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DnD 5e to DnD 2024 Transition Guide and Change Log: Everything That’s Different in the New 2024 Player’s Handbook
DnD 2024 Transition Guide and Change Log

DnD 5e to DnD 2024 Transition Guide and Change Log: Everything That’s Different in the New 2024 Player’s Handbook

October 1, 2024

Introductions

A lot has changed in the DnD 2024 rules. In this horrendously long article, we’ve dug into everything that has changed in excruciating detail. There’s a lot here.

It is possible that we have missed things. If we have, please let us know.

Table of Contents

Backwards Compatibility

Wizards of the Coast has been extremely vague about backwards compatibility over the course of the DnD 2024 / OneD&D playtest, but there are a few bits of text in the new Player’s Handbook addressing how to handle things.

From the Cleric’s Blessed Strikes feature:

“(If you get either option from a Cleric subclass in an older book, use only the option you choose for this feature)”

Page 38 of the Player’s Handbook has a sidebar specifically discussing how to handle backgrounds and species from older books. Backgrounds essentially give you free reign for ability score increases and your choice of an Origin Feat (see the section on Backgrounds, below), and the advice for species is to simply ignore their ability score increases but otherwise use them as written.

Formatting, Terminology, and Organization Changes

  • Bloodied: The term “Bloodied” has been reintroduced; originally used in 4e, “Bloodied” indicates that a creature is at or below half hit points
  • Chapter order has been changed for only the second time in DnD’s history, the first time being 4e before it was reversed in 5e. Chapter 1 is “Playing the Game”
  • “d20 tests” describes any ability check, attack roll, or saving throw.
  • Class spell lists are now listed in the class’s description rather than in the Spells chapter, and the tables include one-letter indicators for rituals, Concentration, etc.
  • Actions which are magic (and therefore don’t work in Antimagic fields) will include text like “As Magic action” to specify that they are magic.
  • “Transport” is used to represent forced movement. For example, the Psi Warrior Fighter’s Telekinetic Thrust says “transport it up to 10 feet horizontally”.
  • “Expertise” is now used both as a feature that grants expertise and as the term that means “add double your Proficiency Bonus”, which is how the community has discussed the feature since the launch of the 2014 rules.
  • Index now contains every item, feat, spell, etc. in the book
  • New rules glossary, which provides full technical definitions for rules terms. In many cases, the text explaining how to play the game doesn’t explain these terms, so expect to flip to the Rules Glossary frequently.

Playing the Game

  • Saving Throws: “If you don’t want to resist the effect, you can choose to fail the save without rolling.”
  • Heroic Inspiration: Used to reroll any die immediately after rolling it. No longer just d20s, and you no longer need to use it before rolling.
  • Actions
    • Common actions are much more explicitly defined
    • Hide: There is now a base DC of 15 to successfully hide.
      • This is stupid and I hate it. A level 1 character with a +3 Dex modifier and proficiency in Stealth has a +5 modifier, giving them a 50% chance to hide successfully even if they’re hiding from a blind creature. Low-level Rogues are going to absolutely suffer when trying to hide in combat.
    • Search: Look for stuff.
    • Study: Examine and/or think about stuff.
  • Between Adventures: This section, which previously detailed Lifestyle Expenses and Downtime activities, has been removed from the Player’s Handbook. Lifestyle Expenses are detailed in the Equiment chapter, but Downtime rules have been removed.

Combat

Drawing / Stowing Weapons

You can now draw or stow one weapon as part of an attack during the Attack action. This weapon explicitly does not need to be the one that you’re attacking with, making it much easier to do a lot of things like throwing weapons or switching between weapons to use a different Weapon Mastery.

Damage Rolls

Largely the same, except for two major changes.

Flat Damage Values

“Unless a rule says otherwise, you don’t add your ability modifier to a fixed damage amount that doesn’t use a roll, such as the damage of a Blowgun.” Blowguns don’t apply your Dexterity modifier, but in all my years of playing 5e I’ve never seen someone use a blowgun, so I don’t know how much that matters.

The DnD 2024 rules for Unarmed Strikes specify that you do add your Strength modifier to damage.

Multi-target Spell Damage

The text explaining damage for spells which affect multiple targets has been replaced with “A spell tells you which dice to roll for damage and whether to add any modifiers.” We also need to look at the Saving Throws and Damage, which is confusing not inside the Damage Rolls section.

Previously the text for spell damage specified that if a spell damaged multiple targets, you only rolled damage once. This led to the School of Evocation Wizard turning Magic Missile into a win condition by adding their Intelligence modifier to each missile. Jeremy Crawford confirmed that it worked this way.

Because that bit of core rules text has changed, the rules interactions have changed. Let’s look at Fireball, Magic Missile, and Scorching Ray as examples. The text of these spells hasn’t changed in the 2024 rules.

  • Fireball: Each creature in a 20-foot-radius Sphere centered on that point makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 8d6 Fire damage.
  • Magic Missile: A dart deals 1d4 + 1 Force damage to its target. The darts all strike simultaneously.
  • Scorching Ray: Make a ranged spell attack for each ray. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 Fire damage.

The 2014 text said “If a spell or other effect deals damage to more than one target at the same time, roll the damage once for all of them.” Fireball affects creatures at the same time, so one damage roll. Magic Missile specifies that the darks strike simultaneously, so one damage roll. Scorching Ray doesn’t specify that the bolts apply at the same time, so each ray gets a separate damage roll.

In the 2024 rules, the Saving Throws and Damage section specifies that damaging effect which call for a save roll damage once and apply it to all targets. It even uses Fireball as an example, so the rules interaction is pretty clear. However, this only applies to damaging effects which allow saving throws, so this doesn’t apply to Magic Missile.

Magic Missile specifies that “a dart deals 1d4 + 1 Force damage”. In my opinion, this means that each dart deals its own 1d4 +1 damage as most of assumed it did until Crawford explained the 2014 rules interaction. Without the 2014 simultaneous damage rule, each dart is resolved individually. The fact that the darts strike simultaneously means that you don’t get to change targets with successive missiles, but doesn’t affect the way that the damage is rolled.

Scorching Ray continues to function as it did in the 2014 rules.

Grappling

See Unarmed Strikes, below. (yes, really)

Opportunity Attack

Opportunity Attacks have changed from “a hostile creature” to “a creature you can see”. Combine with Warcaster to cast beneficial spells on allies as a Reaction.

Mounted Combat

Has not been fixed.

I swear to every god they list in this book, I’m going to make this someone’s problem.

Surprise

Now both easier to adjudicate and also less impactful. “If a combatant is surprised by combat starting, that combatant has Disadvantage on their Initiative roll.”

Two-Weapon Fighting

Two-Weapon Fighting: No longer limited to melee weapons. See the “Light” weapon property.

Unarmed Strikes

Now either deal damage, attempt a grapple, or attempt to shove.

Deal Damage

Still 1 damage plus your Strength modifier by default.

Grapple

Now allows the target’s choice of a Strength or Dexterity save; no more opposed Athletics checks.

No longer allows you to use the same hand to grapple multiple creatures, as explained in the very astutely-named “One Grapple Per Hand” rule. WotC has seen my nonsense, and they’re having none of it

Shove

Now allows the target’s choice of a Strength or Dexterity save; no more opposed Athletics checks.

Picking Locks, Disarming Traps, Thieves’ Tools, Sleight of Hand

You can pick locks with Sleight of Hand now. This is buried in the description for lock item rather than mentioned in the explanation of what Sleight of Hand does.

The entry for Sleight of Hand:

Sleight of Hand (Dexterity) Pick a pocket, conceal a handheld object, or perform legerdemain.

The entry for Thieves’ Tools:

Thieves’ Tools (25 GP)
Ability: Dexterity Weight: 1 lb.
Utilize: Pick a lock (DC 15), or disarm a trap (DC 15)

The entry for locks:

A Lock comes with a key. Without the key, a creature can use Thieves’ Tools to pick this Lock with a successful DC 15 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check.

Resting

The rules for taking a Long Rest are much more specific and explicit. Among notable changes, you can only begin a Long Rest if you have at least 1 hit point, and you now regain all of your spent Hit Point Dice instead of just half of them.

The rules for interrupting a Long Rest are a little goofy. Interruptions allow you to resume the rest, but each interruption (4 interruptions are listed) requires an additional hour to rest. If you roll initiative, then take damage a few times, the extension may actually be longer than 8 hours, in which case you’ll want to start a new Long Rest. This can create a horrible doom loop if you’re repeatedly interrupted, which is a great way to tell your players that they need to find a better place to rest.

Like Long Rests, Short Rests now require you to have at least 1 hit point.

If you’re reduced to 0 hp and stabilize, don’t worry: you awaken after 1d4 hours with 1 hp, and can then start resting.

Character Creation

  • Character sheet has been reformatted
    • Traits/Ideals/Bonds/Flaws have been removed
    • Everything is compact enough to fit spellcasting onto the back page of the sheet
  • Step by Step:
    • Choosing a class is now step 1
    • Origin (background+species) is now step 2
    • Setting ability scores is now step 3
      • Now includes a table of standard array assignments by class
  • Rules for starting above 1st level, including an updated table of starting equipment which lists magic items for each tier of play. It’s still wildly inaccurate.

Multiclassing

  • Paladin and Ranger levels now round up when determining your spell slots. Previously, the Paladin and the Ranger rounded down.

Classes

  • Core class traits (your base proficiencies) are now listed in a colored table, making them easier to find at a glance
  • Class progression tables are on page 2 of the book; a UX consultant apparently told the designers that leading with the table was intimidating
  • Classes now include a “Becoming a(n) X” section which details what you get at level 1 or what you get when you multiclass into the class
  • The level 19 Ability Score Increase now lets you choose either an Epic Boon or another Feat
  • Classes which previously learned spells permanently now have them permanently “prepared”. This is purely a wording change, and I hate it.
  • Classes no longer get Level + Modifier prepared spells; it’s now a fixed number based on your class level. Full casters typically get 22 at level 20, though warlocks get fewer, and wizards get more, and you may get more from your subclass.
  • The fancy names for subclasses have been abandoned. No more “Primal Path” or “Divine Domain”. No one used those terms anyway.

Artificer

The Artificer is not included in the Player’s Handbook. WotC has been very clear that this would be the case since the earliest days of the OneDnD playtest process, but disappointment is still understandable. The Artificer was the only non-core class in 5e, and it has been a crowd favorite since at least 3rd edition. Seeing it promoted to the core rules alongside crowd favorites like the Goliath would have been nice, but also would have required magic items to be published in the Player’s Handbook.

Barbarian

  • 1: Rage now lasts up to 10 minutes, and can be extended by forcing a saving throw or by spending a Bonus Action in addition to extending it by making an attack roll. The damage bonus also now works with any Strength-based attack rather than only melee weapon attacks, meaning that it now works with thrown weapons.
  • 1: Weapon Mastery. New.
  • 2: Reckless Attack. Now works until the start of your next turn, which means that it finally applies to Opportunity Attacks. For those of you thinking “wait, it didn’t already?”: No, it didn’t. “advantage on melee weapon attack rolls using Strength during this turn.” It also now works with any Strength-based attack, which means that you can use it with thrown weapons.
  • 3: Primal Knowledge. Gain an extra skill proficiency, and, when you Rage, you can use some skills as a Strength check instead of their regular ability score.
  • 7: Instinctive Pounce. Move half your speed when you Rage.
  • 9: Brutal Critical. Gone. Good.
  • 9: Brutal Strike. Sacrifice the Advantage granted by Reckless Attack to add damage, push your target, or reduce their speed. Replaces Brutal Critical. Improves at 13 by adding two new options and at 17 by adding another damage die and letting you apply two rider effects instead of one.
  • 13: Improved Brutal Strike. New. Adds two more options for rider effects.
  • 15: Persistent Rage. Allows you to recover all of your Rage uses once per day.
  • 17: Improved Brutal Strike. New. Another 1d10 damage on hit.
  • 20: Primal Champion. Still raises Strength and Constitution by 4 each, but it sets your max to 25 instead of 24 so that you can use your Epic Boon to raise your Strength or Constitution to 21, then still add 4 to it.

You might also enjoy our 2024 Barbarian Class Guide and our 2024 Barbarian Subclasses Guide.

Path of the Berserker
  • 3: Frenzy is now a damage bonus on hit once on each of your turns. No exhaustion!
  • 14: Intimidating Presence: Works as a Bonus Action, lasts up to a minute with repeated saves. Once per day for free, then spend a Rage to use it again.
Path of the Wild Heart

The animal names past level 3 have all been changed. In the 2014 rules many new players assumed that you must pick one animal at level 3, then be locked into that animal for your whole career. This was not the case, and changing the animal names at other levels makes that more clear.

  • Replaces Path of the Totem Warrior
  • 3: Animal Speaker. Cast Beast Sense/Speak with Animals as rituals
  • 3: Rage of the Wilds. Replaces Totem Spirit. Can be changed every time that you Rage.
    • Bear: List of non-resisted damage expands to include force, necrotic, and radiant. Previously it was just psychic.
    • Eagle: Dash and Disengage both when you activate Rage and as a Bonus Action on later turns. Previously it was only Dash, and only on later turns.
    • Wolf: Now says “allies” instead of “friends”, which was likely an error in the 2014 text. It also applies to all attacks rather than just melee attacks, making it considerably more useful.
  • 6: Aspect of the Wilds. Can be changed on a long rest. Replaces Aspect of the Beast, which was mostly useless except for Tiger to get more skills. Can be changed on Long Rest.
    • Owl: Darkvision or +60 ft. of Darkvision if you already have it
    • Panther: Climb Speed
    • Salmon: Swim Speed
  • 10: Nature Speaker. Renamed from Spirit walker, but mechanically identical.
  • 14: Power of the Wilds. Replaces Totemic Attunement. Can be changed every time that you Rage.
    • Falcon: Fly speed
    • Lion: Matches 2014’s Totemic Attunement (Bear)
    • Ram: Knock an enemy prone on hit. No save.
Path of the World Tree
Path of the Zealot
  • 3: Divine Fury. Unchanged.
  • 3: Warrior of the Gods. No longer lets you be raised from the dead for free. Instead, you get a small pool of d12s which you can use to heal yourself as a Bonus Action.
  • 6: Fanatical Focus. Adds a bonus to the reroll equal to your Rage damage bonus.
  • 10: Zealous Presence. Now allows you to reuse the feature by spending a use of Rage. Previously this only worked once per Long Rest. Amazingly, you still gain no benefit for using it.
  • 14: Rage of the Gods. Replaces Rage Beyond Death. Now grants you a fly speed while raging.

Bard

  • Weapon Proficiencies: Now reduced to simple weapons. No longer includes the handful of martial weapons which Bards have gotten since at least 3rd edition.
  • 1: Bardic Inspiration. Inspiration dice now have a 1-hour expiration (formerly 10 minutes), and the die is used when they fail a d20 roll rather than allowing the option to use the die before knowing that you failed and potentially wasting the die.
  • 1. Spellcasting. Now allows you to change a cantrip when you gain a  Bard level.
  • 2: Expertise. Moved from level 3 to 2.
  • 2. Song of Rest. Removed.
  • 5: Font of Inspiration. You can now spend a spell slot to use Bardic Inspiration again.
  • 7: Countercharm. Now works as a Reaction without you spending your Action to perform first.
  • 9: Expertise. Moved from level 10.
  • 10: Magical Secrets. No longer a limited number of spells. From level 10 onward you can pick spells from the Bard, Cleric, Druid, and Wizard spell lists, including when you retrain spells that you already knew. No more Paladin/Ranger/Warlock spells.
  • 18: Superior Inspiration. Moved from level 20, and it now raises you to two dice instead of granting just one.
  • 20: Words of Creation. Power Word Heal/Kill prepared for free and you can affect two creatures with both of them. These are 9th-level spells, so doubling their effectiveness is pretty great.

You might also enjoy our 2024 Bard Class Guide and our 2024 Bard Subclasses Guide.

