I love your honest way of saying where you stand and that the game itself is in the center of your attention. A voice or reason in these heated times. I bought it a while ago and have looked through it more often than the 2015 DMG. Nice book.
The treasure section would definitely be the most useful for me. I love giving my players little trinkets here and there to add to the flavour of their characters, even if it's just something minor.
The Greyhawk section is what I look forward to the most. I am leaning into D&D settings and currently going through the older material from AD&D2E for Forgotten Realms, and will move onto Greyhawk after that. It would be very interesting to see how it is portrayed in the new DMG compared to the older supplements. The ultimate idea here is to use these things as inspiration for modules of my own, aimed at OSE and maybe ShadowDark once I get that. Thanks for the review!
I would like to participate - I am running a weekly Free City of Greyhawk game with 5 players , I was 10 years old when I played my 1st game in Greyhawk with 13 other players. The 5.5 chapter will help me run a more authentic Greyhawk , I have done some research with Greycast podcast) and the dungeon magazine to do the world justice this time. That builds off this solid foundation. We are 3 sessions in and I had everyone get off of a boat at the same time or be working the dock if they were from the freecity to start the chronicle.
The provision of the Greyhawk setting and some adventure seeds already elevates this DMG over every previous edition, which was frankly redundant for many groups. Yes, you get the treasure as well, but if you have a series of self contained scenarios to run, you didn’t even need this. The 2024 edition, for all the annoyances that have come about in its making, is basically a good set of books and rules. The only area they really stumbled with was the stereotyped Backgrounds that determine Ability score bonuses (which can be overwritten from the DMG anyway). That said, these days, D&D really appeals to a very specific type of gameplay for me - where levelling and power-creep are prioritised. As such, I’m glad we have fantasy games like Warhammer, Runequest, etc to act as alternatives.
I think rules creation might be the most valuable, just because it'll maybe give me insight into the thought process behind the new edition, and 5e in general, so I can better anticipate what people who expect this sort of game might want. Helps when making my own rules for stuff, even if I wind up going in a different direction. I have not owned a DMG since 3e, and I had that because it was a really reasonably priced set way back when, I never ran 3e. I tend to just get PHBs or equivalent, that last GM guide that really tempted me was Mothership's
I believe I will gain the most from several of the chapters. I am working on a Spell Jammer campaign so Chapter 6: Cosmology, but I want them to end up with a base of operations so Chapter 8: Bastions will be a of great assistance as well.
Great review as always Jeff! I already have a 2024 DM Guide (my gaming gang would kill me if I didn't) The chapter I find myself frequently consulting is the one dedicated to Treasure. I believe it's chapter 7 or 8. But when I'm away from the gaming table, Chapter 3 (DM tool kit) is the one I spend more time checking out and I have to admit I'm taking several ideas and tools to other game systems. Thank you for sharing your thoughts Jeff! I love your reviews!
Definitely worth a peek to see what D&D has adopted from the many modern independent game designers out there. I see a few things that look interesting but overall it's as if our hand is being held, the Owlbear has been neutered & its claws have been clipped. It's structured like a petting zoo for absolute newbies which is great if it is a book designed for D&D's young adventurers collection. The YA collection is great by the way, I enjoy those. But for the heart of D&D, medieval grit for us vets seems to have gotten banned along with the DMs who run deadly dungeon crawls. No heroes running for their lives, no critical thinking for survival, no certain death allowed. Is there any advice for a TPK? When we have a bear encounter in the wild, modern day, it's a life changing experience, humbling & terror felt. And that's a bear, this version iterates none of that from its beholder, it's lich or even its dragon. It's as exciting as the teacup ride @ Disneyland. I'd like to compare that thought to an image of a knight fleeing for his life on horseback with his armor partially melted into his flesh from acid as he leans back to shoot his bow @ the pursuing black dragon. He will not survive. The stakes of winning & losing it all, make it an adventure. Respect the monsters. In my experience, it's the TPK my players remember the most, not because it was fun, but because the stakes were real for their characters. Their actions matter & what they need to do to survive isn't always written between the lines. This is a game for creative thinking, which is where the fun lives. As always, great review Jeff, I've definitely seen things in there that caught my eye, mainly in the second chapter, with the Travel Planner. I need to utilize that more. And I will confess that I did purchase a 2024 book, the "Worlds & Realms" book, it's an absolute beauty, and supports all editions.
