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).

 

[Umbran]

Oh wait...

Mod Note:
Hey. Dial back the sarcasm, please. It may make you feel good, but it isn't part of coming to terms with disagreement in a constructive fashion.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Most people playing today started with 5E. They don't care about what the 2E DMG said (heck, I don't even care) if they even realize it exists. All that history? The people writing the DMG should look back at them and see what worked and what didn't. But the people playing the game now? Why would they give a fig.

You seem to have a very, very narrow view of who the target audience for the book should be. The target is not grognards. It's not you or the 5% of DMs that share your level of experience. It's not even people who have been playing D&D for the past decade, although an improved DMG could be a real blessing. It's that new to D&D 14 year old who's starting up a new game. Because they are the future and what keeps the game healthy and growing.

If they want to stop including veteran players and fans of the franchise in their list of potential customers in favor of more numerous new players, and change their products (while keeping all the nostalgia-bait names in place) to that effect, WotC should have the courage to state that intention plainly. If they don't, I feel perfectly comfortable losing respect for them as a content producer, whether anyone else cares or not.

My issue is less that they did it (although it certainly doesn't feel good) and more that they won't admit both who they care about and who they don't.

 

[Micah Sweet]

If the DMG isn't designed with helping new DMs as one of its primary goals, that's a design oversight. If that's been true for nearly 50 years, it's a design oversight that's long overdue for correction.

I used the word "primarily" for a reason, just like I used the phrase "broader purpose". New DMs used to be part of the audience, but now they appear to be all of it.

If you're going to misrepresent my words, well, stop it.

 

[Micah Sweet]

having two chapters for new DMs does not sound like its primary goal, and I’d argue it always tried to also be a guide for new DMs, with varying levels of success

So would I. See my actual post above, and my reiterating of it below that.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The 4E DMG was amazing at onboarding new referees. Makes sense given it was so different from what came before. Besides that, the DMG has always been kinda inside baseball in its approach. The authors and text have always assumed a whole lot and left way too much unsaid. I think it’s an argument for multiple DMGs. One for the beginner referee and one for the more advanced referee. Or that’s an argument for a boxed set as the beginner friendly referee onboarding experience. As was the case with 5E.

Exactly! That's what starter sets are for! How many times have I said this?

 

[R_J_K75]

I think it’s an argument for multiple DMGs.

I would prefer a departure from the 3 core book format.

 

[MarkB]

I used the word "primarily" for a reason, just like I used the phrase "broader purpose". New DMs used to be part of the audience, but now they appear to be all of it.

If you're going to misrepresent my words, well, stop it.

Have you ever considered not judging a book by its coverage?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Have you ever considered not judging a book by its coverage?

I will if the book is clear about what it covers.

 

[Parmandur]

Have you ever considered not judging a book by its coverage?

DC 30 Skill challenge.

 

[Oofta]

If they want to stop including veteran players and fans of the franchise in their list of potential customers in favor of more numerous new players, and change their products (while keeping all the nostalgia-bait names in place) to that effect, WotC should have the courage to state that intention plainly. If they don't, I feel perfectly comfortable losing respect for them as a content producer, whether anyone else cares or not.

My issue is less that they did it (although it certainly doesn't feel good) and more that they won't admit both who they care about and who they don't.

I'll ask again. What is the option? Your claim that they are somehow "abandoning" experienced DMs is just odd. What exactly are they supposed to admit? That some of the book will be geared to new DMs? Do you really need them to tell you that? On the flip side, are they supposed to have multiple DMGs, all targeted at DMs with different levels of experience? How would that even work?

It's not that they don't care about you and there will be new rules for veteran DMs if they want it. I may not use the bastion rules for my current campaign because it doesn't really fit, but it could for other campaigns. There will be updated rules for magic items and crafting. We don't know what else will be included, but this DMG will have the highest page count ever while also being the cheapest ever if you account for inflation.

I have no idea what you think they should do instead, what you think they are not saying that shouldn't be self evident, or why any of this is an issue.