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.

 

[pemerton]

The question seems to be: is Nick intended as a damage buff, or just an action economy buff (ie freeing up the bonus action)? Parsing and re-parsing the rules text doesn't seem like it will answer that question; the answer surely lies in game-play and balance.

 

[MerricB]

I have asked this to every person I have ever heard say this: Can I watch or do you have video of combats lasting less than 10 minutes?

Obviously, there are many circumstances that effect this: number of players, level of characters, number of opponents, effects, etc. Obviously, a level 1 encounter with two players and a DM is going to go much faster than a level 12 encounter with five players and a DM.

So, if you don't mind answering:

• How many players?
• What level?
• Are encounters complex? Do they use things like difficult terrain, skill checks needed to dismantle the gidgity-goo, creates shifting on a rolling sea, etc? Are effects a large part of combat?

I run combats fast. 10 minutes would require a lot of things to go very well.

Running on Roll20 (with D&D Beyond/Beyond20 integration), a recent combat of four level 17 characters vs. a Goristro plus two Vrock - 16 minutes.

Three level 16 characters vs. a Stone Golem - 18 minutes.

Three level 15 characters vs. a Death Wolf (CR 15) - 9 minutes.

Three level 16 characters vs. a Kraken - 25 minutes.

(I have time stamps on the rolls on Roll20, so I can give exact times.)
e.g.

 

[mellored]

The question seems to be: is Nick intended as a damage buff, or just an action economy buff (ie freeing up the bonus action)? Parsing and re-parsing the rules text doesn't seem like it will answer that question; the answer surely lies in game-play and balance.

I don't think it's intended, but balance wise, I would say allowing it is fine.

Considering if you had a 2d6 maul and an action surge, you would do 4d6+6 damage.

And TWF, doing 3d6+9 would match. Plus use up youd bonus action.

 

[Valetudo]

Nick is for bo us action heavy classes like a melee ranger(and pally now actually).

 

[Scott Christian]

I guess they really hated people picking it as the default option. People picked it because everything after the early levels does some form of non-physical damage...

Judging from this selection, they wanted to make sure it's weak against psychics (makes sense), force damage means casters (uhh Will save and being mostly melee made sure of that already) but I guess this falls into 'nothing can resist force damage' camp, and necrotic means undead that aren't zombie hordes (this is the weird one for me, that the ones full of life aren't any better at resisting lifeforce sucking or radiation).

On a positive note, Wildheart Barb is the case where (Fizban) dragonborn being able to pick from niche resistances actually could come in useful! Or just be Aasimar, because 2024 Dragonborn are listed with only regular elemental resistances, but that's not as excit-- wait, can aasimar be non-humans?

I mean, I get why. But it goes back to how good your DM is. I had a ridiculous build using Totem of the Bear; not the best damage output, but with a 20 AC, the Tough Feat, and Bear Totem at level 12, I was incredibly difficult to bring down. (Basically 300+ HP while raging.) But the DM made me worthless in more than a few encounters. And quite a few where I was close to death.

But I get it. From a balance perspective it has to be difficult for WotC. I mean, sometimes the player fun is had in abusing the system a little; finding a design that is absurd or powerful or weird. That brings something to the table for the player. But if you don't have trust in a DM to still be able to balance things, then it just seems like tilting the pinball machine without the consequences. It also takes into account the other players at the table being emotionally mature enough to not make it a pissing match, and instead, celebrating that player's absurd/powerful/weird design.

 

[Scott Christian]

Mildly weaker, but not resisting four of the least common damage types.

But also, you can choose which option to use when you Rage, so if you are fighting something you know will be blasting with radiant, you can instead use Wolf or Eagle (advantage for allies and free disengage/dash bonus action if I remember correctly)

That's a cool feature. Yeah, I was partially joking with my comment. I get they did what they felt they needed to do. I just know at our table, it never seemed overpowered. But, I'll embrace the change because there is a guarantee that they'll be even more absurd designs in the new books.

 

[Scott Christian]

I run combats fast. 10 minutes would require a lot of things to go very well.

Running on Roll20 (with D&D Beyond/Beyond20 integration), a recent combat of four level 17 characters vs. a Goristro plus two Vrock - 16 minutes.

Three level 16 characters vs. a Stone Golem - 18 minutes.

Three level 15 characters vs. a Death Wolf (CR 15) - 9 minutes.

Three level 16 characters vs. a Kraken - 25 minutes.

(I have time stamps on the rolls on Roll20, so I can give exact times.)
e.g.
View attachment 375717

Didn't you build an entire thread on this? I remember someone did, it was outstanding. The examples you gave, I notice there are 3 players (optimal for speed) and only one opponent. Granted, an opponent with A LOT of HP, damage resistance, and AC!
If you don't mind, can I ask a few questions:

1. Are these players highly experienced? I mean, would you call them seasoned vets where they can definitely tell you their characters abilities and the rules around their characters?
2. Do these players sometimes use the same consistent attacks? (For example, our paladin almost always did the same thing, whereas our bard never did.)
3. With a 17-18 minute average, that is still incredibly fast at that level. Kudos. PS - Did they kill the kraken?!

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

I don't think it's intended, but balance wise, I would say allowing it is fine.
Considering if you had a 2d6 maul and an action surge, you would do 4d6+6 damage.
And TWF, doing 3d6+9 would match. Plus use up youd bonus action.

Yep. TWF has been lagging behind two-handed all this time (and requires more investment, because you need two magic weapons, and more awkward hand economy), and with this interpretation, it would still not be any better. There's no balance concerns (unless there's wacky amounts of damage riders on every hit, in which case the TWFer would pick up Dual-Wielder anyway).

 

[Shardstone]

I mean, I get why. But it goes back to how good your DM is. I had a ridiculous build using Totem of the Bear; not the best damage output, but with a 20 AC, the Tough Feat, and Bear Totem at level 12, I was incredibly difficult to bring down. (Basically 300+ HP while raging.) But the DM made me worthless in more than a few encounters. And quite a few where I was close to death.

But I get it. From a balance perspective it has to be difficult for WotC. I mean, sometimes the player fun is had in abusing the system a little; finding a design that is absurd or powerful or weird. That brings something to the table for the player. But if you don't have trust in a DM to still be able to balance things, then it just seems like tilting the pinball machine without the consequences. It also takes into account the other players at the table being emotionally mature enough to not make it a pissing match, and instead, celebrating that player's absurd/powerful/weird design.

ISn't it always about DM skill (and player skill) though? Like, yeah, the game runs a lot better when the DM isn't bad at being a DM. And the better they get, the better the quality of the game. If we wanted even experiences, we'd play computer games where there is no DM, but since there is a human element here, skill matters a lot.

 

[Weiley31]

Who are you hiding from when there is no one there?

But the invisible stalker is RIGHT BEHIND YOU!!!!