What is One D&D? After 8 years, D&D shakes things up

What is One D&D? After 8 years, D&D shakes things up
PHOTO: Wizards

It's a new dawn, it's a new day and it's certainly a new life for Dungeons & Dragons (D&D).

After eight years of playing the 5th Edition (or 5e, as it's colloquially known), Wizards is finally shaking things up under their new One D&D initiative, announced at Wizards Presents 2022. 

So what is One D&D?

Well, unlike previous revision cycles, Wizards will not be introducing a new edition.

As lead designer Chris Perkins put it: "We did a smart thing with 5th Edition by listening to the fans and what came out of that process was a system that is stable, that is well-loved, that incorporates the best elements of earlier editions.

"Now that we have that, we are no longer in the position where we think of D&D as an edition. It's just D&D."

Under this new philosophy, the direction of D&D (as revealed by Wizards) is not about taking things away from players or changing what they love about the game.

It's about giving players more options and choices under the current game system.

Core rulebooks to be revised

To start, after eight years, the three major core rulebooks that players use — the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide and Monster Manual — will be revised. The new versions are slated for release in 2024.

Fans will be excited to know that Perkins is focusing on the Dungeon Master's Guide, making "structural changes" so it's friendlier for new Dungeon Masters (DMs), while fellow lead designer Jeremy Crawford will work on the other two books.

Wizards also shared that they'll be building upon the 5th Edition system and expanding its rules. However, that won't render previous adventures and supplements obsolete as the new evolution of the system will be backward compatible.

So, everything that has been released over the last 10 years will still be playable.

The three core rulebooks will be redesigned and slated for a 2024 release. PHOTOS: Wizards

During a press briefing on Tuesday (Aug 16), some of the proposed rules were presented by Crawford and longtime players will quickly realise that these are existing homebrew (or fan-made) rules made official.

Like when you roll a 20-sided dice (d20) for checks and most DMs consider a natural one to be an automatic failure and a natural 20 to be an automatic success?

Now, it's official.

Oh, and you get Inspiration (a d20 reroll) every time you roll a 20 — more on that later. If you already have Inspiration, you can pass on any additional Inspiration to a fellow player who doesn't have it.

New races

With the revised rulebooks come new options for players and we all know how fun it is to build a character. Well, now it's going to be even more exciting with what Wizards has planned.

Crawford shared that the changes will be publicly available for players to test so they can provide feedback. There will be new races, followed by a whole new take on Backgrounds and finally, new (and revised) Feats.

For example, the Tiefling (a popular race in D&D) is getting two more options for their origins so players can have more agency in shaping their backstory.

Existing races, like the Tiefling, will be getting something new. PHOTO: D&D Beyond

A new race, known as Ardling, is going to be introduced and they're, simply put, the cousins of the Tiefling on the opposite end of the spectrum. Where Tieflings are descended from devils and demons (or other fiendish creatures), the Ardlings are supernal beings.

Some races are also going to be able to choose between being a medium-sized or small-sized creature — something D&D has never done before.

New Backgrounds

Gone are the ability score bonuses associated with race; instead, they'll now be tied to your Backgrounds as part of the facelift that the mechanic is getting.

Each Background also comes with a Feat and this will be quite the game changer as Feats are a mechanic that gives a player character a boost or special abilities. This means that right out the gate, player characters are going to have an extra 'oomph'.

As an example, a new Background called Guard will come with the Feat called Alert.

Currently, Feats are only available at selected levels or you can start with one if you choose the Variant Human as your race.

New Feats

Speaking of which, existing Feats might be getting buffed after the revamp, based on what little we've seen so far.

Adding on to the example of the Guard and Alert, Crawford shared that the proposed change for Alert will let you swap your initiative (which determines the turn order) with someone else in the group, potentially allowing allies to act faster.

Read Also
digicult
Here's everything new with D&D and Magic: The Gathering revealed at Wizards Presents

Another big change is that players can now grant Inspiration (a d20 reroll) where previously, only DMs could grant it as a form of reward.

Musician, a new Feat that was shown, allows the player to grant Inspiration to allies after a short or long rest.

In response to a question by AsiaOne on giving players more agency in this aspect of the game — a reroll is one of the most powerful things in the game as the system is based upon the d20 — Crawford explained that the team looked at things in the game over the last 10 years to see what has not been used often.

"So the Inspiration rule has been in the Player's Handbook since 2014 but we have seen that many groups don't use it. Or it's sort of in a vaguely homebrew space for a lot of groups," he said, adding that they had intended for it to be "a regular part of play".

He added: "And so that's why, in the case of Inspiration, we have rebuilt completely how you get it by default. One of those main ways is when you roll a 20. And we've also made it easier for you to distribute it to other people."

Crawford also casually slipped in that Humans (one of the playable races) get Inspiration whenever they finish a long rest.

Guess we know what everyone's going to pick next, huh?

Going phygital

With Wizards' acquisition of DnD Beyond, the official digital toolset for D&D, they are now able to provide a more holistic phygital (a combination of physical and digital) experience for players.

If you've played D&D, even if it's just once or twice, chances are, your games might already have integrated some form of digital tool.

ALSO READ: Here's everything new with D&D and Magic: The Gathering revealed at Wizards Presents

DnD Beyond has a ubiquitous influence due to the automation of character creation and its role as an online resource.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Roll20, which allows DMs to recreate a D&D game virtually, also saw its user base double to more than 10 million as many shifted their games online.