College of Dance
College of Glamour
  • Oh my god the art is a glam rock elf playing a lute
  • 3. Beguiling Magic. Charm/frighten a creature for free when you cast an Enchantment or Illusion spell with a spell slot. Replaces Enthralling Performance.
  • 3. Mantle of Inspiration. Now grants temporary hp equal to double a roll of your Bardic Inspiration die rather than having a fixed number with its own progression.
  • 6. Mantle of Majesty. Now allows you to recharge it with a level 3+ sepll slot.
College of Lore
  • 3. Cutting Words. Now only usable on other creatures’ ability checks/attack rolls when those checks are successful. No more using this before you officially know the results.
  • 6. Magical Discoveries: Renamed from “Additional Magical Secrets”. Now limited to Cleric/Druid/Wizard spells. No more Paladin/Ranger/Warlock spells. You can also retrain these spells; in the 2014 rules the retraining rules only allowed you to retrain these into Bard spells.
  • 14. Peerless Skill. Now also works on attack rolls, and can only be used when you fail. No more guessing based on a poor roll.
College of Valor

College of Valor has never been good. It attempts to squish a little of martial capability onto a class which can, in theory, fill any role. However, the Bard’s weapon-using capabilities have always paled in comparison to their spellcasting, and Valor never closed that gap. The changes in the 2024 rules made the Bard’s non-martial capabilities better and made martial characters better, but gave College of Valor none of the things that made 2024 martials better than 2014 martials. The result is a bad subclass that’s worded slightly better, but still bad.

  • 3. Combat Inspiration. Reworded to be more clear, but very little actually changed. The defensive option is now used after the creature is hit with an attack rather than when the attack is made.
  • 3. Martial Training. Renamed from Additional Proficiencies. Now also allows you to use a weapon as a spellcasting focus, removing the need for Valor Bards to occasionally drop their weapon in favor of an instrument.
  • 6. Extra Attack. Now allows you to cast a cantrip with a casting time of 1 Action in place of one the attacks. Vicious Mockery and a weapon attack in one Action!

Cleric

  • 1. Divine Order. New. Lets you choose between a martial cleric or a caster cleric at level 1 independent of your domain. Protector gets heavy armor and martial weapons. Thaumaturge gets an extra cantrip and +Wisdom modifier to their Arcana and Religion checks so that they can finally compete with wizards on religious knowledge.
  • 1. Spellcasting. Now allows you to change a cantrip when you gain a Cleric level.
  • 2. Channel Divinity. Uses per rest now scale up to 4 instead of 3. New “Divine Spark” option added alongside Turn Undead, allowing you to heal or damage a creature for 1d8+Wis which adds more dice as you gain levels. It’s effectively Cure Wounds at range as an Action.
  • 5. Sear Undead. New. Now inflict Wisdom modifier d8 damage to undead that fail their save against Turn Undead. Much simpler and more useful than Destroy Undead, which this replaces.
  • 7. Blessed Stikes. Moved to level 7 from level 8. Now lets you choose rather than being split by subclass. Divine Strike now adds +1d8 radiant or necrotic damage; no more scaling (in this feature; see Improved Blessed Strikes at level 14), and no more variation in damage types between subclasses. Potent Spellcasting is the same as it was.
  • 10. Divine Intervention. Cast nearly any Cleric spell of 5th level or lower as an Action with no material components, such as Raise Dead or Hallow. Works once per long rest.
  • 14. Improved Blessed Strikes. New (technically). Divine Strike damage adds a second d8, or you can grant temporary hp when you deal damage with a cantrip.
  • 20. Greater Divine Intervention. You can now cast Wish instead of a 5th-level or lower Cleric spell, but it adds a 2d4 day cooldown if you do so.

You might also enjoy our 2024 Cleric Class Guide and our 2024 Cleric Subclasses Guide.

Life Domain

Essentially no changes except to rules terminology, but some of the context around the subclass has changed. Cure Wounds and Healing Word now heal twice as many dice as they did in the 2014 rules, which makes them much more effective to use in combat. Supreme Healing makes this even more appealing, making Cure Wounds more effective than casting Heal if you don’t need Heal’s condition removal.

Light Domain
  • 3. Domain Spells. Flaming Sphere has been replaced with See Invisibility. Guardian of Faith is replaced by Arcane Eye.
  • 17. Corona of Light. Now limited to Wisdom modifier uses per day, but otherwise identical and still amazing.
Trickery Domain

A huge buff. Trickery Domain is now a stealthy character in their own right rather than just a character who supported stealthy characters.

  • 3. Domain Spells. Mirror Image is replaced with Invisibility. Blind and Dispel Magic are replaced by Hypnotic Pattern and Nondetection. Polymorph is replaced by Confusion.
  • 3. Blessing of the Trickster. Ranged increased from touch to 30 feet, and you can use it on yourself now!
  • 3. Invoke Duplicity: No longer requires Concentration.
  • 6. Trickster’s Transposition. Replaces Cloak of Shadows. Teleport to switch places with your illusion.
  • 17. Improved Duplicity. Replaces the 2014 version’s effect. Your duplicate now grants you and your allies Advantage to attack creatures adjacent to the illusion. In addition, you can heal a creature when the illusion disappears.
War Domain

Some modest improvements, but it doesn’t manage to make weapons a good idea for the Cleric. War Priest is much more useful now, but making yourself MAD to support both weapon use and spellcasting is a bad idea. Fortunately, better Bonus Action options come online right when you need to decide between using weapons and being good at spellcasting.

  • 3. Domain Spells. Divine Favor is replaced by Guiding Bolt. Stoneskin is replaced by Fire Shield. Flame Strike is replaced by Steel Wind Strike.
  • 3. War Priest. Now recharges on a short rest, making it much more consistently useful.
  • 6. War God’s Blessing. No more +10 to hit. That was consolidated into Guided Strike. Instead, you can cast Shield of Faith or Spiritual Weapon for free a few times per day without Concentration. Relatedly, see Spiritual Weapon.

Druid

  • 1. Weapon proficiencies are no longer a specific list; now just simple weapons, which omits scimitars. Druids have had proficiency with scimitars for as long as there have been druids, but there has rarely been a good reason for that to be the case.
  • 1. Armor proficiencies no longer include medium armor, but druids have also lost the prohibition on metal armor, so if you get armor proficiency from other sources you might happily stomp around in full plate.
  • 1. Druidic. Now gives you Speak with Animals prepared for free. The check to spot hidden druidic messages is changed from Wisdom (Perception) to Intelligence (Investigation).
  • 1. Primal Order. New. Choose an additional cantrip and the ability to add your Wisdom modifier to Arcana and Nature checks or proficiency in martial weapons and medium armor.
  • 1. Spellcasting. Now allows you to change a cantrip when you gain a Druid level.
  • 2. Wild Shape. Big rework here.
    • Now a Bonus Action for everyone rather than just Circle of the Moon
    • You can use Wild Shape again without returning to your original form
    • 2 uses per Short Rest at level 2, but scales to 4 per Short Rest
    • Known Forms. Druids are now limited to just 4 known forms. You can change one on a long rest, so it would take 4 days to replace all of your forms.
    • Forms limited to CR ¼ and no fly speed, but burrow and swim speeds are not restricted.
  • Beast Spells is gone.
  • 20. Archdruid. Big rework here.
    • Evergreen Wild Shape. Gain one use of Wild Shape if you’re out when you roll initiative. 2014 Archdruid gave you infinite uses. This prevents you from using Wild Shape as a bottomless pool of hp, but that’s already not a problem since you use your own hit points in Wild Shape.
    • Nature Magician. 

You might also enjoy our 2024 Druid Class Guide and our 2024 Druid Subclasses Guide.

Circle of the Land
  • Bonus Cantrip is gone; it’s now provided by Primal Order.
  • Your list of Circle Spells tied to a specific biome can now be changed on a Long Rest
  • 3. Land’s Aid. New. Spend a Wild Shape use to create a small AOE where enemies take damage and one creature is healed. Damage and healing scale a bit as you gain levels.
  • 6. Natural Recovery. Moved from level 2 to level 6.
  • Land’s Stride is gone.
  • 10. Nature’s Ward. Reworked to provide a damage resistance based on your choice of biome-associated Circle Spells. No longer provides immunity to poison and disease, which have been Druid features at least as far back as 3rd edition.
  • 14. Nature’s Sanctuary. No longer protects you from beasts and plants. Now creates a movable cubic area which provides Half Cover and your current Resistance from Nature’s Ward to allies within the area.
Circle of the Moon
  • 3. Circle Forms. Replaces Combat Wild Shape.
    • Same CR rule as 2013 rules: Druid level divided by 3, round down.
    • AC set to 13 + Wisdom modifier. Massive improvement to durability since few beasts have AC better than 13.
    • Gain temporary hp equal to 3 x Druid level.
  • 3. Circle of the Moon Spells. New. List of spells that you get prepared for free and can cast while in Wild Shape.
    • Starry Wisp. New cantrip. Gives you a ranged attack while in Wild Shape.
    • Cure wounds replaces 2014 Circle of the Moon’s ability to burn spell slots to heal themselves.
  • 6. Improved Circle Forms. New. Replaces Primal Strike. Attacks in Wild Shape are no longer magical; instead, you can do normal damage or radiant damage. Radiant damage will get around resistance to non-magical weapon damage. In addition, you add your Wisdom modifier to Constitution saves, making Concentration much easier.
  • 10. Moonlight Step. Replaces Elemental Wild Shape, which was cool but largely useless. Moonlight Step lets you teleport a short distance as a Bonus Action and gain Advantage on your next attack roll. Limited uses per day, but you can spend a level 2+ spell slot to regain one use. It’s like spending a Misty Step spell slot to get better Misty Step.
  • 14. Lunar Form. New. Replaces Thousand Forms.
    • Improved Lunar Radiance. +2d8 damage on hit once per turn. Notably “once per turn”, not “once on each of your turns”, so it works on Opportunity Attacks.
    • Shared Moonlight. Bring a friend along when you use Moonlight Step.

You might also enjoy our 2024 Circle of the Moon Druid Guide.

Circle of the Sea
  • New!
Circle of the Stars

Very little change here. Limited uses are now based on your Wisdom Modifier instead of your Proficiency Bonus.

  • Renamed from Circle of Stars. The “the” is new.
  • 3. Star Map. The free casts of Guiding Bolt are now tied to your Wisdom modifier instead of your PB, giving you more at low levels where you need them.
  • 6. Cosmic Omen. Uses are now tied to your Wisdom modifier instead of your Proficiency Bonus.

Fighter

Changes to the Fighter were almost purely additive, so there are a lot of buffs here compared to the 2014 Fighter. The only thing lost was the ability to do magic with Action Surge, which almost never helped the Fighter anyway.

  • 1. Persuasion added to list of skill proficiency options
  • 1. Fighting Style. Fighting Styles are now feats, making them more broadly accessible. Fighters get 1 for free, and can change it each time they gain a level. Previously you were locked in permanently, which was frustrating in a game where you might find cool magic items that don’t fit your Fighting Style.
  • 1. Second Wind. Now 2 uses per Long Rest, and you get 1 back on a Short Rest. Uses per long rest improve with level. This allows you to use them sporadically as-needed throughout the day, rather than hoping that they’ll be equally useful between each rest.
  • 1. Weapon Mastery. New. 
  • 2. Action Surge. Now prohibits the Magic action, so you can no longer use Action Surge to cast spells.
  • 2. Tactical Mind. New. Spend Second Wind to add 1d10 to a failed ability check; retain the use of Second Wind if you still fail.
  • 5. Tactical Shift. New. Move up to half your speed without Opportunity Attacks when you use Second Wind.
  • 9. Indomitable. The reroll now adds a bonus equal to your Fighter level, generally removing the frustration of rerolling and failing again.
  • 9. Tactical Master. New. Use the Push, Sap, or Slow Weapon Mastery with any weapon. This will make weapons that already have those masteries unappealing from level 9 onward.
  • 11. Two Extra Attacks. Renamed. Thank god, they found a better name than “Extra Attack 2”
  • 13. Studied Attacks. Advantage on your next attack against the same target when you miss. Removes the frustration of making numerous attacks and missing with all of them.
  • 20. Three Extra Attacks. Renamed.

You might also enjoy our 2024 Fighter Class Guide and our 2024 Fighter Subclasses Guide.

Battle Master
  • 3. Combat Superiority. No change.
  • 3. Student of War. Now grants a skill proficiency in addition to an Artisan’s Tool.
  • 7. Know Your Enemy. Reworked. Now a Bonus Action that tells you a creature’s immunities, resistances, and vulnerabilities. Usable once per Long Rest and rechargeable with a Superiority Die.
  • 15. Relentless. Once per turn (notably not “once on each of your turns”), you can use 1d8 instead of spending a Superiority Die. This effectively means one free maneuver every turn, including enemy turns for options like Parry. It’s unclear if this functions outside of combat, which would have interesting implications for Commanding Presence and Rally.
  • Maneuver Options. Many maneuvers which previously required weapon attacks now simply require an attack roll, potentially allowing you to use them with spells.
    • Brace. Removed.
    • Commander’s Strike. Now replaces one attack when you take the Attack action on your turn.
    • Evasive Footwork. Now takes a Bonus Action rather than working when you move, but also allows you to Disengage when you use it.
    • Feinting Attack. Now requires a Bonus Action.
    • Grappling Strike. Removed.
    • Lunging Attack. Reworked. Now a Bonus Action which allows you to Dash.
    • Precision Attack. Reworded to be explicitly that this is used after you roll the attack.
    • Pushing Attack. Now says “directly away” instead of just “away”
    • Quick Toss. Removed.
    • Rally. The temp hp now equal Superiority Die + half your Fighter level rather than die + charisma modifier.
Champion
  • 3. Remarkable Athlete. Reworked and moved from level 7 to level 3. Now grants Advantage on initiative rolls and on Strength (Athletics) checks, and you can move half your speed for free after scoring a critical hit.
  • 7. Additional Fighting Style. Moved from level 10.
  • 10. Heroic Warrior. New. Heroic Inspiration for free every turn.
  • 18. Survivor. Now also improves your death saves.

For more, see our 2024 Champion Fighter Subclass Guide.

Eldritch Knight
  • 3. Spellcasting. The Eldritch Knight now gets full access to the Wizard spell list (instead of primarily just 2 spell schools as has previously been the case), admittedly at a much slower progression and with a lower spell level cap. No longer will you need to agonize over what buffs or utility you feel like you need to squeeze into your four total spells known that aren’t evocation or abjuration.
    • Text uses the terms “wizard cantrips” and “wizard spells”, so multiclassing into Wizard will give you extra spellcasting options
  • 3. War Bond. No, not the patriotic kind. This feature is functionally unchanged from the 2014 version except for a name update and clarification that you can’t bond with a weapon another Fighter is bonded to or anyone is attuned to. Basically, you pick a weapon to be yours and it can’t be disarmed from you while you’re conscious and functioning. You can also summon it with a Bonus Action. It’s nearly a ribbon, but it could come up.
  • 7. War Magic. War Magic was rated blue when it consumed your Bonus Action. Now it’s a replacement like Bladesinger has, and wow are Eldritch Knights grateful for it. Not only does this open up your Bonus Action for optimization, it also means that your melee cantrips can still benefit from things that only modify your Attack action like the updated version of Heavy Weapon Master. This also works much better with Eldritch Strike, as you don’t need to perform the combo across two turns or use Action Surge. Huge buff here.
  • 10. Eldritch Strike. Functions identically to the 2014 version, but works better due to its synergy with the new version of War Magic. Now you’re able to hit someone, give them disadvantage on their next saving throw against a spell, and then immediately use that for a cantrip like Toll the Dead, turning an attack from weapon damage to 2d10 to 4d12 vs a Wisdom save with disadvantage. Once you hit level 18, then you can even use it for a leveled spell for immediate benefit.
  • 15. Arcane Charge: Completely identical to the 2014 version, this is as much movement as using the Dash action, so, combined with Action Surge, you get to do almost as much as you could in a complete additional turn (you still don’t get a second Bonus Action).
  • 18. Improved War Magic. Now allows you to replace two of your attacks during the Attack action with a level 1 or level 2 spell instead of letting you attack as a Bonus Action.

You might also enjoy our 2024 Eldritch Knight Fighter Subclass Guide.

Psi Warrior

Almost no changes here.

  • 3. Psionic Power.
    • Energy dice are now tied to Fighter level instead of Proficiency Bonus.
    • The text also clarifies that you can only use energy dice from Psi Warrior for Psi Warrior features, removing the confusion around combining Psi Warrior and Soulknife.
    • You can no longer regain 1 die as a Bonus Action. Instead, you just get 1 die back on a Short Rest. This means 1 fewer die per day, and the feature is considerably easier to understand.

