The next iteration of Dungeons & Dragons will be released within the next few years, and Wizards of the Coast has revealed a few tantalizing details every bit to what is in shop for the fans. The fans have been referring to this new version ofD&Dequally 5.5, in reference to how the third edition of the game receiving a new iteration halfway through its lifespan, which was officially chosen 3.5. As of the fourth dimension of writing, the revised version of the rules has no official proper name.

D&Dhas received a number of different editions over the years, near of which were drastically different from their predecessors. The changes were frequently the consequence of endless hours of histrion discourse and feedback. This wasn't helped by the fact that so many people had dissimilar ideas about howD&Dshould be played, with some believing that it should be all near dungeon itch, while others wanted to focus on the roleplaying aspects. The fifth edition ofD&Dhas a bully balance betwixt these different aspects of the game, which might exist why information technology has go then popular. The people who still yearn to experience the old editions ofD&Dtin can do so in the remasters of theD&Dvideo games, as the second edition/Advanced Dungeons & Dragonsrules tin be experienced inBaldur's Gate aneand2, in all of their THAC0 glory, while the third edition rules are present inNeverwinter Nights.

It was revealed at D&D Celebration 2021 that the adjacent iteration ofDungeons & Dragonshad entered the early stages of development. Wizards of the Coast is at present working on new rulebooks forD&D, aslope numerous other products, including new campaign settings, and returning ones from the days of yore. The next few years will be filled with announcements and speculation about the new version ofD&Dthat is on the way, just in that location are some concrete details that have already been revealed to the public.

The Three Core D&D Rulebooks Are Existence Updated For five.5

The then-chosen "Adjacent Evolution" ofD&Dinvolves new versions of the 3 core D&D rulebooks: theRole player'southward Handbook, theDungeon Master's Guide, and theMonster Manual. These three books are the cornerstone of anyD&Dgame, equally all of the major rules are found inside them. The officialD&Dcampaign books besides assume that the DM has access to the books, which is why they don't need to reprint things that already appear in the core books, such as the stats for common monsters or magic items. The fact that these three books are beingness revised ways that classes, races, backgrounds, equipment, spells, monsters, magic items, traps, and the combat rules all have a chance of looking different in the future.

The D&D 5.five Release Date Is 2024 For The 50th Ceremony Of The Game

The new versions of the core rulebooks have a loose release window, as they are prepare to be released in 2024. Their release will tie into the 50th anniversary ofD&D, which is gear up to happen in 2024 as well. The exact release date for the showtimeD&D 5.5product isn't clear, so Wizards of the Declension has the elbowroom to celebrate throughout the whole year. Wizards of the Coast volition outset revealing more information about the new books adjacent yr, aslope the announcements for other books that are on the manner.

The New D&D five.5 Rules Will Be Backward Compatible With 5e

The reason why fans have compared the revised rulebooks to3.five is that the D&D 5.5 updates volition be backward uniform with all of the existing  5e rulebooks, likewise as the ones that will be released betwixt now and 2024. This means that the rules changes won't be too drastic, as too many changes would mean a ton of work for people wanting to run the former campaigns.

If D&D's 5.5 shift is similar to three.five, and then the classes could be tweaked to different degrees, the Skills and Feats system could be altered, spells could be changed or removed entirely, equipment could exist overhauled, specific monsters could have new abilities, and the gainsay system could be expanded. It was wise of Wizards of the Coast to brand the backward compatibility clear upfront, equally information technology may have acquired some fans to hold off on checking out the new books, if they felt that a major update was on the way, and information technology could invalidate the content in their existing products.

D&D 5.five Is Not A New Edition (And 6th Edition Likely Won't Be Coming Soon)

There has been a lot of speculation almost when Wizards of the Coast is going to announce the sixth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. The upcoming revisedD&D five.v rulebooks are not that. The fifth edition of the game is hither to stay (for at least a while longer), and the revised version will likely be supported for a few more years, meaning 6e probable won't appear for at least 5 years.

This makes a lot of sense, asD&Dhad its best-always twelvemonth of sales in 2020. The game has never been hotter, with a ruleset that fans are happy with, and is easy for new players to choice up.D&Dis also growing as a multimedia entity, with the new movie in evolution, and a number of video games on the way, including the long-awaitedBaldur's Gate 3. If Wizards of the Declension released a new edition ofD&D within the next few years, and then information technology would potentially amerce the current fanbase (as was the example with 4th edition), while potentially making the upcoming video games use an outdated prepare of rules. The revised D&D 5.five rules experience more like a mid-cycle refresh than a true development of the game, which is for the all-time, every bit a sixth edition could potentially spoil things.

D&D Fans Will Assistance Develop 5.5 Rules

Wizards of the Coast has secretly been working on the revised D&D five.5 rulebooks for a while now. The company sent out surveys to players over the past yr, asking their opinions about the currentPlayer'southward Handbook. Thousands of fans have already responded to these surveys, and they are but the beginning. Wizards of the Coast will be sending out more surveys adjacent year, and then fans will have their take a chance to shape the hereafter of the game. The intention is to create the best version of Dungeons & Dragons possible, and those who enhance their voices will have a chance for their opinions to be heard and may assistance shape the 5.5 updates of the game.

Next: D&D 5.5: Playable Races That Shouldn't Render

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Well-nigh The Writer

Scott Baird (2576 Articles Published)

Scott has been writing for Screen Bluster since 2016 and regularly contributes to The Gamer. He has previously written articles and video scripts for websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, and TopTenz. A graduate of Edge Hill University in the United kingdom, Scott started out as a motion picture educatee before moving into journalism. It turned out that wasting a childhood playing video games, reading comic books, and watching movies could exist used for finding employment, regardless of what any career advisor might tell y'all. Scott specializes in gaming and has loved the medium since the early '90s when his showtime panel was a ZX Spectrum that used to take twoscore minutes to load a game from a tape cassette player to a black and white Television prepare. Scott now writes game reviews for Screen Rant and The Gamer, likewise as news reports, opinion pieces, and game guides. He can exist contacted on LinkedIn.

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