When Wizards of the Coast unveiled the updated versions of the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 5E and the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, the announcement was met with mixed reactions. While some fans questioned the necessity of these revisions, particularly for the DMG, I, as a long-time Dungeon Master, found myself excited about the prospect of a revamped Dungeon Master’s Guide. Since my early days with the first edition DMG, I’ve always viewed it as a somewhat essential but often cumbersome tool for running games. Learning that Chris Perkins aimed to deconstruct and reorganize the 2014 edition sparked hope that the new version would be significantly more user-friendly.
2014 DMG vs. 2024 DMG: Reorganized for Clarity
One persistent issue across various editions of the Dungeon Master’s Guide has been its organizational structure. While it houses crucial rules and guidance for DMs that are distinct from the player-focused Player’s Handbook, the information often felt scattered and illogically arranged. The 2014 edition exemplified this, with world-building in Chapter One, adventure creation in Chapter Three, campaign linking in Chapter Nine, and game running in Chapter Eight. This fragmented approach never resonated with my organizational preferences.
The 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide addresses this structural problem head-on. By positioning “The Basics” as Chapter One, followed by “Running the Game” in Chapter Two, and “The DM’s Toolbox” in Chapter Three, the new edition immediately establishes a more intuitive flow. “Creating Adventures” and “Creating Campaigns” follow in Chapters Four and Five, respectively. This revised order is a significant improvement, offering a more logical progression for DMs, particularly those new to the role.
The 2024 DMG also reflects Wizards of the Coast’s responsiveness to player and DM feedback since 2014, acknowledging the influx of new players drawn to 5E. In the past, learning D&D was a blend of reading the rulebooks and learning from experienced players. However, the contemporary D&D landscape is heavily influenced by actual play videos like Critical Role. While these videos offer inspiration, they can also be intimidating, setting unrealistic expectations by showcasing seasoned DMs like Matthew Mercer and Deborah Ann Woll. Furthermore, extracting DMing techniques from actual play content is often more challenging than gleaning player strategies.
The 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide directly confronts these challenges, aiming to bolster the confidence of novice DMs and equip experienced DMs with tools for efficient preparation, conflict resolution, and even the perennial DM struggle: scheduling sessions. This edition transcends being merely a compilation of supplementary rules, magic items, and cosmology; it actively strives to be a practical guide for mastering the art of Dungeon Mastering.
Getting Started as a Dungeon Master: Embracing Your Unique DM Style
Every iteration of the Dungeon Master’s Guide has included sections on running the game and managing players. The 2024 DMG elevates this guidance by emphasizing the individuality of each DM. It acknowledges the value of drawing inspiration from actual play DMs or local gaming communities, but cautions against the pitfalls of direct imitation. The guide stresses that developing your unique DM style is not only acceptable but essential.
A key focus of the 2024 DMG is “ensuring fun for all.” This encompasses aligning DM and player expectations regarding campaign tone and style. For instance, a DM envisioning a grimdark, high-mortality campaign needs to ensure players are equally enthusiastic, rather than expecting lighthearted adventures or political intrigue. The DMG champions the validity of diverse storytelling approaches, provided there’s mutual understanding and enthusiasm between the DM and players. It promotes harmony and shared enjoyment as foundational principles of a successful D&D game. Sections dedicated to Mutual Respect, Respect for the Players, and Respect for the DM further reinforce these principles of collaborative gameplay.
The “Running the Game” chapter provides a comprehensive toolkit, ranging from mechanical rules clarifications to valuable DMing advice. It covers resolving game mechanics like ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, and advantage/disadvantage, alongside practical guidance on group size and effective narration. For DMs considering shared DMing responsibilities, the book offers advice on co-DMing and managing sessions when players are absent.
This chapter also expertly addresses the three core pillars of D&D: role-playing/social interaction, exploration, and combat. This is particularly beneficial for new DMs who often gravitate towards combat-heavy scenarios or pre-written combat-centric adventures. The DMG expands their horizons, equipping them to confidently navigate social encounters and exploration-based challenges. Furthermore, it delves into the importance of consequences as narrative drivers and provides techniques for improvisation and on-the-fly damage rulings. Even seasoned DMs can find valuable insights within these sections, as Wizards of the Coast consulted experienced DMs to refine and validate the advice provided.
Historically, DMGs included sections on “insanity” within gameplay. Recognizing the insensitivity of this topic in modern contexts, the 2014 DMG shifted to a brief discussion of fear and horror. The 2024 DMG expands upon this with a more nuanced half-page section on “Fear and Mental Stress,” aiming for a more tasteful and responsible approach to these themes. “The DM’s Toolbox” chapter is a treasure trove of resources, covering alignments, chases, death, environmental effects, siege equipment, firearms, and supernatural gifts. While the frequency of use for each element may vary, their inclusion provides DMs with a comprehensive arsenal for diverse campaign needs.
Prioritizing these foundational elements in the initial chapters ensures that DMs have immediate access to the most frequently used and essential information. In contrast, the 2014 DMG often felt disjointed, requiring constant page-flipping due to related topics being scattered across different sections and cross-references lacking specific page numbers. The 2024 edition’s improved organization significantly streamlines the DMing experience.
