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.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I was going to reply with the 3E info, but the thread had already picked it up.

But re Tanis - wasn't he the leader of the party? Which suggests good CHA.

Probably, but I wouldn't associate that with being a half-elf.

 

[pemerton]

Probably, but I wouldn't associate that with being a half-elf.

In AD&D, Elves but not Half-Elves have a racial CHA minimum. Elves are the only race with a CHA minimum. (From memory, it is 8 CHA.)

I was simply making the point that I don't think Tanis is low CHA.

In 4e D&D, I would build Tanis as a warlord - probably an archer warlord.

 

[GobHag]

Yes, but not even 5.5 is as gamist as @GobHag appears to want.

Ya. It isn't enough, baby steps while I wanted leaps. But I already do play games like that, you can complain that it isn't verisimilitudinous enough I complain about how it isn't gamist enough. It's great that 5.24 is leaning more towards my preference but It's still too cowardly to go for something great*

*Away from old D&D's faux 'realism'.

 

[Micah Sweet]

In AD&D, Elves but not Half-Elves have a racial CHA minimum. Elves are the only race with a CHA minimum. (From memory, it is 8 CHA.)

I was simply making the point that I don't think Tanis is low CHA.

In 4e D&D, I would build Tanis as a warlord - probably an archer warlord.

Me too. All of that checks out.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Ya. It isn't enough, baby steps while I wanted leaps. But I already do play games like that, you can complain that it isn't verisimilitudinous enough I complain about how it isn't gamist enough. It's great that 5.24 is leaning more towards my preference but It's still too cowardly to go for something great*

*Away from old D&D's faux 'realism'.

I really wish you'd try harder to keep the contempt for other people's preferences out of your posts.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I am sure you know the responses to this that I and the very many others who think it should have been in the 2024 PHB make to this without my even saying it.

No, actually I don't. It wasn't cut from the game. The only response I can even imagine is "but it was cut from the PLayer's Handbook and that's basically the same thing" to which I have a 50+ list of species options that would disagree with you about that.

Maybe I am wrong in thinking that. We shall see. But I know you know "there is no issue" isn't going to fly. Of course there is an issue. They're not expecting new players to buy the 2014 PHB (which they will stop selling when they run out) to get their favorite BG3 race. Something is likely coming on this issue.

They don't expect new players to buy Volo's, Mordenkainen's, Tasha's, or Fizban's either. But if I went around saying Bugbears and Hobgoblins were cut from the game, because the 2024 PHB doesn't have them, then that would be rather silly. Or leonin. Or Thri-Kreen. Or Kalashtar. Or...

 

[Chaosmancer]

The problem is rules design not based on at least some level of realism, it lacks verisimilitude and that makes it feel more like a game an less like a believable world your character is inhabiting.

Like the strongest Halflings being as strong as strongest Goliath or poisons damaging constructs.



I think the move over recent years has been to pamper to a few players that would get upset about a situation like that (and I know a few) rather than the players that see that as a challenge and welcome the opportunity to try different strategies to overcome a different type of monster.

A few vocal players on the internet complain that their halfling isn't the mightiest fighter in the setting, so they get rid of racial stat adjustments, wreck verisimilitude and remove the challenge of playing a character against type from everyone else.

It is always a bit weird to see the "they ruined the game by listening to whiny players who can't handle a challenge" argument when the key that makes TTRPGs unique is how easy they are to change. I mean, I rarely see anyone who makes this argument go "and that's why I added rules so that half of all monsters are immune to poison and PCs hit by poison take permanent ability score damage to make the game harder." Or, are you also one of those posters who doesn't play 5e, and so is only coming here to complain about the design of a game you no longer play and have no interest in playing?

 

[Chaosmancer]

Yeah, it might have been 4e. 3.5 is too long ago for my memory - did they have a CHA-bump then? If not, it was 4e.

Looks like 3.5: SRD:Half-Elves (Race) - D&D Wiki

They had bonuses to Diplomacy and Gather Information. Additionally, their Iconics were a Bard, A Druid, a Beguiler, Bard/Seeker of the Song, Sorcerer/Wild Mage so they definitely had a high bend towards charisma classes in the zietgeist

 

[Chaosmancer]

I really wish you'd try harder to keep the contempt for other people's preferences out of your posts.

You loved this post

I think the move over recent years has been to pamper to a few players that would get upset about a situation like that (and I know a few) rather than the players that see that as a challenge and welcome the opportunity to try different strategies to overcome a different type of monster.

A few vocal players on the internet complain that their halfling isn't the mightiest fighter in the setting, so they get rid of racial stat adjustments, wreck verisimilitude and remove the challenge of playing a character against type from everyone else.

 

[Micah Sweet]

You loved this post

I strongly agree with the essence of that post, if not the words used. But you're right: @Bagpuss , please avoid using such inflammatory language when talking about the opinions of those with which you disagree.

Oh, and Chaos? Was it really necessary to come to @GobHag 's rescue? I wasn't even talking to you.