Review of Reviews: Praises and Criticisms of the 2024 Player’s Handbook for Dungeons and Dragons
The 2024 Player’s Handbook for Dungeons & Dragons is a solid update, but let’s be real — it’s more of a refresh than a revolution. If you’ve been playing 5th Edition (5E) for years, you’re not going to find a totally new experience here. Instead, this new version gives you refined rules, more clarity, and some fresh ideas. That said, not everyone is jumping up and down with excitement.
Accessibility and Character Creation
One of the most significant changes focuses on making character creation easier and more flexible. They’ve streamlined the process by centralizing it all into one book, so you don’t have to hop between Xanathar’s Guide or Tasha’s Cauldron to make a decent character. Backgrounds now determine your ability scores instead of your species (formerly “races”), which is a big deal because it opens up more customization without shoehorning your stats based on fantasy tropes. So, if you want an Orc wizard with a boost to Intelligence, you can have that without any weird workarounds【Game Industry News】【Bjarke the Bard].
But, let’s get real about what’s missing: some of the richer lore. As one reviewer pointed out, “The book is so busy teaching you how to play Dungeons & Dragons that it forgets to…
