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.

 

[KYRON45]

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

Well...actually...as i understand it....there are no facings in 5e so technicly there is no "behind".

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

That's astonishing. I've never even seen an actual-play with video that can do combats that fast unless they edited them heavily. Let alone play at the table.

Not to be too skeptical but I do know a surprising number of people (in both life and work) who say stuff takes "10 minutes" when they actually mean "45 minutes to an hour". Recently I had a friend say something was a "10-15 minute walk, tops" when it was like, well over 2 miles, close on 3.

(The reverse does apply too to some extent, like "It'll take at least 40 minutes to clean this!", then 10 minutes later we're done.)

We play very fast. In 4e we started using a 30 second timer. The timer went off your turn ended where it was. It’s pretty internalized to our group now. And we just move really fast. If It takes 30 seconds for us to adjudicate turn now that’s going on longer than it should.

When I say a turn, I mean a players turn. I should also clarify we only move that fast and straight up combat situations.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

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 don’t have a video, that is not something we have ever thought of doing (we are in person only) but I can answer your questions:
4-5 players
Lvl 15
Complexity: varies. A five minute encounter is not gonna be very complex. Smash and grab/smash and run that kind of stuff. Complex encounter might take 45 minutes. But we only do that once or maybe twice a session. With the way we play, most of the complex stuff is handled before or after the Oro combat. We make plans and figure things out before we tend to engage in a combat. So we are prepared and ready to go.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I need more context for this- it seems ridiculously fast. What level are these combats at? Can you give a few examples of what you consider "most combats," as those are what you finish in less than 10mins?

I'm wondering how different each tables combats are- how many rounds you go, how many players, enemies, etc. Obviously each combat isn't the same! But a few examples? 'Id appreciate the info!

I wonder if there are streams/videos of actual play with not-trivial combats consistently under ten minutes, I'd love to see how they go down in real time.

OK, I’ve answered this question a few times already. Here are the other responses. If this is an answer your question let me know.

We play very fast. In 4e we started using a 30 second timer. The timer went off your turn ended where it was. It’s pretty internalized to our group now. And we just move really fast. If It takes 30 seconds for us to adjudicate turn now that’s going on longer than it should.

When I say a turn, I mean a players turn.

I don’t have a video, that is not something we have ever thought of doing (we are in person only) but I can answer your questions:
4-5 players
Lvl 15
Complexity: varies. A five minute encounter is not gonna be very complex. Smash and grab/smash and run that kind of stuff. Complex encounter might take 45 minutes. But we only do that once or maybe twice a session. With the way we play, most of the complex stuff is handled before or after the Oro combat. We make plans and figure things out before we tend to engage in a combat. So we are prepared and ready to go.

 

[Distracted DM]

OK, I’ve answered this question a few times already. Here are the other responses. If this is an answer your question let me know.

I appreciate it! OK so it sounds like a combo of y'all being incredibly efficient and no one takes any time on their turn deliberating what to do.

Are you a player or the GM in that group? I'm curious if the GM is doing anything behind the scenes like lower hp/higher damage etc.How many rounds of combat would you say the 10 minute encounters go for?

You say that 1-2 encounters per session go for 45 minutes, the more complex ones- that sounds more in-tune with what I could imagine. I guess we don't know what simple vs complex means in this context.

How many encounters are y'all getting into per session? And when you say encounter, do you mean combat exclusively or do you count "sneaking around the guards at the gate" an encounter?

Thanks for the answers!

 

[Nikosandros]

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

Incredible how you can
see right through it

 

[Scott Christian]

We play very fast. In 4e we started using a 30 second timer. The timer went off your turn ended where it was. It’s pretty internalized to our group now. And we just move really fast. If It takes 30 seconds for us to adjudicate turn now that’s going on longer than it should.

When I say a turn, I mean a players turn. I should also clarify we only move that fast and straight up combat situations.

So you have 30 seconds to decide where to move, count the feet, declare your action, roll your dice, use a bonus action if needed (which might also include movement and/or rolling more dice, roll damage, and add it all up?

I commend you and the people at your table. To this day, I have never played with a table (I don't even think a single player) that can pull that off. Especially past level four, let alone 15. Bravo.

 

[MerricB]

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!

El-remmen did.

Linky: D&D 5E - Length of Combat & Time Taken per Round (collecting data from my games - updated 3/13 with an hour 30 minute 11 round battle!)

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?!

One highly seasoned vet (playing wizard), two mid-to-high level players (archer & paladin), one low level player (playing cleric), when everyone is here.

They are mostly consistent. The cleric struggles the most.

The Kraken... let me tell you about that combat.

The Wizard casts reverse gravity on the kraken. So, you have a kraken hanging 100 feet in the air - which is really funny, because a lot of the cleric spells don't reach that far. But this is the one cleric in my experience who almost always hits with guiding bolts, so that what he does. And that helps the sharpshooter archer (and that archer consistently puts out 70 points of damage a round... yeah, sharpshooter is so, so broken).

Krakens don't have 100 feet long tentacles. However, they do have a lightning attack with an 120 foot range, and so that hits the wizard again and again. (once on its turn, once as a legendary action). The wizard is using absorb elements and just making his concentration checks.

Eventually, they get the Kraken down to 10 hit points or so on the wizards' turn, just before it acts again. And he stops concentrating on reverse gravity. Even with a reduced amount of damage for falling into water, it can't survive.

(I did consider that the effect of reverse gravity might just fill up the area with water, but in the interests of playability had it just fall out the sides again, leaving the kraken mostly exposed).

