Summary
Wizards of the Coast has to meet some big expectations with its nextDungeons and Dragonssourcebook: a revised version of5e’sDungeon Master’s Guide. With years of criticism against the 2014Dungeon Master’s Guidein mind, designers have promised thatDungeons and Dragons' 2024 revision will give DMs their proper due.
The biggest complaint againstD&D 5e’sDungeon Master’s Guideis its organization. The book contains many useful rules and bits of advice, but much of it is stuffed near the back. Meanwhile, the front of the tome places more importance on explaining variant rules for the multiverse, as opposed to helping DMs plan a one-shot or the first session of their campaign. This is all without mentioning how much space is taken by magic items, turning the book into a glorified treasure catalog. It’s no wonder that new DMs refer more to online guides (such as Matthew Colville’sRunning the Game) orthird partyD&Dworkslike Mike Shea’sReturn of the Lazy Dungeon Master.
D&D 2024’s Dungeon Master’s Guide Promises To Right 2014’s Wrongs
Campaign Building Advice And Sample Adventures
Variant rules and magic items are nice, but most new DMs would rather see help with creating and running adventures. The 2024Dungeon Master’s Guidewill set DMs up with a campaign skeleton, as well as a selection of sample adventures. This will provide the basis for all manner of inspiration when itcomes to craftingD&Dadventures. Much of this information will be found in the first three chapters, which will cover the basics of DMing, how to run the game, and miscellaneous topics like traps and poisons.
The book will also contain tracking sheets, with ways for DMs to print out their own, for keeping track of various types of information (such as settlement details, what magic items have been given out, session plans, and more). DMs can also give players a sheet to help them keep track of their bastions, should the DM be using the2024Dungeon Master’s Guidebastion rules.
Greyhawk Setting And Lore Glossary
Where the Forgotten Realms has long been treated as the default for fifth edition,D&D 2024will make more use of Greyhawk. Greyhawk, a world created by Gary Gygax himself, will feature heavily in the newDMGas the default setting. The book will provide some details to the world of Oerth, including a map of Greyhawk’s wilderness and the city of Greyhawk, but will also invite the DM to fill in some intentional blanks. By encouraging the DM to fill this existing world with new dungeons and settlements, new dungeon masters will more readily find themselves inspired to create worlds of their own.
The newDungeon Master’s Guidewill also contain a lore glossary—a comprehensive guide to the many bits ofD&Dlore that veteran players spout like jargon. Everything from demon princes to magical materials will see entries in the lore glossary, helping newcomers get their head around the more ubiquitous elements of the game.
Bastion Rules
Stronghold rules in the 2014Dungeon Master’s Guideare notably weak, offering far less than what older editions had. While this is in part due to the shifting goals of the game over its history, the lack of rules for creating interesting home bases is a major weak spot for that book. Fortunately,D&D 2024will be bringing bastion rules. A playtest version of these rules was released during theOne D&Dphase ofD&D 2024’s development, and they’re not half bad. While it’s strange for bastions to be overtly attached to player level, the spell-like abilities they can have (in addition to the inventive bastion turn mechanic) make for both a good gold sink and an incredibly customizable approach to base building.
Dungeons and Dragons
Created by Gary Gygax, Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop game in which players craft their own worlds and band together to take on adventures through mysterious realms outlined in companion materials. One of the best role-playing games ever made, it has been adapted into a variety of video games and other media.
