The 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide is out now for Master Tier subscribers on DnD Beyond. While it’s an upgrade on the decade-old version, it’s fair to say that, compared to the new DnD Player’s Handbook at least, this book is not such an essential purchase. And that’s especially true now that Wizards of the Coast has made one of its most useful features available for free.
One of our absolute favorite parts of the new DMG is the designers’ decision to create tracking guides for pretty much anything you could think of. Some of these sheets help Dungeon Masters plan individual sessions, like a campaign journal where you can jot down key beats or a travel planner where you can detail terrain, distance, and the challenges the party will have to overcome.
Others can be useful when setting up your campaign, like a Game Expectations sheet (which apes the consent tools invented by other RPGs) that can help to prevent uncomfortable moments. There’s also tools for keeping track of your players, like a DM’s Character Tracker which will stop you getting your friends’ characters’ names, DnD classes, or DnD races mixed up, and a Magic Item Tracker you can use to ensure you’re handing out enough awesome goodies.
Not every sheet will suit every DM, but we think this robust set of trackers was a worthwhile inclusion. We’re certainly planning to use some of them in our future campaigns. You can find them in the free rules section on DnD Beyond.
As you’ll know if you’ve read our 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide review, this new book is a more neatly organized and handy tool than the 2014 DMG, but some of its new features like DnD Bastions feel a little unnecessary or muddled. It does come with loads of good, encouraging advice however, making it a really useful tool for a beginner DM just starting on their journey.
The 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide gets its full release date on November 12, 2024. After that, we’ve got the new Monster Manual to look forward to in 2025. Check out the DnD release schedule to see exactly what’s coming when.
Source: Wargamer
