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D&D (2024) New D&D Edition's Player’s Handbook Cover Reveal

Game Informer has revealed the cover to the 2024 Player’s Handbook.

Game Informer has revealed the cover to the 2024 Player’s Handbook.

The cover features a gold dragon behind the old-school D&D characters Strongheart the paladin, Mercion the cleric, Elkhorn the dwarf fighter, and Molliver the thief. Ringlerun the wizard is absent (then again he got his showcase on one of the 1E AD&D Player's Handbooks), but a drow mage appears to have joined the party!

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Morrus

Morrus is the owner of EN World and EN Publishing, creator of the ENnies, creator of the What's OLD is NEW (WOIN), Simply6, and Awfully Cheerful Engine game systems, publisher of Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition, and co-host of the weekly Morrus' Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk podcast. He has been a game publisher and RPG community administrator for over 20 years, and has been reporting on TTRPG and D&D news for over two decades. He is also on the socials.

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Meech17

Meech17

WotC President Runner-Up.
LordEntrails said:
Or the gold dragon behind them who is actually the one who will defeat the red dragon and they are just along for the ride and maybe smack down a few kobolds? Yeah, does not make them out to be the heroes imo.
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I hadn't thought of this, but this tells a cool story too..

The Red Dragon has taken over the region, and rules over the kingdom with an iron talon. He's been having his cult of Kobold minions going out and capturing magic users and items to add to his horde.

Our heroes learned of an ancient, and noble Gold Dragon, who once fought off, and banished the Red Dragon from this realm, and in doing so was trapped there himself. Over the centuries the Dragons have done battle in the Astral Realm, the Gold Dragon devoting his life to keeping the Red Dragon locked away.

One fateful encounter allowed the Red Dragon to get the drop on the Gold Dragon, seriously wounding it while making his escape, leaving the Gold Dragon trapped.

Now our heroes have spent the last few years adventuring in this realm under the horrific watch of the Red Dragon Overlord and they've challenged numerous foes, and obtained numerous items of power, allowing them to bring back the Noble Gold Dragon who, with their help may be the realm's last hope.

I don't know.. I'm not a writer, and I'm at work.. But I feel like if you want to see something epic and inspiring you can. If you're only looking to be disappointed that's what you'll get as well.
 


Sir Brennen

Sir Brennen

Legend
Whizbang Dustyboots said:
I saw that, but I'm specifically thinking of orcs, goblins and other traditional groups. @Nixlord built his bestiary empire on the fact that the 2014 Monster Manual offers too few choices for core monsters. Ideally, every common monster would have multiple entries over multiple level ranges.
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The article also mentions the newer versions of existing monsters have "greater opportunity for variability" and "many monsters now have expanded 'families' of connected monsters, building out ecosystems of linked and themed types".

Not sure if that means more types of orcs with different CRs or tying orcs and ogres together (for a made-up example) to show how to bump an encounter CR without leveling up the individual participants. I imagine it'll be a bit of both, but it does sound like whatever form it takes, they recognize the issue you describe.
 

Parmandur

Parmandur

Book-Friend
Sir Brennen said:
The article also mentions the newer versions of existing monsters have "greater opportunity for variability" and "many monsters now have expanded 'families' of connected monsters, building out ecosystems of linked and themed types".

Not sure if that means more types of orcs with different CRs or tying orcs and ogres together (for a made-up example) to show how to bump an encounter CR without leveling up the individual participants. I imagine it'll be a bit of both, but it does sound like whatever form it takes, they recognize the issue you describe.
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Based on Fizban's, Bigby's, and especially the Book of Many Things, WotC seems to be leaning into the 14 Creature types pretty heavily.
 

Meech17

Meech17

WotC President Runner-Up.
Whizbang Dustyboots said:
Fake it 'til you make it. If they are indeed using these characters throughout the PHB, and maybe all of the 2024 books, 20 years from now, when people are arguing about 7E, these characters will be iconic.
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I almost made a joke earlier about how I wonder if in 50 years from now they'll reveal the Winged Helm wearing Paladin on this cover is a woman and make a bunch of future grognards big mad.
 

Whizbang Dustyboots

Whizbang Dustyboots

Gnometown Hero
Sir Brennen said:
The article also mentions the newer versions of existing monsters have "greater opportunity for variability" and "many monsters now have expanded 'families' of connected monsters, building out ecosystems of linked and themed types".

Not sure if that means more types of orcs with different CRs or tying orcs and ogres together (for a made-up example) to show how to bump an encounter CR without leveling up the individual participants. I imagine it'll be a bit of both, but it does sound like whatever form it takes, they recognize the issue you describe.
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They could also help by putting Monster Manual Expanded into D&D Beyond!
 

M

Misanthrope Prime

Explorer
Whizbang Dustyboots said:
Fake it 'til you make it. If they are indeed using these characters throughout the PHB, and maybe all of the 2024 books, 20 years from now, when people are arguing about 7E, these characters will be iconic.
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I dunno, literally rummaging around in the toybox for 30 year old characters doesn't strike me as the actions of a brand in its ascendancy.
 

Whizbang Dustyboots

Whizbang Dustyboots

Gnometown Hero
Misanthrope Prime said:
I dunno, literally rummaging around in the toybox for 30 year old characters doesn't strike me as the actions of a brand in its ascendancy.
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Fair, but they don't have a time machine where they can make their predecessors do a better job of making prominent NPCs suitable for movies, video games and action figures. This is where they have to start, especially after DADHAT didn't set the world on fire.
 

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