Monk

  • Monk starting equipment makes a spear the monk’s default weapon. This isn’t a noteworthy mechanical change, but I’ve been advocating for spears for all 10 years of 5e’s lifetime in the face of a world that said “quarterstaff”, and I’m claiming vindication here.
  • Proficiencies: Monks no longer get proficiency specifically with short swords; instead, they proficiency with martial weapons with the Light property.
  • 1. Martial Arts.
    • The Bonus Action attack no longer requires you to take the Attack action in order to use it.
    • The damage die starts at 1d6, and is 1 step higher than the 2014 version through the full level range.
    • You can use your Dexterity modifier for your Grapple DC, making the Monk an absolutely stellar grappler.
  • 2. Monk’s Focus. Ki has been renamed to “Focus Points”.
    • Flurry of Blows. No longer requires you to take the Attack action to use.
    • Patient Defense. Disengage as a Bonus Action for no point cost. This is going to make the Monk’s mobility considerably more useful. You can spend 1 FP to also Dodge.
    • Step of the Wind. Dash as a Bonus Action for no point cost. You can spend 1 FP to also Disengage.
    • Between Patient Defense and Step of the Wind you can either Dash or Disengage for free, or for 1 FP you can Disengage+Dodge or Dash+Disengage.
  • 2. Uncanny Metabolism. New. Once per long rest, recover all of your FP and heal some hit points when you roll initiative. Adds some much-needed sustainability to a resource-starved class.
  • 3. Deflect Attacks. Reworked from Deflect Missiles. Massive buff. Works against melee attacks in addition to ranged attacks. One-on-one fights against monks are now extremely difficult.
  • 5. Stunning Strike. On a successful save, the target’s speed is halved and the next attack against them has Advantage. However, the duration now ends at the start of your next turn rather than at the end of your next turn.
  • 6. Empowered Strikes. Reworked. Now your unarmed strikes can deal force damage, bypassing most damage resistances, or their normal damage type.
  • 7. Evasion. No longer works while you’re incapacitated.
  • 10. Purity of Body. Gone.
  • 10. Heightened Focus. New.
    • Flurry of Blows. Now 3 attacks instead of 2.
    • Patient Defense. When you spend a FP, you also get temporary hit points.
    • Step of the Wind. When you spend a FP, you can also bring a friend with you.
  • 10. Self-restoration. New. Mostly replaces Purity of Body, but notably doesn’t affect diseases. Ends Charmed/Frightened/Poisoned automatically, and you don’t need food or drink.
  • 13. Tongue of the Sun and Moon. Gone.
  • 13. Deflect Energy. New. Allows Deflect Attacks to work against any damage type instead of just B/P/S.
  • 14. Disciplined Survivor. Renamed from Diamond Soul.
  • 15. Perfect Focus. Replaces the 2014 Monk’s Perfect Self capstone. Start combat with 4 FP if you had fewer.
  • 18. Empty Body. Gone.
  • 18. Superior Defense. New. Replaces Empty Body. Only costs 3 FP instead of 4, but doesn’t turn you invisible.
  • 20. Body and Mind. +4 to both Dexterity and Wisdom.

You might also enjoy our 2024 Monk Class Guide and our 2024 Monk Subclasses Guide.

Warrior of Mercy

Only one mechanical change, and it was a nerf.

  • No longer gives you a cool mask. It wasn’t really a feature, but it sure did feel cool.
  • 11. Flurry of Healing and Harm. Now limited to Wisdom modifier uses per day. Previously you could do this as much as you wanted.
Warrior of Shadow
  • 3. Shadow Arts.
    • No longer allows you to cast Darkvision, Pass Without Trace, or Silence. Casting Darkness costs 1 FP instead of 2. You can automatically see through your own Darkness from this ability.
    • Gain Darkvision or add 60 feet to your existing Darkvision’s range.
  • 11. Improved Shadow Step. Spend 1 FP to use Shadow Step without dim light/darkness, then make an Unarmed Strike.
  • 17. Cloak of Shadows. Moved from level 11 to 17, but it’s a whole new feature with the same name. 3 FP to become invisible and use Flurry of Blows for free for a full minute. Other stuff, too, but that’s pretty great on its own.
Warrior of the Elements

This is a complete reimagining of Way of the Four Elements. It’s basically a new subclass with the same theme and name.

Warrior of the Open Hand
  • 3. Open Hand Technique. The 3 effect options are given names, but they still do the same thing.
  • 6. Wholeness of Body. Previously, this was an Action and healed you for 3 times your Monk level once per long rest. This was a decent source of healing, but often difficult to use in combat due to costing a full Action and thereby locking you out of any of your other Monk features since they required you to take the Attack action. Now, this is a Bonus Action and it heals much less, but you can use it multiple times per long rest. The total amount healed is roughly comparable, but spending a Bonus Action in combat to heal such a small amount is usually only helpful for rescuing dying allies, and you can’t use this on anyone except yourself.
  • 11. Tranquility. Gone.
  • 11. Fleet Step. This almost guarantees that you will Dash for free every turn in combat. 
  • 17. Quivering Palm. Changed from a save-or-die to a big damage nuke. It still targets a Con save. I don’t think the damage is good enough to justify the FP cost.

For more, see our Warrior of the Open Hand Monk Subclass Guide.

Paladin

  • 1. Lay on Hands. Now a Bonus Action instead of an Action. No longer allows you to remove diseases.
  • 1. Spellcasting. Moved from level 2 to level 1. You can change only one prepared spell per long rest instead of changing them all on a long rest.
  • 1. Weapon Mastery. New.
  • 2. Fighting Style. Same changes as the Fighter; Fighting Styles are feats now. Paladins can now pick from any Fighting Style (2014 paladins have a restricted list). Alternatively, you can choose Blessed Warrior to get two cleric cantrips.
  • 2. Paladin’s Smite. Renamed from “Divine Smite”, but the effect of the feature is to have Divine Smite always prepared. This means that Divine Smite is now a spell, which comes with some complications. It’s cast as a Bonus Action after you hit with a melee weapon or unarmed strike, so you can now smite while punching, but you can only smite once on each of your turns, and you can’t smite on Opportunity Attacks. This will prevent paladins from repeatedly smiting in quick succession to burn through encounters in a single turn.
  • 3. Divine Health. Gone.
  • 3. Channel Divinity. 2 users per Short Rest. Scales to 3. Divine Sense is now a Channel Divinity option rather than its own thing.
  • 5. Faithful Steed. New. You get Find Steed prepared for free.
  • 6. Aura of Protection. The effects of Aura of Protection haven’t changed, but paladin auras now work by piling more effects onto Aura of Protection rather than by having a bunch of different auras. Same effects, just easier to explain.
  • 9. Abjure Foes. New. Similar to the 2014 Oath of Vengeance feature Abjure Enemy. Fantastic crowd control.
  • 11. Radiant Strikes. Renamed from Improved Divine Smite, which was a name that never made any sense because the only overlap with Divine Smite is that both deal radiant damage.
  • 14. Cleansing Touch. Gone.
  • 14. Restoring Touch. Can now spend 5 points from Lay on Hands to remove status conditions similar to Lesser Restoration.

You might also enjoy our 2024 Paladin Class Guide and our 2024 Paladin Subclasses Guide.

Oath of Devotion
  • 3. Oath of Devotion Spells. Sanctuary is replaced by Shield of Faith. Lesser Restoration is replaced by Aid. 
  • 3. Sacred Weapon. Instead of activating this as an Action as you did in the 2014 rules, you now activate it when you make an attack. In addition, it now allows you to deal radiant damage instead of your weapon’s normal damage type.
  • Turn the Unholy. Gone. Rolled into the Abjure Foes Paladin feature.
  • 15. Purity of Spirit. Gone.
  • 15. Smite of Protection. A nice defense for you and nearby allies.
  • 20. Holy Nymbus. Now works as a Bonus Action instead of as an Action, and you can recharge it with a 5th-level spell slot. The ongoing damage to enemies is now Charisma modifier + PB instead of a flat 10.
Oath of Glory
  • 3. Oath of Glory Spells. Commune and Flame Strike are replaced by Legend Lore and Yolande’s Regal Presence.
  • 7. Aura of Alacrity. Now attached to Aura of Protection, which expands its range, and the speed boost also applies if allies enter the aura rather than only if they start there, making this dramatically more usable.
  • 20. Living Legend. Now rechargeable with a 5th-level spell slot.
Oath of the Ancients
  • 3. Nature’s Wrath. Range extended from 10 feet to 15, and can now target any number of creatures of your choice within range rather than just one, and it’s always a Strength save rather than the target’s choice of Strength or Dexterity. A huge improvement.
  • 7. Aura of Warding. No longer resistance to damage from spells. Instead, it’s resistance to necrotic, psychic, and radiant damage. Those damage types will be more common and will also cover some spells, so I think it’s an improvement overall.
  • 15. Undying Sentinel. You now heal 3 times your paladin level after dropping to 1 instead of dropping to 0. The wording on the aging effect has also changed, but that likely won’t have a mechanical effect on your game.
  • 20. Elder Champion. Now works as a Bonus Action instead of as an Action, and you can recharge it with a 5th-level spell slot.
Oath of Vengeance
  • 3. Abjure Enemy. Moved to the Abjure Foes feature, which is now available to all paladins at level 9.
  • 3. Vow of Enmity. Now works when you take the Attack action, and you can transfer it to another target if you reduce the first to 0 hp. A massive improvement.
  • 7. Relentless Avenger. Now also reduces the target’s speed to 0 until the end of the current turn. Another massive improvement.
  • 15. Soul of Vengeance. Now reworded to specify that this takes effect after they hit or miss. Unfortunately, this now makes the timing ambiguous. This may be functionally identical, but they deliberately changed the text to make it less clear. Why?
  • 20. Avenging Angel. Now works as a Bonus Action instead of as an Action, and you can recharge it with a 5th-level spell slot.

Ranger

  • 1. Spellcasting. Moved from level 2 to level 1. You can now change one prepared spell per long rest. Rangers are no longer locked into their spell choices until they gain another Ranger level, making their spellcasting much less restrictive.
  • 1. Favored Enemy. Hunter’s Mark always prepared for free, and 2 free castings per Long Rest. Scales up to 6, matching Proficiency Bonus progression for a single-class Ranger. Many of the Ranger’s class and subclass features work based on using Hunter’s Mark, which means that we are once again defaulting to ranger concentrating on Hunter’s Mark at all times. Ugh. We had a few years post-Tasha’s where there were other interesting choices, and apparently WotC didn’t like that.

    Fortunately, Concentration has been removed from Magic Weapon. Doing DPR calculations for 2014 builds revealed that alternating between Magic Weapon and Elemental Weapon was actually more effective than using Hunter’s Mark. Now you can combine Magic Weapon with Hunter’s Mark to get even more damage output. Unfortunately, Elemental Weapon still requires Concentration.
  • 1. Weapon Mastery. New.
  • 2. Natural Explorer. Gone. Replaced by Deft Explorer, Roving, and Tireless.
  • 2. Deft Explorer. Mostly matches the “Canny” Optional Class Feature, but you get 2 languages instead of 1.
  • 2. Fighting Style. Same changes as the Fighter; Fighting Styles are feats now. Rangers can now pick from any Fighting Style (2014 rangers have a restricted list). Alternatively, you can choose Druidic Warrior to get two druid cantrips.
  • 6. Roving. Nearly identical to the Optional Class Feature, but the speed increase is raised to +10 feet and this now doesn’t function in heavy armor.
  • 9. Expertise. New. Rangers previously only got Expertise in one skill from Canny, and they now get a total of 3.
  • 10. Tireless. Mostly identical to the Optional Class Feature of the same name, but the uses of the Temporary Hit Points action are now based on your Wisdom modifier instead of your Proficiency Bonus.
  • 13. Relentless Hunter. New.
  • 14. Nature’s Veil. Mostly identical to the Optional Class Feature of the same name, but the uses are now based on your Wisdom modifier instead of your Proficiency Bonus.
  • 17. Precise Hunter. New.
  • 18. Feral Senses. No longer a weird invisibility detector; now it’s just Blindsight.
  • 20. Foe Slayer. Hunter’s Mark improves from 1d6 damage to 1d10. That is… disappointing.

You might also enjoy our 2024 Ranger Class Guide and our 2024 Ranger Subclasses Guide.

Beast Master

The 2014 Beast Master was the butt of many jokes, and was the cause of many disappointed Ranger players. Tasha’s patched the subclass so it was at least viable, but it was later overshadowed by the Drakewarden both in effectiveness and in playability.

  • 3. Primal Companion. Functionally identical to the Tasha’s version of the same feature. I’m still hoping that they give us other beast options in future supplements.
  • 7. Exceptional Training. Previously this allowed your beast to take the listed actions if it didn’t attack. Now it’s additive, so your beast can take the listed actions as a Bonus Action, making your beast’s turns that much more impactful. The portion of the feature that made the beast’s attacks magical now allows you to deal force damage instead of the attack’s usual damage type.
  • 11. Bestial Fury. Functionally doubles your beast’s damage output. You can command it as a Bonus Action to attack twice, then sacrifice one of your own attacks to make it attack twice again. The Hunter’s Mark buff is nice, but not very impactful since it’s only once per turn.
  • 15. Share Spells. The only thing that didn’t change!
Fey Wanderer

Only one change, and it’s very minor:

  • 3. Fey Wanderer Spells. Replaces Dispel Magic with Summon Fey.
Gloom Stalker

Nerfing Dread Ambusher took a lot of the power out of Gloom Stalker.

  • 3. Dread Ambusher. The Gloomstalker’s additional attack has been replaced by Dreadful Strike, a 2d6 on-hit damage bonus which you can apply Wisdom modifier times per day.
  • 11. Stalker’s Flurry. Completely rewritten. This now applies additional effects when you use Dreadful Strike. You can choose to make an additional attack against a creature adjacent to the target or to cause a 10-foot fear AOE emanating from the target.
  • 15. Shadowy Dodge. Can now be used if the target has Advantage on the attack, and now also allows you to teleport 30 feet when you use it. A good buff to an already good feature.
Hunter

They tried to make the Hunter more playable and they somehow made it weaker.

  • 3. Hunter’s Lore. New. Lets you know a creature’s resistances/immunities/vulnerabilities when you apply Hunter’s Mark. 
  • 3. Hunter’s Prey. Now lets you change your choice between Colossus Slayer and Horde Breaker when you complete a Short or Long Rest.
    • Giant Killer has been removed. 
    • Horde Breaker is nerfed, so you can no longer target a secondary target which you’ve already attacked this turn. It’s not clear why this changed. Rangers only get two attacks, and they’re incentivized to focus on single targets. My best guess is to discourage multiclass dips.
  • 7. Defensive Tactics. Like with Hunter’s Prey, this now lets you change your choice on a rest.
    • Multiattack Defense. Now imposes Disadvantage instead of giving you +4 AC. Mathematically, it’s very slightly worse, but you’re also much less likely to be crit, so I think it’s equivalent.
    • Steel Will has been removed as an option. 
  • 11. Superior Hunter’s Prey. Replaces 2014’s Multiattack. Lets you apply Hunter’s Mark’s damage to another nearby creature on hit once per turn.
  • 15. Superior Hunter’s Defense. Resistance to a damage type as a Reaction.

Rogue

  • 1. Expertise. No longer allows you to select Thieves’ Tools.
  • 1. Thieves’ Cant. Also grants you an extra language proficiency.
  • 1. Weapon Mastery. New.
  • 3. Steady Aim. Identical to the Optional Class Feature.
  • 5. Cunning Strike. Allows you to reduce your Sneak Attack damage in exchange for powerful rider effects like knocking the target prone or applying the Poisoned condition.
  • 7. Reliable Talent. Moved from 11th level.
  • 11. Improved Cunning Strike. New. Use up to 2 Cunning Strike effects on the same attack.
  • 14. Blindsense. Gone.
  • 14. Devious Strikes. New. Adds more Cunning Strike options.
  • 15. Slippery Mind. Now adds proficiency in both Wisdom and Charisma saves instead of just Wisdom.
  • 20. Stroke of Luck. Turn any d20 test into a 20. This means at least one guaranteed critical hit between each rest.

