Stresses Alignment is descriptive. The chase rules need work but they tell a DM they can create a better set geared toward the current players. The custom background page is a little light and will only help new DMS. Creating a creature/magic item/spell section is more like reskinning the thing. So that is a little too light in information.
Metal stress appears to replace the madness affects from 2014. It just does damage. I would suggest DMs use Madness but not often.
Firearms and Explosives are a welcome addition. However, it appears “Reload” time is left up to the DM.
The Gods and Other Powers is interesting but I have issues with once a pc elects to choose a god, they automatically don’t need their god on going approval to get spells. This is DM and session 0 conversation.
Hazards are great but I think they should be in monster manual or at least appear in the monster listing of Beyond app.
The Mobs section is great but seems to not flow well.
NPC section is interesting and a quick name generator. I love the loyalty score section.
Poison section is a quick blurt on harvesting poisons. DMs should look elsewhere for more detail.
Traps section is great but the Building a Trap table is kind of weak. I would change the attack bonus on the higher tiers.
Chapter 4 Creating Adventures is great for new dms. The common map symbols should become standard in WOTC upcoming adventures. The example adventures are good for anyone.
Chapter 5 Creating Campaigns. Is a nice overview but is light on details. The Greyhawk part is great for basic sandbox homebrew.
Chapter 6 Cosmology. Nice overview and some great detail. It is interesting that creatures of opposite view may acquire a cumulative minus 1d4 over time if they are not in their native plane.
Chapter 7 Treasure. Hack. Spit. 100 magic items for a party of four at level 20! Crafting magic items is two simple charts. The tools, and time. So the cost of item is the following, cost of item from the shop plus x gold and y days. The special features are a welcome homebrew group of tables.
The magic item conflict section still has a Charisma save which is still too low. I do suggest DMs rework this part.
The random charts have been change to rarity and arcane, arms and armour, implements, and artifacts.
Chapter 8. Bastions. Are an interesting mini game but lacks detail. Spend x money and get so many five foot squares to drawn on your graph paper. However, this is just for the player. Bastions are something you could just plug into a computer game which grants the player the reward when they level to certain milestone.
This chapter should have covered ideas on how DMs should run strongholds, home bases, etc. for players with things to talk to you players and things never to do.
Appendix A. Lore Glossary. An addition for players and DMs who have not played or did no research of the game.
Appendix B. Maps. Are black and white mostly. And have be reference during the book to be used as a sample. But they don’t follow the standard stair mapping icon. But just add up or down by a stairway to let you know the direction. If there are steps you are left guessing the elevation.
As an experience DM, other than the magic item section, the only tabbing/book marking I have done is the hazards, mob, traps, and Greyhawk sections.
