Survey Results on Player's Handbook Playtest 8

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This month, Todd Kenreck sat down with Jeremy Crawford, Game Architect of Dungeons & Dragons, to talk about the results of the final playtest survey for the 2024 Player's Handbook. The survey covered materials found in Player's Handbook Playtest 8, which explored the revised barbarian, druid, and monk, as well as tweaked healing and summoning spells. 

You can watch the interview below, or scroll down for a breakdown of what was discussed:

The Revised Barbarian, Druid, and Monk

Player's Handbook Playtest 8 revisited the barbarian, druid, and monk. The barbarian received a new mechanic, Brutal Strike, and saw changes to the Path of the World Tree subclass; the druid's iconic Wild Shape feature and the Circle of the Moon subclass were updated; and the monk saw a variety of changes, notably to address the class's reliance on Discipline Points and to streamline features.

Each of the three revised classes in Player’s Handbook Playtest 8 all had high satisfaction percentages in the 70s or higher among survey respondents. "Our goal is for things to score a 70 percent satisfaction score or higher," Crawford said. "We view that as a floor."

Notably, the monk scored in the 80s and 90s. "It's really unusual given the size and diversity of our audience for something to generate so much unified satisfaction for it to start approaching 100 percent satisfaction," he said. Given its scores, the monk unseated the ranger as the most improved class in this Unearthed Arcana series.

But the work isn't done. Survey results are a key step in the game development process. Teams responsible for internal development and playtesting look to survey results and see how they can deliver more on what fans loved.

Revised Healing and Summoning Spells

Player's Handbook Playtest 8 also saw updated versions of core healing spells, including cure wounds and healing word, as well as new takes on conjuration magic. These changes all scored in the 70s and 80s in terms of percent satisfaction.

Notably, this playtest packet updated 2014 spells that allow you to summon one or more creatures, an effect that can be fun but also disruptive to the flow of the game. "We experimented with some new takes on those spells ... that moved away from summoning a stat block and instead summon a special effect that's themed to Fey, animals, or Elementals," Crawford said.

But if you love your summoned creatures, worry not. The Player's Handbook will include the summoning spells from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.

More Surprises in Store for the Player's Handbook

Everything in the 2024 Player's Handbook is getting a careful polish for its release later this year. Although we have not yet announced a release date for the core rulebooks or shared their cover art, we promise you that we're looking to deliver the best core rulebooks that D&D has seen yet, and just in time for the game's 50th anniversary.

If you've been following the release of UA content for the Player's Handbook, we thank you. You'll be delighted to find new surprises when the rulebook hits shelves. Among these are new spells and features. You'll also discover a wealth of brand-new artwork, including a piece for each of the subclasses found within its pages.

What's in Store for D&D This Year

High scores across the board for the Player's Handbook Playtest 8 allow us to end this UA series on a high note. But there's plenty more work to be done, and not just on the upcoming Player's Handbook. 

"As we continue to refine elements of the Player's Handbook, we are also doing tons of internal playtesting on the revised monsters that will be in the Monster Manual," Crawford said. He also noted that the Dungeon Master's Guide will include new and revised magic items and a new approach to encounter building that will streamline the process.

"There's a lot going on, but it's exciting," he said. "For us on the design team, it's a really wonderful way for us to be spending our time during the game's 50th anniversary." To honor the game's history and celebrate its fans, we aim to deliver exciting core rulebooks that will expand and streamline the way you play.

There's even more to come for the game's 50th anniversary. Keep an eye out for announcements and events over the course of this year.

Player’s Handbook Playtest 8: The Revised Barbarian, Druid, and Monk
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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 League of Legends and Magic: The Gathering with his husband. They live together in Los Angeles with their adorable dog, Quentin.

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