You might also enjoy our 2024 Rogue Class Guide and our 2024 Rogue Subclasses Guide.

Arcane Trickster
  • 3. Spellcasting. Now allows you to retrain a cantrip when you gain a level, and now gets full access to the Wizard spell list instead of just enchantment/illusion spells.
  • 3. Mage Hand Legerdemain. Most of the 2014 feature’s capabilities were added to Mage Hand, with the exception of the ability to use Sleight of Hand and Thieves’ Tools. Now you can use Mage Hand for Sleight of Hand.
  • 9. Magical Ambush. Now requires you to have the Invisible condition, which at a glance sounds like a huge problem, but the 2024 Hide action gives you the Invisible condition if you successfully hide.
  • 13. Versatile Trickster. Now allows you to trip a target with your Mage Hand, but only when you use the Trip option from Cunning Strike.
Assassin

Much more reliable and less focus on disguises and infiltration. Much more stabby.

  • 3. Assassinate. Reworked completely. Now much easier to use and much more consistently effective, but there’s no automatic critical hits.
  • 3. Assassin’s Tools. Renamed from “Bonus Proficiencies”. Now also gives you one of each kit for free.
  • 9. Infiltration Expertise. Reworked completely. No more false identity. Now you can perfectly mimic speech and handwriting, and Steady Aim doesn’t reduce your speed to 0.
  • 13. Imposter. Gone.
  • 13. Envenom Weapons. Extra poison damage when you use the Poison option of Cunning Strike. The damage applies whenever the target fails the save, which includes the additional saves at the end of each of their turns.
Soulknife

Very few changes.

  • 3. Psionic Power. Like the Psi Warrior, the Soulknife’s Psionic Power feature now explicitly states that these dice are only for Soulknife features, the progression is tied to your Rogue level rather than your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain one die on a Short Rest.
  • 3. Psychic Blades. The blades have the Vex Weapon Mastery, and can now be used for Opportunity Attacks.
Thief
  • 3. Fast Hands.
    • Now allows you to use magic items which require you to take the Magic action to use.
    • Acid, Alchemist’s Fire, and using Oil to douse a creature all now replace an attack, so they no longer work with Fast Hands.
  • 3. Second-Story Work. Now much simpler, but functionally similar. A Climb speed and you use Dexterity for Athletics checks to jump.
  • 9. Supreme Sneak. Reworked completely. Now a Cunning Strike option that allows you to attack without giving away your position.
  • 13. Use Magic Device. Reworked completely. You no longer ignore restrictions on items, such as class requirements. Instead, you get an extra attunement slot, you have a chance to not spend charges when using a magic item, and you can use spell scrolls.

Sorcerer

The Sorcerer’s too-small pool of spells known has been expanded, and the new Innate Sorcery feature offers some cool new things.

  • 1. Spellcasting. Sorcerers now know/prepare considerably more spells than in the 2014 rules. The cap has been raised from 15 to 22. Also now allows you to change a cantrip when you gain a Sorcerer level.
  • 1. Innate Sorcery. New. Spend a Bonus Action to be really good at offensive spells for 1 minute.
  • 2. Metamagic. Largely minor mechanical improvements and clarification of wording.
    • Careful Spell. Protected creatures now take no damage if the spell would deal half damage on a successful save. This was an odd and frustrating omission from the 2014 version.
    • Extended Spell. Now also gives you Advantage on saves to maintain Concentration on the affected spell.
    • Heightened Spell. Cost reduced from 3 to 2, and the target now suffers Disadvantage on all saves against the spell. A massive upgrade from the 2014 version, and I already thought this was one of the best options.
    • Quickened Spell. No functional change, but the text is extremely explicit that you still only get one leveled spell per turn.
    • Seeking Spell. Cost reduced from 2 to 1, and you can now use it on a spell which is already affected by another Metamagic.
    • Subtle Spell. Now also omits material components if they’re not consumed by the spell and don’t have a specified cost.
    • Twinned Spell. Completely reworked. Now only works with spells that add more targets when cast at a higher level, and costs 1 point to add 1 more target. No more twinned Haste. Look how they massacred my boy.
  • 5. Sorcerous Restoration. New. Once per Long Rest, restore some Sorcery Points on a Short Rest.
  • 7. Sorcery Incarnate. Spend 2 Sorcery Points to activate Innate Sorcery, and when Innate Sorcery is running you can add two Metamagic effects to the same spell. Similar to the 2014 Sorcerous Restoration capstone feature.
  • 20. Arcane Apotheosis. New. While Innate Sorcery is running, use Metamagic once for free each turn. This is an awesome capstone.

You might also enjoy our 2024 Sorcerer Class Guide and our 2024 Sorcerer Subclasses Guide.

Aberrant Sorcery

Very few changes, but the addition of a subclass spell list to every Sorcerer subclass and the expansion of the Sorcerer’s base number of known spells (sorry, “prepared” spells now. Ugh.) leveled the playing field quite a bit.

  • 3. Psionic Spells. The spell list is the same, but the ability to retrain the spells has been removed, which is a huge nerf.
Clockwork Sorcery

Basically the same situation as Aberrant Sorcery.

  • 3. Clockwork Spells. The spell list is the same, but the ability to retrain the spells has been removed, which is a huge nerf.
  • 3. Restore Balance. The uses per day are now equal to your Charisma modifier instead of your Proficiency Bonus.
Draconic Sorcery
  • 3. Draconic Resilience. AC is now 10 + Dex + Cha instead of 13 + Dex.
  • 3. Draconic Spells. New.
  • 6. Elemental Affinity. Now works permanently. No more spending Sorcery Points for 1 hour of resistance.
  • 14. Dragon Wings. No longer free to use. You get one free use per day, then it’s 3 Sorcery Points to activate it again.
  • 18. Draconic Presence. Gone.
  • 18. Dragon Companion. New. Allows you to cast Summon Dragon once per day for free, and you can modify the spell to last 1 minute and not require Concentration.

You might also enjoy our Draconic Sorcery Sorcerer Subclass Guide.

Wild Magic Sorcery

The 2014 version involved a lot of your DM deciding if Wild Magic got to be fun, so our articles suggested some house rules on how to handle it. Amazingly, the changes here match what we suggested almost exactly.

  • 3. Wild Magic Surge. Now you decide if you roll the d20 for wild magic instead of your DM.
  • 3. Tides of Chaos. Now always triggers Wild Magic.
  • 6. Bend Luck. Sorcery Point cost reduced from 2 to 1.
  • 18. Spell Bombardment. Gone.
  • 18. Tamed Surge. New. Once per Long Rest, cast a leveled spell and trigger an effect from the Wild Magic Table of your choice. This makes much more sense in the subclass than Spell Bombardment did.

Warlock

  • 1. Invocations. The progression of invocations has changed. You now get 1 at level 1 instead of 2 at level 2. The maximum has also increased from 8 to 10. Pact Boons are now Invocations, which means that you can get them at level 1 or you could skip them entirely.
  • 1. Pact Magic. Mostly unchanged from the 2014 rules, but now allows you to change a cantrip when you gain a Warlock level.
  • 2. Magical Cunning. Perform a 1-minute ritual to recover half of your Pact Magic spell slots (rounded up) once per day. A small boost to the Warlock’s sustainability.
  • 9. Contact Patron. Allows you to cast Contact Other Plane once per day. Thematically, it’s to talk to your patron, but RAW you could talk to whatever the spell allows.
  • 11. Mystic Arcanum. You can now retrain Mystic Arcanum spells. I found the inability to retrain these a huge problem in the 2014 rules, so I’m excited to see this change.
  • 20. Eldritch Master. Magical Cunning now restores all of your Pact Magic spell slots.

You might also enjoy our 2024 Warlock Class Guide, our 2024 Warlock Invocations Guide, and our 2024 Warlock Subclasses Guide.

Invocations

Invocations which allowed you to cast a specific spell once per day using a spell slot are gone. Most of these were awful, so very little was lost. A surprising number of Invocations from Xanathar’s and Tasha’s were not updated for the 2024 rules, including options like Grasp of Hadar. Eldritch Adept didn’t make it into the 2024 rules, either, but there are very few level 1 Invocation options which you could select with Eldritch Adept.

  • Agonizing Blast. You now pick any one Warlock cantrip that deals damage. Repeatable to select more cantrips.
  • Devil’s Sight. You can now see in dim light in addition to the previous effects.
  • Devouring Blade. New! Bladelocks can now get 3 attacks per Attack Action.
  • Eldritch Spear. Now works with any Warlock cantrip that deals damage and has 10+ feet of range, and adds +30 feet per Warlock level to its range. Repeatable to select more cantrips.
  • Fiendish Vigor. Now automatically gives you the max roll rather than requiring you to sit around and cast it repeatedly.
  • Gaze of Two Minds. Now targets any willing creature instead of a willing humanoid, now takes a Bonus Action to use and to maintain, and if you’re within 60 feet of the target you can cast spells as if you were in its space. A massive buff. Warlocks are going to turn invisible allies into predator drones. Predator drones are Order of Scribes’ thing. How dare you, WotC.
  • Gift of the Depths. New. Cast Water Breathing once per day and get a permanent swim speed.
  • Investment of the Chain Master. Now allows your familiar to change weapon damage types to necrotic or radiant, but otherwise the same as the version in Tasha’s.
  • Lessons of the First Ones. Gain an Origin Feat. Repeatable.
  • Lifedrinker. No more double-dipping Charisma to damage. Once per turn, deal 1d6 extra damage on hit with your pact weapon and spend a Hit Point Die to heal yourself.
  • Master of Myriad Forms. Dropped from 15th level to 5th.
  • One With Shadows. Now it just lets you cast Invisibility without a spell slot. An absolutely massive buff.
  • Pact of the Blade.
    • Create or bind a weapon as a Bonus Action. 
    • You can now use it as a spellcasting focus. 
    • Like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Hex Warrior, we now get Charisma to attack and damage. 
    • You can make it deal necrotic, psychic, or radiant damage, decided every time you hit.
    • Ability increases provided by martial feats almost exclusively provide increases to Strength or Dexterity. This is going to make 1-level dips for Pact of the Blade much less appealing than Hexblade dips in the 2014 rules. It’s also going to make Dexterity-based builds the go-to option for weapon-focused warlocks.
  • Pact of the Chain. Now a bunch of new forms! Otherwise, the same as 2014. The last Unearthed Arcana for the Warlock had a standalone stat block for familiars, but they apparently reversed that change. 
  • Pact of the Tome. Now includes 2 level 1 Ritual spells in addition to the cantrips.
  • Repelling Blast. Now works with any one Warlock cantrip which requires an attack roll. Repeatable to select more cantrips.
  • Visions of Distant Realms. Dropped from level 15 to level 9/.
  • Whispers of the Grave. Dropped from level 9 to level 7.
  • Witch Sight. Upgraded to permanent Truesight within 30 feet.

You might also enjoy our 2024 Warlock Invocations Guide.

Archfey Patron
  • 3. Archfey Spells. Misty Step is added to the Level 2 spells.
  • 3. Steps of the Fey. Misty Step for free Charisma modifier times per day, and adds a rider effect of your choice whenever you cast Misty Step (including with spell slots): temporary hp for you or a nearby ally, or impose Disadvantage on enemies that were adjacent before you teleported.
  • 6. Misty Escape. Cast Misty Step as a Reaction when you take damage, triggering Steps of the Fey. Also adds two new rider effect options: turn invisible or deal psychic damage to adjacent enemies.
  • 10. Beguiling Defenses. No more reflecting Charm effects. Instead, when you’re hit with an attack you can halve the damage and force the attack to take the same amount of Psychic damage on a failed save.
  • 14. Bewitching Attack. When you cast Enchantment/Illusion spells with spell slots, cast Misty Step for free, triggering Steps of the Fey as usual. Multiclassing to get more spell slots may be worthwhile if you want to abuse this.
Celestial Patron
  • 3. Celestial Spells. Level 2 spells replace Flaming Sphere with Aid. Level 5 spells replace Flame Strike with Summon Celestial.
  • 10. Celestial Resilience. Now also works when you use Magical Cunning.
  • 14. Searing Vengeance. Can now be used on yourself or on an ally within 60 feet.
Fiend Patron
  • 3. Dark One’s Blessing. Now also applies when someone else kills a creature within 10 feet of you, so you no longer need to last-hit enemies.
  • 3. Fiend Spells. Level 2 spells replace Blindness/Deafness with Suggestion. Flame Strike and Hallow are replaced by Geas and Insect Plague.
  • 6. Dark One’s Own Luck. Now Charisma modifier uses per day rather than 1 per Short Rest.
  • 10. Fiendish Resilience. Now prohibits you from selecting force damage, but isn’t bypassed by magic weapons or silver weapons.
  • 14. Hurl Through Hell. Now allows a save and the damage is reduced from 10d10 to 8d10, but you can recharge it with a Pact Magic spell slot, so you can do it much more often. If you really hated someone, you could do it repeatedly over several turns.
Great Old One Patron

The accompanying art is absolutely for the Fathomless warlock. We’ve seen the Far Realm, and it’s not nautical themed.

  • 3. Awakened Mind. Now requires a Bonus Action to establish a link, and you can only have one link at a time. Once the link is in place, the range is several miles, but it also only lasts a few minutes. It’s better because you can establish a link and let a friend run off beyond the 30-foot range, but it’s also less convenient when you just need to talk to multiple nearby creatures. I think it’s still a better feature overall.
  • 3. Great Old One Spells. Sending is replaced by Hunger of Hadar. Dominate and Evard’s Black Tentacles are replaced by Confusion and Summon Aberration. Dominate Person is replaced by Modify Memory.
  • 3. Psychic Spells. New. You can change the damage of your Warlock spells to psychic damage.
  • 6. Entropic Ward. Gone.
  • 6. Clairvoyant Combatant. Force the target of your Awakened Mind to make a save. On a failure, they have Disadvantage to hit you, and you have Advantage to hit them. Once per Short Rest unless you spent a Pact Magic slot to recharge it.
  • 10. Eldritch Hex. Hex always prepared for free, and the target also has Disadvantage on saving throws for the ability you choose when you cast Hex. Great setup for save-or-suck effects.
  • 10. Thought Shield. Immune to telepathy without permissions, resistance to psychic damage, and creatures that deal psychic damage to you take as much damage as you do. Very cool, but not super impactful since psychic damage is rare.
  • 14. Create Thrall. Get really good at casting Summon Aberration.

Wizard

Can I just take a moment to talk about how much I love the Wizard’s splash page art? That’s the fantasy I want. Floating through the air, surrounded by visible magical effects and flying books, operating a magic staff purely by thought. Glowing eyes optional, but strongly preferred.

Wizard subclasses now use the title for members of that subclass rather than “School of X”, so bards no longer get to make jokes about college vs. school.

  • 1. Spellcasting. Now allows you to change a cantrip on Long Rest, which only Wizards can do. Everyone else needs to gain a class level.
  • 1. Ritual Adept. Broken out from the Spellcasting feature, where it was buried and often overlooked in the 2014 rules. This remains one of the Wizard’s best tools.
  • 2. Scholar. Expertise in one skill from the Wizard’s class skill list, excluding Insight. This makes the wizard feel very scholarly, which I love.
  • 5. Memorize Spell. Replace one of your prepared spells on a Short Rest. Guessing which spells to prepare has long been the hardest part of playing a Wizard, and this takes some of that stress away. It also gives you even more excuses to collect spells like some kind of librarian magpie.
  • 18. Spell Mastery. Your spell choices are limited to spells that can be cast as an Action, so no more Shield or Misty Step. They now count as always prepared, which was a weird omission from the 2014 version. You can now change the spells on a Long Rest, instead of with 8 hours of study. Mostly a nerf.
  • 20. Signature Spells. Identical to the 2014 version. Spell Mastery is arguably still a better feature, but we’ll need to dig into the spell options to be certain.

You might also enjoy our 2024 Wizard Class Guide and our 2024 Wizard Subclasses Guide.