I really love this version of the DMG which is the best version I have seen in the 44 years I have been playing. The section that will likely be of most use to me is the Bastions, although it will need a lot of adapting. Most players in my long term games lean into this style of play. I am not a fan of the fact that they cannot be vulnerable but that can be part of the tweaking required. The framework is sound in my opinion, but each DM should review and amend to meet their campaign style.
I wasn't interested in any chapters until the review, but thanks to your recommendation now I'm looking forward to reading the Campaign chapter and seeing if I like Greyhawk.
only a dream to see Mystara ever brought back to life Jeff. A shame for it it might have been the best setting ever done for D&D. Wide open in parts yet with detailing that was grade A+ (like Glantri). Great to see fandom still keeping it alive, expanding and further detailing it, but I'll keel over dead over shock if it ever was revived officially.
The chapter I am most excited for is chapter 4. Creating Adventures. I am a big fan of homebrew adventures and would love to have a copy of this book to help me learn the ins and outs of being a DM. While also learning to write adventures for me and my friends.
Agree that Mystara would have been a more "generic" (and possibly better) choice for a sample campaign. But Chris Perkins said (in a podcast) they wanted a. to give new players an understanding of where the iconic names came from and b. to pay homage to D&D's roots by acknowledging the influence Greyhawk has on D&D. But neither of those reasons addresses the good point you made about presenting a campaign setting that is easier to customize. That said, Wizards could have made a lot of easy money by re-releasing Mystara updated for D&D 5.24.
Hi Santa let me down so the best chapter for me as a forever DM would probably be the magic item chapter so I can keep things simple for my DnD Beyond addicted players. I'm sure I could pick up good nuggets from elsewhere in the book too. I'm not convinced by the in depth look at Bastions I've seen elsewhere. They don't seem to fit with the timescales of most campaigns are very limiting on what players can build when and don't really address the problem of what to do with your wealth - often indeed making it worth by generating more wealth for non adventuring 'activities'. Your review was great, the book looks awesome for new DMs for experienced DMs I think the Tales of the Valiant book from Kobold Press looks better. Have you reviewed that?
Great review and thank you! I’ve been hesitant to DM because of how much responsibility is involved and I think the chapter on DM’s Tools might be a good, quick resource if I needed help.
The best chapter is the one on Bastions as the rest is just errata of what already exists. The worst part of the book is the art. I would actually prefer an art-free version if they made one.
Would love to participate - the way I use such books is mostly for inspiration when it comes to its art. From looking through cool designed RPG books just but looking at the art ideas form all on their own for me :) Have a good one and thx for your great reviews. As a sidenote, I especially loved your PF2E Season of Ghost review. Bought those and butchered them into an AD&D campaign haha ;)
I think my favorite chapters would be three and four which are focused on adventures and campaigns. I'd like to put more of a person stamp on some of the published adventures I run.
We are level 2 and some of my players are already asking for specific magic items to complete their builds. Yeah, crazy huh, so yes. I'm a real Chapter 7 man! After I picked up the Griffon's Saddlebag, I expected them to tone this part of the book down because there are so many more 3rd party resources. Thanks for the opportunity! I hope I win. Whichever one I get, I'll buy the other cover.
