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.

 

[Imaro]

What exactly is the Oberoni fallacy? And how does it apply here? Making a Knowledge check here.

I'm wondering how it applies here as well...

 

[Steampunkette]

What exactly is the Oberoni fallacy? And how does it apply here? Making a Knowledge check here.

The Oberoni fallacy is when someone points out a problem in a ruleset. There's three responses that make sense, and the Oberoni response.

1) There's no problem, you have misread Rule X, here is the clarification.
2) There's a problem, but it can be easily solved by changing the wording of Rule X slightly.
3) There's a problem with Rule X that is not easily resolved and would require redesign.

And then the 4th, or Oberoni, option:

4) There's no problem with Rule X. Because you can use Rule 0 to fix it.

Because it states there's no problem, and then expresses how to fix the problem that doesn't exist using a completely separate rule.

Is there no problem or is there a problem solved by implementing a different rule? The Quantum Fluctuation of a problem that both exists and does not exist at the same time.

 

[Corinnguard]

Found it.

The Oberoni Fallacy is an informal fallacy, occasionally seen in discussions of role-playing games, in which an arguer puts forth that if a problematic rule can be fixed by the figure running the game, the problematic rule is not, in fact, problematic.

I'm wondering how it applies here as well...

The designers and/or producers of the 2024 PHB believe that all of the classes should get their subclass at 3rd level. Somehow, they came to believe that some classes getting their subclasses at 1st or 2nd level was a problem for the players, both old and new.

 

[Corinnguard]

Is there no problem or is there a problem solved by implementing a different rule? The Quantum Fluctuation of a problem that both exists and does not exist at the same time.

Hehe. If Schrodinger was a Wizard, he probably would use the Ethereal Plane to explain how his cat could exist and not exist on the Material Plane.

@Steampunkette beat me to the answer.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

I'm wondering how it applies here as well...

It doesn't apply here. It's not a rules problem. It's a flavor preference.

Some people are critical of the class flavor in these cases because they prefer subclass choice at level 1, for narrative and/or mechanical reasons. But it's not a rules issue.

Some people don't like the way Wildshape or Divine Smite works in the 2024 Rulebook, but it isn't an Oberoni fallacy.

 

[Steampunkette]

It doesn't apply here. It's not a rules problem. It's a flavor preference.

Some people are critical of the class flavor in these cases because they prefer subclass choice at level 1, for narrative and/or mechanical reasons. But it's not a rules issue.

Some people don't like the way Wildshape or Divine Smite works in the 2024 Rulebook, but it isn't an Oberoni fallacy.

See, you wrote "Flavor Preference" where the more appropriate term would be "Game Design Failure".

But whether you wanna call it a rule or not, the same ultimate behavior has presented:

"There is no problem. You can solve the problem by X."

First statement denies a problem exists, second statement offers a solution to the denied problem.

Pick a path. Either there's a problem and a solution or there's no problem and there's no solution, needed. Much less a solution wielded as a cudgel and insult against others.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

See, you wrote "Flavor Preference" where the more appropriate term would be "Game Design Failure".

But whether you wanna call it a rule or not, the same ultimate behavior has presented:

"There is no problem. You can solve the problem by X."

First statement denies a problem exists, second statement offers a solution to the denied problem.

Pick a path. Either there's a problem and a solution or there's no problem and there's no solution, needed. Much less a solution wielded as a cudgel and insult against others.

Just because people try to help does not mean they agree with the assertion that there is a problem.

But some people want to push a narrative of a problem, and I've seen helpful people try to offer suggestions to help with new perspectives, or solutions to perceived problems.

And some people are taking offense because others disagree with their assertion, and offer solutions. Sounds like people aren't looking for solutions. Just banging the same drum that everyone else who doesn't see it their way is wrong.

Yes! We each can disagree with each other! But some of us actually play the game in question and don't have a problem with it.

I'm curious how many fans of the 2024 rules are encountering a serious rule/play problem with L3-standardized subclasses that isn't based purely on preference?

 

[Corinnguard]

I'm curious how many fans of the 2024 rules are encountering a serious rule/play problem with L3-standardized subclasses that isn't based purely on preference?

This needs to be addressed in a poll.

 

[Steampunkette]

I'm curious how many fans of the 2024 rules are encountering a serious rule/play problem with L3-standardized subclasses that isn't based purely on preference?

The issue is that I'm looking at it from the perspective of a game designer who creates classes. Someone who has to build a class so that the rules support the fiction that I need to get across to the players and readers. If I fail to do that, the book won't sell and the class won't see use.

The Barbarian entry discusses the Barbarian's Rage for 5 sentences out of the 8 sentences presented. They get it at level 1 because it is the iconic feature of the class, the thing that makes them who they are.

The Warlock entry discusses the Warlock's Patron for 8 sentences out of the 11 sentences presented. They don't get their patron 'til level 3 even though it's the iconic feature of the class, the thing that makes them who they are.

For a new player this is going to set up a split expectation. They came in looking to make a deal with the devil and have that be the main thrust of their story and instead they get Pact Magic and Invocations and are told to wait for their Patron 'til level 3.

It's the old "Show, don't Tell" maxim of writing.

Others are largely looking at it from the same angle you are. "It'll play fine at my table so it's okay." Occasionally with a flair for "Actually it's better this way because it allows more of this single specific narrative to be presented." ladled on top.

 

[Imaro]

Found it.

The Oberoni Fallacy is an informal fallacy, occasionally seen in discussions of role-playing games, in which an arguer puts forth that if a problematic rule can be fixed by the figure running the game, the problematic rule is not, in fact, problematic.

The designers and/or producers of the 2024 PHB believe that all of the classes should get their subclass at 3rd level. Somehow, they came to believe that some classes getting their subclasses at 1st or 2nd level was a problem for the players, both old and new.

Huh? And the Oberoni Fallacy applies where? There's no actual objective problem... only preference about when certain mechanical/narrative elements should be available to a class.