The New Player's Handbook
The new Player’s Handbook doesn’t drop until September 17th, but Wizards of the Coast has posted an article and videos filled with enticing new information about its contents. In doing so, WotC has started the process of preparing us for the latest edition and generating excitement amongst its fans. The general consensus is that the book will add some exciting new (and old) elements to the game. What are these changes? Here’s a brief rundown of a few of the more exciting changes.
Beginner’s Rejoice
The book no longer jumps into class creation but instead introduces the reader to the game and how to play. Long-time players may skim over it to see what's there, but most will jump ahead to start building your character.
For the new player, this information is critical. Through the examples of actual play, anyone new to Dungeons & Dragon can get a feel for how it works. No longer relying on the other people at the table to explain just about everything when the fun begins. This fosters allows everyone to feel included and part of the game out of the gate, and that's a win-win.
Backgrounds
Ripped from the pages of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook (which was taken from the 3rd edition), your background is fundamental when building your character. Ability Scores are tied to your background. Your background grants you an Origin Feat. I love the idea of starting out with a feat. I don’t know what any of the Origin Feats are, but I hope they are useful, not just color add-ons for your character.
The new PHB has only 16 backgrounds, so let’s all convince Stephen to create more…like 50 more.
Class (and Sub-Class) Changes
You’ve still got 12 main classes to choose from - sorry, Artificer - but the subclasses see the most significant changes. Each class only has 4 subclasses attached to it. If I see any complaints about the new PHB, subclasses will be where they start. I think fewer options are better, but I know plenty of people who will say this is just proof that the game is unexciting and bland.
The oft-maligned ranger gets a total re-work, or at least that’s what we are told. The ranger has undergone several changes over the years, as people have never been satisfied with our poor Aragorn-inspired class. Fighters have been buffed, primarily through the new Weapon Mastery system (see below), and are no longer the most boring class on the planet. Primary spellcasters are a bit worrisome since there is little to no talk about potential changes. As WotC drops more information about individual classes, we’ll hopefully see they aren’t left behind.
Weapon Mastery
When I first started watching the video, it felt like they renamed proficiency into weapon mastery, which would be the extent of the changes. However, I was quickly proven wrong. Each weapon has unique properties, provided you are proficient with the weapon (sorry, wizards). From the examples given, this is something anyone who likes to hit things with a sword should look forward to.
Depending on the class you choose, you can take at least two weapon mastery properties from the start. If you play a barbarian, rogue, ranger, or paladin, you can choose two weapon mastery properties. The fighter starts with three. As you level up, the barbarian and the fighter can unlock additional properties. (I told you the fighter is now a class work taking).
Additional items of note: No more one use per short or long rest, but every attack includes whatever property comes with the weapon. You can use a Long Rest to swap weapons, therefore gaining access to its weapon mastery property. Certain subclasses unlock additional properties. Feats can allow you access to additional weapon mastery properties.
Species
The long-awaited name change from race to a less offensive word is finally here. Aasimar, Goliath, and Orc are now considered core species, appearing in the PHB with the usual suspects—dwarf, elf, etc. Jeremy Crawford tries really hard to talk about significant changes to species. I’m going to reserve judgment until I read through the new book. It’s not that I think they will be bad, but what they mentioned in the video felt very minor or overpowered. Either way, the changes should prove interesting, if nothing else.
There’s more than what’s here, with more information dropping every day. New details will continue to be released in the weeks before the book’s release. I’m hoping we’ll find out more about feats (there was some, but I want more), epic boons (mentioned ever so briefly), and how they will make sure wizards, sorcerers, and warlocks keep pace with the martial classes.
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