Dungeons and Dragons has an updated Player’s Handbook for 2024. It contains new subclasses, feats, weapons and spells. There are too many changes to cover in one post but here are some of the highlights.

DnD 2024 Player’s Handbook Description:

The 2024 Player’s Handbook is more of an update than an entirely new rules system for DnD. It still plays and feels like fifth edition. Some things have just been tweaked after years or player feedback. The new guide is 384 pages compared to the 2014 Player’s Handbook which was 320 pages. Some information in the 2024 edition is unchanged, some is brand new, and some has slight variations.

First the updated edition is more organized than the 2014 edition. The information has a better flow and is more friendly for new players. The Rules Glossary is a great addition and has definitions for lots of game terms, actions, conditions, and abbreviations.

Another beginner-friendly addition is a complexity chart for classes. It details what the class excels at, its primary ability, and how complex it is to play. There are also more examples of play in the book.

There are far too many changes for me to go over all of them, but I am going to discuss a few major ones. PCs no longer have a race but a species. And species do not grant you ability score bonuses like before. Now your character’s species just grants you a unique set of traits. You still get ability bonuses but they are determined by your background. Each background lists three abilities, You may choose to increase one of those abilities by two and another by one or increase all three by one. Your character’s background also grants them a Feat.

As you adventure under the new rules, you will notice the action economy has changed. Several actions that were once full actions now are bonus actions. This allows your character to do more cool stuff on their turn. This includes drinking a health potion, so it is easier to stay alive and do more cool stuff.

Speaking of cool stuff, every weapon now has a mastery property. If your character has a class feature with a weapon, you can use its mastery property to do cool stuff. This includes knocking your target prone, giving them disadvantage on their next attack or pushing them ten feet. This makes weapons more unique and not just useful for their damage output.

Some old mechanics have returned. From the fourth edition rules, bloodied returns. Characters and creatures are considered bloodied once they are at or below half their hit points. In fourth edition this would often trigger different effects or bonuses. The 2024 PHB only has a few mentions of the term. I am guessing it will be more prevalent in the Monster Manual.

Most classes have been reworked to a differing degree. But all have four subclasses that you choose at third level. Combined with Feats, this makes for a ton of different ways you can craft a character.

Like I said I cannot possibly go over all the changes in this post. They are numerous and groups will be discovering some of them as they play.

Quick Review of the D&D 2024 Player’s Handbook Review:

First, the 2024 Player’s Handbook looks great. Wizards of the Coast spent a good bit of time on layout and art. The organization is better and the index and rules glossary are excellent too. Many of the changes make sense and some will make combat and some classes better.

The fact it is backward compatible is nice as your group can pick and choose what you want to add to your DnD game. Is it highly customizable and there are lots of ways to add different rulings or effects to your game.

The big question is should you buy the 2024 PHB. I think that depends. A lot of this information will be available on the SRD, but you will have to wait for it. The timeline is not fully known but the earliest the SRD will be updated is February 2025. That also means not having a physical copy which might be a bigger deal to some players than others. Also how happy are you running your campaign with the original 5e rules? If your group is enjoying the current ruleset, there is no need to switch. Will your group feel like they are missing out. FOMO is real and if your group will be bothered that they are not playing the latest version of Dungeons and Dragons, you might want to pick it up. Like I said above, it depends. There is no clear Yes go run out and buy this now or absolutely not answer. I would talk to my gaming group and see what they are thinking about the new rules, how patient they are, and if they will be disappointed not to be playing with the latest edition.