First Impressions - PHB 2024

So I’ve had a chance to browse the new version of D&D 5e, and I have to say I’m quite pleased. It’s not as big an overhaul as I’d feared, and most of the changes make sense. Disclaimer: I haven't actually played under the new rules yet, nor have I really read the book in-depth. Plus, I've been told I have a tendency to misunderstand things that are obvious to everyone else.

The biggest thing, to me, is how the book is organized. It looks like it will be easier than ever to find the exact rule you’re looking for when you need to know it. The first 30 or so pages offer a very organic explanation of the game’s rules, with plenty of gameplay examples for the inexperienced. It uses clear, simplified language to keep from scaring off the newcomers.

Next we have the Classes. Each class has four subclasses now. A lot of these are ones that initially appeared in other splatbooks, and they picked some good ones to port over to the PHB.

I’m a huge fan of Bards, and this PHB doesn’t disappoint. It includes my favorite Bard subclass, the “College of Glamour,” which previously appeared in Xanathar’s. It also includes the “College of Dance,” a subclass that makes Bards play a little bit like Monks. I definitely want to try that one sometime.

Speaking of Monks, I was pleased to see the “Warrior of Mercy” subclass, which previously appeared in Tasha’s Cauldron. I like this subclass because it allows you to heal your allies by punching them in the face. Okay, maybe not exactly, but you can provide healing touches as part of your Flurry of Blows, which is pretty funny.

I’m always a fan of giving healing options to non-healing classes that way. I was disappointed that they didn’t include the “Divine Soul” Sorcerer (Xanathar's), which gives Sorcerers access to Cleric spells. That’s one I’ve always wanted to try. I mean, I suppose I still can – old splatbooks are still mostly compatible - but it would have been handy to have all my favorites in one book.

Next we have Backgrounds. These are more important than ever, since these are where you get your stat bonuses. Each background lists three stats, and you have the option of picking two (+2 to one, +1 to the other), or +1 to all three. Each background also gives you a feat, skill and tool proficiencies, and equipment (or just gold if you like to buy it yourself). Despite the extra importance of these backgrounds, they actually take up less space than they did in the original PHB, with two on each page. They no longer give you roleplay bonuses like “you can always find a place to stay in an unfamiliar town,” but honestly I never saw anyone use those anyway.

Then we have Species. These also take up less space than before. The biggest change here is that there are no longer any half species. Instead, we get Aasimar, Goliath, and full-blood Orc in the PHB. If you still want to play a Half-Elf or Half-Orc, you would probably just build an Elf or an Orc and use a background appropriate to your upbringing.

Some will freak out at the fact that Races are now called Species, but then, some people freak out when they see a female Jedi, so apparently some people just need to get out more.

Then we have Feats. These are also more organized than before. The feats section is divided into Origin Feats (which you get from your background), General Feats (the ones you’re used to), Fighting Style Feats (like Duelist or Two-Weapon fighter, which used to be in the Class sections for those classes), and Epic Boon Feats (the level 20+ feats which used to be in the DM guide). This makes it much easier to find the feat you’re looking for, IMO.

Next is Equipment. Not much has changed here except for the Weapon Mastery options. If you’re playing a class that has the Weapon Mastery feature, then a lot of weapons do extra things they didn’t do before, such as cleave. In a way it makes fighters feel more like they did in 4e, which might not be a plus for everyone, but I’ll wait until I see how it plays before I pass judgement. It's a great way to give martial classes a few more options, but I'm a little worried it might undermine the simplicity I've always loved about 5e.

Next up is Spells, which as usual takes up nearly half the book. I have not gone through and read all the spells yet. I panicked a little at first when I saw that Bards have to prepare spells now. There’s reasons I prefer Bards and Sorcerers over Wizards, and one of those reasons is that their spell system is slightly less complicated. However, nothing has actually changed here except the terminology. All spellcasters “prepare spells” now. It just that Wizards prepare them every long rest, and Bards/Sorcerers prepare them whenever they gain a level. The system is the same, but the language is applied more universally.

Then there’s a small section on the Multiverse that honestly I think should have been in the DM’s guide.

Next there’s a section of Creature Stats – similar to the original PHB, it’s mostly creatures a PC might summon, ride, or transform into. It’s always nice that they do this, as it keeps non-DMs from having to buy a monster manual.

And finally we have the Rules Glossary, a place where you can quickly look up any rule or term in the game. Honestly the way this section is organized is fantastic, even if parts of it are redundant with the “how to play” section earlier in the book.

As far as Player’s Handbooks go, this version is top-notch. It excels as a guide to teach new players how to play, and it excels at helping experienced players find specific rules more easily.

