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!

---

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]

---

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.

 

[FrogReaver]

The level 3 gnome wizards have more meat after levelling up

Must have done their crunches.

 

[Baumi]

Now I have a picture in my mind, where adventurers get buffer and fatter with every level. "Hey look, that Gnome must weight over 1000 pound, he is at least Tier 3!"

 

[Clint_L]

The level 3 gnome wizards have more meat after levelling up

Okay, then. We have very different takes on what the game is. Fair enough.

Though…what if it’s a 300 pound level 1 Goliath wizard and a 40 pound level 1 gnome barbarian? Your logic seems to suggest that the 40 pound gnome has twice as much “meat” as the 300 pound Goliath, but only due to character class, which seems to undermine your entire argument. I’m finding the implications kind of fascinating.

 

[Clint_L]

Double post

 

[dave2008]

Okay, then. We have very different takes on what the game is. Fair enough.

Though…what if it’s a 300 pound level 1 Goliath wizard and a 40 pound level 1 gnome barbarian? Your logic seems to suggest that the 40 pound gnome has twice as much “meat” as the 300 pound Goliath, but only due to character class, which seems to undermine your entire argument. I’m finding the implications kind of fascinating.

@Clint_L , I think it is pretty clear @GobHag is trolling you. You know the truth of the issue and I suggest you stop feeding it.

 

[Moonmover]

This is the reason I drink four sodas away and avoid exercise. It's the fastest way to increase your mass/hit points.

 

[Oofta]

Must have done their crunches.

 

[dbm]

I just got notification that my book is on its way here in the UK (from Leisure Games)

 

[Argyle King]

and it is not interesting, not as gameplay.

Maybe not with a d20, but it can be

 

[Stormonu]

Wife got her copy yesterday, she's been so buried in reading it I haven't seen or heard from her in about a day.

Had to cook my own dinner last night...