Abjurer
  • 3. Abjuration Savant. Now grants free Abjuration spells when you get access to new Wizard spell levels. The “X Savant” features in the 2014 rules were only useful if your DM made it easy to add additional spells to your spellbook, so I’m excited to see an improvement here.
  • 3. Arcane Ward. Now allows you to burn a spell slot as a Bonus Action to get the same amount of hp that you would from casting the spell. Don’t do this unless you are absolutely desperate.
  • 6. Projected Ward. The protected creature’s damage resistances now apply before damaging the ward.
  • 10. Spell Breaker. Counterspell and Dispel Magic prepared for free, cast Dispel Magic as a Bonus Action, and add your Proficiency Bonus to the ability check. In addition, you don’t spend a spell slot if your Counterspell or Dispel Magic fails.
Diviner

Almost no changes.

  • 3. Divination Savant. Now grants free Divination spells.
  • 10. The Third Eye. The “Ethereal Sight” option was removed.
Evoker
  • 3. Evocation Savant. Now grants free Evocation spells.
  • 3. Potent Cantrip. Moved from level 6 to level 3. Always deal half damage with failed cantrips, rather than just when your target succeeds on a save, though other effects beyond damage still don’t apply. A huge upgrade. This notably applies to any cantrip, so a warlock/wizard multiclass for an Eldritch Blast build isn’t out of the question.
  • 6. Sculpt Spells. Moved from level 2 to level 6.
  • 10. Empowered Evocation. Mechanically identical, but that’s not the important part: They finally nerfed the Magic Missile machine gun. Magic Missile now reads “A dart deals 1d4 +1 Force damage to its target.” 
  • 14. Overchannel. Now only boosts damage on the turn that you cast the spell. No more max damage Sickening Radiance.
Illusionist
  • 3. Illusion Savant. Now grants free Illusion spells.
  • 3. Improved Illusions. Massive upgrade over 2014’s Improved Minor Illusion. Improved Minor Illusion gave you Minor Illusion, let you cast it without Verbal or Somatic components, and allowed you to create both sound and visual effects at once. Fun for shenanigans outside of combat, but not much else. Improved Illusions extends the range of illusion spells, removes all of their verbal components, gives you Minor Illusion for free, lets you create both sound and visual effects at once, and lets you cast it as a Bonus Action.
  • 6. Malleable Illusions. Gone.
  • 6. Phantasmal Creatures. Summon Beast and Summon Fey prepared, and you can turn them into illusions and cast each for free once per day. Changing the spells to illusions triggers Improved Illusions, thereby removing their Verbal components and extending the range of the both spells.
  • 10. Illusory Self. Can now be recharged by spending a level 2+ spell slot.

You might also enjoy our 2024 Illusionist Wizard Subclass Guide.

Backgrounds

In addition to providing skill proficiencies, tool proficiencies, and some starting gear as they did in the 2014 rules, they now provide ability score improvements and an Origin Feat. The ability score improvements apply based on 3 ability scores specified by the background. You can choose +2/+1 to two of them, or you can choose +1 to all three.

Backgrounds no longer provide traits/ideals/bonds/flaws or a “feature”. Very few people used those anyway. They also provide just one tool proficiency now, and don’t provide language proficiencies.

While the names of Backgrounds overlap with those from the 2014 rules, I recommend thinking of them as totally independent because the rules of Backgrounds have changed so much.

The changes here make backgrounds a massively important decision point when building a character. Just as races/species have historically been locked into certain class choices, backgrounds will now be locked to specific classes.

Species

Renamed from “races”. There has been a lot of debate around what term to use here, but RPG companies almost universally agree that “races” is not the right answer. Pathfinder went with “Ancestries”, Tales of the Valiant went with “Lineages”, and D&D went with “Species”. Mechanically, they mean the same thing, but they shake off some of the problematic historical associations.

Species are now grouped into the “Character Origins” chapter alongside Backgrounds. It makes sense from a storytelling perspective, but for reference purposes it’s annoying.

Aasimar

New to the core rules.

Largely identical to the Monsters of the Multiverse version, but now you can choose your type of transformation every time that you transform instead of locking yourself into one at level 3.

The 2024 rules have moved towards using force, necrotic, psychic, and radiant damage to bypass damage resistances. While we don’t have the Monster Manual yet, the Aasimar’s damage resistances are likely to be very impactful at high levels.

Dragonborn

Similar in many ways to the Dragonborn presented in Fizban’s Treasure of Dragons, but it’s an upgrade even compared to that version. Breath Weapon now lets you choose between a cone or a line each time you use it, rather than being decided permanently at level 1, and the damage dice are upgraded from d6’s to d10’s.

All dragonborn now gain the ability to fly once per day starting at level 5 similar to Gem Flight from Fizban’s, except that the duration is now 10 minutes. They also gained Darkvision!


Tragically, Gem Dragons are omitted from the draconic ancestor options.

Dwarf

Darkvision expands to 120 feet, the Hill Dwarf’s hp bonus is now on all dwarves, and Stonecunning is now temporary Tremorsense. Their weapon proficiencies from the 2014 rules are gone, as is any sign of the Hill vs. Mountain distinction.

I have been playing various editions of D&D for over 20 years, and this is the first time I’ve expected Stonecunning to be useful. I’m actually excited about it, now.

Elf

Fey Ancestry was added. Keen Senses now lets you pick from a list of 3 skills. Trance went back to the 2014 version, rather than taking the version that Astral Elves and Sea Elves got in later content.

Elven Lineage is a new trait introduced to replace the concept of subraces. The three presented options, Drow, High Elf, and Wood Elf, all give you a base trait and some innate spellcasting at levels 3 and 5. For the High Elf and the Wood Elf, this is a huge buff. You can recast the spells using spell slots and you get to pick your spellcasting ability, as we’ve seen with races introduced post-Tasha’s.

Elves have lost their weapon proficiencies altogether.

Drow no longer have Sunlight Sensitivity. High Elves can now change their cantrip on a long rest. Wood elves are now appealing in a world where they’re not the only ones who can get bonuses to both Dexterity and Wisdom.

Gnome

Gnomish Lineage replaces the concept of subraces. Forest Gnome replaces their ability to talk to subterranean animals with the ability to cast Speak With Animals several times per day, which they can also recast with spell slots. Rock Gnomes now get Mending and Prestidigitation and can use Prestidigitation to create tiny clockwork devices which replicate the effects of Prestidigitation.

Goliath

New to the core rules.

Giant Ancestry replaces Stone’s Endurance, allowing you to pick a feature based on a giant ancestor. Stone’s Endurance is one of several options.

Large Form is new, allowing you to turn Large as a Bonus Action for a few minutes once per day.

Powerful Build now grants Advantage to end grapples in addition to allowing you to carry more.

Halfling

All halflings are nimble halflings now. No more stout halflings.

Human

All humans are now variant humans, and also you get Heroic Inspiration when you complete a Long Rest. Getting a feat at 1st level is less special thanks to the Background changes, but it’s still pretty great.

Orc

New to the core rules.

Mostly the same as the Monsters of the Multiverse version, but the Orc’s Darkvision improves to 120 feet, and they have lost Powerful Build.

Tiefling

Tieflings got more options than any other race over the course of the 2014 rules. Between Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, it was an absolute mess. The new version trims that down considerably.

Fiendish Legacy now represents the differing heritage between tieflings, letting you choose from Abyssal, Cthonic, and Infernal, representing the chaotic evil, neutral evil, and lawful evil lower planes, respectively. Each option offers a damage resistance and a different set of innate spellcasting. Infernal is closest to the 2014 Tiefling, but trades Vicious Mockery for Fire Bolt.

As with other Species, the Tiefling can choose their spellcasting ability and can recast their innate spells using spell slots.

On top of that, Tieflings also get Thaumaturgy, so you get two cantrips from your Species, which is really nice for any spellcaster.

Feats

Feats now come in four varieties: Origin Feats, General Feats, Epic Boons, and Fighting Styles.

There are a lot of feats. For brevity, I’m going to skip the Epic Boons and any feats that didn’t change in function.

Origin Feats

  • Alert. Add your PB to initiative instead of the flat +5. No interaction with the Surprise mechanic since the mechanic is much gentler now. Instead, now you can swap initiative with a willing ally.
  • Crafter. New!
  • Healer. The action to heal an ally now lets them spend a hit die instead of the 2014 healing mechanic. There’s no cooldown, but it also means that allies need to save a hit die or two so that you can rescue them. As in the 2014 rules, the Thief Rogue can do this as a Bonus Action with Fast Hands. In addition, when you roll dice to heal someone (including with the Healer feat) you can reroll 1s.
  • Lucky. Big changes. Luck Points equal to your PB, but they can grant you Advantage or impose Disadvantage on an attack against you. No more rerolls.
  • Magic Initiate. Now limited to the Cleric, Druid, and Wizard spell lists. The 1st-level spell can now be recast with spell slots, you can retrain the spell selections when you gain a level (but not the class selection), and you can take this multiple times.
  • Musician. New! Really good, too!
  • Savage Attacker. Now works with ranged weapons, too. Still not great.
  • Skilled. Can now be taken more than once.
  • Tavern Brawler. No ability score increase. Allows you to reroll 1s on unarmed strike damage dice. Allows you to both damage and push enemies with an unarmed strike once per turn. There’s finally some appeal here for monks!

General Feats

General Feats all require that you’re level 4 or higher, and, with the exception of Ability Score Improvement (omitted from the list below), they all provide a +1 ability score increase, making feats a much easier choice.

I’m omitting the ability score increases from the list below to avoid getting in trouble for sharing the precise text. The increases generally make sense for the feat. Many of the feats haven’t changed from the 2014 rules except for the addition of a +1 ability score increase. Feats which only got a new ASI are omitted from the list for brevity.

  • Athlete. Now gives you an actual climb speed.
  • Charger. Reworked completely. Dash now gives you 10 extra feet of movement, and once per turn if you move 10 feet straight toward a target you can add bonus damage or push them 10 feet away. Not “directly away”, just “away”. WotC, I sincerely thought you had caught on to this one by now.
  • Crossbow Expert. You can now load crossbows without a free hand. The ability to make ranged attacks safely while adjacent to enemies is now limited only to crossbows. The bonus action hand crossbow attack has been removed; instead, you’re expected to use two-weapon fighting with hand crossbows.
  • Defensive Duelist. Now applies to all melee attacks until the start of your next turn, making this massively more impactful.
  • Dual Wielder. Now grants you a separate Bonus Action from the one granted by the Light weapon property, which is a very important distinction. The Nick mastery allows you to make the additional attack from the Light property as part of your Attack action, but specifies that you can only make that attack once per turn. The additional Bonus Action from Dual Wielder is its own separate thing, so it appears that, if you use a Nick weapon, you attack with your off-hand weapon twice in a single turn. I’m not totally certain if this is correct or intended.
  • Durable. Completely rewritten. Now grants Advantage on death saves and lets you spend a hit point die as a Bonus Action, though doing so doesn’t add your Constitution modifier to the hit points gained.
  • Grappler. Completely rewritten. Once per turn when you hit with an unarmed strike, you can deal damage and grapple at the same time instead of picking one. You have Advantage to attack creatures which you have grappled, and you can move a grapple at full speed rather than half speed if the creature that you grappled is your size or smaller. Monks are going to have a ton of fun with this.
  • Great Weapon Master. The bonus attack mechanic is unchanged, but the damage bonus mechanic is rewritten. No more -5 penalty, but now it only works during the Attack action on your turn, and the damage bonus is only +PB. No longer a must-have for two-handed melee builds, but the damage bonus is still good and you no longer need to do complicated math.
  • Heavy Armor Master. The damage reduction is no longer bypassed by magic, and the reduction is now your Proficiency Bonus instead of a flat 3. A massive improvement, especially since you can’t get this until level 4, and your PB will improve to +3 at level 5.
  • Inspiring Leader. Now works with your choice of Wisdom or Charisma, but the performance now takes place during a Short or Long Rest.This makes the feat more broadly appealing, but attaching the performance to rests means that you can’t put the feat on everyone in the party and have someone perform after every encounter. Now you won’t benefit from more than one Inspiring Leader in a party.
  • Keen Mind. Completely rewritten. Now it’s either proficiency or Expertise in a knowledge skill, plus the ability to Study as a Bonus Action. Study is used primarily to roll knowledge skills like Arcana to know things about a subject, much like Pathfinder 2e’s Recall Knowledge.
  • Lightly Armored. Now grants proficiency in shields. Problematic for Rogues that might want shields as they get Light but not Shield.
  • Mage Slayer. Significantly different. The only thing retained was imposing Disadvantage on Concentration. The Reaction attack and Advantage on saves has been replaced by the ability to auto-succeed on an Intelligence/Wisdom/Charisma save once per Short or Long Rest. Since this isn’t limited to spells, it’s broadly appealing for martial characters who typically have poor mental saves.
  • Martial Weapon Training. New! Very self-descriptive.
  • Medium Armor Master. This got nerfed for some reason. It no longer negates Disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks from medium armor.
  • Moderately Armored. No longer grants proficiency with shields.
  • Observant. Completely reworked. Proficiency or Expertise in your choice of Insight, Investigation, or Perception, and take the Search action as a Bonus Action.
  • Poisoner. The DC 14 is now 8 + PB + the modifier of the ability which you increase when you take the feat, making this viable for your whole career.
  • Polearm Master. Nerfed, but still good. Now works with more two-handed polearms. The attack when enemies enter your reach is now explicitly not an Opportunity Attack to avoid synergizing with things like Sentinel.
  • Ritual Caster. No longer requires you to pick a spellcasting class, and you can now cast the selected Ritual spells using spell slots. You can also cast one ritual per day using its normal casting time rather than adding 10 minutes. Unfortunately, it only works with level 1 rituals, and you only learn more by improving your PB.
  • Sentinel. The Opportunity Attack when an enemy attacks someone other than you now takes place after they hit (does not apply on a miss), and can no longer be negated if the attacker also has Sentinel.
  • Sharpshooter. Removes the option to trade attack bonus for damage. Instead, you’re able to make ranged attacks in melee without suffering Disadvantage.
  • Shield Master. The shield bash no longer consumes a Bonus Action, which is a huge improvement. This is a must-have if you’re fighting sword-and-board. We go into more detail in our 2024 Shield Master Feat Guide.
  • Skulker. Mostly rewritten. Blindsight, Advantage to Hide in combat, and you still don’t reveal your position if you miss a ranged attack while hiding.
  • Speedy. Replaces “Mobile” from the 2014 rules. The only change is the interaction with Opportunity Attacks: you no longer need to make a melee attack, but Speedy only imposes Disadvantage on Opportunity Attacks rather than preventing them entirely.
  • Spell Sniper. No more free cantrip. Instead, you can make ranged spell attacks in melee without suffering Disadvantage. The formula on extended range has also changed to +60 feet of range rather than doubling the spell’s existing range.
  • War Caster. The feat itself hasn’t changed, but now that you can take Opportunity Attacks against any creature, you can use this to cast friendly spells on your allies.
  • Weapon Master. Weapon Mastery in a single weapon, and you can change it on a Long Rest.

Fighting Styles

Fighting Styles require that you have the Fighting Style feature, but otherwise they’re just feats. While some styles provide unique effects (Archery, Dueling, etc.), others provide effects that can also be found on other feats (ex: Blind Fighting’s Blindsight on Skulker), so Fighting Style feats aren’t typically a good option when you’re looking to take a regular feat.

  • Great Weapon Fighting. Rolling a 1 or a 2 now gets you a 3. Mathematically, this is even worse on average than the 2014 version. It will feel really nice with greatswords, though, since your minimum damage is now 6 instead of 2. This style is more for how it feels to play than how the actual math looks.
  • Protection. Now imposes Disadvantage on all attacks against the creature that you protected until the start of your next turn. A massive improvement.
  • Thrown Weapon Fighting. While the style itself hasn’t significantly changed, the context around it has changed. Two-weapon fighting works differently and Sharpshooter no longer provides a damage bonus, so Thrown Weapon Fighting may finally be appealing. We’ll need to do the math to find out for sure. Eagle-eyed readers may notice that Thrown Weapon Fighting no longer allows you to draw a thrown weapon as part of the attack. Don’t worry; that function has been added to the Thrown property, so now everyone can use thrown weapons effectively.

Epic Boons

Epic Boons we previously an optional reward for players who continue to play at level 20.

Like General Feats, all Epic Boons now provide a +1 ability score increase. In addition, they can increase your ability scores to a maximum for 30.

