I am not sure what premium items you are referring to exactly. But no, pre--ordering 2024 edition books does not get you access to any existing products. The 2014 and 2024 PHB are sold separately.
So, as someone that has never purchased any of the books and just gotten into dnd. If I'd like to play before November, I'd have to purchase the 2014 versions now and then repurchase all 2024 versions again once they releaes correct?
So, as someone that has never purchased any of the books and just gotten into dnd. If I'd like to play before November, I'd have to purchase the 2014 versions now and then repurchase all 2024 versions again once they releaes correct?
Largely speaking yes that's correct. Your best bet is to talk to your DM about what they plan on doing, they may have no intention of using the new rules in which case you can buy the 2014 book and never look back. Other people in your campaign might also have the old books alreasdy that can be shared and save you buying anything yourself
So, as someone that has never purchased any of the books and just gotten into dnd. If I'd like to play before November, I'd have to purchase the 2014 versions now and then repurchase all 2024 versions again once they releaes correct?
If you don't mind spending the extra money for both versions of the rules and want to have the 2024 materials when they come out then yes, you are largely correct. If you'd rather wait a couple of months to just buy the 2024 rules (not every campaign will use them, some will definitely stick with the 2014 rules) you can use the free basic ruleset that is available now in the interim. Here is the link:
Thanks for the answers so far. And maybe a last question, as I am not really in the scene. How much does such a change influence the general game-base? I assume this might be difficult to judge since the last update was in 2014. But, do must games eventually shift to the 2024 version or are players so used to the 2014 version that they will largely stick to it? It's a very wague question that will obviously depend from player to player and from campaign to campaing, just wondering if the 2014 version will loose some/much of its value as soon as the 2024 edition drops.
It’s difficult to say. There are still people out there playing 1e, after all. But eventually, most people move on to the new thing, at least historically. My suggestion would be to find a group first. Do that before anything else. For one, they may be able to share their books with you. Second, they’ll probably know what they plan to do, rules-wise, so you don’t end up learning the other ruleset. Also, many games have house rules about character creation, so it’s best to know those before you try and make a character.
Definitely a good question and one that I certainly don't have an answer to. You will see attitudes online from "I can't wait to start a campaign using the 2024 rules!" to "I will NEVER change away from the ruleset I have now." I'm mostly happy about the new rules and hope they are widely adopted quickly, but other people don't like the changes and no doubt hope they don't get much support from the community. My perception is that feedback seems to be generally positive online so I think word of mouth will be fairly good, but that could be my own rose colored glasses.
My guess is most existing campaigns will continue with the existing rules while some % will shift to the 2024 ruleset as soon as it comes out. New campaigns will be a mix for a few months with a more serious conversion to new games using the 2024 rules once the Monster Manual comes out (in 2025, just to make it all muddier xD).
This is one person's opinion of course. It's been more than 20 years since a similar update to the game happened between DnD 3.0 and 3.5 so it's hard to say what will occur. Since WotC doesn't publish all that many products today vs back in 3rd edition my assumption is the shift will be easier for people to buy into but that could be totally wrong.
Thanks all for helping us navigate these uncertain times. I'll probably just end up purchasing both versions as I've also heard that there's good and bad in both versions and maybe being able to mix and match between them might be fun too. Thanks again!
If you want the current PHB, buy it. Come the 17th September, 90% sure it'll be taken off of sale and you won't be able to buy it (that's not officially announced, but judging by previous behaviour regarding superceded books, that's likely how they'll handle it). It's going on sale for about 40% off quite frequently... it's possible that they'll do that one last time before the new PHB goes on sale and withdraw this one.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
So, as someone that has never purchased any of the books and just gotten into dnd. If I'd like to play before November, I'd have to purchase the 2014 versions now and then repurchase all 2024 versions again once they releaes correct?
If you have just gotten into D&D, I would not spend any money on the hobby at all. Even if you are a new GM, I would still hold off on purchasing anything, as the free Basic Rules and Standard Reference Document provides everything you need, and the limited options make it far easier for you to run your first few campaigns. Once you have at least one or two campaigns down your belt, and you are sure D&D is a hobby that you enjoy rather than just a passing fad, then you may consider spending money on the hobby. D&D and TTRPGs in general are an extremely niche hobby, and they are niche for a reason. Sitting around a table to play pretend is not really fun for most people, and in my opinion, spending your first $30 on food and drinks to get comfortable is a better investment than $30 on the PHB that you may or may not enjoy.
