I'm guessing you've already heard that new versions of all the main Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks (i.e. The Player's Handbook, The Dungeon Master's Guide, and The Monster Manual) are coming out soon, but how are they actually different? Well, fear not adventurer, we've put together all the answers you need into one handy place.
What are the new D&D rules called?
There have been a lot of different names going around for the updated Dungeons & Dragons rules: OneD&D, 6e, 5.5e, 5.24e, 2024 D&D, the list goes on. Wizards of the Coast, the game's publisher, has been calling the new rules Revised 5th Edition and the 2024 Rules.
We’ll be calling it 2024 D&D in this blog post, and we’ll call the current rules 2014 D&D.
When are the 2024 D&D rule books coming out?
They don't have a single release date. The 2024 D&D books are releasing across six months, so it'll be a while before we have all three on our TTRPG bookshelves (or virtual tabletops). Here are the release dates for the 2024 rule books:
2024 Player’s Handbook – September 17, 2024
2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide – November 12, 2024
2024 Monster Manual – February 18, 2025
What’s changed in the new D&D rules?
The 2024 D&D rules aren't a complete overhaul, they're more like streamlining and tweaking here and there with some new additions. That’s why Wizards of the Coast are calling it a “Revised” version of the 5th Edition rules. Click on the sections below to read more about specific changes, or keep scrolling to read them all.
1. The Player's Handbook
1.1 Classes
1.2 Subclasses
1.3 Species and Backgrounds
1.4 Feats and Epic Boons
1.5 Weapons and Weapons Mastery
1.6 Crafting, Tools and Equipment
1.7 Other Updates
2. The Dungeon Master's Guide
2.1 Ready-to-play Adventures
2.2 Campaign Setting
2.3 Magic Items
2.4 Bastions
2.5 Other Updates
3. Monster Manual
3.1 More Monsters
3.2 High-level Monsters
3.3 Other Updates
1. The 2024 Player's Handbook
1.1 Classes
There have been updates to every D&D class. We've pulled out some of the most interesting changes, and linked to the official article that lists what's new for every class in the 2024 D&D rules.
| Class | Key Changes | More Details |
| Barbarian | Rage can be maintained with a bonus action; regain one Rage use per short rest; no longer need to see or hear effects to get advantage of Dexterity saving throws; at higher levels when you get knocked down to 0HP you get back up with hit points equal to twice your level; Strength and Constitution scores limit at 25. | Link here |
| Bard | Bardic Inspiration lasts for 1 hour, and you can now use it after you know you've failed a d20 roll; Song of Rest has been removed so no more extra hit dice; more Bardic Inspiration uses can be created by expending spell slots; at higher levels you can pick spells from the Cleric, Druid or Wizard spell lists. | Link here |
| Cleric | Choose a sacred role of Protector (martial) or Thaumaturge (spellcaster); get your subclass on level 3 rather than level 1; Destroy Undead replaced with Sear Undead which deals out radiant damage; Blessed Strikes deal out an extra 1d8 radiant or necrotic damage on your attacks. | Link here |
| Druid | Choose a primal order of Warden (martial) or Magician (spellcaster); get your subclass on level 3 rather than level 2; Speak With Animals spell now unlocked at level 1; Wild Shape is now a bonus action instead of an action; can now spend Wild Shape uses to cast Find Familiar; speech is normal when in Wild Shape form; can expend spell slots to create Wild Shape uses or vice versa; can cast spells in Wild Shape form at higher levels. | Link here |
| Fighter | Fighting Styles have been removed and are now individual feats; you get more uses of Second Wind every time you level up; you can use a Second Wind to add a d10 to ability checks; when using Second Wind you can move up to half your speed without provoking opportunity attacks; you get advantage on follow-up attacks after you miss a creature at higher levels. | Link here |
| Monk | Ki Points are now called Focus Points; can use Dexterity instead of Strength when attempting to grapple or shove; you can disengage as a bonus action when using Patient Defence; you can dash as a bonus action when using Step of the Wind; once per long rest you can regain all spent Focus Points when you roll initiative; you reduce all bludgeoning or slashing or piercing damage by 1d10; Stunning Strike now lasts until the start of your next turn rather than the end of your next turn. | Link here |
| Paladin | Lay on Hands is now a bonus action and no longer affects diseases; can now cast spells from level 1; the Divine Smite spell is always prepared and now costs a bonus action; Fighting Styles have been removed and are now individual feats; the Find Steed spell is always prepared at higher levels and doesn't consume a spell slot; you can use Channel Divinity to frighten your foes at higher levels. | Link here |
