D&D (2024) New D&D Edition's Player’s Handbook Cover Reveal

Game Informer has revealed the cover to the 2024 Player’s Handbook.

The cover features a gold dragon behind the old-school D&D characters Strongheart the paladin, Mercion the cleric, Elkhorn the dwarf fighter, and Molliver the thief. Ringlerun the wizard is absent (then again he got his showcase on one of the 1E AD&D Player's Handbooks), but a drow mage appears to have joined the party!

 

[TiQuinn]

People can like what they like, but people really think this cover is worse than these?

I think the 3e Handbook was more of a flex than this one. I’ll always give someone more credit for doing something different.

 

[Kurotowa]

Any pictures of the alternative cover?

Only a brief description: "the new alternate Player’s Handbook depicts a gorgeous scene of elves and a sinuous gold dragon, all printed in a gold foil treatment."

 

[Quickleaf]

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That is a phenomenal piece! Thanks for sharing, darjr!

 

[Muso]

Awesome!!! Much better than the 2014 cover, in my opinion.

 

[Reynard]

If you thought for one second that the art was going to look like Shadowdark, 1E or DCC, you only have yourself to blame for your disappointment.

Now that that's out of the way, let's start arguing about the superhero on the back cover! Or do we only get mad when that's a woman?

 

[Meech17]

People can like what they like, but people really think this cover is worse than these?


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I love that AD&D PHB. I used to own a copy that my dad found at a yard sale. I have no idea what ever happened to it. I loved all the art in that book.

I'm also pretty partial to the 3e/3.5e books. Part of that is probably nostalgia because that's the system I played most with, but I like the idea that these are sacred tomes of knowledge that we're consulting. They don't feature adventurers on the cover, because us, the players/readers WERE the adventurers..

I also loved the party of original example characters used in those books, and their usage across the other books and adventures. Ember the monk, Gimble the Bard and Lidda the Rogue were my favorites.

Wasn't the knight on horseback on the original white booklet stolen/repurposed art?

 

[DarkCrisis]

If you thought for one second that the art was going to look like Shadowdark, 1E or DCC, you only have yourself to blame for your disappointment.

Now that that's out of the way, let's start arguing about the superhero on the back cover! Or do we only get mad when that's a woman?

Different tones, different covers. Happy powerful adventures vs Rough normal Adventure.

 

[Osgood]

I could nitpick individual elements--I'd like the red dragon in the foreground to be a little more prominent--on the whole I think it is a really great piece. I like that it strongly invokes the feel of the 2E covers, and it makes me eager to see the rest of the covers. So far, I've been happy with all the art I've seen for the new books.

 

[Zehnseiter]

Oh the couldn't restrain themselves and printed that "The World's Greatest Roleplaying Game" line even more prominent (an in colour to both) on the book.

As a non native English speaker I am never sure if the talk about sales numbers or quality of the game here. This fist is correct the second arrogant.

And it says something about a company that feels the need to do this. If its polite or impolite can everyone choose for themselves....

 

[MockingBird]

I'd have to say 4e PHB was my least favorite followed by 3e/3.5e covers. 2e is probably my favorite but this one is close. Really can't wait to see the rest of the book.