The 2024Dungeon Master’s Guidelooks to help herald the newest version ofDungeons and Dragons, with it forming another"basics trinity" with thePlayer’s HandbookandMonster Manual, just like in 2014 with the fifth edition. Much like with the newPlayer’s Handbook,the latest version of theDM’s Guidelooks to improve on the original by listening to the last ten years of feedback from theD&Dcommunity. Unlike thePlayer’s Handbook,however, there is much more room for improvement with theDM’s Guide,as the 2014 version wasn’t the most well received product out there.
In general,D&D 2024seeks to be an evolution and expansion upon 5e, rather than an entirely new version. With the extreme popularity of the Fifth Edition,Wizards of the Coast has madeD&D 2024backwards compatible too, meaning that everyone’s favorite adventures from 5e, likeCurse of Strahd,can be played with the latest rules. Those currently knee-deep into aD&Dcampaign can also choose to move toD&D2024, and the latestDM’s Guideis certainly going to help with this transition.
Where The 2014 DM’s Guide Went Wrong
At The Mercy Of Budget And Time Restraints
As admitted by Chris Perkins in the 2024Dungeon Master’s Guidevideo onYouTube, the5e version suffered from not having the necessary time or budget to create the best product. With it being released in the same year as theMonster ManualandPlayer’s Handbookin 2014, theDM’s Guide’s resources were shifted to the two other books to make them the best that they could be at the time. Because of this, theDM’s Guidewas unfortunately a casualty of restrictions, especially sinceD&Dwasn’t quite as big in 2014 as it is now.
The common consensus with the 2014DM’s Guideis that it seems quite eclectic, and although it does have useful information, the entire structure of the books seems chaotic and does not make a lot of sense.Chris Perkins also mentions that theDM’s Guideis meant to be a DM’s best friend and indispensable, yet the 5e version of this book wasn’t quite as useful as it should have been. In large part, this is due to the structure and the information contained not being adequate in preparing new DMs to run campaigns alone.
How The D&D 2024 DM’s Guide Improves 5e’s
A Restructure Was Vital To Improving The DM’s Guide
As is the case with the newPlayer’s Handbook, the latestDM’s Guideis significantly longer than its 5e predecessor, and it contains more content, such as a complete campaign setting and five short sample adventures. This alone would be a worthy addition, especially since new DMs can look at these examples to see how they could or should structure their campaigns if they want to take their friends on a Homebrew adventure. Still,where this new book shines is its restructuring of the older version.
Homebrew refers to any content inD&Dthat isn’t in an official rulebook. There canHomebrew classes, worlds, rules, and monsters, should a DM wish.
The biggest problem with the oldDM’s guideis how unorganized it can feel, containing a bunch of information that feels like it could only be useful in certain situations. The latestDM’s Guidehas been reorganized to read better and itssuperior focus on being a step-by-step guide on being a DM makes it much better at being a Dungeon’s Master’s best friend. It is called theDungeon Master’s Guide,after all, and the newest version of the book is better at holding a new DM’s hands through the daunting process of running a campaign.
D&D 2024’s DMG Is Better For New DMs
Running A Campaign For The First Time Is Terrifying
One thing that shouldn’t be overstated about DMing is that it is difficult. No one should expect to be good on their first attempt. Still, thenewDM’s Guideis better at preparing a DMfor running sessions than the older version. A good example of this comes with prep,since the 2014 book doesn’t have a section that talks about what a DM should be doing to prepare for a session. This is vital for most DMs, since most probably shouldn’t wing an entire session, and the newDM’s Guidemakes sure to include a section on this.
“This Is Actually Bad Advice”: How DMs Like Matt Mercer Shaped D&D’s 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide
Material in D&D’s 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide went through a lot of hands before it was finalized, and the book changed a lot as a result.
Overall, the biggestdifference between the twoDM’s GuidesforDungeons and Dragonsis their philosophy. While the 2014 version has a messy focus on world building, the 2024 version is committed to actually being aDM’s Guideand includes almost everything they would need to begin to run a campaign. Although it alone might not be enough for a DM to feel ready to run their campaign, and videos on the subject by experienced DMs are always advised, it comes a lot closer to preparing people to run campaigns than its 2014 predecessor.
