Important Rules Changes In D&D 2024 Your Players Need To Know About

Reference guide to all the most important rules changes for transitioning from D&D 2014 to D&D 2024

So that new Player’s Handbook looks great and you’ve decided to transition to the new rules. Your players are all excited to try the new world tree barbarian or the updated elements monk. But we know what will happen. Most players will grab the shiny new book, find the new shiny character options they want to use and forget to read the rest of the book.

Even for those of us that have read the 2024 Player’s Handbook cover to cover, it’s easy to forget which version of a rule is new or old.

That’s why I’ve popped together this easy reference guide to the most crucial rules changes for you and your players to glance over and know which rules to get up to speed on and where they can be found. Feel free to share this article with your players so they’ve got this to hand.

Just note that this is not a list of everything that is changing. You can check out my class and subclass guides as well as my species guides for changes to specific character options. Likewise, you can read my feats and spell guides for the specifics of what’s changing there. This article is focused on broad gameplay rules and mechanical changes that every player should be aware of, not the specifics of different features available to characters.

Which rules and mechanics are changing?

Character creation

Origin feats (PHB p200) – Every character gets an origin feat at level 1.
Ability score and backgrounds (PHB p36) – You no longer get an ability score increase from your race/species, this is now determined by the background you choose.
Weapon masteries (PHB p214) – New feature that some martial classes (barbarians, fighters, paladins, rangers and rogues as well as anyone that takes the weapon mastery feat) can use to give their attacks additional benefits. Some of these benefits include dealing damage when you miss, knocking prone or pushing away.
Epic boon feats (PHB p210) – When you reach level 19, you get an epic boon feat (which is like a super feat). It’s now written into the standard rules that you can level up beyond level 20 by taking additional epic boon feats when you level up. This can also allow you to exceed 20 on your ability scores as each epic boon feat also grants an ability score increase (this allows a maximum of 30 in any one ability score).

Combat mechanics

Potions (DMG p216) – Only requires a bonus action to drink or administer instead of an action.
Two weapon fighting (PHB p203, 213-214) – Allows the option for 2 additional attacks with the right combination of feats and weapon mastery properties. The mechanics for these extra attacks are spread across the rules for the light property, the nick weapon mastery property and the dual wielder feat.
Unarmed strikes (PHB p377) – 3 options for unarmed strikes including damage, grapple and shove. Multi-attacking characters can now perform grapples and shoves alongside damage attacks without it consuming their whole action. Smites and some other spells also work with unarmed strikes now.
Grapples and shoves (PHB p377) – Grapples and shoves require a saving throw now using the target’s choice of strength or dexterity. These are no longer opposed athletics checks.
Multiple spells per turn (PHB p236) – You can only use one spell with a spell slot per turn. You can use cantrips on the same turn as spell slot spells as well as magic items and scrolls that contain levelled spells.
Surprised (PHB p23) – You no longer get a free round when surprising an enemy. Instead, surprised characters get disadvantage on initiative rolls.
Drawing/stowing weapons (PHB p20, 361) – You can draw or stow a weapon as part of the attack action. You can also make a free object interaction on your turn on top of this, effectively allowing you to draw or stow twice in a turn. You can split this up between attacks too.
Moving between attacks (PHB p20, 361) – This is more of a rules clarification than a new rule, but it is now explicitly clear that you can move between attacks made with the same action (like those from the extra attack feature).
Flanking (N/A) – There is no longer an optional rule for flanking.

Other rules

D20 tests (PHB p364) – Refers to any time you need to roll a d20, including attacks, saving throws and ability checks. Now the rules may just state an effect “whenever you make a d20 test” which means it refers to all types of d20 rolls.
Exhaustion (PHB p366) – The levels of exhaustion now work differently. It now reduces your d20 tests by 2 times you exhaustion level and your speed by 5 times your exhaustion level.
Heroic inspiration (PHB p13) – New name for inspiration which lets you reroll any die after you roll it (rather than deciding beforehand).
Long rests (PHB p370) – Some changes to specify how this work including needing to be at 1hp to initiate a long rest and regaining all of your hit dice when you complete a long rest (rather than just half of them).
Crafting (PHB p233) – Rules have been made much clearer and more useful around how crafting works.
Equipment and tools (PHB p220-229) – All equipment and tools now have much more clearly defined purposes and uses.
Hide (PHB p368) – Grants the invisible condition and has a base DC of 15 for successfully hiding.
Bastions (DMG p332-353) – Bases that a party can create and customise for themselves that grants certain perks depending on what you have available.