Existing Boons

  • Boon of Combat Prowess. The automatic hit now works once per turn rather than once per Short Rest.
  • Boon of Dimensional Travel. Completely reworked. Now lets you teleport when you take the Magic action. Note that the Magic action is only used when you take an Action (not a Bonus Action, not a Reaction, etc.) to do something magic like casting a spell, using a magic item, or using some class features.
  • Boon of Fate. The bonus/penalty is changed from 1d10 to 2d4, and is now used after the D20 Test is rolled. Just as before, it’s still limited to once per Short Rest.
  • Boon of Fortitude. In addition to the preexisting +40 hp, you now get bonus healing every time you’re healed (once per round).
  • Boon of Irresistible Offense. Can only increase Strength or Dexterity. Now only allows you to bypass Bludgeoning/Piercing/Slashing resistances instead of all resistances. In addition, a natural 20 on an attack roll adds extra damage equal to the ability score used to make the attack. Score, not modifier.
  • Boon of Recovery. Massively reworked. No longer a once-per-day heal. Now heals you to half if you would fall to 0, and you get 10d10 to spend to heal yourself each day, spending from the pool of dice as a Bonus Action.
  • Boon of Skill. Still grants proficiency in all skills, but now also grants Expertise in one skill.
  • Boon of Speed. No longer allows you to Dash as a Bonus Action, but you can still Disengage as a Bonus Action, and now when you Disengage you end the Grappled condition on yourself. Still grants +30 speed.
  • Boon of Spell Recall. Can only increase Int/Wis/Cha. Totally reworked from 2014. Now gives you a 25% chance to not spend the spell slot when casting a level 1 through 4 spell.
  • Boon of the Night Spirit. Turning invisible is now a Bonus Action instead of an Action. However, the invisibility now ends if you take an Action, a Bonus Action, or a Reaction instead of just an Action or Reaction. In addition, you now have resistance to nearly all damage while in Dim Light or Darkness.
  • Boon of Truesight. Otherwise unchanged.

New Boons

  • Boon of Energy Resistance. Two damage resistances that you can change on a long rest, and when you take damage of those types you can redirect some of it as a Reaction.

Removed Boons

Epic boons were first introduced in the 2014 Dungeon Master’s Guide, and a handful of those boons were not reprinted. The 2024 Player’s Handbook makes no mention of these boons, so there’s no guidance on backwards-compatibility. Following the general guideline of “it works as-is unless it’s reprinted or the rules say otherwise”, you can use these boons as written.

  • Boon of High Magic
  • Boon of Immortality
  • Boon of Invincibility
  • Boon of the Fire Soul
  • Boon of Perfect Health
  • Boon of Planar Travel
  • Boon of Quick Casting
  • Boon of the Stormborn
  • Boon of the Unfettered
  • Boon of Undetectability

Equipment

  • Acid and Alchemist’s Fire both now replace an attack during the Attack action and call for a saving throw rather than asking you to make an attack roll without proficiency. The DC is Dexterity-based.
  • Caltrops. Failing the save now reduces a creature speed to 0 until the start of its next turn.
  • Firearms are now in the PHB. Pistols and muskets are both martial ranged weapons. Their stats are the same as the 2014 rules, but the Gunner feat is conspicuously absent from the 2024 PHB. Without a way to ignore the Loading property, their appeal is extremely limited.
  • Heavy weapon property now requires 13 Strength for melee weapons or 13 Dexterity for ranged weapons; no longer cares about size.
  • Lance. Now deals 1d10 damage instead of 1d12.
  • Nets now replace an attack during the Attack action, and call for a saving throw instead of the 2014 rules’ permanent Disadvantage nonsense. The DC is Dexterity-based.
  • Oil. Similar to Acid and Alchemist’s fire, dousing a creature now replaces an attack during the Attack action and calls for a save.
  • Potion of Healing. Now a Bonus Action to use or to administer to an ally, which was a very popular house rule. Previously, this was an Action to use for yourself, and no rules text addressed how to administer potions to allies. This is going to make Potions of Healing massively more useful.
  • Trident. Damage increase from 1d6/1d8 to 1d8/1d10.
  • Two-weapon fighting mechanics are now a part of the “light” weapon property, and notably no longer limit you to melee weapons. You can now dual wield hand crossbows.
  • War Pick. Gained the Versatile (1d10) trait.
  • Weapon Mastery is new. Check out our podcast episode digging into the mechanics.

Crafting

The Player’s Handbook includes some basic rules for crafting items. Players can generally craft items by spending half their purchase price on materials, then taking 1 day for each 10gp of the item’s purchase price (ex: 150 days for full plate). Potions of Healing are an exception, taking just 1 day to craft.

The PHB also includes rules for scribing scrolls, which was allowed in the 2014 rules but not really made clear. Now there’s a handy table of crafting cost and time to craft. Crafting a 9th level spell scroll takes 120 days (still less than full plate) and an incredible 50,000gp.

Spells

This is not yet comprehensive. There are a lot of spells. We’ll update this list when we get around to spell list breakdowns. 

Spellcasting

Casting Multiple Leveled Spells Per Turn

The 2014 rules have a badly-worded bit of text which prohibits you from casting a leveled spell as both a Bonus Action and as an Action on the same turn. Many players struggle to understand this rule, so WotC rewrote it.

Page 236 of the 2024 Player’s Handbook includes a section clearly titled “One Spell with a Spell Slot per Turn”, which explains you can only cast one spell with a spell slot per turn. It specifically explains that you can still cast a cantrip.

This notably prevents using Reaction spells like Counterspell and Silvery Barbs to ensure that your spells land. This takes a lot of the power out of Silvery Barbs, which I previously considered to disruptive and too powerful to allow at the table in part because of spellcasters using it offensively to make their save-or-suck spells even more problematic.

But that also leaves a fun opportunity: You can cast spells without spell slots unrestricted. If you can use a magic item like a Spell Scroll or a class feature like the Archfey Warlock’s Steps of the Fey, you can still cast a spell using a spell slot on that turn.

I have no idea if this is intentional. The 2024 rules no longer use the term “leveled spell”, which the 2014 rules used to distinguish leveled spells from cantrips. Instead, the 2024 rules now describe spells cast with a spell slot or as “level 1+ spells”. I imagine that this is to make the rules interactions easier to understand, but it leaves a gaping loophole in the rules as a result.

Cylinders

In the 2014 rules, Cylinder AOE’s could be placed on the ground, or in the air at a distance from the ground equal to their height, and could go upward or downward from those two points. Readers who have heard the word “clever” used in a sentence before may notice that that places an absurd limitation on where and when cylinders are usable. You can’t use them in mind-air, you can’t use them underwater unless you’re near the floor of the body of water, and in places like the Astral Sea, they’re absolutely non-functional. This made spells like Flame Strike borderline unusable even if the spell itself was worth casting.

The 2024 rules do not have this restriction. Players hunting through their new PHB will find descriptions of area effect shapes in the Rules Glossary.