I would like to participate, I'm a novice player that just took the DM seat in order to share this hobby with my friends. I was always a player so this kind of information is super useful 🎉❤ I think the chapter about how to run the game (social aspects) and ruling would be the most interesting to me. How to make the adventure flow with the players and be less scary 🎉
Good review. I bought the 2024 PHB already, but not the DMG yet. I'm not currently running a game, so I figured it was not an immediate priority to get (but I was curious about what changes were being made to the races and classes in the game, so I got the PHB). I think the sections that would be most useful for me would be the Greyhawk world info and the Bastions chapter, as they are all-new information that was not in the 2014 DMG. I have the old Greyhawk boxed set from the AD&D2e era, but it has been quite a while since I looked at it. I've usually played in the Forgotten Realms or homebrew settings over the years, not so much in Greyhawk. That setting has not had a rules update in many editions now, so I'd like to see what they did to it to update it to 5.5e. While you said the Bastion chapter was rather gamified, I'm guessing if the entire party shared a single Bastion instead of 1 per character, it could be used to build the group's "home base", whether they are taking "Bastion turns" during downtime or not. In Critical Roll, the group always seems to get a base to return to in each season, and those rules could be used to allow my group to build/create/develop something similar. It's cool idea, and while I bought MCDM's Stronghold's book, another take on it would be nice to read. Also, the much better organization of the rules sounds very nice, which should make it much easier to find whatever I may be looking for. That's always a plus in-game!
After seeing the typical negative comments from some I thought I would chime in and say thank you Jeff for reviewing a book that many many people are interested in and who want an unbiased review of. We live in an age where it seems expected to take extreme sides on everything. I for one also don't like the Wizards corporation for obvious reasons (can't think of any bigger corporation I love honestly), but, in my experience their books are almost all of good quality and some of them are amazingly well done. A lot of time and effort went into these products and it shows. The detractors, always-right alphas, aren't really worth the effort, I doubt most of them will ever even read the books they trash. They flood the internet with their rage and turn people away from playing that probably would have really enjoyed themselves. This is a game of the imagination and everyone can run it however they want. If one doesn't like how Wizards write something, change it, it's not rocket science, unless you have a sub 8 intelligence rating that is. The core of Dungeons & Dragons is a great canvas where anyone can paint almost any kind of portrait that they want (like many ttrpgs). Now to what matters, your review, another great one Jeff, no surprise. I figured the book would be good and am not shocked by your score, after all, they have had a decade to refine 5E, which was already good (shocking I know). I for one look very forward to reading all of this book one day, Chapters 3 the DM toolkit and Chapters 7 treasure will probably add the most to my imagination and ideas, which is what I like getting from these books most of all, but who knows. Again Jeff thank you for posting this and putting up with the usual noise from doing so. I greatly appreciate what you do, you add so much to the community, never let anyone make you feel otherwise.👍👍
Ironically, the chapter that I am interested in the most is the Bastions one :) I understand how the gamification of that concept may frustrate you, but given my gaming group’s play style, having the rules around it would help immensely in avoiding it to be too arbitrary from my side.
@ ah, got it! Thanks for clarifying and for the great and thorough review! I look forward to getting my copy; here in Brazil the official distribution by our local Amazon has been messy (got my PHB a week ago despite pre-ordering it back in July), so I guess I will remain curious for at least 3 more months or so :)
I really look forward to the Greyhawk campaign setting. Wizard did not publish a proper campaignsetting since 5e has startet. Yes there are Faerun/ Swordcoast books coming in the next year but this is something that the old DMG did not offer at all and beside this I have no experience with Greyhawk at all so it is an intresting deepdive for me.
Chapter 4 Creating Adventures. Starting in a tavern? Most of the interesting events in my life started in or heavily featured at least one pub, Verisimilitude.
I like the treasure and Magic item chapter. It is a challenge that occurs .Trying to find item to keep the players of the game happy.itis not always easy .The ideas are greatly appreciated.
Great review, you've convinced me to get all three of the core 5.5 books. For WotC not sending you free copies, you are very unbiased and let the chips fall where they may, which makes the conclusion you arrive at authentic. The intro to your video is artistic, evocative, and honestly worthy of a AAA movie or tv show, absolutely love the intro it's awesome.
