D&D 2024 classes are well balanced – but have they lost their soul?
Aug. 5, 2024Opinion | The rules revision makes plenty of quality of life improvements, but some classes have lost flavor
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We’ve seen class features thoroughly unpacked in playtests over the past two years, and pieced back together with the abilities that mattered most to us, the players, overall. And the D&D rules revisions seem to be a net improvement to one of thebest tabletop RPGs– particularly the changes to the Rogue, which gives the sneaking, trickster class a handful of additional ‘Cunning Strike’ abilities in combat just when other classes are getting second attacks.
But I have one, major complaint in the class changes we’ve seen, which is the loss of so-called ‘ribbon’ abilities: those that don’t necessarily add much mechanical advantage, or boost the class’s damage output, but help to construct the class fantasy that’s been promised to players.
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To prep for the revamp, these are theD&D bookswe’d advise adding to your shelf alongside the new rulebooks. As for a change of pace, why not take a look at thebest board games?
Henry St Leger is a freelance technology and entertainment reporter with bylines for The Times, GamesRadar, IGN, Edge, and Nintendo Life. He’s a former staffer at our sister site TechRadar, where he worked as the News & Features Editor, and he writes regularly about streaming, games, D&D, and a host of home technologies including smart speakers and TVs. He lives in London with his Nintendo Switch (OLED) and spouse (not OLED).
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