New Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide Art and Details Revealed

The marketing cycle for the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide is underway. Wizards of the Coast has released the first video and accompanying article previewing the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide. Wizards has already told fans what's actually in the new 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, so there's not much in terms of actual new details. The video/article revealed that the Bastion system got another look from designers after its initial Unearthed Arcana playtest, that there will be a DM's Toolkit for everything from "alignment to traps," now arranged in alphabetical order, and that there will be 400 "new and improved" magic items.

The 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide will also be the home of rules for crafting magic items and a new Greyhawk campaign setting guide, with a focus on showcasing how Greyhawk can be customized or be used as a model for homemade campaign settings. Finally, the Dungeon Master's Guide will contain a lore glossary and a full chapter about D&D cosmology, the latter of which helps to drive home the idea of the D&D multiverse.


While much of this information was already known, the video and article did show off a LOT of new art, some of which can be found below:

 

[Parmandur]

A tangible object like a traditional painting carries a certain psychological weight, so I get this. That said, my traditional skills are not on par with my digital skills yet, certainly not within my deadlines, so this piece was part of my process of working towards eventually finishing my illustrations fully traditionally. I'm only nine years or so into my career, so I've got a long way to go yet.

I think the rise of AI art has made all digitally polished art lose a bit of luster for me: I like thst raw, painterly feeling.

 

[BruceBrenneise]

That tonal sketch is gorgeous and could be a D&D illustration in its own right.

It's great to see real paint making it into a modern D&D book!

Albeit from a low base, there is more and more real paint getting into D&D books these days. While most traditional fantasy artists gravitate to MTG because it usually pays better and the collector market for originals is broader, some of them have been making their way back into D&D as the collector market gets stronger there, too. The main issue is that traditional usually takes longer and can be more difficult to deal with if the client needs last minute adjustments, so the secondary market (originals, prints, playmats) has to be strong enough to make up the pay difference.

 

[BruceBrenneise]

I think the rise of AI art has made all digitally polished art lose a bit of luster for me: I like thst raw, painterly feeling.

Yeah, hence why a lot of artists (like myself) who were mostly working digitally are embracing traditional again.

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah, hence why a lot of artists (like myself) who were mostly working digitally are embracing traditional again.

It's a good trend and I think you are on the right track.

 

[Azzy]

A tangible object like a traditional painting carries a certain psychological weight, so I get this. That said, my traditional skills are not on par with my digital skills yet, certainly not within my deadlines, so this piece was part of my process of working towards eventually finishing my illustrations fully traditionally. I'm only nine years or so into my career, so I've got a long way to go yet.

I look forward to seeing more of your work in the future.