And another reason to hold off on spending money on the hobby is to familiarize yourself with ALL the available physical AND digital tools that exist. D&D Beyond is not the only official digital tool set, and Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, and Foundry may be a better digital platform for you if you prefer to play using a VTT. Similarly on the physical side, if you are a GM, I would not recommend getting the Monster Manual book but rather the Monster Manual cards instead, since the MM in book format is not a good tool at the table as it is too clunky, inconvenient, and unwieldy. There is enough time between now and the release of the new core books to familiarize yourself with all that D&D has to offer before you make a more informed purchase.
If you are really sure you are into D&D and are ready to purchase books, but are unsure about which PHB to get, keep in mind many GMs will provide everything that their players need. So even if you bought the "wrong" one, many GMs will just lend you theirs, so it is not a big deal which ever one you get. If money is not an issue, I would just get both so you will have access to more options. If money is an issue, I would not spend money on D&D at all, since most GMs more likely than not are able to give you access to everything you need. If money is an issue and you want to be a GM, talk to your lcoal D&D community, ask Reddit, or even ask here, and some generous fellow GMs would be more than happy to lend you access to all of their resources.
Thanks for the answers so far. And maybe a last question, as I am not really in the scene. How much does such a change influence the general game-base? I assume this might be difficult to judge since the last update was in 2014. But, do must games eventually shift to the 2024 version or are players so used to the 2014 version that they will largely stick to it? It's a very wague question that will obviously depend from player to player and from campaign to campaing, just wondering if the 2014 version will loose some/much of its value as soon as the 2024 edition drops.
The answer greatly varies from person to person, player to player, GM to GM.
On one end of the spectrum, some will claim this is a new edition, nothing from 2014 will be compatible with stuff from 2024, and complain it is too hard to convert things over.
At the other end of the spectrum, for people like me, the changes are so minor that it is nothing more than a really shallow coat of new paint. I personally would not even consider them changes, as the new core books are just glorified supplement books to help people tailor the game to their preference. While the 2014 core books assume a vanilla default set of rules, I do not think anybody plays that way (roll 4d6 keep 3d6, no feats, track lifestyle expenses, etc.; people generally use standard array, allow feats, and ignore lifestyle expenses), so even if a person say they only play with the 2014 rules, they still have to specify which rules they are using. From what I have seen so far, what the 2024 core books provide is simply more options and variant rules to many aspects of the game. There is no conversion to be done, because you still have to pick and choose what specific rules you want to use anyways, it is just that you now have more options to choose from, and often times, you can even use multiple variant and optional rules at the same time if they do not conflict with each other.
Im wondering if I preorder the digital books if I can get access to the current premium items early or do I need to wait until they are released?
Example, I want to make an oath of vengeance paladin however its locked behind the PHG. Surely if I buy this I can get access to it.
I am not sure what premium items you are referring to exactly. But no, pre--ordering 2024 edition books does not get you access to any existing products. The 2014 and 2024 PHB are sold separately.
So, as someone that has never purchased any of the books and just gotten into dnd. If I'd like to play before November, I'd have to purchase the 2014 versions now and then repurchase all 2024 versions again once they releaes correct?
Largely speaking yes that's correct. Your best bet is to talk to your DM about what they plan on doing, they may have no intention of using the new rules in which case you can buy the 2014 book and never look back. Other people in your campaign might also have the old books alreasdy that can be shared and save you buying anything yourself
If you don't mind spending the extra money for both versions of the rules and want to have the 2024 materials when they come out then yes, you are largely correct. If you'd rather wait a couple of months to just buy the 2024 rules (not every campaign will use them, some will definitely stick with the 2014 rules) you can use the free basic ruleset that is available now in the interim. Here is the link:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules
Thanks for the answers so far. And maybe a last question, as I am not really in the scene. How much does such a change influence the general game-base? I assume this might be difficult to judge since the last update was in 2014. But, do must games eventually shift to the 2024 version or are players so used to the 2014 version that they will largely stick to it? It's a very wague question that will obviously depend from player to player and from campaign to campaing, just wondering if the 2014 version will loose some/much of its value as soon as the 2024 edition drops.
It’s difficult to say. There are still people out there playing 1e, after all. But eventually, most people move on to the new thing, at least historically.
My suggestion would be to find a group first. Do that before anything else. For one, they may be able to share their books with you. Second, they’ll probably know what they plan to do, rules-wise, so you don’t end up learning the other ruleset. Also, many games have house rules about character creation, so it’s best to know those before you try and make a character.
