What Changed in the 2024 D&D Rules
The 2024 D&D rules keep 5e's core d20 system but change character creation and several rules. Ability score bonuses and an origin feat now come from your background, race is called species, Inspiration lets you reroll, exhaustion is simpler, martial classes gain weapon mastery, and surprise, grappling and many spells work differently.
Is D&D 2024 a new edition?
No. The 2024 Player's Handbook is a revision of fifth edition, often called "5e 2024" or "5.5e". You still roll a d20, add a modifier and compare it to a target number, and most 2014 adventures and monsters still work. What changed is how you build a character, how several common rules play out, and the details of many class features and spells.
This page covers the changes that come up most often at the table. Each one links to a deeper guide.
How do the 2024 and 2014 rules compare side by side?
The table below puts the main D&D 2024 vs 2014 differences next to each other. Anything not listed, such as the six ability scores, proficiency bonus and advantage, works the same way in both versions.
| Rule | 2014 Player's Handbook | 2024 Player's Handbook |
|---|---|---|
| Character creation order | Race, class, ability scores, description, equipment | Class, origin (background, species, languages), ability scores, alignment, details |
| Race / species | "Race", with subraces and stat bonuses | "Species", traits only, no stat bonuses |
| Backgrounds | Skills, tools or languages, equipment and a roleplaying feature | Three ability scores, an origin feat, two skills, one tool, and equipment or 50 gp |
| Ability score bonuses | From your race | From your background (+2/+1 or +1/+1/+1, max 20) |
| Feat at level 1 | Only variant human (optional rule) | Every character gets an origin feat from their background |
| Ability Score Improvement | +2 to one score or +1 to two; a feat instead was an optional rule | Ability Score Improvement is itself a feat; Epic Boon feat at level 19 |
| Subclass level | Level 1, 2 or 3 depending on class | Level 3 for every class |
| Inspiration | Spend for advantage on one roll | Heroic Inspiration: reroll one die and use the new result |
| Exhaustion | Six levels, each with a different penalty | −2 per level to d20 Tests and −5 feet of speed per level; death at 6 |
| Weapon properties | No mastery | Weapon mastery for barbarians, fighters, paladins, rangers and rogues |
| Surprise | Surprised creatures lose their first turn | Surprised creatures roll initiative with disadvantage |
| Grapple and shove | Athletics contest | Unarmed Strike option; target makes a Strength or Dexterity save against DC 8 + Str modifier + proficiency bonus |
| Hit Dice on a long rest | Regain up to half your total | Regain all of them |
| Spells per turn | Bonus action spell limits you to a cantrip as your action spell | You can spend only one spell slot per turn |
| Cure Wounds / Healing Word | 1d8 / 1d4 + spellcasting modifier | 2d8 / 2d4 + spellcasting modifier |
| Casting a spell | Cast a Spell action | Magic action |
| Rules terms | Ability checks, attack rolls and saving throws named separately | "d20 Test" covers all three |
How do backgrounds work in the 2024 rules?
In the 2014 rules, your background gave you skills, tools and a roleplaying feature, while your race gave ability score increases. In the 2024 rules, your background does much more:
- Ability score increases: each background lists three abilities. You add +2 to one and +1 to another, or +1 to all three.
- Origin feat: a 1st-level feat such as Alert, Lucky or Magic Initiate, set by the background.
- Proficiencies: two skills and one tool.
- Starting equipment: a package of gear, or gold instead.
The 2024 book has 16 backgrounds; all of them, with their abilities and feats, are listed in D&D 2024 backgrounds. Backgrounds from older books still work: you pick the +2/+1 or +1/+1/+1 increase yourself and take an origin feat of your choice if the background has none.
The way you generate the base scores hasn't changed: roll 4d6, use the standard array or point buy. See how to roll stats in 5e and ability scores.
Why is race called species in D&D 2024?
The 2024 Player's Handbook replaces the term "race" with species. Species no longer give ability score increases, so an orc wizard or a halfling barbarian starts on equal footing with any other choice. Your species now provides traits like darkvision, size, speed and special abilities. The book's species are aasimar, dragonborn, dwarf, elf, gnome, goliath, halfling, human, orc and tiefling. Half-elf and half-orc are not included, and the book has no rules for mixed ancestry. Many tables use one parent species' traits and describe the mixed heritage, or adapt the 2014 versions with the DM's approval.
What is Heroic Inspiration?
In the 2014 rules, Inspiration let you take advantage on one attack roll, saving throw or ability check. In the 2024 rules it is called Heroic Inspiration: after you roll any die, you can spend it to reroll that die and must use the new result. You still can't hold more than one at a time. Humans now gain Heroic Inspiration when they finish a long rest. More detail is in inspiration in 5e.
