Dungeons and Dragons in an incredibly successful game. It’s safe to call it the face of tabletop RPGs, with many outside observers being aware of it to some extent, even if they lack knowledge about the rest of the space. Since its original release back in 1974, we’ve seen a wide range of editions and releases. First Edition proper came out in 1977. We got Second Edition in 1989, with a revision in 1995. Third edition came out in 2000, with a revision in 2003. Fourth edition came out in 2008, and we got the Fifth Edition in 2014. However, Fifth Edition couldn’t last forever. And so, after a fairly successful lifetime of 10 years, in 2024, we got… Fifth Edition again?
The 2024 versions of the rulebooks aren’t just a reprinting of the rules from a decade prior. Nor are they minor corrections or clarifications. In some areas, they make rather substantial changes. From the player side of things, classes have seen adjustments in standards, terminology, progression, and options. Other general rules have also been changed compared to the prior version of the game, such as those for hiding and grappling. Some features have even been added entirely, such as weapon mastery.
For all that they’ve done, the 2024 changes to the rules are minor enough to not warrant a new edition, but also exist in such a way that they’re not quite compatible with the 2014 versions of the rules. Although, Wizards of the Coast has a solution. They’ve updated a number of the old subclasses in recent Unearthed Arcana articles. The Grave Domain for Clerics, originally released back in 2017, has been resurrected in the Horror Subclasses playtesting document. Presumably, it’ll be released again in a new book somewhere down the line.
If the new version of 5e lasts as long as the old one did, then 5e will be the longest lasting edition, at about 20 years. But, of course, what happens after that? I don’t know if we’ll get a sixth edition. We may just get another version of 5e, cleaned up and adjusted a little bit more for any problems people notice along the way. Given how popular 5e has been, I’m not surprised that they want to stick with it and make as few changes as possible. It isn’t a bad decision from a business standpoint.
On some level, however, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed at the prospect. I liked that Dungeons and Dragons was willing to experiment. Each edition brought with it a new style, a new way of doing things, new ways to try and appeal to people. And I don’t know how long it’ll be until they decide to experiment again.
By all means, if you have thoughts on the topic, comment them down below. Or join us in the Boss Rush Discord and let us know what you think there.
Featured Image: Wizards of the Coast (via DnD Beyond)
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