The new 2024 Player's Handbook for Dungeons & Dragons is finally releasing soon, and it's already looking like one of the most exciting updates to the franchise in years. While there's been some pushback against a few rule or wording changes, overall reception has been very positive for many of the updates. Fans can rest assured the newest Player's Handbook will provide players with even more experience-enhancing features and new ways to play the beloved tabletop game.

Wizards of the Coast has given many players 2024's Player's Handbook largely backward compatible with 5e. While the most significant changes are related to character creation, there's still a plethora of new rules to excite both new players and dedicated fans alike. Despite the excitement of the new update, there are so many changes in both small-scale rule reworks and entirely new mechanics that it can be a bit overwhelming to sort through to know what will be the most impactful.

10 Bonus Actions For Potions

Making Potions Even More Vital In Combat

After many years of homebrew games and DMs bending the rules, potions will finally be usable as a bonus action. This change is one of the smaller ones coming in the updated ruleset, but it's still a fan favorite for many. While many players are uneasy ing non-healing potions as a bonus action, it's a welcome change that gives players even more options in combat.

This is one of the changes not many players will realize at first, but it has the potential to greatly affect the balance of combat and gold in a session. With this change, players will have more incentive to stock up on healing and empowering potions than relying on the classic long rest and healing spells combination, offering more options outside of combat as well.

9 Summoning Spell Upgrades

Offering More Flexibility For Spiritual Companionship

Summoning is getting all-around improvements for several classes in the latest edition of the Player's Handbook. Many spells are being reworked to incorporate summoned creatures into them, or simply replace them entirely, taking over for a few spells from many of the warlock's patron bonuses, among others. These changes provide opportunities to incorporate summoning into the playstyle of all manner of classes while streamlining the overall process for players.

On top of the added flexibility with summons, players have access to an even wider array of interesting creatures at their disposal without dedicating all their skills to it. From swapping out a summoned monster with an aberration, undead, fiend, and more, making summoning a much more adaptable option to a drastically wider array of situations on the fly. The only downside to the added summoning functionality is the increased time and resources needed to manage summons efficiently, which can slow down the pace of the game for inexperienced players.

8 Simplified Exhaustion Mechanics

Resting Is A Key Part Of Any Successful Journey

Whether intentional or not, exhaustion has always been one of those mechanics that many players tend to forget about or simply ignore. Wizards Of The Coast is trying to make exhaustion more apparent by simplifying it to become easier to understand for beginner DnD adventurers and integrating it into players' sessions. Instead of having increasing different debuffs per exhaustion level, players will face flat roll reductions by twice the amount of their exhaustion level, making its effects more readily noticeable.

Speed is also reduced by a flat amount of 5x a player's exhaustion level, making it all the more detrimental to ignore during combat. While it's not the most universally accepted change in the new 2024 Player's Handbook, not many are in the DnD community. Regardless, the new exhaustion mechanics aim to improve game flow and make it more than just a side mechanic to ignore, forcing players to think about their character's well-being and need for a good night's long rest.

7 Spell Additions And Reworked Casting

Both Familiar Powers And New Spellcasting Options

In addition to the standard sphere, cone, and line of sight spell ranges, the existing emanation area of effect is being added to certain spells. Emanation starts on the outer edges of an object in a circular radius around it, without affecting the object or person within. Players can use emanation spells to cast areas of blindness around a target, or summon a moat of water around an area to make it untouchable, allowing them to be cast without worry about their target.

On top of some existing spells like counterspell being reworked for balancing, the newest Player's Handbook is adding a plethora of new and exciting spells for casters. Out of the 391 total spells available, 30 of these are brand new, adding with them exciting ways to play at varying levels of progression. From casting divine barriers to summoning new enchanted weaponry or companions, the list of new spells is one of the first things returning players should check out in the 2024 Player's Handbook.

6 Spell Progression For Casters

Even More Spells To Choose From And Ways To Unlock Them

With the new 2024 Player's Handbook incorporating a record number of nearly 400 spells into the new compendium, there are even more options for casting than ever before. The warlock class received bulk spell changes, gaining more invocations at earlier levels. So far, most of the spellcasting changes are aimed to lessen the player's reliance on using the same traditional spells, like fireball, for example, every time they play the same class.

Healing spells and some cantrips will become much more effective for players of all levels.

Many other spellcasting classes in the 2024 Player's Handbook have received large reworks to their subclasses and their systems as well, and while most are related to small gameplay improvements, some are more flavorful than others. One of these flavor changes is the wizard, with the notable removal of the various "school" titles and replacing each with unique and more flavorful titles like the Diviner or Abjurer. Many existing spells have also been buffed to make them more useful across the board, the most notable being that healing spells and some cantrips will become much more effective for players of all levels.