How did exhaustion change in 2024?
The 2014 version had six levels, each with its own effect: disadvantage on ability checks, halved speed, disadvantage on attacks and saves, halved hit point maximum, speed 0, and then death. That table was hard to remember.
The 2024 version is a single formula. Each level of exhaustion subtracts 2 from every d20 Test and reduces your speed by 5 feet. At 6 levels you die. A long rest still removes one level. See exhaustion in 5e for both versions side by side.
What are d20 Tests?
d20 Test is the 2024 umbrella term for the three core rolls: ability checks, attack rolls and saving throws. It doesn't change how those rolls work; it lets rules such as exhaustion refer to all three at once. The individual rolls are covered in skill checks and saving throws.
What is weapon mastery?
Weapon mastery is new in 2024. Every weapon has a mastery property, such as Topple, Vex, Graze or Cleave, and barbarians, fighters, paladins, rangers and rogues can unlock the property of a few weapons they choose. It gives martial characters more options on every hit. The full list of properties and which weapons have them is in weapon mastery in 5e.
How does surprise work in the 2024 rules?
In the 2014 rules, a surprised creature couldn't move or take actions on its first turn and couldn't take reactions until that turn ended. In the 2024 rules, a surprised creature simply has disadvantage on its initiative roll. It still acts in the first round, just probably later. See initiative in 5e and advantage and disadvantage.
How does grappling work in 2024?
In the 2014 rules, grappling replaced one of your attacks with a Strength (Athletics) check against the target's Athletics or Acrobatics. In the 2024 rules, grappling and shoving are options of your Unarmed Strike. Instead of dealing damage, you force the target to make a Strength or Dexterity saving throw (its choice) against DC 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failure it is grappled (or pushed or knocked prone, for a shove). The details are in grappling in 5e.
Which spells changed in the 2024 rules?
Many spells were rewritten. A few well-known examples:
- Cure Wounds: heals 2d8 + your spellcasting modifier at 1st level, up from 1d8. Healing Word likewise went from 1d4 to 2d4.
- Spiritual Weapon: now requires concentration, so it competes with spells like Bless.
- True Strike: no longer grants advantage on your next turn. You make an attack with a weapon using your spellcasting ability, and at higher levels it adds radiant damage.
- Chill Touch: now a touch-range melee spell attack that deals 1d10 necrotic damage and stops the target from regaining hit points.
The bonus action spell rule also changed. In 2014, if you cast a spell as a bonus action, the only other spell you could cast that turn was a cantrip with a casting time of one action. In 2024, the limit is simpler: you can expend only one spell slot per turn. Cantrip damage still scales at levels 5, 11 and 17; see cantrips in 5e.
What other 2024 changes should players know?
- Subclasses at level 3: every class chooses its subclass at 3rd level. In 2014, clerics, sorcerers and warlocks chose at level 1 and several others at level 2.
- Ability Score Improvement is a feat: at the usual levels you pick a feat, and Ability Score Improvement is one of the options. Epic Boon feats arrive at level 19.
- Hit Dice: a long rest restores all spent Hit Dice instead of half. See Hit Dice and short and long rests.
- New action names: the Cast a Spell action is now the Magic action, and new actions such as Study, Influence and Utilize join Search in describing common tasks.
Should your group switch to the 2024 rules?
If you're starting fresh, the 2024 rules are the current version and most new books are written for them. If your group is mid-campaign, there is no need to switch; the 2014 rules remain a complete game. Many tables use a mix, such as adopting the new exhaustion and surprise rules while keeping 2014 characters. Whatever you choose, agree on it before the session so nobody is surprised when the dice hit the table.
FAQ
Is D&D 2024 a new edition?
No. Wizards of the Coast presents the 2024 books as a revision of fifth edition, not a sixth edition. The core rules are the same, and most 2014 adventures and monsters can still be used.
Can you mix 2014 and 2024 rules?
Yes, with care. Wizards of the Coast designed the 2024 core rules to work with existing fifth edition adventures and supplements, and the 2024 Player's Handbook explains how to use backgrounds and species from older books. When an option exists in both versions, the usual approach is to use the 2024 one; the DM has the final say.
Can a 2014 character play in a 2024 game?
Usually yes, since both versions use the same core d20 system, ability scores and proficiency bonus. The 2024 rules say to ignore an older species' ability increases and take them from the background instead, so the DM may ask you to update those parts of the sheet.
Do I need the 2024 Player's Handbook to keep playing?
No. The 2014 books still work as a complete game. You only need the 2024 rules if your group decides to switch.
What happened to race in D&D 2024?
Race is now called species, and it no longer gives ability score increases. Those bonuses moved to your background, so any species can be any class without a stat penalty.
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Contains content from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.