I’m waffling. My problem is, I find 5th/2024 boring. It’s giving me the same vibe 4th had at the end of its run (and I actually liked it at first.) Maybe if I play it more, but I’m also a forever DM…
I recently had the chance to look over the new player's book. In short the only thing I like about it is the art. The character generation stuff is all over the place and I really hated the exclusion of the racial ability bonuses, that move alone was a knife in the chest of the game but then they just kept stabbing, The game was clearly not designed for me which is a shame because I really liked what they did with 5E originally. But I guess when you get so much right the only place to go after that is down.
if someone already has 2014 players guide and dmg, I would disagree with video and recommend getting 2024 players guide over 2024 dmg. its nice to have the updated magic items but i have been dming for 4 years and for me I primarily want news players guide and monster guide. I need new rules on how to play, char options and new monster Stat blocks. I get more use out of RUclips videos with tips on dming and actual experience then I ever got from the 2014 dmg.
Great review! It sounds like Jeff is giving away a new copy from Amazon, and keeping his own copy. I’m happy to hear they reorganized the book in a decent way. But did they have to do it at the expense of the artwork? 2014 and 2e had exceptional artwork. This 5.5e looks like they partnered with Hello Kitty to redesign the monsters. Notably, the “cute” dire wolf puppy, the beholder that looks like a muppet, and the Mimic on the Bastion tracker page that…I would never have guessed they could or would ever want to make a Mimic look so friendly and harmless. I’m glad that they actually put some basic game instructions into the DMG. But quite honestly, if wotc is going to forsake their pre-2020 materials, then I’d personally recommend new players learn role playing from BECMI dnd which has complete instructions on how to play RPG’s from scratch, and then venture off into any edition of dnd the players find compelling.
its NOT a NEW edition, its the same dman game with some treaking.. its no different than getting new tires and an oil change on your car, no different than an update patch on your favorite MMO... the NFL changed the kickofff rules htis year, its still Football :D lol
Oh, that's rich! People who, unlike you, support this channel wanted a review of the book. I gave it to them. There are over 2,100 videos on this channel and and fewer than 50 of them deal with D&D of any sort. Someone who hasn't creating anything on RUclips - outside of a couple of playlists of other people's content - has a lot of f'ing nerve calling me a sellout. You're a moron. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. ~ Jeff
@ Uhm, that was uncalled for. How has he "sold out"? He has given honest reviews of D&D in the past, more so than any other content creator. He has repeatedly said that D&D isn't for him, and WOTC doesn't even send him material anymore, because of his honesty. Did you miss the part where he said he bought this copy himself? For the specific reason, his followers wanted a review of it.
HATE their bullshit Venger... It says something that their Venger is LESS impressive than a 1980's kid's cartoon ! Yes, a banal complaint. But it is my complaint. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
What's annoying and pretentious is a commenter who obviously didn't listen to what Jeff said about why followers of his channel would be surprised to see the review. Then commenting he's annoying and pretentious. He never acted like it would be unusual for a channel to review a D&D book. Maybe you should go crawl back to your troll cave to focus on your lame ass reaction shorts rather than ignorantly commenting on other creators' videos.
I love your honest way of saying where you stand and that the game itself is in the center of your attention. A voice or reason in these heated times. I bought it a while ago and have looked through it more often than the 2015 DMG. Nice book.
My first thought was that I did not see this coming.
Woah that’s a familiar image on the cover! (Well for us who remember the cartoon)
The treasure section would definitely be the most useful for me. I love giving my players little trinkets here and there to add to the flavour of their characters, even if it's just something minor.
As a solo player, I think the treasure section would be the most useful for rolling up random finds and sparking creative items to find.
The Greyhawk section is what I look forward to the most. I am leaning into D&D settings and currently going through the older material from AD&D2E for Forgotten Realms, and will move onto Greyhawk after that. It would be very interesting to see how it is portrayed in the new DMG compared to the older supplements. The ultimate idea here is to use these things as inspiration for modules of my own, aimed at OSE and maybe ShadowDark once I get that.
Thanks for the review!
I would like to participate - I am running a weekly Free City of Greyhawk game with 5 players , I was 10 years old when I played my 1st game in Greyhawk with 13 other players. The 5.5 chapter will help me run a more authentic Greyhawk , I have done some research with Greycast podcast) and the dungeon magazine to do the world justice this time. That builds off this solid foundation. We are 3 sessions in and I had everyone get off of a boat at the same time or be working the dock if they were from the freecity to start the chronicle.
