It can’t be said that the acquisition of Wizards of the Coast by Hasbro has left behind smiles, joy, and congratulations. Quite the opposite: the announcement that the company will lay off 29% of its workforce has not been well received by fans of the role-playing game, who have either launched a boycott or, at the very least, recommended other similar games that even use the 5E rules. But let’s see how they compete against -literally- the biggest release in the history of D&D. It can’t be done.
An infernal book
In 2024, Wizards of the Coast will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the game by releasing a Player’s Handbook that covers all the revised editions previously known as OneD&D. And what does this mean? Well, it means that it will have a total of 12 classes, with 4 subclasses each (48 in total), plus backgrounds, new spells, weapon rules, and of course, new art that, after the last setback, will not be made with artificial intelligence.
It doesn’t quite reach the level of 6E of D&D, but it can be considered 5.5E because it even changes the way we play: now, your background affects the initial ability scores of the characters and also offers a special ability at level one. The idea is that the player feels, even at higher levels, that their past has an impact on their character. Narrative used through mechanics. At the very least, interesting.
However, as you can imagine, 48 subclasses are not few, and this Player’s Handbook will also be the largest to date in size. However, it does not come to revolutionize your character that you created in 2014: you can continue playing it but with a couple of additions. According to the creators, the idea is for you to continue with your games, but with some novelties to make D&D even more attractive.
The Monster Manual will also have a new edition with over 500 enemies and the Dungeon Master‘s will be expanded with a complete campaign and different adventures. If you are a fan, you know you have to have these new editions. If you are not, it’s the perfect time to buy your first 20-sided die. The adventure awaits you on the other side of the coast.
