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The 2024 Player’s Handbook revises the 2014 rules across character creation, classes, weapons, feats, spells, and equipment. The changes most likely to affect play are the reworked origin choices, weapon mastery properties, updated class features, and clearer—but limited—guidance for using older options alongside the new rules.
How the 2024 handbook relates to the 2014 rules
D&D Beyond describes the 2024 Player’s Handbook as replacing the corresponding 2014 handbook rules and options when players use the newer book. That scope covers rules, classes, subclasses, spells, feats, equipment, species, and backgrounds. It does not mean every option from every older book is unusable: the publisher identifies 2014 options that are not included in the new handbook and remain available, including Half-Elf and Half-Orc, several subclasses, and selected feats. D&D Beyond’s comparison explains the book-to-book changes and exceptions.
Character creation puts new emphasis on origins
The 2024 handbook organizes character origins around backgrounds and species. D&D Beyond reports 16 backgrounds and 10 species. Its overview names Farmer, Guard, Guide, Merchant, Scribe, and Wayfarer among the backgrounds, and Aasimar, Goliath, and Orc among the species options. These choices are a substantial part of the revised character-creation menu; use the full rules for a specific character rather than treating the overview’s list of examples as a complete guide. The publisher’s overview lists the headline options.
Class features and subclasses change at different rates
All 12 classes in the 2024 handbook have four subclasses, but the revisions are not uniform: some features and progressions are new or altered, while other elements draw on earlier material. D&D Beyond’s comparison provides class-by-class feature tables, which are more useful for a particular character than a blanket claim that every class was rebuilt.
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#1 Best Overall
- COMPLETE YOUR COLLECTION—Get all three 2024 Core Rulebooks and discover new character options you’ll love, creative world-building inspiration, stunning artwork, and monsters galore
- STUNNING ARTWORK—Delight in spectacular new artwork for character classes, subclasses, weapons, armor, legendary D&D figures, almost every monster, and so much more
- FRESH & ENGAGING GAMEPLAY—Change up your combat style with fascinating new Weapon Masteries for your character class. Our new Tools and Crafting system lets you use your tools to craft items and impact travel and exploration
- NEW CHARACTER OPTIONS YOU’LL LOVE—Create unforgettable characters with 12 core classes, 48 intriguing subclasses, and 10 distinctive species. Buff up your character’s backstory with 16 compelling backgrounds and 75 fantastic feats
Fighter
The Fighter gains Weapon Mastery at level 1, Tactical Mind at level 2, Tactical Shift at level 5, and Tactical Master at level 9. These additions illustrate how the update places new choices and capabilities at specific points in the class progression.
Druid
The Druid’s listed additions include Primal Order at level 1 and Wild Companion at level 2. Check the relevant class and subclass text for the full progression and interactions.
Rank #2
- UNLEASH NEW POSSIBILITIES—Introducing the 2024 Player’s Handbook, the new and improved guide for fifth edition Dungeons and Dragons. Redesigned with 10 years of feedback from the D and D community, the essential Dungeons and Dragons rulebook is bigger and better than ever before
- NEW CHARACTER OPTIONS YOU’LL LOVE—Create unforgettable characters with 12 core classes, 48 intriguing subclasses, and 10 distinctive species. Buff up your character’s backstory with 16 compelling backgrounds and 75 fantastic feats.
- STUNNING ARTWORK—With vibrant new illustrations of every single character class, subclass, background, species, weapon, and armor, our thrilling artwork also features new and familiar spells, brought to life for the first time ever.
- FRESH and ENGAGING GAMEPLAY—Change up your combat style with fascinating new Weapon Masteries for your character class. Our new Tools and Crafting system lets you use your tools to craft items and impact travel and exploration.
- DESIGNED JUST FOR YOU—We’ve thoughtfully redesigned this book with an improved layout, better organization, and an alphabetized Rules Glossary. Find whatever you’re looking for with ease
Some subclass names or lineages have also changed, and the publisher identifies options that were revised or imported from earlier supplements. A changed name is not by itself proof that the underlying option is wholly new. See the class and subclass comparison for specific cases.
Weapon Mastery gives weapons a distinct tactical layer
The 2024 rules list eight weapon mastery properties: Cleave, Graze, Nick, Push, Sap, Slow, Topple, and Vex. Weapon Mastery adds a property-based tactical distinction among weapons; it is separate from the revised Heavy and Light properties. The overview also reports two new weapons and three revised weapons. Read each weapon’s current entry and the relevant class feature to determine who can use its mastery property and what it does. D&D Beyond’s overview summarizes the weapon changes.
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- NIFTY RESOURCES FOR DUNGEON MASTERS—We've packed this book with incredibly useful tools and advice for Dungeon Masters of all levels. Make your game sessions special with over 400 total and 18 new magic items, practical solutions for common Dungeon Master pitfalls, and Greyhawk, a customizable premade campaign setting.