The provision of the Greyhawk setting and some adventure seeds already elevates this DMG over every previous edition, which was frankly redundant for many groups. Yes, you get the treasure as well, but if you have a series of self contained scenarios to run, you didn’t even need this.
The 2024 edition, for all the annoyances that have come about in its making, is basically a good set of books and rules. The only area they really stumbled with was the stereotyped Backgrounds that determine Ability score bonuses (which can be overwritten from the DMG anyway). That said, these days, D&D really appeals to a very specific type of gameplay for me - where levelling and power-creep are prioritised. As such, I’m glad we have fantasy games like Warhammer, Runequest, etc to act as alternatives.
I think rules creation might be the most valuable, just because it'll maybe give me insight into the thought process behind the new edition, and 5e in general, so I can better anticipate what people who expect this sort of game might want. Helps when making my own rules for stuff, even if I wind up going in a different direction. I have not owned a DMG since 3e, and I had that because it was a really reasonably priced set way back when, I never ran 3e. I tend to just get PHBs or equivalent, that last GM guide that really tempted me was Mothership's
I believe I will gain the most from several of the chapters. I am working on a Spell Jammer campaign so Chapter 6: Cosmology, but I want them to end up with a base of operations so Chapter 8: Bastions will be a of great assistance as well.
Second Edition D&D Spelljammer is a great resource if you haven't already looked at the various books or PDFs.
Thanks I actually own those as well. I also own the 5e version just recently released.
Great review as always Jeff! I already have a 2024 DM Guide (my gaming gang would kill me if I didn't) The chapter I find myself frequently consulting is the one dedicated to Treasure. I believe it's chapter 7 or 8. But when I'm away from the gaming table, Chapter 3 (DM tool kit) is the one I spend more time checking out and I have to admit I'm taking several ideas and tools to other game systems. Thank you for sharing your thoughts Jeff! I love your reviews!
I'm glad you liked it! ~ Jeff
Definitely worth a peek to see what D&D has adopted from the many modern independent game designers out there. I see a few things that look interesting but overall it's as if our hand is being held, the Owlbear has been neutered & its claws have been clipped. It's structured like a petting zoo for absolute newbies which is great if it is a book designed for D&D's young adventurers collection. The YA collection is great by the way, I enjoy those. But for the heart of D&D, medieval grit for us vets seems to have gotten banned along with the DMs who run deadly dungeon crawls. No heroes running for their lives, no critical thinking for survival, no certain death allowed. Is there any advice for a TPK? When we have a bear encounter in the wild, modern day, it's a life changing experience, humbling & terror felt. And that's a bear, this version iterates none of that from its beholder, it's lich or even its dragon. It's as exciting as the teacup ride @ Disneyland. I'd like to compare that thought to an image of a knight fleeing for his life on horseback with his armor partially melted into his flesh from acid as he leans back to shoot his bow @ the pursuing black dragon. He will not survive. The stakes of winning & losing it all, make it an adventure. Respect the monsters. In my experience, it's the TPK my players remember the most, not because it was fun, but because the stakes were real for their characters. Their actions matter & what they need to do to survive isn't always written between the lines. This is a game for creative thinking, which is where the fun lives.
As always, great review Jeff, I've definitely seen things in there that caught my eye, mainly in the second chapter, with the Travel Planner. I need to utilize that more. And I will confess that I did purchase a 2024 book, the "Worlds & Realms" book, it's an absolute beauty, and supports all editions.
I really love this version of the DMG which is the best version I have seen in the 44 years I have been playing.
The section that will likely be of most use to me is the Bastions, although it will need a lot of adapting. Most players in my long term games lean into this style of play. I am not a fan of the fact that they cannot be vulnerable but that can be part of the tweaking required. The framework is sound in my opinion, but each DM should review and amend to meet their campaign style.
I wasn't interested in any chapters until the review, but thanks to your recommendation now I'm looking forward to reading the Campaign chapter and seeing if I like Greyhawk.
only a dream to see Mystara ever brought back to life Jeff. A shame for it it might have been the best setting ever done for D&D. Wide open in parts yet with detailing that was grade A+ (like Glantri). Great to see fandom still keeping it alive, expanding and further detailing it, but I'll keel over dead over shock if it ever was revived officially.