Definitely a good question and one that I certainly don't have an answer to. You will see attitudes online from "I can't wait to start a campaign using the 2024 rules!" to "I will NEVER change away from the ruleset I have now." I'm mostly happy about the new rules and hope they are widely adopted quickly, but other people don't like the changes and no doubt hope they don't get much support from the community. My perception is that feedback seems to be generally positive online so I think word of mouth will be fairly good, but that could be my own rose colored glasses.
My guess is most existing campaigns will continue with the existing rules while some % will shift to the 2024 ruleset as soon as it comes out. New campaigns will be a mix for a few months with a more serious conversion to new games using the 2024 rules once the Monster Manual comes out (in 2025, just to make it all muddier xD).
This is one person's opinion of course. It's been more than 20 years since a similar update to the game happened between DnD 3.0 and 3.5 so it's hard to say what will occur. Since WotC doesn't publish all that many products today vs back in 3rd edition my assumption is the shift will be easier for people to buy into but that could be totally wrong.
Thanks all for helping us navigate these uncertain times. I'll probably just end up purchasing both versions as I've also heard that there's good and bad in both versions and maybe being able to mix and match between them might be fun too. Thanks again!
If you want the current PHB, buy it. Come the 17th September, 90% sure it'll be taken off of sale and you won't be able to buy it (that's not officially announced, but judging by previous behaviour regarding superceded books, that's likely how they'll handle it). It's going on sale for about 40% off quite frequently... it's possible that they'll do that one last time before the new PHB goes on sale and withdraw this one.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
If you have just gotten into D&D, I would not spend any money on the hobby at all. Even if you are a new GM, I would still hold off on purchasing anything, as the free Basic Rules and Standard Reference Document provides everything you need, and the limited options make it far easier for you to run your first few campaigns. Once you have at least one or two campaigns down your belt, and you are sure D&D is a hobby that you enjoy rather than just a passing fad, then you may consider spending money on the hobby. D&D and TTRPGs in general are an extremely niche hobby, and they are niche for a reason. Sitting around a table to play pretend is not really fun for most people, and in my opinion, spending your first $30 on food and drinks to get comfortable is a better investment than $30 on the PHB that you may or may not enjoy.
And another reason to hold off on spending money on the hobby is to familiarize yourself with ALL the available physical AND digital tools that exist. D&D Beyond is not the only official digital tool set, and Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, and Foundry may be a better digital platform for you if you prefer to play using a VTT. Similarly on the physical side, if you are a GM, I would not recommend getting the Monster Manual book but rather the Monster Manual cards instead, since the MM in book format is not a good tool at the table as it is too clunky, inconvenient, and unwieldy. There is enough time between now and the release of the new core books to familiarize yourself with all that D&D has to offer before you make a more informed purchase.
If you are really sure you are into D&D and are ready to purchase books, but are unsure about which PHB to get, keep in mind many GMs will provide everything that their players need. So even if you bought the "wrong" one, many GMs will just lend you theirs, so it is not a big deal which ever one you get. If money is not an issue, I would just get both so you will have access to more options. If money is an issue, I would not spend money on D&D at all, since most GMs more likely than not are able to give you access to everything you need. If money is an issue and you want to be a GM, talk to your lcoal D&D community, ask Reddit, or even ask here, and some generous fellow GMs would be more than happy to lend you access to all of their resources.
The answer greatly varies from person to person, player to player, GM to GM.
On one end of the spectrum, some will claim this is a new edition, nothing from 2014 will be compatible with stuff from 2024, and complain it is too hard to convert things over.
At the other end of the spectrum, for people like me, the changes are so minor that it is nothing more than a really shallow coat of new paint. I personally would not even consider them changes, as the new core books are just glorified supplement books to help people tailor the game to their preference. While the 2014 core books assume a vanilla default set of rules, I do not think anybody plays that way (roll 4d6 keep 3d6, no feats, track lifestyle expenses, etc.; people generally use standard array, allow feats, and ignore lifestyle expenses), so even if a person say they only play with the 2014 rules, they still have to specify which rules they are using. From what I have seen so far, what the 2024 core books provide is simply more options and variant rules to many aspects of the game. There is no conversion to be done, because you still have to pick and choose what specific rules you want to use anyways, it is just that you now have more options to choose from, and often times, you can even use multiple variant and optional rules at the same time if they do not conflict with each other.
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