D&D (2024) New D&D Edition's Player’s Handbook Alternate Art Cover Reveal

Polygon revealed the alternate art for the 2024 Player's Handbook.

"Illustrated by Wylie Beckert, the alt art cover of the Player’s Handbook (2024) features a party comprised of D&D’s four iconic classes — the fighter, the wizard, the cleric, and the rogue — all gathered around a friendly gold dragon, sharing tea. This gentle scene stands in stark contrast to the mainline Player’s Handbook (2024), which will have a bright, bold cover by Tyler Jacobsen with similar characters posed in the moments before striking a blow."

 

[Stormonu]

Or if there were systems in the PHB that were about that sort of thing. Chapter 13: Running Your Own Tavern or whatever. But I don't think we can expect the 2024 PHB to be significantly different than the 2014 in that regard. it is 90% combat.

This is why I'm happy that well be seeing Bastion rules in the DMG. I've seen many a D&D story where the PCs end up with a Tavern, Inn, Shop or other base of operations that gets run as a side business. I'd actually like to try a game or two where running the bastion is forefront and adventuring is the side job. I mean, I don't want the game to be about filling out tax forms or day-to-day operations, but one where the PCs adventures are driven by events occurring around the bastion (Party has to go clear bandits from the road because they've stolen the last two shipments of ale to their tavern; the party finds a treasure map to a forgotten dungeon whose wealth will pay this month's expenses and taxes, etc.) seems like it could be fun.

 

[DragonBelow]

I like the Dragon's body is spelling D&D

 

[Dausuul]

Polygon revealed the alternate art for the 2024 Player's Handbook.



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Now we're talking. I'm not a fan of the regular cover, but this is right up my alley. It's the first PHB cover I've really liked since the 1E cover with the thieves stealing the idol's eye.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

I came across this on another forum, but now I can't unsee it.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

I came across this on another forum, but now I can't unsee it.

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Very likely to be intentional.

 

[Charlaquin]

Are people going to come to D&D to play that kind of game, though? Or, if this cover made them do so and they then saw that the PHB was 90% about punching things with magic, would they be disappointed?

I’m of the “run the game you would want to play in, and the audience who wants that kind of game will find you” school of thought. I would enjoy a mellow campaign, and I think I could pull it off in D&D.

Again, it’s certainly not what I typically expect from D&D. But, unexpected can be fun sometimes.

 

[Reynard]

I’m of the “run the game you would want to play in, and the audience who wants that kind of game will find you” school of thought. I would enjoy a mellow campaign, and I think I could pull it off in D&D.

Again, it’s certainly not what I typically expect from D&D. But, unexpected can be fun sometimes.

I'm not saying you can't run a cozy game with D&D if you understand what D&D is and does and you have a clear vision of what you want to do. I'm just saying that someone who saw that book cover and bought it because that's the kind of fantasy they wanted to play would probably be disappointed by what the PHB actually enables.

 

[Charlaquin]

I'm not saying you can't run a cozy game with D&D if you understand what D&D is and does and you have a clear vision of what you want to do. I'm just saying that someone who saw that book cover and bought it because that's the kind of fantasy they wanted to play would probably be disappointed by what the PHB actually enables.

Well, sure, but I’m not someone who saw the book cover and bought it because that’s the kind of fantasy I want to play. I’m someone who is very familiar with 5th edition D&D, and has a pretty good idea of what changes the 5e revisions are going to bring to it, and intends to buy the book for that, and also really likes this wistful tone in fantasy art.

 

[Chaosmancer]

And that's my issue with it: it is not going to jive with anything in the book itself, which makes it a poor cover choice no matter how cool the art is on its own.

Maybe, but it is the special edition for the 50th anniversary. Anyone going out of their way to get it... knows about DnD on a fairly comprehensive level. And, for a lot of old players... DnD is what they do to relax, chill and have fun. Even if the interior content is different.

 

[Reynard]

Maybe, but it is the special edition for the 50th anniversary. Anyone going out of their way to get it... knows about DnD on a fairly comprehensive level. And, for a lot of old players... DnD is what they do to relax, chill and have fun. Even if the interior content is different.

It is weird that people think noobs won't walk in to a game store and see that and be like "Cool! I want it!"