The treasure section is by far my most favorite. Thank you!
The chapter I am most excited for is chapter 4. Creating Adventures. I am a big fan of homebrew adventures and would love to have a copy of this book to help me learn the ins and outs of being a DM. While also learning to write adventures for me and my friends.
Also check out the Tales of the Valiant Gamemasters Guide
Agree that Mystara would have been a more "generic" (and possibly better) choice for a sample campaign. But Chris Perkins said (in a podcast) they wanted
a. to give new players an understanding of where the iconic names came from and
b. to pay homage to D&D's roots by acknowledging the influence Greyhawk has on D&D.
But neither of those reasons addresses the good point you made about presenting a campaign setting that is easier to customize. That said, Wizards could have made a lot of easy money by re-releasing Mystara updated for D&D 5.24.
Hi Santa let me down so the best chapter for me as a forever DM would probably be the magic item chapter so I can keep things simple for my DnD Beyond addicted players. I'm sure I could pick up good nuggets from elsewhere in the book too. I'm not convinced by the in depth look at Bastions I've seen elsewhere. They don't seem to fit with the timescales of most campaigns are very limiting on what players can build when and don't really address the problem of what to do with your wealth - often indeed making it worth by generating more wealth for non adventuring 'activities'. Your review was great, the book looks awesome for new DMs for experienced DMs I think the Tales of the Valiant book from Kobold Press looks better. Have you reviewed that?
Great review and thank you! I’ve been hesitant to DM because of how much responsibility is involved and I think the chapter on DM’s Tools might be a good, quick resource if I needed help.
The best chapter is the one on Bastions as the rest is just errata of what already exists.
The worst part of the book is the art. I would actually prefer an art-free version if they made one.
Would love to participate - the way I use such books is mostly for inspiration when it comes to its art. From looking through cool designed RPG books just but looking at the art ideas form all on their own for me :)
Have a good one and thx for your great reviews. As a sidenote, I especially loved your PF2E Season of Ghost review. Bought those and butchered them into an AD&D campaign haha ;)
I think my favorite chapters would be three and four which are focused on adventures and campaigns. I'd like to put more of a person stamp on some of the published adventures I run.
We are level 2 and some of my players are already asking for specific magic items to complete their builds. Yeah, crazy huh, so yes. I'm a real Chapter 7 man! After I picked up the Griffon's Saddlebag, I expected them to tone this part of the book down because there are so many more 3rd party resources. Thanks for the opportunity!
I hope I win. Whichever one I get, I'll buy the other cover.
I would like to participate, I'm a novice player that just took the DM seat in order to share this hobby with my friends. I was always a player so this kind of information is super useful 🎉❤
I think the chapter about how to run the game (social aspects) and ruling would be the most interesting to me. How to make the adventure flow with the players and be less scary 🎉
Thank you for the as-always honest review. Unfortunately, I have no interest in playing this version of Dungeons & Dragons.
Most useful for me is definitely the magic items. I think the new description/categorization of the items is brilliant.
Good review. I bought the 2024 PHB already, but not the DMG yet. I'm not currently running a game, so I figured it was not an immediate priority to get (but I was curious about what changes were being made to the races and classes in the game, so I got the PHB).
I think the sections that would be most useful for me would be the Greyhawk world info and the Bastions chapter, as they are all-new information that was not in the 2014 DMG. I have the old Greyhawk boxed set from the AD&D2e era, but it has been quite a while since I looked at it. I've usually played in the Forgotten Realms or homebrew settings over the years, not so much in Greyhawk. That setting has not had a rules update in many editions now, so I'd like to see what they did to it to update it to 5.5e.
While you said the Bastion chapter was rather gamified, I'm guessing if the entire party shared a single Bastion instead of 1 per character, it could be used to build the group's "home base", whether they are taking "Bastion turns" during downtime or not. In Critical Roll, the group always seems to get a base to return to in each season, and those rules could be used to allow my group to build/create/develop something similar. It's cool idea, and while I bought MCDM's Stronghold's book, another take on it would be nice to read.
