D&D (2024) Let's talk about the Rules Glossary in the PHB


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I just now purchased and started reading the 2024 PHB, so I am sure I missed this discussion the first time around.

I do not like the Rules Glossary. It is disjointed, requires a bunch of page flipping, and doesn't even make sense in its own context. I think it would have been fine if it had been an addendum to the rules, but by not bothering to explain the rules in the specific sections of the book, and instead constantly pointing the reader at the Glossary, the book fails to be a useful and usable handbook on how to play.

An example of how the Glossary itself fails is the Influence action entry: the rules for the action aren't even completely in the entry; you still have to look up multiple terms elsewhere in the glossary.

I am sure someone is going to say that this is a better way and education/learning specialists were consulted, etc. I don't see how. It is a mess.

As a related aside: the combat example in that section is woefully undercooked.
So far the rules glossary is my favorite thing about the book (as a DM). Now, I don't have a physical copy, just DnD Beyond. So maybe it is more functional in digital?

For me, when I have a rules question, I can just zip over the glossary and get the answer I need and done generally.

Now have a looked at each rule and how it is referenced. No, I have just used it when I needed to and so far for that it has been a vast improvement to the 2014 PHB or any PHB I can remember.
 

Also -- and this is just a personal pet peeve -- I HATE that the conditions are spread throughout the Glossary instead of just listed all together.
I don't hate, but it initially went against my instinct that is for sure. It bothered me at first, but now I am pretty used to it. I can see both sides of the argument for this type of organization.
 

Now have a looked at each rule and how it is referenced. No, I have just used it when I needed to and so far for that it has been a vast improvement to the 2014 PHB or any PHB I can remember.
Yeah, to be clear, while I am not a huge fan of the organization of the glossary (I would put conditions and actions together, for example), I am more concerned about how rules are explained (or not) outside of the glossary.

Also, i do not buy the "word count" argument for one second. Those rules sections are already wordy (because WotC just can't help themselves) and they STILL leave out crucial information and tell you to go to the glossary. They could easily be more concise and provide all the relevant information and hit the same wordcount.
 

Yeah, to be clear, while I am not a huge fan of the organization of the glossary (I would put conditions and actions together, for example), I am more concerned about how rules are explained (or not) outside of the glossary.

Also, i do not buy the "word count" argument for one second. Those rules sections are already wordy (because WotC just can't help themselves) and they STILL leave out crucial information and tell you to go to the glossary. They could easily be more concise and provide all the relevant information and hit the same wordcount.
I disagree. Most of the changes made were editing to make verbiage more concise from 2014. They trimmed a huge amount of fat. I do not think the new rules are too wordy.
 

There are very few tomes where a person is going to like every single thing that appears in it. There is always something that a person would have preferred it being different. But it should never be a surprise.
 

I just now purchased and started reading the 2024 PHB, so I am sure I missed this discussion the first time around.

I do not like the Rules Glossary. It is disjointed, requires a bunch of page flipping, and doesn't even make sense in its own context. I think it would have been fine if it had been an addendum to the rules, but by not bothering to explain the rules in the specific sections of the book, and instead constantly pointing the reader at the Glossary, the book fails to be a useful and usable handbook on how to play.

An example of how the Glossary itself fails is the Influence action entry: the rules for the action aren't even completely in the entry; you still have to look up multiple terms elsewhere in the glossary.

I am sure someone is going to say that this is a better way and education/learning specialists were consulted, etc. I don't see how. It is a mess.

As a related aside: the combat example in that section is woefully undercooked.
I think we’re seeing DDB first design.
 

Also, i do not buy the "word count" argument for one second. Those rules sections are already wordy (because WotC just can't help themselves) and they STILL leave out crucial information and tell you to go to the glossary. They could easily be more concise and provide all the relevant information and hit the same wordcount.
I didn't say anything about word count?
 


I have mixed feelings. But it does allow for a relatively concise easy to read how to play section at the the start of the PHB. It would get much heavier if all the details of the glossary were included.
 

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