Spell Changes

  • Acid Splash. Now a 5-foot radius sphere rather than an attack against two targets.
  • Alter Self. The “natural weapons” option no longer gives you a +1 attack and damage bonus. Instead, you use your spellcasting ability for attack and damage.
  • Animal Messenger. Now allows a Charisma save, and beasts above CR 0 automatically pass the save. I think they were worried about folks using this on higher-CR tiny beasts to force them out of combat with no save. I’ve never seen it done, but it’s hypothetically possible.
  • Animal Shapes. Now grants THP instead of a separate pool of hit points, and the spell ends for a target if their THP is depleted.
  • Animate Objects. Significantly reworked. Instead of 10 objects, you now get a number equal to your spellcasting ability modifier. The animated objects now use your spellcasting ability modifier rather than a fixed modifier based on their size. Medium or smaller objects now have identical stats. Large and Huge objects have more hp, deal more damage, and add your spellcasting ability modifier to damage. All objects have considerably fewer hit points than the 2014 version. Rather than adding more objects, upcasting the spell increases your objects’ damage by one die for each spell level above 5.
  • Antilife Shell. Not actually changed, but the text now clarifies that attacking into the emanation with reach weapons, ranged weapons, and spells still works.
  • Arcane Lock. Now entirely prevents the object from being unlocked by nonmagical means, making life much harder for Rogues. It also no longer increases the object’s break DC, which means that smashing things is now a much more reliable approach to magical locks.
  • Armor of Agathys. Now cast as a Bonus Action. The spell also lasts until you no longer have Temporary Hit Points, but RAW the THP can be from any source. If you have other sources of THP (Fiendish Vigor, etc.), you can keep Armor of Agathys running for an incredibly long time.
  • Aura of Purity. No longer affects diseases.
  • Aura of Vitality. Now heals immediately when you cast the spell and again at the beginning of each of your turns rather than consuming your Bonus Action. Still not great in combat, but much better than it was.
  • Banishing Smite. School changed from Abjuration to Conjuration.
  • Banishment. A very minor change with no real effect on gameplay. Extraplanar creatures that are banished spend the spell’s 1-minute duration in a demiplane rather than immediately going to their home plane, then potentially returning when the spell ends.
  • Barkskin. Cast as a Bonus Action instead of an Action, concentration is removed, and the AC is raised from 16 to 17. It’s actually pretty good now.
  • Bigby’s Hand. The hand no longer has Strength or Dexterity scores, instead using your own spellcasting ability modifier where necessary.
    • Clenched Fist. Damage raised from 4d8 to 5d8.
    • Forceful Hand. No longer cares about the creature’s size, and now allows a Strength save instead of making an Athletics (Strength) check.
    • Grasping Hand. Now allows a Dexterity save instead of the hand making an Athletics (Strength) check, and the damage is raised from 2d6 + modifier to 4d6 = modifier.
    • Interposing Hand. Massively nerfed. The hand no longer continues to interpose itself on its own after you’ve issue the command, you only get cover from attacks made from the hand’s space. You’ll need to move the hand into another creatures space, activate Interposing Hand, and then hope that your enemy doesn’t move 5 feet to get out of the space. Sure, this makes the hand’s space difficult terrain, but one square of difficult terrain is nearly never impactful.
  • Blade Ward. Now a 1-minute defensive buff. -1d4 on all attack rolls against you, but requires Concentration. Amazing for martial characters.
  • Blindness/Deafness. Range increased to 120 feet.
  • Branding Smite. Renamed to Shining Smite. Now cast as a Bonus Action when you hit with a melee weapon/unarmed strike.
  • Calm Emotions. Reworded, but functionally identical.
  • Chill Touch. No longer works at range and no longer debuffs undead, but the damage improves from d8’s to d10’s.
  • Chromatic Orb. Everything that you love about Chromatic Orb from the 2014 rules, but it also absorbed the bounce mechanic of Chaos Bolt. Rolling doubles on any of the damage dice causes the orb to bounce, and each spell level above 1 adds another die, making the orb more likely to bounce. Sorcerers with Empowered Spell and Seeking Spell are going to get a ton of mileage out of this.
  • Circle of Death. Damage raised from 8d6 to 8d8.
  • Cloud of Daggers. Can now be moved as an Action. The timing of the damage has also been changed, so creatures now take damage when the spell is cast, when you spend an Action to move it into their space, when they enter the AOE, or when they end their turn their (instead of when they start their turn in the AOE).
  • Compulsion. Now applies the Charmed condition.
  • Confusion.The first option in the table can now only make the creature move north, south, east, or west. No more diagonals.
  • Conjure Animals. Totally rewritten. It’s now a remote-controlled Spirit Guardians that deals slashing damage.
  • Conjure Barrage. Damage raised from 3d8 to 5d8.
  • Conjure Celestial. Totally rewritten. Now summons a column AOE that heals allies and damages enemies each turn for the spell’s 10-minute duration. You can move the spell without an action whenever you move on your turn.
  • Conjure Elemental. Totally rewritten. Now summons an immobile elemental that restrains and damages one creature within 5 feet of the elemental. The spell lasts 10 minutes, so you’ll want to force enemies into the spell’s reach to maximize the benefits.
  • Conjure Fey. Totally rewritten. This is described much like a summon spell, but the creature can’t be attacked. It’s more similar to Spiritual Weapon.
  • Conjure Minor Elementals. Totally rewritten. This is basically Spirit Shroud with a bigger slow radius. The damage boost here is absolutely insane, and combining it with Scorching Rays is immediately a balance problem.
  • Conjure Volley. Now deals Force damage.
  • Conjure Woodland Beings. This is Spirit Guardians for Druids, except that it deals Force damage, doesn’t slow creatures, and allows you to Disengage as a Bonus Action.
  • Contact Other Plane. The drawback for failing the save now gives you the Incapacitated condition instead of the insanity thing that it did in the 2014 rules.
  • Contagion. Totally reworked. Now an all-or-nothing Con save. On a failed save, the target takes necrotic damage and becomes Poisoned for a minimum of 3 rounds and has Disadvantgae on checks/saves with an ability of your choice.
  • Counterspell. Now allows the target to make a Constitution save instead of you making an ability check. If a spell cast using a spell slot is countered, the spell slot isn’t spent. This conceptually makes it hurt less for players to be counterspelled, but it also means that you can effectively counter any spell with a 3rd-level spell slot.
  • Create Food and Water. No longer specifies how many creatures it can feed.
  • Cure Wounds. No more restrictions on creature type, and now heals 2d8 per spell level instead of 1d8. This makes healing in combat a little bit more appealing.
  • Darkness. The option to cast Darkness on an object no longer allows you to target an object which you’re carrying. The new emanation AOE starts from the outer edges of the object. Congratulations, your castle now has a 15-foot darkness moat,
  • Darkvision. Gives targets 150 feet of Darkvision instead of 60 feet.
  • Daylight. Now produces sunlight! Finally! We’ve been complaining about this since 3rd edition! There’s even art of a Cleric burning a whole room full of vampires with it!
  • Demiplane. Now allows creatures inside the demiplane to be shunted out when the spell ends, preventing you from trapping creatures inside.
  • Disguise Self. Functionally the same, but the wording is updated to match the 2024 rules terminology.
  • Dispel Evil and Good. The Dismissal option no longer requires a melee spell attack. You go straight to the Charisma save.
  • Divine Favor. No longer consumes your Concentration. In a lengthy fight, this will be a much more efficient use a level 1 spell slot than Divine Smite, especially once you have Extra Attack.
  • Divine Word. Reworded, but functionally identical.
  • Dominate Monster / Dominate Person. The target now has Advantage on the save if you’re fighting them, which is a huge nerf. They’ve also removed the ability to spend your Action to precisely control the target, though you can still use your Reaction to force the creature to take a Reaction.
  • Drawmij’s Instant Summons. Reworded, but functionally identical.
  • Dream. Reworded, but functionally identical.
  • Earthquake. The initial save is changed from a Con save to a Dex save, and on failure the target now falls Prone in addition to losing Concentratin. The Fissues option now allows you to place the fissures rather than allowing the DM to do so.
  • Enhance Ability. Constitution was removed as a choice, and anything except Advantage on ability checks was removed. We’ve also lost the fun names (Bull’s Strength, etc.), which have hung around at least 3rd edition.
  • Ensnaring Strike. Now works like Divine Smite: Cast as a Bonus Action when you hit with an attack, rather than casting it beforehand, Concentrating, and eating through the duration until you hit. Once you hit, you do need to Concentrate to maintain the effect.
  • Entangle. You are now excluded from the initial Restrained effect. In addition, Restrained creatures now make a Strengh (Athletics) check rather than a straight Strength cvheck to escape.
  • Enthrall. Totally rewritten. Creatures that you are fighting automatically succeed on the save. Creatures that fail the save take -10 to Perception instead of just Disadvantage, and the penalty no longer excludes you.
  • Etherealness. The text stating that you ignore objects/effects not on the Ethereal plane has been removed. It conflicted with things like Wall of Force, which was confusing. In addition, the spell now specifies that it immediately ends if you cast it while on a plane that doesn’t border the Ethereal plane.
  • Evard’s Black Tentacles. The initial save is now a Strength save instead of a Dex save. The timing of additional saves is now when a creature enters the area or when they end their turn there, rather than when they start their turn in the area. The spell now limits creatures to making the save once per turn. Restrained creatures now make a Strength (Athletics) check to escape rather than their choice of a straight Strength or Dexterity check.
  • Eyebite. The Sickened option now imposes the Poisoned condition and no longer allows additional saves.
  • Faerie Fire. Reworded to match the current rules, but functionally identical. However, the changes to the stealth rules mean that this now prevents affected creatures from hiding.
  • False Life. Buffed from 1d4+4 to 2d4+4.
  • Find Familiar. While it still lists several beasts with stat blocks included in the Player’s Handbook, Find Familiar now allows you to choose any CR 0 beast.
  • Find Steed. The steed now has its own stat block like a Summon X spell. The steed scales with level, and its stats are pretty good. The steed has a melee attack and a Bonus Action decided by the creature that you choose. The spell also specifies that the steed behaves as a controlled mount in combat, answering one of the many frustrating parts of the mounted combat rules. The ability to share spells with your mount has been removed. Instead, when you’re healed by a spell, your mount is also healed.
  • Fireball. No longer spreads around corners, so cover actually protects creatures now.
  • Flame Blade. Now adds your spellcasting ability modifier to damage. A modest buff.
  • Flame Strike. +2d6 damage. It’s now only slightly worse than Fireball’s damage, rather than significantly worse. The AOE still sucks.
  • Flaming Sphere. Reworded, but mechnically identical.
  • Flesh to Stone. Reworded, but mechnically identical.
  • Forcecage. Now requires Concentration, and now consumes the 1,500 gp material component. This is a big nerf, but much needed for a spell that can end encounters with no save.
  • Foresight. No longer prevents you from being surprised. Surprise just imposes Disadvantage on initiative now, so Advantage on all D20 tests would offset being Surprised. The spell also ends earl if you cast it again, so you can no longer use Extended spell before a Long Rest in order to have two Foresight buffs running at the same time.
  • Friends. Now uses the Charmed condition, and now only affects humanoids. Creatures which you are currently fighting automatically succeed on the save, preventing you from using this to end (or at least pause) fights. The spell also ends early if the the target takes damage if you do something hostile to any creature.
  • Gaseous Form. Can now be cast at a higher level to target additional creatures.
  • Giant Insect. Now summons a creature using the standardized summoning mechanics instead of requiring you to keep a jar of spiders handy. You choose between centipede, spider, and wasp forms for the creature.
  • Goodberry. Eating a berry is now a Bonus Action instead of an action. Life Clerics will briefly rejoice until they notice the updated wording on Disciple of Life.
  • Grasping Vine. Now a spell attack instead of a Dexterity save, and you deal 4d8 damage pull the creature up to 30 feet, and can grapple the target. The damage and the grapple effect are both new, and they’re fantastic additions to what was previously a borderline worthless spell. Upcasting now allows you to grapple additional creatures, but with only one attack from the vine, it’ll be rare that you can grapple more than 2 creatures at the same time in the space of one combat. This is a massive buff.
  • Grease. Now explicitly nonflammable.
  • Guidance. You must now pick a specific skill to buff, so it doesn’t apply to initiative rolls, checks with tools, etc. But it also works on all checks with that skill for a full minute, and skills were the primary usage anyway.
  • Hail of Thorns. Now works like Divine Smite: cast as a Bonus Action on hit rather than casting it ahead of time and concentrating. The effects are the same.
  • Haste. The effect when the spell ends is much more severe. Now you’re Incapacitated and your speed is reduced to 0, so no actions, no movement, no Concentration.
  • Healing Word. Now heals twice as many dice.
  • Holy Aura. The blindness effect now only lasts until the end of the attacker’s next turn rather than until the spell ends. This is arguably a debuff, but it also means that losing Concentration won’t immediately end the blindness effect.
  • Hunter’s Mark. Now deals Force damage.
  • Ice Storm. The bludgeoning damage increased from 2d8 to 2d10.
  • Inflict Wounds. Damage reduced from 3d10 to 2d10 and now targets a Con save. Absolutely ruined. Never cast this spell.
  • Invisibility. The wording has been updated so that the effect ends if the target make san attack roll, deals damage, or casts a spell. It still allows you to force saving throws by any other means.
  • Jump. Spend 10 feet of movement to jump 30 feet. No more jump distance multiplication. This makes it much more useful, but also negates a lot of jumping-related shenanigans in the 2014 rules.
  • Legend Lore. Reworded significantly. No longer requires the subject to be of “Legendary Importance”. Now, it just needs to be fmous. Also: “If the famous thing you chose isn’t actually famous, you hear sad musical notes played on a trombone, and the spell fails.” Casting this on yourself is now a fun way to find out that you’re not famous.
  • Leomund’s Tiny Hut. Now allows spells of level 4 or above to pass through the sphere. This means that you can use the hut like a bunker, but also that enemy spellcasters can nuke your campsite.
  • Lesser Restoration. Now cast as a Bonus Action instead of as an Action,
  • Lightning Arrow. Now works like Divine Smite: Cast as a Bonus Action when you hit with an attack, rather than casting it beforehand and Concentrating. No longer requires Concentration because it’s an instantaneous effect and it never should have required Concentration in the first place.
  • Locate Creature. Reworded, but functionally identical.
  • Magic Jar. You no longer gain most of the creature’s game statistics. Instead, you gain their hp, hit dice, physical abilities scores, speed, and senses. You don’t get stuff like proficiencies, innate spellcasting, etc. It’s not explicitly clear what happens to your size or creature type.
  • Magic Missile. The missiles now each get their own damage roll. No more Evoker machine gun.
  • Magic Weapon. Cast as a Bonus Action instead of an Action, concentration is removed, and you now get a +2 bonus from level 3-5 spell slots instead of level 4-5. A massive buff.
  • Major Image. The permanent version of the spell now requires a level 4 spell slot instead of a level 6 spell slot.
  • Mass Cure Wounds. The healing is now 5d8 instead of 3d8. The scaling remains unchanged, which feels odd.
  • Mass Healing Word. Now heals 2d4 instead of 1d4. The scaling remains unchanged, which feels odd.
  • Mass Suggestion. Now applies the Charmed condition, and includes some helpful examples of suggestions which you might use.
  • Maze. Escaping now uses the Study action and an Intelligence (Investigation) check rather than a straight Intelligence check. Very few creatures are proficient in Investigation, so this will have very little impact.
  • Mind Blank. Reworded, but mechanically identical.
  • Mind Sliver. Damage raised from d4s to d6s.
  • Minor Illusion. Mostly the same, but creatures now use the Study action to determine if the illusion is fake.
  • Mirror Image. The method for determining if an illusion was hit has changed, and blinded creatures are no longer affected.
  • Mislead. You can no longer see/hear with both your own senses and the duplicate’s senses. Instead, you now switch between the two with a Bonus Action.
  • Moonbeam. Reworded, but functionally identical.
  • Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound. You can now be up to 300 feet away from the hound instead of just 100 before the hound disappears. The hound’s attack now calls for a Dexterity save instead of a spell attack. The hound now has 30 feet of Truesight.
  • Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion. Reworded, but mechanically identical.
  • Mordenkainen’s Sword. Damage increase from 3d10 to 4d12, and you can now move the sword 30 feet per Bonus Action instead of 20 feet.
  • Move Earth. A new sentence was added: “Because the terrain’s transformation occurs slowly, creatures in the area can’t usually be trapped or injured by the ground’s movement.”
  • Nystul’s Magic Aura. Reworded and reformatted, but mechanically identical.
  • Otto’s Irresistible Dance. The target is now Charmed. The timing of the first save has been reworked, but the target still dances for one turn even on a successful save.
  • Pass Without Trace. The area has been updated to be an Emanation, which clarifies how the spell works if allies move into or out of the area.
  • Phantasmal Force. The target now takes the Study action to disbelieve the illusion, and the damage was buffed from 1d6 to 2d8.
  • Phantasmal Killer. The target is no longer Frightened, but still suffers Disadvantage on attack roll and ability checks. This means that Phantasmal Killer can affect creatures immune to fear, and it also removes confusion about how to handle the target’s ability to move.
  • Planar Ally. The wording about price no longer says “as a rule of thumb”. It’s not an explicit, fixed cost based on the task’s duration.
  • Plane Shift. Can no longer be used offensively.
  • Poison Spray. Range improved from 10 feet to 30 feet, and it now uses a spell attack. Since Poison Spray retained its 1d12 damage die, it’s actually a tempting offensive option.
  • Polymorph. You no longer get the beast’s hit points as a separate pool. Instead, you get the same amount as Temporary Hit Points, and the spell ends if the THP are depleted. The THP don’t explicitly go away when the spell ends, so by a very strict RAW reading you can use Polymorph to give the target a massive pile of THP by briefly turning them into a beast.
  • Power Word Heal. Range increased from Touch to 60 feet, no longer has Somatic components, and can now remove the Poisoned condition in addition to the conditions it covered previously.
  • Power Word Kill. Now deals 12d12 damage if the target has more than 100 hp.
  • Power Word Stun. The target’s speed is reduced to 0 for one turn if the target has more than 150 hp.
  • Prayer of Healing. Now gives target’s the benefits of a short rest plus 2d8 extra healing rather than just healing them.
  • Prismatic Spray. Damaging effects buffed from 10d6 damage to 12d6 damage.
  • Prismatic Wall. Damaging effects buffed from 10d6 damage to 12d6 damage.
  • Produce Flame. Bonus Action to create the flame, Action to throw it. Can no longer be used in melee. This was intended to make the spell easier to understand, but the result is a massive nerf. Now it’s massively worse than Fire Bolt, whereas in the 2014 rules you traded a bit of damage for more utility and the ability to use it in melee.
  • Project Image. You are no longer blinded and deafened while percieving through the image.
  • Protection from Poison. Now ends the poison condition instead of neutralizing a single poison. Neutralizing a poison didn’t have actual rules, so the new version is much more explicit.
  • Ray of Enfeeblement: Completely reworked. Now it’s a fairly strong debuff, though targeting Constitution saves and allowing repeated saves does make it unreliable.
  • Raise Dead. No longer cures non-magical diseases.
  • Rary’s Telepathic Bond. No longer requires 2 Intelligence, but now requires that the target be able to speak a language. No more telepathic bonding with your pets.
  • Ray of Enfeeblement. Totally reworked, but still terrible.
  • Ray of Sickness. The spell attack now applies both the damage and the Poisoned condition. The target no longer gets a save after you hit them with the spell attack.
  • Regenerate. You can no longer reattached severed limbs; you’ll need to wait for them to regrow.
  • Reincarnate. Updated to reflect the updated PHB species options.
  • Resistance. 1 minute duration with Concentration. Pick one of several damage types. Once per turn when the target takes damage of that type, reduce it by 1d4. The only omitted damage types are Custard, Force, and Psychic. Tragically, you won’t be able to use this to cheat in the cupcake eating contest at the beginning of Wild Beyond the Witchlight. I see this being used a lot at low levels to mitigate weapon damage.
  • Resurrection. No longer cures non-magical diseases.
  • Rope Trick. Reworded, but mechanically identical.
  • Sacred Flame. Now specifies that targets recieve no benefit half cover or three-quarters cover. I suppose you could argue that you could use the 2014 on a target with total cover, but you can’t see them, so I don’t think it’s a good arguement.
  • Sanctuary. The limitations on what can easily affect the target have changed; “harmful spell” has been replaced with “damaging spell”, so you’re now free to debuff, paralyze, banish, or whatever else you’d like so long as it doesn’t do hit point damage. In addition, the targeted creature nows ends the effect if they cast any spell rather than just spells that target hostile creatures.
  • Searing Smite. Uses the updated smite spell mechanics (cast this as a Bonus Action on hit, then start concentrating). The target now takes damage before rolling the saving throw rather than taking damage after failing the save as they did in 2014. This ensures that you apply the damage at least twice.
  • See Invisibility. Hiding now grants you the Invisible condition, which means that See Invisibility makes it impossible to hide from you.
  • Seeming. Now specifies that creatures use the Study action to investigate the illusion.
  • Sending. The target can now block additional Sendings from you for 8 hours after recieving your message.
  • Shapechange. Several major changes.
    • As with other shapechanging spells, Shapechange now gives you temporary hit points instead of a separate pool of hp. Weirdly, the temporary hp don’t expire when the spell ends, so you can Shapechange into something with a ton of hp, end the spell, and walk away with a mountain of temporary hit points.
    • You retain your own proficiencies, but no longer gain those of the target creature. This means that if you polymorph into a creature that uses armor or weapons in which you are not proficient, you will not be able to use them. You will need to recalculate the saving throws and skills listed in the creature’s stat block. This will also make many forms unappealing because they use weapons (Pit Fiends, Balors, etc.) in which most spellcasters aren’t proficient.
    • You no longer retain the benefits of any class/race/etc. features, but you do still retain your ability to cast spells.
    • You can now choose to have magic items reshape to fit your new form, which allows you to continue using many magic items. This is especially nice for defensive items like rings of protection. You may also be able to improve a form using mundane equipment like armor and shields, provided that you’re proficient and that the form has anatomy to support using them. The text no longer states that the DM gets to decided what works, but I think your DM is justified in saying “no” if you try to put full plate on an ooze.
  • Sleep: Completely reworked. No longer cares about targets’ hit points, which has been a constant since at least 3.0. Now it’s a tiny AOE save-or-suck, but the effects are nuanced. Failing an initial save makes the target Incapacitated, which is great at any level. At the end of their turn, targets that failed the initial save make another save or fall unconscious for the remainder of the 1-minute duration. It’s extremely easy to break the spell (any damage or another creature shaking affected targets as an Action), but trading your Action to cast this is absolutely worth the cost in many situations.
  • See Invisibility: Somewhere in the design process, several design decisions were made that resulted in See Invisibility automatically revealing hidden creatures. The Hide action now gives you the Invisible condition. See Invisibility negates the Invisible condition. We no longer have the absurd RAW scenario when See Invisibility didn’t negate the benefits of being invisible; now we have something else that’s equally absurd. Progress!
  • Shapechange. Now gives you temporary hp instead of a separate pool of hp. The THP resets when you shape-shift again. In addition, the spell no longer prevents you from gaining Lair Actions or Legendary Actions. We haven’t seen stats for monsters with Lair/Legendary Actions yet, and monster design has moved toward Reactions instead of Legendary Actions, so it’s unclear if this will actually change things.
  • Shillelagh. The weapon’s damage die now scales with level: 1d8 -> 1d10 -> 1d12 -> 2d6. You can also choose to have it deal Force damage instead of bludgeoning.
  • Shining Smite. Renamed from Branding Smite. Uses the updated smite spell mechanics (cast this as a Bonus Action on hit, then start concentrating). Attacks against the target have Advantage. The updated rules for hiding give the hiding creature the Invisible condition, so this now makes it impossible for the target to hide.
  • Shocking Grasp. No longer grants Advantage on the attack when attacking creatures in metal armor, and now only prevents Opportuntiy Attacks rather than all reactions. A significant nerf to a spell that already had a narrow niche.
  • Silent Image. Now specifies that creatures take the Study action to determine that the illusion is fake.
  • Simulacrum: Significantly restricted to prevent the infinite naked wizards abuse case. Unfortunately, the updated text of Wish still leaves a loophole big enough to drive an army of naked wizards through. Simulacrums can no longer cast Simulacrum, and they can no longer benefit from Short or Long Rests. Previously, simulacrums of non-spellcasters could recover things like martial superiority dice, and they could recover hit points by resting. Those options are gone.
  • Sleep. No longer cares about hit points. Wisdom save or become incapacitated, then a second save or fall asleep. 1 minute duration with Concentration. No longer nukes encounters at level 1 and 2, but now a powerful save-or-suck for your whole career.
  • Sleet Storm. The saves for falling prone and for losing concentration are now the same Dexterity save instead of separe Dex and Con saves.
  • Slow. The wording limiting the creature to one attack per turn has changed, but it’s functionally the same. The wording which made casting a 1-Action spell take two Actions is gone; instead, casting spells with Somatic components gains a 25% failure chance.
  • Spare the Dying. Now has 15-foot range, and the range doubles multiplicatively every time cantrips improve. It also now affects both constructs and undead.
  • Speak with Animals. Now allows you to use the Influence action and any of its listed skills to communicate with animals. This allows you to use Charisma-based skills, entirely eliminating the need for the Animal Handling skill.
  • Speak with Plants. No longer allows plants to perform tasks for you, and no longer interacts with Entangle.
  • Spider Climb. Now allows you to add additional targets if you upcast it.
  • Spike Growth. Creatures can now use Wisdom (Perception or Survival) to find the spikes instead of just Wisdom (Perception).
  • Spirit Guardians. Now uses the Emanation area of effect rules, and the timing of the damage has been updated. Previously, it applied when a creature entered the area or when a creature started its turn in the area. Now it applies when the area enter’s the creature’s space or when the creature enters the aura. It looks like a minor change, but it arguably lets you apply the damage much more easily than you could in the 2014 rules.
  • Spiritual Weapon. Now requires Concentration, but also adds a damage die per spell level instead of one die per 2 spell levels. It won’t be as impactful as summon spells, but Clerics don’t get any summons until Summon Celestial, which is level 5, so Spiritual Weapon may still have a niche.
  • Staggering Smite. The secondary effect was replaced with the Stunned condition.
  • Stinking Cloud. Several changes.
    • Creatures no longer need to be completely within the cloud to be affected. This makes it much easier to affect larger creatures.
    • Creatures that don’t need to breath are no longer immune.
    • Affected creatures gain the Poisoned condition, and can’t take Actions or Bonus Actions. Previously, affected creatures were forced to waste their Action, but they Bonus Action was unaffected.
    • The cloud now dissipates immediately in strong wing rather than dissipating after 4 rounds.
  • Stoneskin. Now provides resistance to B/P/S instead of to nonmagical B/P/S.
  • Storm of Vengeance. Several changes.
    • The AOE is no longer a column beneath a circular cloud; it’s now a 300-foot radius sphere.
    • Creatures deafened by the initial effect are only deafened for the spell’s duration rather than for 5 minutes.
    • The round 2 acid damage was buffed from 1d6 to 4d6.
  • Suggestion. The target is now Charmed while the spell is in effect. The command is now limited to 25 words (no more run-on sentences), and the text allowing the suggestion to trigger in response to specific conditions has been removed.
  • Summon Aberration. The “Starspawn” option has been renamed to “Mind Flayer.”
  • Summon Construct. The Stone Golem’s Stony Lethargy now only prevents Opportunity Attacks rather than all Reactions.
  • Summon Dragon. Renamed from “Summon Draconic Spirit.” You can no longer summon gem dragons.
  • Summon Fey. The Fey’s attack has been renamed from “Shortsword” to “Fey Blade”, and deals all force damage instead of piercing damage with a die of force damage.
  • Symbol. Finding the glyph now requires a Wisdom (Perception) check instead of Intelligence (Investigation).
  • Swift Quiver. You now get to make the attacks as part of the Bonus Action to cast the spell, removing the setup turn. The material component now requires the requisite quiver to be worth 1gp, so you may need to buy a nicer leather cylinder to put your arrows in so that you can cast the spell.
  • Tasha’s Hideous Laughter. The additional save if the target takes damage is now made with Advantage. You can also now upcast the spell, adding another target for each additional spell slot.
  • Telekinesis. Using Telekinesis to move a creature or an item held by a creature now allows that creature to make a Strength saving throw instead of you making an ability check. Moving an object is now limited to Huge size regardless of weight. Time to lift some tungsten cubes!
  • Telepathy. No longer specifies that a creature must have an Intelligence score of at least 1, but all creatures have at least 1 Intelligence, so it didn’t actually matter.
  • Teleport. The rows for “Viewed Once” and “Described” have been merged, but the spell is mechanically identical.
  • Teleportation Circle. The radius of the circle was reworded from “10-foot-diameter” to “5-foot-radius”. Those are the same thing, but DnD always uses radius, so it’s more consistent with the rest of the game.
  • Tongues. Now also affects sign language, allowing creatures to communicate non-verbally!
  • True Polymorph. Turning a creature into a creature now gives them temporary hp instead of a separate pool of hp. Depleting the temporary hp ends the spell. This can now target creatures with 0 hit points, which wasn’t allowed in the 2014 rules.
  • True Seeing. The spell now only grants Truesight instead of the additional benefits, but those benefits have been rolled into Truesight.
  • True Strike: Totally redesigned. Now it lets you make a weapon attack using your spellcasting ability, lets you deal radiant damage instead of your normal damage type, and adds scaling radiant damage starting at level 5. Unlike previous weapon attack cantrips (Booming Blade, etc.) it works with ranged weapons.
  • Vicious Mockery: Damage raised from d4s to d6s.
  • Web. The check to escape the web is now a Strength (Athletics) check instead of a regular Strength check.
  • Weird. The initial damage is buffed from 4d6 to 10d6, and the ongoing damage is buffed from 4d6 to 5d6. A significant buff.
  • Wind Walk. Changing forms now uses the Magic action instead of a generic Action.
  • Wind Wall. The damage is buffed from 3d8 to 4d8.
  • Wish: Certain wishes will be specifically blocked by the Lady of Pain, and you can now wish to replace one of your feats with another feat which you qualify for.
  • Witch Bolt: The additional damage is now activated as a Bonus Action instead of as an Action, and it can be done even if the original attack missed. The target getting out of range is still an issue, but the now-60-foot range does help because nearby creatures typically can’t walk out of range without Dashing.
  • Word of Recall. No longer requires you to create the sanctuary in a place dedicated to your deity.
  • Wrathful Smite. Can now be upcast for +1d6 damage per spell level.