Also, the much better organization of the rules sounds very nice, which should make it much easier to find whatever I may be looking for. That's always a plus in-game!
Thanks for your look through and to those who donated to get this.
After seeing the typical negative comments from some I thought I would chime in and say thank you Jeff for reviewing a book that many many people are interested in and who want an unbiased review of. We live in an age where it seems expected to take extreme sides on everything. I for one also don't like the Wizards corporation for obvious reasons (can't think of any bigger corporation I love honestly), but, in my experience their books are almost all of good quality and some of them are amazingly well done.
A lot of time and effort went into these products and it shows. The detractors, always-right alphas, aren't really worth the effort, I doubt most of them will ever even read the books they trash. They flood the internet with their rage and turn people away from playing that probably would have really enjoyed themselves.
This is a game of the imagination and everyone can run it however they want. If one doesn't like how Wizards write something, change it, it's not rocket science, unless you have a sub 8 intelligence rating that is. The core of Dungeons & Dragons is a great canvas where anyone can paint almost any kind of portrait that they want (like many ttrpgs).
Now to what matters, your review, another great one Jeff, no surprise. I figured the book would be good and am not shocked by your score, after all, they have had a decade to refine 5E, which was already good (shocking I know). I for one look very forward to reading all of this book one day, Chapters 3 the DM toolkit and Chapters 7 treasure will probably add the most to my imagination and ideas, which is what I like getting from these books most of all, but who knows. Again Jeff thank you for posting this and putting up with the usual noise from doing so. I greatly appreciate what you do, you add so much to the community, never let anyone make you feel otherwise.👍👍
Thank you for the kind words! It's truly people like you who makes this all worthwhile. ~ Jeff
Ironically, the chapter that I am interested in the most is the Bastions one :) I understand how the gamification of that concept may frustrate you, but given my gaming group’s play style, having the rules around it would help immensely in avoiding it to be too arbitrary from my side.
I didn't find it frustrating; just some things in the way bastions are presented wouldn't make it to my game table. ~ Jeff
@ ah, got it! Thanks for clarifying and for the great and thorough review!
I look forward to getting my copy; here in Brazil the official distribution by our local Amazon has been messy (got my PHB a week ago despite pre-ordering it back in July), so I guess I will remain curious for at least 3 more months or so :)
Thanks.
Bastions (Stronghold). It's a wayback inclusion and look forward to using an updated take on the element.
I really look forward to the Greyhawk campaign setting. Wizard did not publish a proper campaignsetting since 5e has startet. Yes there are Faerun/ Swordcoast books coming in the next year but this is something that the old DMG did not offer at all and beside this I have no experience with Greyhawk at all so it is an intresting deepdive for me.
I am interested in the two chapters on creating adventures and campaigns, since that is what I am getting into now as a DM.
Cheers!
Nice to see that they did a good job with the DM Guide. Thanks, Jeff.
Chapter 4 Creating Adventures. Starting in a tavern? Most of the interesting events in my life started in or heavily featured at least one pub, Verisimilitude.
I really like to read the treasure chapter and Magic items. I always like reading them in different RPG books. Thanks for a chance to win.
I like the treasure and Magic item chapter. It is a challenge that occurs .Trying to find item to keep the players of the game happy.itis not always easy .The ideas are greatly appreciated.
Great review. I think the dm toolkit chapter would be my choice on most useful chapter.
Great review, you've convinced me to get all three of the core 5.5 books. For WotC not sending you free copies, you are very unbiased and let the chips fall where they may, which makes the conclusion you arrive at authentic. The intro to your video is artistic, evocative, and honestly worthy of a AAA movie or tv show, absolutely love the intro it's awesome.
I’m waffling. My problem is, I find 5th/2024 boring. It’s giving me the same vibe 4th had at the end of its run (and I actually liked it at first.) Maybe if I play it more, but I’m also a forever DM…
The most useful chapter would be the magic items. The Bastions chapter would be the least useful. The lore chapter would be an interesting to read.
