D&D 5E (2024) Rate D&D 2024

[Gladius Legis]

2024's changes are improvements over 2014 in every way. But they're not always enough of an improvement. And some things it needed to improve on it did not.

I give it a 7. 2014 would've gotten a 6.

 

[Reynard]

2024's changes are improvements over 2014 in every way.

Bold take.

 

[Chaltab]

2024's changes are improvements over 2014 in every way.

Surely that can't include Coutnerspell.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Surely that can't include Coutnerspell.

I mean some people absolutely hated Counterspell, so I guess a nerfed to near pointlessness version seems like an improvement to them.

The main lesson I got from the 2024 experience was realizing that the majority of things WotC and their boosters seem to have considered bugs in 2014 5e were things I considered features.

 

[TheSword]

Surely that can't include Coutnerspell.

I think it absolutely can. I actually use Counterspell now as a wizard PC and as a DM. I would never use it before because it required this silly guessing game about the level of the spell. Now it’s usable.

I think I would agree with @Gladius Legis , every change is an improvement.

Don’t get me wrong I too would have liked a few more changes. They would have to be the changes I wanted though and there was no guarantee that would happen. I would have liked to see them keep the save against grapple at the end of each round for instance. But I don’t have a problem with iterative change over a slower period. Evolution of 5e not revolution.

I totally accept the comments about power creep but I think that as a whole the game is more fun because of the changes and difficulty is a dial that you get to turn relatively easily either way and is wholly within the control of the DM.

 

[Reynard]

I think it absolutely can. I actually use Counterspell now as a wizard PC and as a DM. I would never use it before because it required this silly guessing game about the level of the spell. Now it’s usable.

I think I would agree with @Gladius Legis , every change is an improvement.

Don’t get me wrong I too would have liked a few more changes. I would have liked to see them keep the save against grapple at the end of each round for instance. But I don’t have a problem with iterative change over a slower period. Evolution of 5e not revolution.

I totally accept the comments about power creep but I think that as a whole the game is more fun because of the changes and difficulty is a dial that you get to turn relatively easily either way and is wholly within the control of the DM.

Normally, I would not argue, but this is the Rate 2024 thread, so I am going to argue: running 2024 now, I have not found a change yet that is not worse or at best neutral. Nothing I have seen on the GM side is a marked improvement. I think some of players like some of the player facing changes, but certainly not all.

 

[TheSword]

It’s really ironic actually. The WFRP 4e system gained a lot of tweaks and adjustments over its release. Adding options, tweaking rules and adding alternatives. Similar to Xanathar’s and Tasha’s et al. The WFRP community has been asking for an updated 4.5 set of rules to bring it all together which is pretty much exactly what we have here. A cautionary tale.

 

[Professor Murder]

I went with 7. Broadly fine. Some good quality of life improvements. I think the game is at a sort of complexity ceiling before jumping to a higher tier if it grows moreso. Sanding off all the rough edges has both positive and negative payoffs. It is more harmed by the disaster of the roll out than the actual product. It will remain my ttrpg of choice for the sorts of stories it is built to tell, ie, I'm not motivated to switch to an older edition or to a parallel competing system like Pathfinder or Draw Steel.

 

[TheSword]

Normally, I would not argue, but this is the Rate 2024 thread, so I am going to argue: running 2024 now, I have not found a change yet that is not worse or at best neutral. Nothing I have seen on the GM side is a marked improvement. I think some of players like some of the player facing changes, but certainly not all.

I mean we’ve been playing it a lot throughout the playtest - trying things as they were released and switching to the new rules felt really organic. Our main group of longest term players (all 20+ years) see it as overwhelmingly positive.

Things I see as straight upgrades

• Weapon Masteries
• Starter Feats
• Adjustments to spells - like Counterspell and sleep.
• The Bloodied condition
• Change to inspiration
• More use of Proficiency bonus in feats and class abilities. Fixing GWM and SS
• Decoupling stats to race and in general making race more flexible
• Making background more important.
• Changes to illusionist
• Changes to Monk
• Changes to unarmed combat and grapple/moving away from opposed Athletics checks.

Plus a ton of minor quality of life changes to classes like Paladins and Ranger multiclass spells rounding up not down or Barbarian rage being extended as a bonus action or due to a save.

For anyone who is interested, here is a really comprehensive list of changes. Mostly tweaks. If you really think they are all bad or neutral then I’m sorry for you but I guess WotC were never going to please everyone. I’m just lucky that they hit the nail on the head that I was hoping for.

DnD 5e to 2024 DnD Transition Guide and Change Log: Everything That's Different in the New 2024 Player's Handbook

A lot has changed in the DnD 2024 rules. In this horrendously long article, we’ve dug into everything that has changed in the Player's Handbook.

rpgbot.net

 

[Chaltab]

Since people are giving more specific thoughts:

• Species should have been Ancestry, but the options are fine. I like that Cthonic and Abyssal tieflings are core, I like having multiple Goliath lineages even if some of them have off-putting pastel color schemes.
• Not a fan of how backgrounds have been gutted of non-mechanical aspects. Also, getting a Feat at level 1 is nice; having that Feat be determined by your background is not.
• Class design in 2024 rules is a massive improvement for the most part. Fewer dead levels, no class is woefully underpowered, and formerly useless features are mostly pretty good. The Ranger redesign is still lazy.
• Feats are much better (mostly).
• Monster Design sacrifices complexity but does make them much tougher and more likely to feel like their CR is warranted. Whether this is a good or bad change is kind of subjective.
• Spells are the biggest mixed bag. Some good buffs and nerfs, but also some awful changes. Who thought Inflict Wounds did too much damage? Some spells that should have been changed weren't. Also not a fan of how the Conjure X spells have been changed.