Spells That Were Removed

  • Chaos Bolt. The fun bounce mechanic was rolled into Chromatic Orb.

New Spells

  • Arcane Vigor. Bonus Action self-healing for Sorcerers and Wizards.
  • Befuddlement. Renamed from Feeblement. Int save or the target can’t cast spells or use the Magic action for 30 days. Definitely won’t become a problem in a game where most high-CR creatures cast spells and most things have awful Intelligence saves.
  • Elementalism. Largely useless beyond the ability to create infinite water one cup at a time.
  • Fount of Moonlight. A combat buff for martial Bards (Swords, Valor, etc.) and martial Druids (Moon, Spores, etc.). However, it’s a level 4 spell and can’t be upcast for more damage, so it competes with Conjure Minor Elementals for space. Conjure Minor Elements does more damage and can be upcast for even more, but Fount of Moonlight has a defensive benefit.
  • Jallarzi’s Storm of Radiance. 10-foot radius cylindar, and creatures in the area are blinded, deafened, and can’t use Verbal components, making them unable to cast most spells. It deals ongoing area damage, but the repeat trigger is at the end of creatures’ turns, and there’s no built-in way to force enemies to remain inside the area. If you have allies who like grappling, this could be great. Otherwise, enemies will easily walk out of the area and ignore the spell’s presence.
  • Power Word Fortify. 120 temporary hit points divided among up to 6 creatures.
  • Sorcerous Burst. 1d8 damage of any element. Basically 2014 Chromatic Orb as a cantrip. With the reliable ability to avoid damage resistances, this is going to be a go-to offensive cantrip.
  • Starry Wisp. Radiant damage on a spell attack, the target glows, and they can’t benefit from the Invisible condition. Added as a way to give Bards and Druids a good ranged attack option.
  • Tasha’s Bubbling Cauldron. Creates temporary potions of Common or Uncommon rarity. The potions stick around until you cast the spell again, so it’s a great way to cache some resources between adventures.
  • Yolande’s Regal Presence. 10-foot emanation of psychic damage which pushes enemies away and knocks them prone.

Conditions

A handful of conditions have changed.

  • Exhaustion. Instead of the table, you now suffer -2 to all ability checks and -5 speed for each level of exhaustion. Death at 6 exhaustion remains in place, and the recovery mechanic is unchanged.
  • Grappled.
    • Grappled creatures now suffer Disadvantage to attack rolls against creatures other than the grappler. The text isn’t explicit about what happens if one creature is grappled by multiple creatures, but it appears that they would have Disadvantage to attack everyone, which is an exciting prospect for players outnumbering boss monsters.
    • The mechanics for moving a grapple have been reworded, which resulted in a possibly unintentional change. In the 2014 rules, your speed was halved. Now, each foot of movement costs an additional foot. This is the same wording as difficult terrain, and I think that means that the additional costs stack, so moving a grapple through difficult terrain costs 3 times as many feet of movement as normal. Compared to the 2014 rules, this is a buff: in 2014, moving a grapple through difficult terrain effectively cost 4 times as many feet of movement as normal.
  • Incapacitated. Much more harmful.
    • The action limitation was clarified. The 2014 rules had a general rule (which almost no one knew about) that if you couldn’t take actions, you couldn’t take Bonus Actions. This was a terrible way to handle things. Now Incapacitated specifically prohibits Actins, Reactions, and Bonus Actions,
    • Breaking Concetration was already a rule, but it was buried in the rules for Concentration and not addressed in the condition’s effects.
    • You can’t speak.
    • Disadvantage on initiative if you’re unfortunate enough to roll while Incapacitated
  • Invisible
    • Surprise. Advantage on initiative is really nice. This is especially useful if creatures are hiding, which now gives you the Invisible condition. If you want Advantage on initiative, make a Stealth check.
    • Concealed / Attacks. Invisiblity now works the way that we all thought it did in 2014 until Jeremy Crawford told us otherwise.
  • Petrified
    • No longer says that the creature is not aware of its surroundings. You don’t age, either, so welcome to being immortal, aware of the world around you, but unable to act.
    • No longer suspends diseases or poisons currently affecting the creature.
    • I just noticed that neither the 2014 nor the 2024 rules address food or water, so technically you can die of dehydration and/or starvation while petrified. I don’t think anyone would actually rule it that way, but RAW you’re still a very hungry rock.

PHB Stat Blocks

A handful of stat blocks are included in the appendices to support Find Familiar.

Rules Glossary

The Rules Glossary was first used in the OneD&D playtest documents as a way to consolidate the changing rules. It is now included as a quick reference for the core rules of the game, defining many conceptual and technical terms used throughout the rules. This is a huge usability improvement, removing the need to hunt through the PHB and DMG to find specific and often obscure rules terms.

In many cases, the 2024 rules now much more explicitly define actions taken to accomplish specific tasks. For example, the “Search” action lists what it does and some associated skill proficiencies which apply when searching.

Mixing 2014 and 2024 Content

According to Jeremy Crawford, it is safe to use 2014 characters with the 2024 core rules. So if you prefer the 2014 character creation rules or have a pre-existing character, you’re okay to use them as they are. I expect that there will be some difficulty in actually doing this, but it does mean that your whole table doesn’t need to convert at the same time if aspects of your character (such as the entire Artificer class) haven’t been updated.

Using 2014 character options on 2024 characters may work on a case-by-case basis, but the 2024 rules largely assume that you’re not using the legacy rules. Bringing in options like the Gunner feat or legacy backgrounds will impact game balance. Legacy subclasses will require you to adjust any features granted at level 1 or 2 to be granted at level 3.

Using 2024 characters with the 2014 rules will not work because they’re built assuming that you have things like Weapon Mastery and the updated grapple rules.

What About the Artificer?

The Artificer is the only non-core class in 5e. While I think it’s likely that we see it updated in a future supplement, Wizards of the Coast has made no mention of the Artificer in the context of the 2024 rules except to confirm that it wouldn’t be in the Player’s Handbook.

For now, that leaves the class in a weird design space. It’s very powerful, capable of breaking the math of the game significantly, so it’s likely fine to use as-is alongside 2024 classes. Any spells on the Artificer’s spell list should be updated to use the 2024 versions.

Since they haven’t been updated to the 2024 rules, Artificers notably don’t get access to the new Weapon Mastery mechanic.

Legacy Races/Lineages/Species

Page 38 of the 2024 Player’s Handbook includes a sidebar describing how to handle species from older books. To summarize: ignore their ability score increases. There’s nothing else to it. Races published post-Tasha’s basically won’t change.

Legacy Backgrounds

Page 38 of the 2024 Player’s Handbook includes a sidebar describing how to handle backgrounds from older books. To summarize: +2/+1 or three +1’s for your ability scores, and one Origin Feat of your choice.

Observant players will immediately notice some issues here. This provides considerably more flexibility in your build than the published 2024 Backgrounds do, the languages/tools/vehicles portion of your Background is more generous, and you still get the “feature” portion of the Background (though that generally amounts to a supernatural ability to couch surf). This makes legacy backgrounds objectively more powerful than 2024 Backgrounds.

While the intent here is to provide backwards-compatibility, WotC has essentially left us an exploit. I don’t think using this for optimization purposes is within the spirit of the rules, and I don’t think most tables will be this permissive, so we won’t be using this in our optimization guides.

Legacy Feats

The 2024 rules split feats into “Origin Feats” and “General Feats”. Origin Feats are available at level 1 without prerequisites, allowing you to gain them from your background and allowing Humans to select them as part of the Species traits. General Feats always include the ability to increase an ability score by +1, typically chosen from a restricted list of ability scores which make sense for the feat.

When considering legacy feats, consider whether they should be Origin Feats or General Feats. Origin Feats should have no prerequisites and should not provide an ability score increase. General Feats should add the prerequisite “level 4 or higher”, and if they do not include an ability score increase, one should be added. Be sure to discuss which ability scores make sense with your DM and the other players at the table.

We can look at feats which existed in both versions of the rules as an example: The Skilled feat is now an Origin Feat, while the Skill Expert feat is now a General Feat.

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About The Author

T.E. "RPGBOT" Kamstra

Tyler "RPGBOT" Kamstra has been the author of RPGBOT.net since 2013. Tyler began playing tabletop RPGs with 3rd edition Dungeons and Dragons over 20 years ago. Tyler has a long-standing love for building characters and for game mechanics, and brings that enthusiasm to everything he creates.

12 Comments

  1. Nord Ronnoc August 1, 2024

    Some stuff to correct (more may be added):
    1. Spells like Cure Wounds and Healing Word also work on constructs and other creatures.
    2. Spells from Xanathar’s Guide exclusively (Catapult, Tenser’s Transformation, and Guardian of Nature) were never in the PHB, so saying they were removed is inaccurate.

    Reply
  6. Faren August 25, 2024

    Several spells have been changed, several indeed. But I’ll list here some things I noticed.

    Hex: remove curse no longer removes the hex curse, changes in the spell’s duration when Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot.

    Hallow: gained an additional effect “Hallowed Ward”, “Everlasting Rest” became “Peaceful Rest”

    Holly Aura: “or be blinded until the spell ends” replaced by “until the end of its next turn”

    Hunter’s Mark: now deals 1d6 Energy damage instead of additional damage, changes in the spell’s duration when Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot.

    Also the material components have changed A LOT. Type Hypnotic Pattern: material component has been changed from “glowing stick of incense or a crystal vial filled with phosphorescent material” to “a pinch of confetti” Ice Storm: Bludgeoning damage from 2d8 to 2d10 Illusory Script: MC from “a lead-based ink worth” to “ink worth” Imprisonment: MC from “a vellum depiction or a carved statuette in the likeness of the target, and a special component that varies according to the version of the spell you choose, worth at least 500 gp per Hit Die of the target” to “a statuette of the target worth 5,000+ GP” Time limit to cast again on the same target added to 24 hours and the imprisoned target cannot teleport.

    Inflict Wounds: Necrotic damage from 3d10 to 2d10 Insect Plague: MC from “a few grains of sugar, some kernels of grain, and a smear of fat” to “a locust” Jallarzi’s Storm of Radiance: new spell

    Reply
  7. ZakerFrost August 28, 2024

    Hello!
    I wanted to point out that “One Spell Slot per turn” also explicitly takes away the possibility of using your reaction to cast Counterspell (and, if allowed, Silvery Barbs) to avoid an enemy from Counterspelling (or passing a saving throw in Silvery Barbs case). Which sounds like a very healthy nerf to those usages of the spells.

    Reply
  8. Alex September 17, 2024

    A very tiny change, but I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere. A long rest brings back all hit dice. In 2014 it was half the level.

    Reply
  9. Ben September 18, 2024

    Calm Emotions is omitted from the list of spells. Has it been removed?

    Reply
    • T.E. "RPGBOT" Kamstra September 18, 2024

      It has not. It has been reworded, but mechanically it’s identical. I’ll add it to the list for clarity.

      Reply
  10. Kaz September 27, 2024

    Another change to cloud of daggers is that now the enemy receives the damage at the end of its turn and not the begining.

    Reply
  11. RJ October 1, 2024

    Simulacrum appears to be repeated in the spell.list

    Reply

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