I mostly like the art. Or don't dislike it, at least. But it seems to lack a bit of passion.
Don't worry about putting me in the running. Not my bag.
I recently had the chance to look over the new player's book. In short the only thing I like about it is the art. The character generation stuff is all over the place and I really hated the exclusion of the racial ability bonuses, that move alone was a knife in the chest of the game but then they just kept stabbing, The game was clearly not designed for me which is a shame because I really liked what they did with 5E originally. But I guess when you get so much right the only place to go after that is down.
The only use I would have for this book is to get a bonfire started. But it would likely not work for that either.
if someone already has 2014 players guide and dmg, I would disagree with video and recommend getting 2024 players guide over 2024 dmg. its nice to have the updated magic items but i have been dming for 4 years and for me I primarily want news players guide and monster guide. I need new rules on how to play, char options and new monster Stat blocks. I get more use out of RUclips videos with tips on dming and actual experience then I ever got from the 2014 dmg.
I'm looking forward to WotC removing Alignment and replacing it with Pronouns! 🙄
I do not think any of this will be useful to me. I will immediately list this for sale on eBay so I can buy an OSR book.
Jeff announces he’s giving away the book moments before the review begins. I have an idea about how this review will go…
Great review! It sounds like Jeff is giving away a new copy from Amazon, and keeping his own copy. I’m happy to hear they reorganized the book in a decent way. But did they have to do it at the expense of the artwork? 2014 and 2e had exceptional artwork. This 5.5e looks like they partnered with Hello Kitty to redesign the monsters. Notably, the “cute” dire wolf puppy, the beholder that looks like a muppet, and the Mimic on the Bastion tracker page that…I would never have guessed they could or would ever want to make a Mimic look so friendly and harmless. I’m glad that they actually put some basic game instructions into the DMG. But quite honestly, if wotc is going to forsake their pre-2020 materials, then I’d personally recommend new players learn role playing from BECMI dnd which has complete instructions on how to play RPG’s from scratch, and then venture off into any edition of dnd the players find compelling.
Chapter four looks the best. Five words, not two or three words. 😂
its NOT a NEW edition, its the same dman game with some treaking.. its no different than getting new tires and an oil change on your car, no different than an update patch on your favorite MMO... the NFL changed the kickofff rules htis year, its still Football :D lol
total woke total shit
Typical American MAGA automated response. Rest of the world doesn't give a s&&t about your opinions.
Typical American MAGA automated response. Rest of the world doesn't give a s&&t about your opinions.
Oh look the Dumb & Dumber 2024 DEI Master's Guide 😂
Oh, man! I wish I had thought of that line.
Yep, and Jeff is selling out for monetization.
Oh, that's rich! People who, unlike you, support this channel wanted a review of the book. I gave it to them. There are over 2,100 videos on this channel and and fewer than 50 of them deal with D&D of any sort. Someone who hasn't creating anything on RUclips - outside of a couple of playlists of other people's content - has a lot of f'ing nerve calling me a sellout. You're a moron. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. ~ Jeff
@ Uhm, that was uncalled for. How has he "sold out"? He has given honest reviews of D&D in the past, more so than any other content creator. He has repeatedly said that D&D isn't for him, and WOTC doesn't even send him material anymore, because of his honesty. Did you miss the part where he said he bought this copy himself? For the specific reason, his followers wanted a review of it.
HATE their bullshit Venger...
It says something that their Venger is LESS impressive than a 1980's kid's cartoon !
Yes, a banal complaint. But it is my complaint. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Why are you acting like it's unusual for a rpg channel to review a d&d book? That is annoying and pretentious
What's annoying and pretentious is a commenter who obviously didn't listen to what Jeff said about why followers of his channel would be surprised to see the review. Then commenting he's annoying and pretentious. He never acted like it would be unusual for a channel to review a D&D book. Maybe you should go crawl back to your troll cave to focus on your lame ass reaction shorts rather than ignorantly commenting on other creators' videos.
Garbage book not D and D but 5th really wasn't so.....
And you know this because....? Or just pulling your opinions out your a&&?