D&D (2024) Predictions for the 2024 DMG?

[bedir than]

I would love that, but they seem to have memory-holed the sidekick rules.

It's been five years since the rules appeared in the Essentials Kit and, even after WotC said the sidekick classes are good low-complexity beginner classes, never implemented them in D&D Beyond.

It's a shame. I think sidekicks are great.

Even if rather than going Tasha's full 20 levels, keeping at levels 1-5 or just doing by tier would be handy.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Even if rather than going Tasha's full 20 levels, keeping at levels 1-5 or just doing by tier would be handy.

It's a really great system for making simple customizable NPCs who shouldn't just be one fixed stat block forever, but who also don't merit the DM making a full PC for them. I wonder if they were a pet project by someone who's since left the dev team.

 

[MichaelSomething]

I predict that it won't advise new DMs to join and use Enworld.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I predict that it won't advise new DMs to join and use Enworld.

I would love to see everyone's heads explode if it recommends Twitch and Tiktok. (And both already have lots of good D&D content, targeted at The Youths.)

 

[Kobold Stew]

What seems to be missing is the material from chapters 4 and parts of 9 of the 2014 DMG -- I'm hoping it will be there (and updated), but it would be great if there were

a. something on designing NPCs, perhaps with the Sidekick rules, even if the "evil subclasses" are not ported over.

b. something on designing monster, including the brief summary of other humanoid species (even just porting the ones from MotM) .

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

What seems to be missing is the material from chapters 4 and parts of 9 of the 2014 DMG -- I'm hoping it will be there (and updated), but it would be great if there were

a. something on designing NPCs, perhaps with the Sidekick rules, even if the "evil subclasses" are not ported over.

b. something on designing monster, including the brief summary of other humanoid species (even just porting the ones from MotM) .

I could see those being in the Monster Manual, but traditionally, they'd be in a D&D DMG, I agree.

 

[Stormonu]

It seems like it would make sense to move the monster design rules to the MM, but that book is probably already going to be crammed.

I'm really nervous about the bastion rules - the playtest document had a lot of potential, but the rules were awful and there wasn't a 2nd round packet for that. If there's going to be any Day 1 errata, I suspect we'll see it there.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I'm really nervous about the bastion rules - the playtest document had a lot of potential, but the rules were awful and there wasn't a 2nd round packet for that. If there's going to be any Day 1 errata, I suspect we'll see it there.

I'd be curious if they took anyone's suggestions on how Bastion's could be improved.

I wrote a lengthy thing about how some facilities should be able to "level up" instead of having Scriptoriums replace Studies, because you're higher level.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'd be curious if they took anyone's suggestions on how Bastion's could be improved.

I wrote a lengthy thing about how some facilities should be able to "level up" instead of having Scriptoriums replace Studies, because you're higher level.

At the very least, I hope they tweaked the terminology. The way it was phrased, a "tavern" was actually a magical alchemy bottling plant, but the UA calling it a "tavern" -- the classic business adventurers want to run -- was a huge source of cognitive dissonance here.

I would bet against it, though, given the radio silence.

 

[SlyFlourish]

I believe @SlyFlourish has said he contributed some information about building encounters and monsters to WotC as well as to Kobold Press. I can see that showing up in either the DMG or Monster Manual equally.

I am looking forward to at least modestly improved magic item creation rules (but please don't toss out the 2014 tables on magic item properties, which were great) and some simple spell creation guidelines along the lines of the 3E DMG ("compare to existing spells, and these types of damage are better than those, so drop them a damage die when you make a spell of that type").

Mostly, I'm just counting on much better organization, which it sounds like WotC has gotten the message on.

I haven't done any work for WOTC in a long time. I did work for Kobold Press for both the Monster Vault and the Gamemaster's Guide. I also have a monster in the upcoming Monstrous Menagerie 2! And, of course, the work Scott Gray, Teos Abadia, and I did in Forge of Foes!