Summary

The long-awaitedDungeons & Dragons2024 Dungeon Master’s Guideis almost here. This is part of a wider revision to the entirety ofDnD’s Fifth Edition, including anew version of theDnDPlayer’s Handbook. Altogether, these are intended to comprise the most current set of theDnDrules, with a wide variety of simplifications, rule changes, and balance tweaks.

TheDungeon Master’s Guide(orDMG) goes hand-in-hand with thePlayer’s Handbook(PHB) to create a full set ofDnDrules. The main difference is that theDMGis targeted at the Dungeon Master, not the players. Where thePHBcontains details on character building and the basic rules of the game,theDMGdigs into the finer points ofDnD. It contains helpful tools for creating a world, scripting adventures, and designing monsters, as well as all the nitty-gritty details of howDnDis actually played. Here’s everything to expect from the2024Dungeon Master’s Guidewhen it’s released later this year.

A Wizard from D&D’s 2024 Player’s Handbook with flame emanating from a finger.

D&D: One 2024 Player’s Handbook Spell Change Finally Ends A Decade Of Debates

There’s always been an answer out there, but putting it in the book for the first time could settle a lot of arguments about how to play.

D&D 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide: Release Date & Price

When Does The New DMG Come Out?

The2024 Dungeon Master’s GuideforDnDis scheduled to be released on July 25, 2025, two months after thePlayer’s Handbookand three months before theMonster Manual. The DMG will be available in both digital and physical editions. It can currently be pre-ordered from the officialD&D Beyondwebsite. or from a wide variety of online game retailers.

The releases for the 2024DnDsourcebooks are likely spaced out because the majority of the changes relate to character classesin thePHB, not the core rules in theDMG.

Art of Mordenkainen and other spellcasters in D&D’s 2024 Player’s Handbook.

The price of the2024 Dungeon Master’s Guidevaries depending on the player’s preferred edition, and bundles are available at a discount. The base digital edition costs $29.99 USD, the physical $49.99, and the bundle of the two $59.99. Players can also purchase a bundle of all three majorDnDsourcebooks to be released in 2024 (theDMG, thePHB, and theMonster Manual) as a digital bundle for $89.97, or a physical bundle for $149.97.

D&D 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide: Early Access & Pre-Order Bonuses

When & How To Get Early Access To The 2024 DMG

A full list of pre-order bonuses has yet to be announced for the2024 DMG, but bonuses for other core rulebooks may provide a hint. Other than early access, these books and bundles also come with digital bonuses for theD&DBeyondvirtual tabletop platform, including unique dice skins, character miniatures, portrait frames, and backdrops. Players can expect a similar combination of rewards for pre-ordering theDMG.

I’m Not Convinced D&D’s 2024 Player’s Handbook Is As Backward Compatible As It Claims

Backward compatibility is a big selling point of the 2024 Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook, but it doesn’t seem perfectly suited to that goal.

D&D 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide: New Monsters

75 New Monsters In The DMG & MM

Although the bulk of information about theupcomingDnDsourcebooks' purported 500 monsterswill be contained in theMonster Manual,players can expect a primer on some new enemies in the2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide, too. Of the 500 in theMM, there will be 75 brand-new monsters in the 2024 edition ofDnD. Those announced so far mostly include formidable foes like arch-hags, vampire nightbringers, and blobs of annihilation. These are designed for high-level play, and will prove a worthy challenge even for seasoned players.

Besides the excitement of new monsters,DnD’s older ghosts and ghouls are also being reworked. There’ll be new art and improved statblocks for all pre-existing monsters, and new stats for a variety of humanoid enemies.

A dwarf Paladin using Divine Smite on enemies in an illustration from D&D’s 2024 Player’s Handbook.

D&D 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide: Changes & New Features

What’s Different About The 2024 DMG?

Although not much has changed about the overall rules ofDnD,the revised2024Dungeon Master’s Guidehas been partially reorganized, and includes multiple new featuresto expand and streamline play. Features introduced in the2024 Dungeon Master’s GuideincludeDnD’s new Bastion system. This allows players to develop their very own bases, homesteads, or lairs over time, spending resources and resolving random events for a variety of different benefits. Besides that,there’s also a new system for tools and crafting, to bolster the somewhat barebones mechanics of tool proficiencies and Survival rolls.

For DMs interested in a quick-start campaign,the2024Dungeon Master’s Guidewill also reintroduce Greyhawk, an early campaign setting originally designed for the First Edition. Greyhawk serves as an alternative to the Forgotten Realms, often considered the “default” setting of the original 5e. Various Greyhawk-set campaigns have been released throughout the decades, but the2024 Dungeon Master’s Guidewon’t contain one in full. Instead, it presents Greyhawk as a customizable setting, whose particulars can be altered to fit any number ofDnDcampaigns.

Artwork of various characters and D20 dice rolls in Dungeons & Dragons.

Every New D&D Spell In The 2024 Player’s Handbook

The 2024 Player’s Handbook introduces 10 completely new spells, all of which seem like they could be fun for the right character concept.

To aid in running any kind of campaign,the2024 Dungeon Master’s Guidecontains a variety of resources for playing and tracking a long-term game ofDnD. This includes 15 different maps, and note-taking resources for players and DMs alike. One of these is a double-sided, poster-sized map depicting Eastern Oerik and Greyhawk, the perfect foundation for a campaign in the setting of the same name. The newDMGwill also include a guide to common dos and don’ts of running a game, allowing DMs to predict potential pitfalls and compensate for them before they become problems.

A Ranger and a Monk side-by-side in composited art for D&D’s 2024 Player’s Handbook.

For now, that’s everything to know about the newDungeon Master’s Guide. More information will probably come out closer to release, as players prepare to run new campaigns in Greyhawk and take their new and improved character builds out for a spin. The rest will have to wait until the latest and greatest edition ofDungeons & Dragons' greatest DM resource is released on November 12.

Dungeons and Dragons

Dungeons and Dragons is a popular tabletop game originally invented in 1974 by Ernest Gary Gygax and David Arneson. The fantasy role-playing game brings together players for a campaign with various components, including abilities, races, character classes, monsters, and treasures. The game has drastically expanded since the ’70s, with numerous updated box sets and expansions.

Dungeons and Dragons Game Poster