10 More Huge Rules Changes in the 2024 Players Handbook

We look at another 10 big changes you may have missed in the 2024 PHB.

TIME STAMPS

00:00 - Intro
00:40 - Grappling
04:32 - Hiding & Invisibility
10:27 - Skills & Tools
13:46 - Heavy Weapon Property
18:01 - Influence Action
22:36 - Bloodied Condition
25:32 - Malnutrition, Dehydration & Suffocation
28:15 - Burning Condition
30:12 - Equipping & Unequipping Weapons
34:45 - Search & Study

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[M_M_ODonnell]

The "invisible" condition really seems like it needs a better name. I don't know whether "hidden" or "unseen" or something else would be less confusing, but "invisible" is just so loaded, particularly in settings where people can become _literally_ invisible.

[bretgregersen]

The new invisible rules aren't bad, but the term is. You are concealed, not invisible....

[WalterRiggs]

“Invisible” condition should be called “Unseen” or something else

[Joik]

30:06 “I’m not biased I’m correct.” 10/10 dungeon dudes quote

[madisonmcclure]

I very much wish that shields came with their own “weapon” mastery feature.

[DnDDeepDive]

Just to emphasize something Monty said: It makes me a little nuts that they hint at there being a skill (not just ability) tied to each tool that should give you advantage with tool checks if you’re proficient in the related skill, but then, when you go to tools, there’s no corresponding skill listed. Just an ability. Makes me feel like something was forgotten on WotC’s part… 🤔

[Silver_Anchor]

22:33 as my professor always said “It’s not about being right, it’s about making others believe you’re right.”

[bigdream_dreambig]

For hiding in plain sight, my GM has us do a Charisma (Stealth) check. It's not for us to try to be unseen, but rather for us to try to go unnoticed by appearing to belong there.

[Mr_Maiq_The_Liar]

The dehydration rules still require twice the daily amount of water that a company that sells water recommends to people who exercise in the summer heat, and 5 times the actual actual minimum amount it would take to not die. I'm surprised by how little research they did about that. It would have also been much easier to track if it wasn't based off volume, but pound, since the inventory is based on pounds, and the waterskin holds an unknown volume of water that weighs 3 lbs, and I don't have to do math to know that this is 0.375 gallons and I need to drink 3 full water skins a day

[DSpiritwolf]

Grappling people with the elements monk is so wild because that basically means you're grappling them with fire damage from a distance. That's cool as hell.

[ARatherDapperTapir]

Can confirm, exhaustion being an active threat has made my players a LOT more cautious.

[harkthesound]

The influence action feels to me more like it was designed for influencing NPCs in combat or initiative.

The dragon spots you in it's hoard. Roll initiative.

I'd like to jump out from cover and wave a white flag and yell 'parlay!'

The dragon is hostile (angry you snuck in the lair) and hesitant but not unwilling to bargain. Roll persuasion with disadvantage.

[CharlesUrban]

Wait...so the only requirement for using Heavy melee weapons is a high Strength score? So the "Crazed Gnome Barbarian with a Greataxe Twice As Tall As He Is" build is a go?

[galensturupcomeau]

You two looked awesome in the D&D Direct! Congratulations!

[haydenstockwell]

My group has always used the term “bloodied” for 5E. There have been many monster type-specific alternatives throughout the years, such as “oiled” for constructs and “ichorous” for fiends.

[Kayzu]

It's so amazing to see that you guys were on D&D announcement video. You guys always offer well thought out explanations and offer opinions in a reasonable way.

[nadirku]

One thing I am unhappy with about the Tool Proficiencies is that there seem to be a number of ways players can inadvertently prevent themselves from gaining Tool Proficiencies they would otherwise get, and it feels like the designers are undermining the efforts to make Tool Proficiencies more meaningful...

For example, if you choose the Criminal, or Wayfarer background, and then Rogue as your base class you miss out on a Tool Proficiency due to having two things that grant Tool Proficiency with Thieves' Tools. Other places I have noticed where if you have the Tool Proficiency from somewhere else, you will end up missing out on gaining a Tool Proficiency are the Assassin Subclass (Poisoner's Kit, and/or Disguise Kit), the Poisoner feat (Poisoner Kit), and the Chef feat (Cook's Utensils).

Unless/until WotC edits these features, and/or creates a general rule for what to do if you gain a specific Tool Proficiency, but already have that Tool Proficiency, I am going to push for a homebrew rule to let players choose to gain an alternative Tool Proficiency of their choice if they would gain a specific Tool Proficiency they already have (For more restrictive tables, there could be limits to which proficiencies can be gained from a given feature, like the Poisoner feat letting you choose between "Alchemist's Supplies", "Brewer's Supplies", "Cook's Utensils", and "Herbalism Kit" as backup Tool Proficiencies).

[Baily]

I'm really looking forward to playing a Monk Goliath with Hill's Tumble and the Grappler feat. Grappling is already one of my favorite things to do as a martial character, and now it seems way more impactful. I am curious to see how easy it is to land a grapple though. Especially at later tiers of play, creatures tend to have really good STR and DEX saving throws. So getting a grapple off might be pretty difficult, even if the effect is way stronger now.

[Lrbearclaw]

29:20 - The thing about Burning is that in the DMG (2014) it clearly states how mundane elemental damage is 1d4. Any more damage is magical.

So a natural fire is only 1d4 (and Tieflings are canonically immune to natural fire and heat).

[jamesdosdall]

I was hoping for some sort of change to the rules about invisibility and hiding, because they were confusing . . . I'm not sure if this does it, though. I'd be interested to see the specific wording of the "invisibility" spell and the "invisibility" condition. I have had more than one DM insist that my character cannot attack their spellcaster or monster who has turned invisible without making a perception check to find them first, because I don't know where they are. That is NOT how invisibility works; invisibility only gives you disadvantage on your attacks against that creature UNLESS that creature ALSO takes the "hide" action (which is now the "conceal" action?) I'm hoping there's some sort of caveat somewhere in the new rules that specifies that a concealed or invisible creature has not necessarily "disappeared" completely from the map. For example, a wizard that has used the Invisibility spell can still be heard unless they take specific measures to conceal themselves, and a monster would still know the location (and thus could attack) a rogue who has concealed themselves behind a pillar to get advantage on their attacks (in this case, I would flavor the "invisible" condition as a "they've momentarily lost track of you and don't know which side of the pillar you're going to emerge from for your next attack" sort of thing).
I'm also wondering about the process of "finding" a concealed creature . . . if a creature now can gain the "invisibility" condition with a DC 15 check, how is that going to interact with passive perception or active perception on creatures or characters who have crazy good perception? Will it still be a full action to make a perception check?