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.

 

[mellored]

I'd rather combat be slower and more interesting than quick and boring.

You come across 3 goblins. You take 3d6 attrition as you defeat them.

Very Quick, but not exactly fun IMO.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

You come across 3 goblins. You take 3d6 attrition as you defeat them.
Very Quick, but not exactly fun IMO.

I that'd be a fine failure effect for whatever skill challenge they just failed.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

That second part seems a definite truth. I know for me, that each level I increase, I re-write my entire character on a blank character sheet. Handwritten. No typing. No program. And because of that, I can definitely say I have it memorized, even at higher levels. That one little thing has sped up my play considerably compared to other players that I have had the privilege to be in campaigns with. I can only imagine a time crunch - that must really kick your brain into high gear.

No offense, but it is a shame you and your table haven't filmed one session yet. There are a lot of people that would want to see that type of encounter speed, me included.

Thanks for taking the time to explain all of this. It is appreciated.

I don’t know that any of us have the equipment to record a session. Never really thought much about it.

Unfortunately I moved recently and am not likely to game with that group again. We tried online during covid snd it just didn’t click or us. The big factor being that getting together in person was such an important part of it for us. However, now that i think about, we couldn’t really translate our fast paced combat to online play and I think that was a big factor for us too.

not sure if I will look for a new group or not.

 

[DarkCrisis]

I'd rather combat be slower and more interesting than quick and boring.

You come across 3 goblins. You take 3d6 attrition as you defeat them.

Very Quick, but not exactly fun IMO.

Yet this happens in 5th ed as well. When your Superheroes absolutely slaughter the 5 goblin patrol, and the damage the gobs inflict on them is so minimal and easily healed. That "3D6" damage (more like 1D6 in old school) is worth a whole lot more in the "adventuring day".

Anad again. if D&D is just a place to simulate fantastical combat for you, awesome. More power to you.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I that'd be a fine failure effect for whatever skill challenge they just failed.

Fine is. It good or fun though.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

again. if D&D is just a place to simulate fantastical combat for you, awesome. More power to you.

Is there a reason you added this line? Didn’t seem anyone was talking along this line of thought.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I would love to see the word 'superhero' stop being used in such an erroneous and derogatory manner.

 

[Shardstone]

I would love to see the word 'superhero' stop being used in such an erroneous and derogatory manner.

Unless your PC can be killed by a 1d4 damage roll, can only succeed on 1/5 ability checks, and has no abilities, it's a superhero.

 

[DarkCrisis]

I would love to see the word 'superhero' stop being used in such an erroneous and derogatory manner.

No one said it was derogatory. It's meant to emphasize power levels. Not vs old D&D but even against the NPCs of 5th ed. The game is made toward player survivability more than its ever been. Nothing wrong with that. It is what it is.

 

[DarkCrisis]

I've seen some express that they enjoy long D&D combats and that's where they find the most fun, just adding that in for them. The opposite would be those who come for the adventure or story telling or secret finding etc etc etc.