2024 is set to be a big year for Dungeons & Dragons, and a new PAX Unplugged panel in honor of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the game offered a sneak peek at some books that will be coming out soon. With the imminent introduction of One D&D, the newest iteration of DnD that will be backward compatible with the current fifth edition, the coming year will be a transitional period for material released for the game. Getting a glimpse of what’s ahead is helpful for DMs and players who want to stay abreast of changes or anyone interested in jumping in for the first time.
Recent months have already been busy for DnD releases, with a steady release of one major book per month from August through November. Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk expanded the original 5e starter adventure into a full campaign, Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants and The Book of Many Things focused on adding new options and information to the game, and Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse finally brought 5e to the Planescape setting. It looks like the first few months of 2024 may be something of a cooldown period, but it shouldn’t be too long before the ball starts rolling again.
Perhaps the biggest reveal from the PAX Unplugged panel, available from the official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube account, is a first look at the upcoming edition of the Player’s Handbook. As the main source of information about how to play DnD and the options available for building characters and taking on adventures, the Player’s Handbook is the closest thing to a single must-have title for anyone at the game table. The big promise of the panel is that it will be the “biggest Player’s Handbook that D&D has ever had,” both in terms of page count and general content included.
The new Player’s Handbook will feature 48 subclasses, with each one receiving unique art for the first time. This focus on illustrations apparently continues throughout the book. A new emphasis on backgrounds with unique feats is also reflected through an extensive section with an illustration for each, and every weapon gets unique artwork to create the sense of a proper fantasy item catalog. Although overall information on the book is still limited, more is promised to come throughout panels and videos in the months ahead. The Player’s Handbook is planned for a May 21, 2024 release, although current dates could change.
The team is also making big promises for the Dungeon Master’s Guide and Monster Manual. For the Dungeon Master’s Guide, a big focus is on reorganization in favor of accessibility, as well as the inclusion of a full setting and some adventures, a selection of new magic items, and more. Like the Player’s Handbook, the new Monster Manual will be the biggest that DnD has released yet. The most exciting improvement is the plan to revamp monsters and ensure that each foe has something unique in gameplay, addressing a long-standing issue of repetitive mechanics in the 5e Monster Manual, as well as more…
2023-12-02 04:00:04
Source from screenrant.com
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