D&D: One 2024 Player’s Handbook Change Has Already Made Me Stop Using The 2014 Edition

I like a lot of the changes in the 2024, but most of them aren't necessarily things that would push me to immediately toss aside the 2014 copy. I've been running a long-term 5e campaign for years, and I'm quite comfortable with the older edition at this point. That's not to say that I always remember every detail off the top of my head — I definitely don't — but I do have a good idea of how to use the book to quickly check facts when they're relevant to play.

Although I generally play online, I always keep physical copies of the core books at hand during sessions, a task that can be tricky with limited desk space and a shelf that isn't close enough to be entirely convenient. Earning a spot within arm's length is consequently a bit of a feat, so at the end of the day, either the 2014 or 2024 is going to end up relegated to the shelf. I've already reached the point where the 2014 book is failing to make the cut, and it's mostly because of one new 2024 feature.

After spending a couple of months with the 2024, the feature that's emerged as my favorite is the Rules Glossary included in the back. Although tossing appendices in the final pages of books is a common standard, they tend to serve fairly narrow purposes, like the list of multiversal gods found in Appendix B of the 2014. The Rules Glossary sets its sights on the much bigger goal of covering most of the basic info that a player or DM might need to check during gameplay, a challenging task that it pulls off surprisingly well.

Despite player's concerns over the new changes, the 2024 Player's Handbook offers a new and even better way to play Dungeons & Dragons.

Smartly, the Rules Glossary is also the one part of 's 2024 that largely de-emphasizes artwork, squeezing monochrome scenes into banners at the top of some pages but devoting most of the real estate to the text. I love all the new illustrations in the rest of the book, but I can't pretend that the large panels of artwork and increased font size make the spell