| Ranger | Can now cast spells from level 1; the Hunter's Mark spell is always prepared and doesn't consume a spell slot; Natural Explorer has been removed so you can now get lost travelling; you gain expertise in up to 3 skills; Fighting Styles have been removed and are now individual feats; at higher levels your speed increases by 10ft and you get a climbing and swimming speed. | Link here |
| Rogue | Thieves' Cant gives an additional language proficiency instead; Steady Aim gives you advantage on second attacks so can easily trigger Sneak Attack; you can trade Sneak Attack damage to poison or trip your foes; you get Reliable Talent on level 7 rather than level 11. | Link here |
| Sorcerer | Can now prepare and have access to more spells; can power surge for 1 minute twice per long rest giving advantage on all spells attacks and +1 to spell save DCs; get your subclass on level 3 rather than level 1; brand-new Wild Magic Surge table. | Link here |
| Warlock | Can now select invocations at level 1; previous Pact Boons are now considered invocations so you don't have to choose just one; cantrip buffing invocations can affect spells other than Eldritch Blast; once per long rest you can restore half your spell slots; get your subclass on level 3 rather than level 1; once per long rest you can cast Contact Other Plane to communicate with your patron at higher levels. | Link here |
| Wizard | Replace one cantrip per short rest; backing up your spellbooks is now faster and cheaper; gain expertise in 1 skill; get your subclass on level 3 rather than level 2; all subclasses now get two free spells; you can swap one prepared spell for a spell in your spellbook once per short rest. | Link here |
1.2 Subclasses
There are three brand-new subclasses in the 2024 D&D rules, these are Path of the World Tree (Barbarians fuelled with power from the multiverse), College of Dance (Bards that use unarmed strikes and choreography), and the Circle of the Sea (Druids with a focus on water and swimming creatures).
1.3 Species and Backgrounds
Every playable species has seen some minor updates, and there are 3 new species that you can play – Aasimar, Orc and Goliath.
Bonuses to character's ability scores will now be boosted by their backgrounds and species, rather than just species. So, what your character was doing before they became an adventurer really matters.
If you're writing the backstory for your next character, our Fantasy Character Kit has a ton of prompts and random tables that spark some really creative ideas. There's a chapter for every role-playing game class, so definitely check it out.
1.4 Feats and Epic Boons
There are loads more feats in the 2024 Player's Handbook. Some class features have been changed to feats that must be specifically chosen (like Fighting Styles for fighters and rangers), and now every background comes with a free feat that gives characters tangible skills that they would have learnt during their backstory.
Epic Boons (or epic feats) are a new kind of feat for high-level characters. They are incredibly powerful additional bonuses that represent characters being at the height of their power, like proficiency in all skills or accurate short-range teleportation.
1.5 Weapons and Weapon Mastery
Each weapon now has a mastery property, which is a special skill given only to characters who gain Weapon Mastery as part of their class features.
The maul, for example, has the 'Topple' mastery property. This means that characters who are masters of the weapon can sweep the legs out from underneath their enemies and knock them prone while attacking.
1.6 Crafting, Tools and Equipment
Every tool now comes hardwired with its own actions that characters can benefit from, like using a Disguise Kit to disguise themselves, or Thieves' Tools to pick a lock. Artisan's tools (like Alchemist's Supplies and Smith's Tools) also come with their own unique rules for crafting, so characters can now more easily create weapons and armour, potions, food, and even spell scrolls.
Adventuring gear has also been updated, and every piece of gear in a character's inventory will have an action associated with it. So, everything in your backpack now has a tangible in-game use. Also, drinking a potion is now officially a bonus action, not an action!
To keep track of your gear, quests, tools, downtime activities and more, pick up one of our Quest Binders, which has seperate sections for everything your character needs.
1.7 Other Updates
- There are a ton of spells (now coming in at over 400) in the 2024 Player's Handbook, with plenty being brought in from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.
- Every spellcasting class has a list of available spells on their class page, so no need to keep flipping to the back of the book.
- Inspiration now allows rerolls on any dice, including damage and healing.
- At the front of the book, there is a section on how to play, plus a complete guide to creating your character. This includes advice on how to make your very first character, and how to make a character who starts above level 1.