Cheers,
Merric

 

[ECMO3]

3 attacks * 65% chance to hit = 91% chance to miss at least once.
Polearm master makes it 96% chance.

No it isn't, it is an 73% chance to miss at least once on 3 attacks, and an 82% chance of missing once on 4 attacks and that is without any fighting style, mastery or magic bonus

Give him topple and a +1 weapon (pretty weak at this level) and that number drops from to 59% chance of a miss on 4 attacks.

Alternatively, give the champion a +1 short bow, Archery Fighting Style and Vex and he only has a 26% of missing on 3 attacks if he did not have advantage on the first attack and a 12% chance if he did have advantage on the first attack.

It is pretty clear in play, most of these are going to be used off turn unless the player just lets them go to waste.

Also, does it apply to attacks made against you? Or just your own rolls?

I haven't seen the new rules, but my understanding is heroic inspiration can be given to any player who rolls a d20. So it can't be used on rolls against you, but it can be used by other PCs who miss on an attack or fails a save or fail an ability check etc. If this is not the case then you are right and it will not be nearly as big a deal.

 

[ECMO3]

You don't see people re-rolling missed attacks because it would waste a resource they get back every turn? Or do you mean that you don't see them only using it to do that? Because, sure, they will also use it to re-roll damage, to re-roll their second wind to heal more, or who knows how many other things. But at the end of the day... it isn't going to slow things down much at all.

I see them not doing that because they won't always miss on their turn. It recharges at the begining of every turn but they will not miss with an attack every turn. So they will have to use it for something else or it will go to waste.

If we are only talking about new players, who cares about abilities from level 6 to 14?

Obviously not you. But I think some people do care about the rules being relatively easy for new players to learn.

What are you talking about? No, the Fey Warlock is not all about reactions. It is about teleporting. Their level 3 ability gives them a bonus action teleport pool, with one ability allowing them to grant temp hp to an ally, and another to draw attacks from enemies. Neither of these is a reaction. Then at level 6 you can use those same teleports defensively, but you do not have to. A Warlock could use Dreadful step on their turn to cause damage to a bunch of nearby enemies and then use their action to cast another spell, and that is fully within the stereotype and intended design of the class. The reaction is an OPTION not the POINT.

I think it will be by far the most common use of the ebility once they get it and I do think that is what the subclass is about.

You just seem ill-informed on how these classes work.

Well the rule book is not out yet, and I dont have one of the advanced compies so I won't pretend to be an expert. But the people who do have it and reviewed it have said there are a lot more bonus actions and reactions (in addition to describing them) so I am confident combat will take longer.

I am aware of those threads. I am also aware of my own game, where we have two people who use Silvery Barbs quite often... and it doesn't slow down combat noticeably at all. In fact, in all those threads you mention, there are often people speaking up with confusion and saying that they do not understand where these arguments come from, because these things are fine.

I think Silvery Barbs is fine balance wise and have said so on many of the threads about. I do also think it slows down play in most games. Maybe that does not matter to you but it does matter to many others.

I think the new rules will slow down combat further and by any reasonable evaluation, combat will take more time, even at your table. Maybe that does not matter to you, but don't pretend it won't happen nor that it will matter to many people.

But let's apply this to a specific character.

A 5th level Eldritch Knight Human with Polearm Master and a Halberd with the Graze Property, they take the Defensive Fighting Style and have the shield spell.

What is ACTUALLY new for the this character?

Their Race, their origin feat, Tactical Shift, Tactical Mind and the mechanics of Protection.

They deal 3 damage on a miss and can move when they use Second Wind. Nothing else is new.

Yes there is new.

Moreover even one more thing in combat on a your cherry picked example class and level is going to translate to taking longer in play.

They have the exact same reactions they always had, the exact same attacks, the exact same bonus actions... nothing has changed.

Maybe or maybe not. If you purposely try to build a character with only a little more, you will only have a little more, but on the other hand with a human Shadow monk with Musician and Magic Initiate you are going to have a ton more to do.

Also small point - they have more uses of their second wind than they did previously, so it is factually NOT "the exact same bonus actions" it is more bonus actions and again that is before we consider species or origin feat.

The wizard? Any wizard? Nothing has really changed. They don't have new bonus actions or reactions.

Yes they do. An Illusionist can cast Minor Illusion as a Bonus action every single round.

Which was already a 100% possible party in 2014.

Yes and one with less happening every turn.

You call it a functional increase... but if the Bard countercharms to cause a re-roll instead of using Cutting Words, it isn't actually an increase. You seem to maybe be looking at this from a position of counting every reaction that might take place in every combat over the course of the day? That is an odd way to look at it to me, because that doesn't make any given combat any longer. It just makes more combats about the same length.

Yes it is. If he uses cutting words he uses a use of BI and can't use it again in the future. If he uses countercharm now he can use that same cutting words reaction in the future, where under the old rules he would have burned that BI and would not be able to use it later.

The ONLY time this is not true if his reactions are saturated. If he has a reaction to use every single turn and resources to use one every single turn then it is not an increase. But in this case your party of 6 IS using 6 reactions a round.

And again, you are approaching this entire discussion from a "I am reading the rules and it might happen" and other people are telling you "I have played the game and it doesn't happen". So why should I believe you, who have not played it, compared to myself, who HAS played it and not experienced this issue? Especially since other people who have played it have also confirmed that my experience is not unique?

And I am telling you I play the game and it does happen. I play 4 regular games a week, I play a lot of D&D both as a DM and as a player and both on the tabletop and on VTTs with players worldwide.

I do know Treantmonk said players have a lot more reactions to use and he is the best expert opinion I have to reference.