Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook (2024) Review

Last February we were among the first to get our hands on the new and revised Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual in its Fifth Revised Edition, also known as D&D (2024) or, unofficially, D&D 5.5E. That digital edition of the Monster Manual completed the triad of essential books for this new era of Dungeons and Dragons, and now, at last, begins to be localised into more languages, making "the world's greatest role-playing game" accessible to even more adventurers. The international publishers will follow the same publishing scheme as the original English edition, and in this case we already have the Player's Handbook (2024) available.

In our case, we have analysed the Spanish edition in this review, so the attached images you are about to find are from this edition. However, we have had access to other recent localised versions (German, Italian, French), and the result both in terms of printing and content is just as good. Keep this in mind if you are reading from a territory with these languages.

Let's assume that this manual is, in almost all respects, an improved and expanded version of the previous Player's Handbook from 2014. The Player's Handbook (2024) is the ideal companion for any D&D player, as well as a regular reference point during game sessions if you are starting a new game and want to keep up to date with the changes in Fifth Edition. Not that it's a deep enough revision to meet the definition of Sixth Edition, and you'll probably be able to quickly adapt your character sheets according to the 2014 rules to 2024 quickly without having to switch to half a campaign, but I do find it to be the go-to book if you're starting a new campaign or if you're getting started in Dungeons & Dragons in 2025.

Notable changes between Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook (2014 vs. 2024)

For starters, it's a more extensive manual, with 384 full-colour pages (the previous version had 316 pages) dedicated to creating your characters, choosing each and every aspect you want to detail them with, equipment, alignment, spells, and even the way they talk, react, or sneeze. Its structure of consultation and reading is now much more enjoyable, starting with a more than necessary explanation for all audiences (hence this is the starting point for any new role-player) of what role-playing is, what Dungeons and Dragons is, and how the different scenes of dialogues between characters and NPCs, explorations, encounters, bartering, and, of course, turns in combat are developed.

Obviously, revising the D&D system from top to bottom entails many changes, and important changes in the way of creating the character, which is now much more intuitive. For example, the first thing to note is that we can now dispense with race, sub-race, or species modifiers. Now you don't have to sacrifice any physical aspects to gain certain racial advantages, as was the case in D&D 5E in 2014. Instead, these bonuses and stats will now be gained through the character's background, and the various skills as they level up.

Character Classes have also been completely rebalanced and new subclasses have been added up to a total of four per class, which you get from Level 3 onwards. Now you can create even more dynamic and fun combinations without having to give up points or multiclassing (although this is still available, of course). While almost all classes have benefited from the changes, some like the Druid seem to have lost a bit of their charm so far, as the change to life points in both Wild and Regular Form now makes them more vulnerable. A fair rebalancing, yes, but one that the DM may want to "dodge" in his future game, in this case.

While classes like the Bard, Barbarian, Warlock, or Cleric have expanded their range and versatility, others like wizards and warlocks (which, perhaps, have been more balanced in the past) are now less affected by the changes. Another major highlight of this new Player's Handbook is that the expanded list of Equipment, Weapons, Spells, and Spells is much longer, drawing from the revised contents of Xanathar's Guide to Everything and Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.

The Player's Handbook (2024) has not only been a revision to the rules for character creation and use in games. This version is much easier to read and understand even for those who are still new to the game. Its look-up tables are easier to find and more intuitive, filling in the gaps left by previous versions of the Handbook. Its expanded base of spells and weapons makes it much more independent of other reference manuals, and its explanations of how a role-playing game works, explanations of quest creation, and game situations make it almost possible to create a game using it as a reference only. However, European readers will soon also have the localised versions of the Dungeon Master's Guide and the Monster Manual, and a new chapter in the history of D&D will definitely begin for everyone.

"Adventure Awaits..."