In 2014,Dungeons & Dragonsreleased its Fifth Edition, which eventually became the most popular iteration of the game. D&D 5e, as it’s usually abbreviated, successfully became one of, if not the most popular tabletop RPGs out there. However, just like any other game, it’s not perfect.
D&D has had a few changes and fixes here and there, but 2024 marks the release of the new version of D&D’s Fifth Edition, with new features that vary from subclasses to feats and spells and a few rule changes. That begs the question: Is replacing all my original Fifth Edition books with the new ones better? Or, for new players, should I just go with the new version?
Is It Worth It For New Players?
If you’re new to D&D, the answer is a bit tricky becausethe new book is worth it, but not right away.The book has a pretty good explainer of the basic rules, followed by hundreds of pages about character creation with all the classes, backgrounds, species, spells, feats, and stuff you can carry, among others, followed by glossary information that you’ll learn as you go under the guidance of a proper DM (Dungeon Master).
While this is all a good thing, having way too much content focused on character creation will likely feel overwhelming for a new player, especially if you’re not used to RPGs in general. Learning the difference between all classes, which species fits them, and what feats work for your character idea is a lot, and the same applies to things such as feats and especially spells, which will take a while to get used to.
For your first character, we recommend describing your idea to the DM and seeing which classes they’ll suggest to make your character concept work.
However, parts of the book are available for free online, including a few classes for character creation. you may even do so with the 2014 version of D&D by searching for its Systems Reference Document (SRD), which offers a few species, all classes, and one subclass for each. The newer version of the book will have its own version of the SRD, meaning you’ll be able to use the updated rules when trying out the game.
That meansyou cantry the game without spending a cent and figure out later whether you want to committo the experience. In other words, it’s like playing a game’s demo before buying it. Besides, whoever will be your Dungeon Master will likely have the necessary books to play the game and will help you out with the character creation process. Sure, multiple books make things quicker for the whole group, but it’s not an issue to decide how you feel about the game first.
Thus, our recommendation is totry the game out before buying anything- though you can buy some dice; they’re cheap. And snacks to share with the group.
Is It Worth It For Veteran Players?
This one is easier to answer: yes.As much as the 2014 rules hold up extremely well, the 2024 version has many interesting changes, as most classes feel better to play overall compared to the older version. And for the not-so-good changes the game has made, some of them feel necessary, such as the Counterspell nerf, while others you can just ignore and keep the old rules, or homebrew something you and your friends enjoy more.
The new book is particularly useful if you wish to play as a martial character, as they have received many upgrades through things such as weapon mastery and balance changes. Some classes,like monks,finally received the changes they needed to truly shine.
Aside from buffs and even a few nerfs, like the paladin’s smite, there’s just the simple fact that the game you already enjoy has a new coat of paint, making things feel a bit fresher. It’s similar to seeing your favorite video game getting a worthy sequel - it’s a different game, but it also feels like home.
All that said,we urge you not to throw away your old books,especially expansion books thatadded new stuff to the Fifth Edition,like different subclasses and playable species. Not every subclass made the cut here, not even all subclasses from the 2014 Player’s Handbook. So, you may mix and match things here and still play with your old reliable subclasses while also enjoying the new changes from the 2024 Player’s Handbook.
Other notable changes aside from weapon mastery are having the background influence your ability scores, the amazing buff healing spells have received, and new subclasses.
Is It Worth It For Dungeon Masters?
What about Dungeon Masters? Well,it’s worth it, but the book is mainly for your players, not you.Overall, it’s nice to have access to whatever your players have access to, so if you’re allowing them to use the new classes in your game, you might as well have the book that explains them. The main part that will be helpful for you is the glossary with the rules you have to impose during the game.
Having the book is also particularly useful if you want to introduce the game to a new player because it’ll be much easier for new players if you explain things to them instead of just telling them to buy a book and learn the game.
However,this book is mostly focused on creating a player character and the main rules the players will deal with- it is thePlayer’sHandbook, after all. While it has useful things for a DM, if you’re looking for DMing content, you should wait for the newer versions of the Dungeon Master Guide and the Monster Manual. In the end, it boils down to this simple question:do you want your players to use these new rules and classes?If so, you should definitely get it. If not, then never mind.
Still, there is a bonus here: If there are things you don’t like about certain classes, these changes can give you a new perspective on them.You can also mix and match the rules you like the most from this book and the 2014 versionto create your own Dungeons & Dragons or let players decide for themselves if they want to use the 2014 or the2024 fighter,for example.
If you let your players decide whether their character will follow 2024 rules or 2014 rules, keep in mind that the ones that follow 2024 rules will likely be stronger.
