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.

 

[Imaro]

Because the oath should be where all of their power comes from. The oath is the paladin. Paladins have no business laying on hands and smiting before they've sworn the oath that gives them the power.

No it shouldn't. They are manifesting their power and the oath focuses and grows it.

WotC created this problem by creating the training wheels levels. Most, if not all, classes should be committed to being their class and subclass at level 1.

There is no problem. Some of us actually want to play through the apprentice tier both narratively and mechanically... if not Wotc has made it easy enough to skip for all classes by starting a party at 3rd level.

 

[Micah Sweet]

No it shouldn't. They are manifesting their power and the oath focuses and grows it.


There is no problem. Some of us actually want to play through the apprentice tier both narratively and mechanically... if not Wotc has made it easy enough to skip for all classes by starting a party at 3rd level.

I will ask again: where does the power come from if not the Oath? Or alternatively, just admit that you don't care about that and we can move on.

 

[Imaro]

Here it is.

"A paladin swears to uphold justice and righteousness, to stand with the good things of the world against the encroaching darkness, and to hunt the forces of evil wherever they lurk. Different paladins focus on various aspects of the cause of righteousness, but all are bound by the oaths that grant them power to do their sacred work."

Here is what? There's no question that their oaths grant them power... but you're assuming that the oath is necessary for the beginnings of their power to start manifesting... cool if that's the narrative you want... again start at level 3... but its not the only narrative.

 

[Imaro]

I will ask again: where does the power come from if not the Oath? Or alternatively, just admit that you don't care about that and we can move on.

If you need the book to create your narrative justifications for you...They are already devout warriors before swearing their oath... it is this devotion, that empowers the apprentice paladin... there is already a precedent in D&D for this.

 

[Maxperson]

Levels 1 and 2 the character is a squire or novice.

Then they should not have holy abilities until 3rd level.

 

[Imaro]

Then they should not have holy abilities until 3rd level.

Why not... there are plenty of legends and myths of common folk imbued with holy power.

 

[Maxperson]

Here is what? There's no question that their oaths grant them power... but you're assuming that the oath is necessary for the beginnings of their power to start manifesting... cool if that's the narrative you want... again start at level 3... but its not the only narrative.

There is no other narrative provided in the PHB. Sure you can come with any narrative you want, including getting power prior to the oath, but the PHB says it comes from oath and provides no exceptions.

 

[Maxperson]

Why not... there are plenty of legends and myths of common folk imbued with holy power.

Sure, but those aren't 5e paladins who explicitly get their power from an oath that they haven't taken yet. I'm not arguing that there aren't any other ways this could be done. I'm saying 5e's narrative is that the power comes from the oath.

 

[Imaro]

There is no other narrative provided in the PHB. Sure you can come with any narrative you want, including getting power prior to the oath, but the PHB says it comes from oath and provides no exceptions.

But it's self-apparent they receive power from something besides the oath since they have minor divine power before swearing it... again there has been a precedent for divine power being granted without need for a class, oath, worship, etc. That's what boons were/are in 5e... divinely granted power for whatever reason.

 

[Imaro]

Sure, but those aren't 5e paladins who explicitly get their power from an oath that they haven't taken yet. I'm not arguing that there aren't any other ways this could be done. I'm saying 5e's narrative is that the power comes from the oath.

No it's not.... again, power is gained before the oath is taken by these highly devout warriors (hmmm... almost sounds liike another class that receives divine power)... that's the whole crux of our discussion. You're claiming 5e doesn't provide a narrative for this and my point is divine power as it has been treated across 3rd, 4th and 5th editions account for this inherently.