What’s New in the 2024 Player’s Handbook? (2024)

On September 17, the 2024 Player’s Handbookarrives at game tables. Packed with 384 pages of new and improved player options, equipment, spells, and more, the revised fifth edition core rulebook is the largest Player’s Handbook in Dungeons & Dragons history.

Below, we give a high-level overview between the covers of this rulebook. For deep dives and more, keep an eye out here on D&D Beyond and on your favorite D&D creators!

• Exciting Updates to the Classes You Love
• Reworked Backgrounds, Species, and Feats
• Weapon Mastery Adds to Your Arsenal of Combat Tricks
• 100+ Pages of Spells
• Expanded Guide to Playing the Game
• Artwork Abound
• And More…
• Preorder the 2024 Player’s Handbook Today

Save $60 When You Preorder the Digital & Physical Core Rulebook Bundle

The 2024 Player’s Handbook, 2024Dungeon Master’s Guide, and 2024Monster Manual are available for preorder in the D&D Beyond marketplace today!

When you preorder the, you’ll not only save $60 on your purchase but receive free shipping and unlock the following exclusive digital bonuses: the Dragons of D&D digital art book; the D&D Beyond Gold digital dice set; and the 50th anniversary Gold Dragon mini releasing with the closed beta of the upcoming 3D VTT.

Exciting Updates to the Classes You Love

The 12 base classes return in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, each with four subclasses and new or refined features to expand, improve, or streamline gameplay. Among the 48 subclasses are three entirely new options:

• Path of the World Tree Barbarian
• College of Dance Bard
• Circle of the Sea Druid

But you’ll find certain other subclasses have seen extensive updates. For example, the Warrior of the Elements Monk (formerly Way of the Four Elements) is practically a new subclass, whereas the Wild Magic Sorcery Sorcerer comes to you with a more reliable way to delight in chaos and with an updated Wild Magic Surge table.

In the coming days and weeks, we’ll be rolling out guides that outline the key changes to each class and showcase subclasses that have seen the most extensive updates!

Reworked Backgrounds, Species, and Feats

Artist: KENNY VO

The 2024 Player’s Handbook includes 16 backgrounds, from the Farmer to the Wayfarer, 10 species, and 75 feats. The new species offered are the Aasimar, Goliath, and Orc, but you’ll also see changes to classics such as the Human.

Backgrounds have two notable changes in the revised core rulebook:

1. Ability score adjustments are now tied to the background you select, rather than the species you choose.
2. Each background comes with an Origin Feat. This is a newtype of feat that is typically only provided at character creation.

Feats have seen big changes. For example, Epic Boon feats arenew and exclusivelyavailable to high-level characters. These incredibly powerful and unique feats reflect your character reaching the pinnacle of their power. Whether you choose to gain proficiency in all skills, master the art of short range teleportation, or something else, Epic Boon feats are another way to customize your play experience.

Weapon Mastery Adds to Your Arsenal of Combat Tricks

You’ll find each weapon in the 2024 Player’s Handbooknow contains a mastery property. Certain martial classes gain the Weapon Mastery feature, which expands their repertoire of combat tricks—and ways to bring the pain to their enemies. It also rewards tactically-minded players who may swap between weapons to better suit their needs in combat.

If you’re surrounded by droves of minions, for example, you might use your trusty Greataxe to cull the weak using the Cleave mastery property. If you want to set up a Sneak Attack for your friendly Rogue, you might sweep your enemy’s legs out from under them with your Maul’s Topple mastery property.

You can learn more about this new feature in our Weapon Mastery guide. And, not to spoil anything, but I also recommend you keep an eye out for our upcoming guide to the Fighter.

Go Window Shopping with the Equipment Chapter

Speaking of weapons, you’ll find the Equipment chapter in the 2024Player’s Handbook includes several pages of beautifully illustrated weapons and armor along with their suggested sale prices.

Similarly, tools are listed out with their prices, suggested ability score modifiers, practical uses, and what kinds of items could be produced using them.

100+ Pages of Spells

Artist: LINDA LITHEN

The 2024 Player’s Handbook contains nearly 400 spells. Among these, you’ll find many older spells have been revised or reimagined from the 2014 Player’s Handbook, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, and Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.

There are a number of brand-new spells, as well, including my favorite, Tasha’s Bubbling Cauldron.

Expanded Guide to Playing the Game

The 2024 Player’s Handbook lowers the barrier to entry for new and returning D&D players with an expansive play guide. In its early chapters, you’ll learn key terms of the game, like what a D20 Test and Magic action are, and find examples of play such as in combat, with sidebars that break down the game mechanics as you see them in action.

You’ll also receive step-by-step instructions on creating your first character. These include recommended ability scores based on your class; backgrounds based on your primary ability scores; and rollable tables to randomize your character’s attributes. New players may appreciate the annotated character sheet that explains the various aspects of your character.

Creating Characters withthe 2024 Player's Handbook andOlderPlayer Options

For returning players, the 2024 Player’s Handbook includes guidelines for building characters using backgrounds and species from older books, in case you want to mix and match the player options you’ve long enjoyed with the revised rules presented in the new core rulebook.

Artwork Abound

Artist: KATERINA LADON

The 2024 Player’s Handbook is brimming with new artwork. Each class and subclass gets its own illustration depicting the power fantasy of that particular player option, for example.

And if you’re like me, who obsesses over the minutiae of character backstory, you’ll be delighted to see that each of the backgrounds and species have art that help you envision what life was like before your character picked up a sword, or wand, or lute.

And More…

The 2024 Player’s Handbook is not only jam packed with new and revamped fifth edition player options, but we’ve even revisited how and where we present information to players.

One of the included appendices summarizes all of the main rules terminology, for example, and the extensive index makes it easy to quickly look up rules, such as when you’ve forgotten the weight limit of a Backpack.

There’s even a short introduction to the D&D multiverse, which is handy for players who want to understand the in-game universe where their characters adventure.

Preorder the 2024 Player’s Handbook Today

The 2024 Player’s Handbook releases on September 17, but you can preorder your copy now in the D&D Beyond marketplace.

We’re delighted to share with you the changes coming to fifth edition D&D in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide, and 2024 Monster Manual. If you plan to pick up all three core rulebooks in digital and physical form, you can save on your preorder and get exclusive digital bonuses by bundling.

D&D Beyond users with a Master Tier subscription will get early access to each book weeks before they hit stores. The 2024 Player's Handbook, for example, becomes available to them on September 3. Hero Tier subscribers get early access on September 10.Your digital copy will unlock player options, monsters, and more in D&D Beyond’s suite of tools, including the Character Builder, Encounter Builder, virtual tabletop Maps, and more.

Michael Galvis (@michaelgalvis) is a tabletop content producer for D&D Beyond. He is a longtime Dungeon Master who enjoys horror films and all things fantasy and sci-fi. When he isn’t in the DM’s seat or rolling dice as his anxious halfling sorcerer, he’s playing Helldivers 2 and Magic: The Gathering with his partners. They live together in Los Angeles with their adorable dogs, Quentin and Eliot.