D&D (2024) The New DM Tools In The New Dungeon Master's Guide

The 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide contains a 'toolbox'. The DM's Toolbox is the third chapter in the book, presented as an alphabetical miscellany of varied things to help you prep or run a game.

Each entry is 1-2 pages long and includes things like creating monsters, fear and mental stress, chases, firearms and explosives, and traps. For example, it goes in depth into chases, with details about wilderness or urban chases.

Much of the topics were already in the 2014 DMG--albeit organized differently. Some new topics include character death, and more detailed look at alignment--and how actions determine alignment and not vice versa.

Also included is a big table of 'dungeon quirks'--why, then, and by whom was it built? Examples include made by giants (with everything being larger scale), built on top of a cloud, and so on.

There's plenty more stuff--environments, a settlement tracker (Chris Perkins and James Wyatt roll up a random settlement in the video), hazards, mob rules, marks of prestige (rewards like deeds, medals, or titles).

 

[overgeeked]

Just started watching the DM Toolbox video. I foresee the dwarf with a shotgun piece (at 1:11) being the next art kerfuffle. Especially from people who’ve actually held any kind of gun before, but especially a shotgun. At least someone caught it and lampshaded it with the text.

 

[overgeeked]

They’re explicitly calling out that alignment changes based on actions. That’ll be another can of worms.

 

[Remathilis]

They’re explicitly calling out that alignment changes based on actions. That’ll be another can of worms.

If D&D players like anything, it's their wormy cans...

 

[Parmandur]

A lot of what they talked about here was in the 2014 DMG, albeit not in one place or easy to find.

 

[Cruentus]

If D&D players like anything, it's their wormy cans...

But they told me Iron Rations never go bad!

1-2 pages per "tool" seems sparse, and I wonder how much, if any examples will be provided. That was one of my big problems with 2014 DMG. Things like optional rest mechanics didn't have an example of what that would look like in play, and it made it harder for me to implement it (and I've been playing since 1980). I'll be curious to see more reviews. The DMG was the only book I was planning to buy for 2024 (mostly for the Greyhawk map. That is still a thing right?). I was hoping for some interesting mechanics to use in my OSE games.

 

[sevenbastard]

Especially from people who’ve actually held any kind of gun before, but especially a shotgun.

The picture in question.

Why not fix the picture versus just add text?

 

[Osgood]

The picture in question. View attachment 382195

Why not fix the picture versus just add text?

Given the text, a really funny (and dark) picture would have had the dwarf holding the shotgun by the barrel with with the stock pointed at the troll...

But one piece of goofy art aside, I think everything they actually talked about being in this chapter sounds really good. A lot of it sounds like things that were in the 2014 DMG (but having it in one chapter rather than scattered all over the place will be a real help--it's is really hard to find things I know are in the book right now). I'm eager to see the new additions.

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

The picture in question. View attachment 382195

Why not fix the picture versus just add text?

With the text, my feeling is this is a 'represent using a weapon you're not proficient in'. There's an assumption that because he's a dwarf, he must be a martial class and also proficient with a firearm.

It's a static picture. It's not like you can see or tell that that gun is going flying wildly out of his hands any second. So, I vote this is either a 'non proficient' or a 'nat 1' picture, but again, with the text and him 'not figuring out the shotgun' its non-proficient.

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

Given the text, a really funny (and dark) picture would have had the dwarf holding the shotgun by the barrel with with the stock pointed at the troll...

But, then you'd have gamers up in arms (no pun intended) that this is making light of people being shot.

It wouldn't particularly bother me, and I happen to know a gamer who did 8 years for committing manslaughter on her gamer husband with a deer rifle.