5 Further Updates To Critical Rolling

The Highs And Lows Of D&D Will Become Even More Memorable

Critical Hits are a mechanic that's undergone a lot of back-and-forth changes throughout One D&D's lifespan, but WOTC seems to have settled on a satisfying option for all party . Critical Rolls are aimed at making these rare rolling events much more meaningful for players during combat, rather than simply dealing a bit more damage or accidentally injuring themselves. While the new changes are similar to those in the 5th edition, there are some minor adjustments players should still check out when they can.

After landing a Critical Success or failure to hit an enemy, players will automatically land their attack on a target, rolling an additional die and adding it to the damage to the attack. The main change is that most monsters are no longer able to land these, as One D&D aimed to make encounters easier to balance and plan for DMs without worrying about an unfair early-game player death. These changes make Critical Rolls more engaging without punishing players as often, with the chance to apply large amounts of damage to enemies without fearing a deadly consequence when it's a monster's turn to roll.

4 Unique Weapon Mastery Properties

Mastery Provides Even More Variety In Martial Combat

Martial weapons have often posed a problem for repetitive combat with many DnD players, without offering a lot of options on how to fight differently in encounters. Similar to the unique abilities added to tools, martial weapons are also gaining unique class-specific attacks to spice up combat. Instead of just having proficiency in a bunch of weapons players likely won't often use, they can also choose an advanced weapon mastery to specialize in once per long rest.

After picking their favorite weapon to use, players will unlock a new unique attack that can add more utility to a weapon on top of doing even more damage. A Barbarian with a Greatclub can use the Push ability to knock enemies 10 feet away off the edge of a cliff after landing a successful attack, while a Rogue can use Nick to quickly deal an additional attack without taking up a valuable bonus action. These changes aim not only to make players feel more powerful but to provide exciting new opportunity moments for martial classes, amounting to more than just increased damage.

3 Crafting Rework For Creative Players

Tools Will Become An Even More Valuable Skill

Crafting and tools are becoming even more valuable to keep in mind with the 2024 Player's Handbook, thanks to its newest crafting rules. Players now have more freedom to make their own items, weapons, and potions, each using their respective tools. Alongside these new rules comes a mechanic that offers more unique utility to each tool in the game, enhancing the roleplay experience.

Combine an investigation check with proficiency on a snuffed-out candle, determining how long it was lit and how recently.

Each tool in the game will have access to a unique Utilize Action ability that describes how a tool can be used not only in crafting but as an active function during gameplay. For example, while a potter can make a jug or lamp, they could combine an investigation check with proficiency on a snuffed-out candle, determining how long it was lit and how recently. Tools provide a bonus from proficiency modifiers as well, on top of the standard rolling advantage given by ability score modifiers when a tool is used alongside an ability check.

2 Heroic Inspiration Gets A Long Needed Upgrade

Inspiration Is More Useful And Reliable Than Ever Before

Inspiration is one of those mechanics that's useful but is often overlooked by many players. Inspiration is a roleplay reward that provides players with the ability to spend it to gain an advantage on ability checks, saving throws, or attack rolls. While gaining advantage certainly has its uses, it was limited in how often DMs would to hand Inspiration points out and what they could be spent on.

Its added functionality lets players try to change the outcome of any scenario, whether it's the damage to a successful attack, an initiative check, or more.

The 2024 Player's Handbook aims to revamp this mechanic by upgrading the old Inspiration into a new Heroic Inspiration, which allows Inspiration to also be spent on re-rolling the dice for any roll a player can make in a game. While it has all the same uses as before, its added functionality lets players try to change the outcome of any scenario, whether it's the damage to a successful attack, an initiative check, or more. What makes Heroic Inspiration even more useful is that new class abilities can allow players to gain inspiration on their own, making it a mechanic players can consistently rely on, rather than having to remind the DM about its existence.

1 Bastion System Provides Advanced Base Building

Players Can Finally Make Their Dream Encampments A Reality

Bastions are one of the most anticipated features coming into the 2024 Player's Handbook, allowing players to create an official base that acts independently when they're away. Instead of relying on temporary camps and inns, players can create and upgrade their dream base of operations through different tiers, leveling up as more time and resources are invested. Whatever shape players choose to form their Bastions, they can be used to generate income or gain access to advanced crafting options depending on which kind of focus players want to create for themselves.

Players will have to think critically about how they want to interact with the world they find themselves in.

Bastions are just one of the many ways Wizards Of The Coast is providing players with more ways to interact with the game world. Players are encouraged to work on their Bastion independently of the DM's goals as they progress, with an emphasis on player choice and individual session themes that can easily make it feel like a whole new edition of DnD. To make the most of this mechanic, players will have to think critically about how they want to interact with the world they find themselves in, allowing for even more options for players to roleplay and engage with to their heart's content.