[SPOILER ALERT] D&D 5.5e/2024 discussion with info

Hey everyone, a lot of youtubers were given the new players handbook and as of August 1st 2024 are able to say anything they want about what is inside. Let's use this place to talk about our thoughts. I don't know all of the youtubers that have videos, but ones I follow are Treantmonk, d4: D&D Deep Dive, Dungeon Dudes, and others.

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS IN THE NEW PLAYERS HANDBOOK, STOP READING!!!!

Still a lot to listen to, but one of the changes I already heard about that I think I'll really like is the change to the bonus action spell rule.

Old rule essentially said if you cast a bonus action spell (cantrip or 1st or higher, doesn't matter), you can only cast cantrips the remainder of the turn if they had a casting time of 1 action.

Now, the rules is just (paraphrase) "you can only cast a spell using a spell slot once per turn". So:
- Shillelagh + Cure wounds, works (only 1 expends a spell slot, doesn't matter the cantrip was the bonus action)
- Misty Step + Fireball doesn't work (both use a spell slot)
- Misty Step (no spell slot) + Fireball works (such as if you had innate spellcasting and thus never used a spell slot for misty step)
- Fireball + Fireball from Quickened spell doesn't work (both use a spell slot, so this rule doesn't let sorcerers do what they already couldn't do before)

I don't care how it changes the game, that new 2024 rule is simple, memorable and explainable. The 2014 rule was clunky and I'd often have to look it up to check I had it the right way around.

How do Reaction spells tie in to that? My understanding is that a Reaction is its own turn, so can you do, say:
- On your turn use a spell slot to cast a spell
- Then the monster casts a spell
- Then you use a Reaction to cast Counterspell

Or what about:
- On your turn use a spell slot to cast a spell
- Monster casts Counterspell as a Reaction
- You Counterspell the Counterspell

I presume this means if you are casting a spell with a spell slot and then someone tries to counterspell you, you cannot counterspell the counterspell because that would be a second spell slots on the same turn. We'll see when we have more examples of the text if that is exactly how it's worded

To be fair, I always thought counterspelling a counterspell to the spell are are still working on casting never made sense to me. Can you pause w spell to cast an entirely different spell and then resume the earlier spell? Would thay require concentration like it does to ready a spell? (RAW no, but in the fiction maybe?) Would the first spell be lost as you switch magic? If so, what was the point of casting counterspell since you lost the original spell anyways.

This update certainly makes casting better but I've always done away with the rule altogether in my games. Cast whatever you want to!

I haven't seen the text, but I think I heard they added a like to the text that says you roll just once for spells that hit multiple targets simultaneously like fireball that this only applies if the affect involved a saving throw. If so, magic missile can no longer be buffed by adding to its damage roll as now it is roll each dart damage separately since there is no saving throws involved. Kinda sad

I plan to watch the treantmonk and D4 videos tomorrow but I like that clarification. Does make fey touched other "without a spell slot" feats/abilities way stronger though

Hoo boy, they dropped a nuke on forcecage. Now requires concentration and components include 1500gp of ruby dust to consume. Still very useful but a much weaker munchkin tactic.

And yet no change to wall of force. I always thought giving it a high HP pool so monsters could eventually break it would makes sense. Nothing

I like the removal of concentration for Divine Favor. I see a decent number more situations where this becomes optimal even


Ray of Sickness auto applying Poison is great. I know Poison condition immunity is pretty common but with the included extra poison options for rogues, that might actually come up more often at lower levels one way or the other.

Witch bolt, doubling initial damage and further damage being a Bonus Action is huge. Makes me want to make a build focused around it. Draconic sorcerer could make use this pretty good if you want to be Bronze or Blue

It'll take time to decide how I feel about spiritual weapon being concentration feels. On one hand, mid range clerics didn't really have any good offensive spells with 3rd level spell slots since mid range is beyond spirit guardians range, and spirit guardians felt like a must have and with spiritual weapon scaling faster it might be an okay alternative, though objectively weaker.

I haven't really seen the text, but it sounded like the timing of a lot of persensant damage spells got changed. One of the youtubers made it sound like spirit guardians could damage when you approached the enemy, but that the enemy was only damaged on your turn or if they ended their turn in the area or something like that. I'll need to see the text for that.

So apparently spirit guardians (and from the sounds of it a lot of similar spells) deals damage when the emanation (spells's area) enters a creatures space, the creature enters the emenation's space, or the creature ends its turn in the emanation, and of course only once per turn. This tells me a few things:
1. When the caster activates it, if they can avoid opportunity attacks they can harm anyone of their choice they can get within 15 feet of during their movement.
2. If you drag someone into the area, this still hurts them but is less effective since the enemy takes damage at the end of their turn, not the start, unless the enemy would stay in the area

I think I like it, mainly because it puts the power more in the players hands on their turn rather than making people keep forgetting or having to be reminded when a monster gets to go "hey, they need to save vs my spirit guardians!" now that only happens if the monster finishes its turn in the area.

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the rules and play in a game. I have a special love for Gish characters and I am very curious about how they have cobbled the Warlock together.

Apparently most/all spells have switched to this way. I like it. I could see some good new strategies come out of this.

So far a lot of what I have seen makes sense as a change and I think I like. I am still trying to get a handle on the Hide and Duel Wielding rules which seem to be where a lot of the discourse lies.