Crafting Engaging Adventures and Campaigns: Streamlined and Inspired
Adventure and campaign preparation can be a significant hurdle for both new and experienced DMs, often leading to burnout. Chapters Four and Five of the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide directly address these challenges, aiming to simplify and streamline the process without stifling creativity. Chapter Four covers adventure design from initial premise and player hooks to conclusion and rewards. Crucially, it includes guidance on designing exploration and social interaction encounters, not just combat scenarios. Furthermore, it features five sample adventure outlines for levels 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7, illustrating how adventure scope evolves with character level. These outlines are intentionally concise, demonstrating that effective adventure preparation can be achieved efficiently, particularly when combined with improvisation techniques emphasized earlier in the book.
Chapter Five takes a similar step-by-step approach to campaign creation. It guides DMs through campaign beginnings and endings, and importantly, explores the diverse subgenres and tones within fantasy RPGs. The chapter also showcases Greyhawk, the original commercial D&D setting. From its distinct premise (contrasted with the Forgotten Realms) to core elements and a gazetteer, Greyhawk serves as both an example of setting design and a ready-made campaign backdrop. The DMG details three primary conflict sources within Greyhawk – evil dragons, the cult of Iuz, and Elemental Evil – providing templates for Greyhawk campaigns and inspiration for creating original conflicts. It also suggests scaling these conflicts to player level progression, ensuring engaging challenges throughout a campaign.
Essential DM Reference Material: Cosmology, Magic Items, and Bastions
The subsequent three chapters of the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide provide key reference materials: cosmology, magic items, and expanded stronghold rules (now termed “bastions”). The cosmology chapter explores the D&D multiverse and planar travel, offering optional content for campaigns venturing beyond the Material Plane. The magic item chapter, a perennial favorite, is substantial at 117 pages. While magic item rarity remains consistent with the 2014 edition, descriptions have been refined for conciseness and flavor. Notably, the quantity of common magic items has been increased.
I had initial concerns about the magic item art, as the 2014 DMG art was a personal highlight, characterized by its beauty, imagination, and whimsical touches. While some art is reprised in the 2024 edition, much is new. The new art is technically proficient but suffers from a somewhat muted presentation. The items appear dimly lit, obscuring detail and hindering full appreciation. This stylistic choice contrasts sharply with the 2014 edition, where the magic item art evoked a high-end catalog from a Waterdeep boutique. The 2024 art, while well-executed, has a slightly faded, less vibrant feel.
Chapter Eight expands upon stronghold rules, significantly improving upon the limited treatment in the 2014 DMG. The term “bastions” better reflects the broadened scope, encompassing not just castles and fortresses but also guild halls, theaters, libraries, and research facilities. The bastion rules integrate seamlessly with downtime activities, providing a framework for downtime management, events, and even bastion destruction.
Final Touches: Lore Glossary, Maps, and Tracking Sheets
Appendix A introduces a Lore Glossary, a surprisingly innovative addition. While not exhaustive, it provides a handy reference for frequently encountered names and locations, reducing the need for external searches. Appendix B features maps by Dyson Logos, offering readily usable dungeons, lairs, and locations to expedite DM preparation. These maps are intentionally simple, encouraging DMs to adapt or expand upon them.
While the physical 2024 DMG strategically integrates tracking sheets throughout the book, the D&D Beyond digital version includes a dedicated Appendix C for these sheets. Although understandable from a print perspective, consolidating tracking sheets in the physical book would enhance usability. However, D&D Beyond plans to offer a downloadable tracker sheet package for convenient access.
The Verdict: Pros, Cons, and Recommendations
The reorganized structure of the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide is a significant improvement, offering a more logical flow and enhanced content accessibility. The expanded sections on DMing fundamentals, group dynamics, improvisation, and the invaluable lore glossary are standout features. Leveraging Greyhawk as a setting example and including adventure outlines are inspired additions. The abundance of tracking sheets and the map appendix are practical and time-saving DM tools.
However, the absence of writing credits is a notable oversight, particularly given the incorporation of content from the 2014 DMG and previously unused materials. While contractually permissible, acknowledging contributors would be a more respectful practice. Furthermore, the design of the tracking sheets, while functional, could be more visually appealing and user-friendly. The continued small and seam-placed art credits in print editions remain a persistent frustration. While font size may be slightly increased, the absence of black fonts limits accessibility for readers with visual sensitivities.
Despite these minor drawbacks, the 2024 DMG is a substantial upgrade, adding 64 pages of content compared to its predecessor. The concerted effort to incorporate D&D history and diverse campaign settings through art and examples is commendable, featuring iconic characters and locations.
Should You Purchase the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide?
For owners of the 2014 DMG, the 2024 edition is a worthwhile upgrade, especially if you found the previous version cumbersome. The enhanced adventure and campaign building sections, coupled with the Greyhawk resource, make it a compelling purchase. For DMs new to the game or those without the 2014 DMG, the 2024 edition is an absolute must-buy, offering a superior and more comprehensive guide to Dungeon Mastering.
Overall, the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide surpasses the 2024 Player’s Handbook in terms of impactful improvements and overall value. While both books offer valuable content, the DMG’s revisions make it a definitive replacement for the 2014 edition. Despite minor critiques regarding writing credits and art presentation, the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide earns a strong A- grade, solidifying its position as an essential resource for Dungeon Masters of all experience levels.
The 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide is set for wide release on November 12th.