- WONDERFUL WORLDBUILDING INSPIRATION—Introduce inspiring new mechanics into your game! Tinker away with revised rules for crafting magic items, creating NPCs, and more. Excite your party and keep them engaged between sessions with the new system for bastions, which are strongholds built and controlled by players.
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- LEVEL UP YOUR DUNGEON MASTER EXPERIENCE—We’ve built useful handouts and resources to help you keep track of your campaigns and added a Lore Glossary that helps you easily find information about key D&D characters and locations.
- PART OF THE 2024 CORE COLLECTION—1 of 3 revised Dungeons & Dragons core rulebooks, the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide is designed for use with the fifth edition 2024 Player’s Handbook and 2024 Monster Manual
Equipment and crafting gain additional options
The handbook revises adventuring gear and adds options for using Artisan’s Tools with the Utilize action. Its crafting rules cover nonmagical items, Potions of Healing, and Spell Scrolls. These changes matter most when a character’s equipment, tools, or downtime activity is part of the campaign; consult the applicable rules for the requirements and process rather than assuming every item can be crafted under the same conditions.
Feats and spells have broad revisions
Feats
D&D Beyond reports 75 feats in the handbook, including 37 new feats and 35 revised feats. The categories are Origin, General, Fighting Style, and Epic Boon. The published new and revised subtotals add up to 72, not 75; the overview does not explain the difference, so no further breakdown should be inferred. The handbook overview gives the reported counts and categories.
Rank #4
- NIFTY RESOURCES FOR DUNGEON MASTERS—We've packed this book with incredibly useful tools and advice for Dungeon Masters of all levels. Make your game sessions special with over 400 total and 18 new magic items, practical solutions for common Dungeon Master pitfalls, and Greyhawk, a customizable premade campaign setting.
- WONDERFUL WORLDBUILDING INSPIRATION—Introduce inspiring new mechanics into your game! Tinker away with revised rules for crafting magic items, creating NPCs, and more. Excite your party and keep them engaged between sessions with the new system for bastions, which are strongholds built and controlled by players.
- STUNNING ARTWORK—Delight in spectacular artwork featuring new magic items, legendary D&D figures, cinematic fantasy landscapes, a double-sided poster map of the Greyhawk setting, and more!
- LEVEL UP YOUR DUNGEON MASTER EXPERIENCE—We’ve built useful handouts and resources to help you keep track of your campaigns and added a Lore Glossary that helps you easily find information about key D&D characters and locations.
- PART OF THE 2024 CORE COLLECTION—1 of 3 revised Dungeons & Dragons core rulebooks, the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide is designed for use with the fifth edition 2024 Player’s Handbook and 2024 Monster Manual
Spells
The same publisher overview reports 391 spells, including 30 new spells. Individual spells may be new, redesigned, or revised, so a total alone does not show what changed for a particular character. Check the spell’s current handbook text and applicable errata when resolving a specific rule question.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you use 2014 options with the 2024 rules?
Often, but compatibility depends on the option and the ruleset. D&D Beyond says older 2014 classes, subclasses, species, backgrounds, and feats can continue to be used in many cases and are marked Legacy in its digital rules. Its key restriction is that a 2014 subclass cannot be paired with a 2024 class if that subclass has a revised 2024 version; the older subclass can still be used with the 2014 class. This toolset guidance is distinct from the handbook’s statement about which 2014 book options the 2024 book replaces. See D&D Beyond’s Legacy rules guidance before combining material.
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- DESIGNED JUST FOR YOU—Easily locate whatever monster you’re looking for and save prep time with revised, easy-to-use stat blocks. We’ve categorized all monsters by creature type and have redesigned their stat blocks to be easier to use and understand. Running encounters has never been easier!
- PART OF THE 2024 CORE COLLECTION—1 of 3 revised Dungeons & Dragons core rulebooks, the 2024 Monster Manual is designed for use with the fifth edition 2024 Player’s Handbook and 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide
D&D Beyond’s August 26, 2024 ruleset update said that users with access to both digital Player’s Handbooks could select options from both when creating characters. It also said users who owned only the 2014 digital handbook would retain their character options, spells, and magic items on character sheets. Those statements describe D&D Beyond at that date, not every platform or a table’s own rules. Read the dated digital ruleset update for its stated scope.
Check errata when a rule’s wording matters
The official Player’s Handbook errata records corrections and clarifications that appear in recent printings and have been applied to D&D Beyond’s digital text. Examples in the live changelog include a correction to the Goliath’s Powerful Build trait and wording edits to the Grappler and Poisoner feats. For a disputed interaction, check the latest official Player’s Handbook errata alongside the current rule text; a PDF can be superseded as the changelog is updated.
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