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.

 

[WanderingMystic]

Artificer???!!!??? Cool... where was this announced?

So it was asked at the content creators panel at gen con. Someone asked about the Artificer and Chris responded that they were working on that as he spoke but he could not give any details so it could be Eberron 2024, it could be another Tasha's or Xanathar's guide like book or it could be just a subclass in a compleatly different setting but regardless I am happy for some more Artificer love. It is the one half caster class that just still feels weak to me ( some subs are good but the class as a whole). The limit of interesting imbuments for how much of the power budget they seem to cover is sad, also that ohh you get your + items but then that just means the dm doesn't give you an because you already have one.

 

[mellored]

crosses fingers for a PHB 2 with Artificer and Warlord

 

[MarkB]

crosses fingers for a PHB 2 with Artificer and Warlord

A player book that presented multiple new classes would be interesting.

 

[Demetrios1453]

crosses fingers for a PHB 2 with Artificer and Warlord

There is definitely going to be a Tasha's/Xanathar's type book within a couple of years with the artificer, a boatload of more/updated subclases, and updated species.

 

[Nobleshield]

So it's backward compatible but not really, like how nobody used 3.0 books when 3.5 came out even though you technically could? Does the new PHB only replace the 2014 version or does it eliminate the need for things like xanathar's guide or Tasha's? Guessing the other supplements and adventures are going to still be usable

 

[WanderingMystic]

So it's backward compatible but not really, like how nobody used 3.0 books when 3.5 came out even though you technically could? Does the new PHB only replace the 2014 version or does it eliminate the need for things like xanathar's guide or Tasha's? Guessing the other supplements and adventures are going to still be usable

Once a class, subclass, feat, background, monster or magical item has been revamped and reprinted they say to use that version and not the older version. So as of right now all adventures are still usable, about 75% of Tasha's as well as all of the setting books, Giants, parts of dragon.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Once a class, subclass, feat, background, monster or magical item has been revamped and reprinted they say to use that version and not the older version. So as of right now all adventures are still usable, about 75% of Tasha's as well as all of the setting books, Giants, parts of dragon.

Right. You can mix-n-match liberally (if you want to) but it's "safest" to use the new stuff where you can. This is just to avoid conflicts if you don't have a DM who is happy to arbitrate any places where there's bits that don't line up perfectly.

If you already liberally houserule and/or implement optional rules from 3pp, you shouldn't have any trouble using whatever you like and leaving out whatever you don't.

 

[Parmandur]

Right. You can mix-n-match liberally (if you want to) but it's "safest" to use the new stuff where you can. This is just to avoid conflicts if you don't have a DM who is happy to arbitrate any places where there's bits that don't line up perfectly.

If you already liberally houserule and/or implement optional rules from 3pp, you shouldn't have any trouble using whatever you like and leaving out whatever you don't.

It ain't rocket surgery.

 

[Nikosandros]

It ain't rocket surgery.

When orbital dynamics meets neurosurgery.

Welp, that does sound daunting. More than mixing up 2014 sub-classes with 2024 classes, at least.

 

[Scott Christian]

Yes, I understand that people will be taking reactions, and yes, I understand that there will be numerically more reaction options, but that doesn't necessarily translate to longer rounds of combat.

It does.