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.


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.
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You keep saying it's just fact, I am telling you the playtests I've seen do not support your claim, and you're just repeating it's fact.

It didn't take more time overall. I offered a possible explanation for that, that combats were over faster due to needing fewer rounds to finish them. You blew that explanation off and then again repeated it just takes longer and anything differing from that must be an outlier because you know in theory it should take longer.

Scott, what if you find, when you actually play it, it doesn't take longer? Then what?
Well, the thing is, I never said that. I have repeated the same thing over and over.
We don't know if combat will take longer or be shorter. In my experience of using many different systems, the length of combat will be table dependent. For some tables, it will be shorter. For others, longer.

But the fact is we have no source to say the 2024 ruleset uses fewer rounds. That is a speculation. What we do know is, when you add reactions and give players more options (and possibly DMs), then a turn will take longer. That is our only given.
There is no question that more choices and reactions lead to longer rounds of combat. It does. It's the difference between level 1 fights and level 12 rounds. Level 12 rounds take longer because PCs have more options and more reactions.
Notice in both of these, the only thing I say is that a turn will take longer, and therefore, by proxy, a round will take longer. If there are fewer rounds, then it might even out or even shorten combat. We do not know. And, as I said before, it will probably be table dependent.

So again, I think you are misunderstanding me. Maybe I am not being clear. But please know, I did not blow your explanation off. I believe you and your table found combat faster due to fewer rounds. We do not know if others will have the same experience.
 

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Nobody at in my 2024 games play single-class sorcerers, but I've seen multiclass builds with all the other Charisma casters, like paladins (most popular as a 1st level dip for armor, and ultimately many smite slots), warlocks and bards.

I mean, fair. For contrast, one of my favorite characters for 2014 5e has been a single class Clockwork Sorc with 8 AC.

I've never had a character for whom multiple Cha caster classes would make sense.
 

It really, really isn't.

Yes it really is.

Dual wielding, spells, bonus action casting rule, grapple movement, quickened spell, defensive dualist, crossbow expert, AOOs on allies, backgrounds, stunned, spells .... Just off the top of my head.

IME overall the UA is closer to 2014 5E than it is to what we know of 2024.

Biggest change is that Dual-Wielder gives you an extra attack, which could be used to hit with a Topple weapon, prompting a lot of extra rolls... but besides that, enh.

That is A change. One of many.

I'll be running a 2024 game tomorrow, and I struggled to think of anything I'd need to mention to my players that wasn't already covered by our playtest changes list.

Do you have the PHB?
 
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It really, really isn't.

Biggest change is that Dual-Wielder gives you an extra attack, which could be used to hit with a Topple weapon, prompting a lot of extra rolls... but besides that, enh.

I'll be running a 2024 game tomorrow, and I struggled to think of anything I'd need to mention to my players that wasn't already covered by our playtest changes list.
It seems to me like almost every action the PCs take works differently now.

  • Want a potion, bonus action now.
  • Want to grapple, the rules for it are different now.
  • Want to heal an ally, you now roll 2 dice instead of 1.
  • The addition of weapon masteries changes every attack.
  • Bread and butter spells like spirit guardians and conjure animals all changed.
  • Stealth - different now too.
  • No surprise rounds anymore.
I mean the basic structure of the game hasn’t been changed much, just nearly all the turn by turn tactical choices for most classes have changed.
 


Dual wielding, spells, bonus action casting rule, grapple movement, quickened spell, defensive dualist, crossbow expert, AOOs on allies, backgrounds, stunned, spells .... Just off the top of my head.
Those are mostly differences to 2014, not the playtest.

Do you have the PHB?
How else would I be running 2024? I have access to one, yes.
 

I've never had a character for whom multiple Cha caster classes would make sense.
once my warlock (who already had metamagic initiate) hit level 17 I didn't see a good reason to go up to 20... so I took 3 levels of divine soul sorcerer and got a lot of extra utility out of the low level spell slots. I didn't abuse the 'use warlock slots to make meta magic mana' trick but I did use it... if I still had a slot when we took a short rest I converted it... and since Primal Savagery (druid magic initiate) was my go to attack (I grew iron teeth dripping acid and bit... I was a fey lock pact of the tombe of babayaga)
 

Well, the thing is, I never said that. I have repeated the same thing over and over.


Notice in both of these, the only thing I say is that a turn will take longer, and therefore, by proxy, a round will take longer. If there are fewer rounds, then it might even out or even shorten combat. We do not know. And, as I said before, it will probably be table dependent.

So again, I think you are misunderstanding me. Maybe I am not being clear. But please know, I did not blow your explanation off. I believe you and your table found combat faster due to fewer rounds. We do not know if others will have the same experience.
I’d note that it’s pretty hard to get fewer rounds than the 3-4 that’s typically assumed. Even with higher damage in 2024, combat likely will still be 3-4 rounds. Maybe trending closer to 3.

Now if you are one of the tables that typically has 6+ round combats I can see number of rounds reducing by 1-2 there.

Keep in mind to half the number of rounds the party needs to do double damage.
 

Those are mostly differences to 2014, not the playtest.


How else would I be running 2024? I have access to one, yes.
The playtest wasn’t one thing. It was a bunch of separate packets.

Have bonus action potions been consistent across them?

Weapon Masteries I think have.

Stealth rules were changed big time from playtest.

I don’t remember which playtest healing got increased, but I don’t think it was that way in earlier ones.

I don’t think grapple was different for most of the playtest either.
 

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