Playtests and Other Updates

Since I haven’t been gaming lately, I haven’t been posting much on this blog. But I have been keeping up with the hobby, even if I haven’t been playing.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a really fun movie, for both D&D fans and non-fans alike. I’m sad that it isn’t making as much money as it should. If you haven’t seen it yet, please go. If your theater no longer has it, buy the blu-ray when it comes out. They need to know that there’s a market for this, so they’ll make more good D&D movies. You can read my full review on my other blog here.

I have been following the playtest, though I haven’t had a chance to try it out. As expected, there’s a lot in there that I like, a lot that I don’t, and some improvements that seem more complicated than they needed to be. Overall I think it’s an improvement, but I’ll reserve judgment until I get a chance to play the final product.

As usual, these playtests bring out the worst in the RPG community. With every update, the most vocal idiots whine that “D&D is now RUINED!” Guys, this is how playtests work. They brainstorm, you test, you report, they fix. This is not a final product, this is just how they find out what works and what doesn’t. If you don’t like one of their ideas, test it first (some ideas sound bad on paper but work well in game), then fill out their surveys. But stop spamming Twitter and Reddit with how much you hate every proposed change.

I love the idea of tying ability scores to something besides race. Yeah, I know we’re going to see a lot of campaigns where the party’s halfling is stronger than the party’s half-orc, and I don’t care. The strongest guy I know IRL is about a foot shorter than me. I have no problem believing that a halfling who grew up bodybuilding could outwrestle a half-orc who grew up studying literature.

Plus, I’m so sick of seeing the same race/class combinations all the time. Tiefling Warlocks. Halfling Rogues. Half-Elf Bards. Whether you’re a min-maxer or not, it’s always felt like you’re better off picking the race that has the bonus to your prime stat. Changing how you get your ability bonus opens up a world of creativity.

What’s that? You prefer your fictional world stick to the tried-and-true tropes, where half-orcs are stupid and elves are scholars? Great! Build your world that way. But recognize that the PCs aren’t meant to be average examples of your world’s population; the PCs are the standouts. The party’s half-orc wizard probably became an adventurer because his own people didn’t accept him. This doesn’t hinder your world, it helps it.

Okay, but should races even be called "races," or should they be called species, heritages, ancestries, bloodlines, etc? First off, I fully support the change. It’s more future-proof. I’ve heard all kinds of arguments about whether race is more or less accurate than species, but being a fantasy universe, our English definitions don’t really apply. But the bottom line is, some people are bothered by calling it “race,” because it has negative connotations. It’s a tiny change that doesn’t affect gameplay, and makes some people feel better. Call it “bowing to the woke mob,” if you want, but you sound like a jerk.

That said, I’m honestly not sure it matters. Whatever they stick with, it’s only going to be called that in the Player’s Handbook. Most existing players are going to keep calling them races. It’s too deeply ingrained in our language. I called it races for most of this blog, and I’ve preferred species for years. It’ll take several generations of players before the new terminology takes over. But they have to start sometime, now’s as good a time as any.

The latest playtest had an interesting Wizard feature that’s causing some buzz, basically a new way to customize spells. Personally, I thought it was simultaneously too complicated, and potentially overpowered. I do like the idea of customizing spells, though, I just don’t like how they did it. But I also don’t play a lot of wizards, so I’m not the best one to ask. But I bet this version doesn’t survive the playtest.

I’ll say it again, for the Bard, I wish they’d implement an actual “bard song” feature. I’m tired of bards basically just being inferior sorcerers. Inspiration is not enough. I either want a buffing song that gets more powerful as I level, or a set of songs I can choose from (not bard-themed spells). Something I can start performing as the battle starts, that buffs all allies within 30+ feet of me, that I can maintain as a bonus action each round. For bard songs done reasonably well, check out the battle hymns in “Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition” (A5E). Their version is a little more complicated than I’d like (as is everything in the A5E book), but they’ve got the right idea.

I’ve been meaning to write a blog about the A5E system, but the truth is, I’ve tried twice to read the full rulebook and I always get overwhelmed. A5E is full of excellent ideas, it really is. Every page has something that makes me think, “I want to add that as a house rule in my own campaigns.” But as a whole, it’s just too much. I love 5e because of its simplicity, but A5E takes 5e and turns it back into Pathfinder. That’s great for some people, but it’s not why I play RPGs.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for now. I recently self-published my third book, which you can buy here if you're interested. I’m taking a break from writing for a couple of weeks so I can get a few things done around the house, and reorient my brain for my next big project.