- There is all-new artwork throughout, with plenty of illustrations for each class, subclass, species and background.
2. The 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide
2.1 Ready-to-play Adventures
At the back of the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, there will be 5 short adventures with a map for each one.
If this sounds good to you, pick up a copy of our award-winning book One-Shot Wonders. It's got over 100 adventures, and they're all compatible with both 2014 D&D and 2024 D&D. There are battle maps for each one in our Map Library, too.
2.2 Campaign Setting
The fantasy world of Greyhawk comes free with every Dungeon Master's Guide, including fleshed-out details about its great city and surrounding areas, and a pull-out poster map.
2.3 Magic Items
The largest chapter of the book will be the list of magic items. There is a bunch of additions here – many more common-rarity items are being added, and some nostalgic items like some from previous editions, old sourcebooks and the D&D cartoon.
2.4 Bastions
The biggest addition to the rules comes in the shape of bastions. These strongholds are player-created bases that can be built as early as level 5, and grow alongside characters as they level up.
Bastions can run during a normal D&D session or as a minigame that players can play when away from the rest of their group. If the GM allows the players to take a 'bastion turn' while not at the table, the player will need to fill the GM in on what happened to their hirelings and whether any events were triggered while they were playing.
2.5 Other Updates
- A lore glossary appendix gives definitions for key places, people, factions and materials (e.g. what exactly is adamantium?)
- Advanced crafting rules for crafting magic items and developing spells.
- One of the chapters will include a complete cosmology of the planes and gods.
- All-new tracking sheets (a GM's equivalent of a character sheet) are given away with the book to help game masters track important information like non-player characters, settlements, magic items, player bastions, and more. For a full notebook built especially for GMs to track everything in their games, check out our Quest Notebooks.
3. The 2024 Monster Manual
3.1 More Monsters
There are upwards of 500 monsters in the 2024 Monster Manual, which is around 75 more than the 2014 Monster Manual. The extra monsters include more NPC stat blocks, like performers and pirates, and new creatures that round out 'monster families'. For example, only high-level parties could take on a Vampire at Challenge Rating (CR) 13 or Vampire Spawn at CR 5 in the 2014 D&D rules, so lower-level variations of classic monsters have been created for the new edition.
3.2 High-level Monsters
Previously, only the Monstrosity and Dragon monster groups had creatures that pushed past the eye-watering CR 20. In the new edition, world-ending monsters have been added for every monster group – like a new Ooze called the Blob of Annihilation, a new Construct called the Collossus, and a new Fey called the Arch-Hag.
3.4 Other Updates
- Challenge Ratings will not be changing for monsters in the 2024 D&D rules, but stat blocks will be updated. For example, underperforming monsters have been given a boost so they live up to their CR, and accidentally-too-powerful monsters have been toned down.
- Every monster is getting brand-new artwork.
Can you mix and match the different rules?
Wizards of the Coast say that the 2024 D&D ruleset replaces the 2014 D&D ruleset, and the rules aren't designed to be mixed-and-matched.
However, they say you can play characters created using the new ruleset in previously published adventure modules (which is what they mean when they say the new rules are 'backwards-compatible'). Also, you can use 2024 D&D characters alongside 2014 D&D characters in the same party if you choose to – when you do this, Wizards of the Coast say you need to use the 2024 D&D rules for things like combat and conditions.
Of course, game masters have been homebrewing their own rules since D&D was created, so there's nothing stopping you from experimenting with how you use the rules in your games.
Is there a new Character Sheet for 2024 D&D?
Yes, it looks like there’ll be a new character sheet for 2024 D&D, which you can check out on D&D Beyond. There are some layout changes, like grouping together skills based on their abilities, and space to make note of attuned magic items. As the changes they’ve made aren’t huge, you shouldn’t have trouble using the 2014 D&D character sheets going forward if you prefer them.
If you use our Quest Journals, which come with our specially designed built-in character sheets, these will work great for both 2014 D&D and 2024 D&D. Our binders and notebooks already had all the helpful things that have now been added to the 2024 D&D character sheets, plus other helpful things like quest to-do lists and currency converters.
The road to 2024 D&D starts here
We'll have to wait until September, November and February to dig into the new books – but, in the meantime, keep checking D&D Beyond and D&D's official YouTube channel for updates and news. We'll be writing blog posts on the major changes, so keep your eyes peeled on our newsletter for notifications, too (we give away free RPG content every month, so it's worth signing up anyway)!