Now, Wizards hopes to bring all of that digital experience to players under one roof.

Aside from the physical-digital bundle that they'll roll out for the first time for Dragonlance (check out our article here), they're bringing a digital playspace to players and DMs.

SOURCE: Screengrab from Wizards

Built with the Unreal Engine, the digital playspace recreates an immersive miniature set virtually in a 3D environment and you can play with it just like you would in a physical game. So yes, you can create a virtual (and highly customisable) mini and move it around — at least from what we've seen.

While the digital playspace is still under development and in pre-alpha, players can head over to the DnD Beyond to check out the playtest materials.

For a roundup of the announcements from Wizards Presents, read our article here.

bryanlim@asiaone.com

For more original AsiaOne articles, visit here.

homepage

trending

trending
    Fulfilling a childhood dream: RSAF pilot enlists after JC, takes part in first NDP
    Cast of K-drama Low Life recounts battling peak summer conditions while filming 1970s underwater chase for treasure
    Singaporean fugitive nabbed in Thailand for alleged drug trafficking, turned over to CNB
    Man in Tampines tased by police officers after allegedly brandishing penknife at them
    Temasek sees $45b rise in net portfolio value to record high of $434b amid global uncertainties
    Sleeping on the job: This company will pay people $7 per hour to nap
    Where Chow Yun Fat was spotted at while in Singapore for Star Awards 2025
    Singapore must take right approach to create opportunities in wealth management: Chee Hong Tat
    Now you can get Springleaf prata in a cup - with curry - from a vending machine
    Female primary school teacher allegedly committed sex acts with underage male student
    'I could not possibly discard the embryo': Lee Si-young pregnant with second child through IVF months after divorce
    'It's our grandfather's company, we won't sell', says Wong family as shareholders reject GE delisting bid

Singapore

Singapore
    • MPs lead Singaporeans on sold-out durian trips across Causeway: 'Maximise the favourable exchange rate'
    • Jurong West homeowner evicts tenant after power bank catches fire and damages flat
    • 'They were so caring': Woman praises AirAsia staff's response during toddler's in-flight medical emergency
    • Police officer injured after motorcycle skids on PIE
    • Chinese man with PhD from NTU, Masters from Oxford turns delivery rider after 10 failed interviews
    • Economic Resilience Taskforce unveils new business grant, support for workers amid global trade jitters
    • 'You need to do some homework': Trump's ambassador nominee to Singapore under fire at Senate hearing
    • 'A seminal leader who shaped Malaysia': Lee Hsien Loong wishes Mahathir happy birthday on his centennial
    • Singapore must develop deeper relationships with China, US, Europe: Shanmugam
    • 'Give a positive review': Hidden AI prompt found in academic paper by NUS researchers

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • No joke: Woman makes out with Xiao Zhan's standee in Malaysia shopping mall
    • High energy, strong vocals: J-pop boy band Be:First makes explosive debut in Singapore
    • Shane Pow reveals how much his Star Awards outfit from Taobao costs
    • Tears, laughter and reunions: 5 highlights from Star Awards 2025
    • Ex-NCT member Taeil sentenced to 3.5 years of jail for sexual assault
    • Sheila Sim takes haircutting course after giving daughter bad trim
    • Orlando Bloom breaks silence on split from Katy Perry with family photo
    • Nicki Minaj alleges Jay-Z owes her at least $128m
    • Christopher Lee and Mark Lee to star in new Taiwanese movie No Good! Ojisan
    • Denise Richards and Aaron Phypers split after 6 years of marriage

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • Singapore Food Festival returns in September, includes SG60 Specials series
    • From Singlish-themed cups to T-shirts repping our neighbourhoods: Here are some SG60 collections to look out for
    • 'It brings out a certain inner child in them': Parkour instructor works exclusively with the elderly to help them keep fit
    • From blogger to Singapore's top influencer: Naomi Neo celebrates 1m Instagram followers after 14 years
    • Singapore coffee brand Alchemist debuts 2 outlets in Japan, marking first overseas venture
    • Orh Gao Taproom, popular bar by night and kopitiam by day in Serene Centre, to shutter
    • Cat A COE prices cross $100k mark again in first bidding exercise for July 2025
    • Chanel shows haute couture in private salon setting at Grand Palais
    • McDonald's launching Chilli Crab Sauce Burger in collab with Jumbo Seafood, also releasing limited-edition Lunch Bag
    • Is it possible to design an entire home in 10 hours? I took up the challenge in one mall

Digicult

Digicult
    • Slim, sleek, but slightly too short-lived: Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review
    • World's best Dota 2 teams to compete for $1m prize pool in Singapore in November
    • 'Report 1 shop, another 10 appear': Hoyo Fest artists on copyright struggles
    • NTU penalises 3 students over use of AI tools; they dispute university's findings
    • Australia social media teen ban software trial organisers say the tech works
    • Disney, Universal sue image creator Midjourney for copyright infringement
    • Initiative by IMDA, AI Verify Foundation tests AI accuracy, trustworthiness in real-world scenarios
    • Under siege? Helldivers 2's latest city to be invaded by aliens could be spoof of Singapore
    • Honor 400 Series launches in Singapore with first free in-device AI image-to-video tool
    • Home Team humanoid robots to be deployed by mid-2027, $100m to be invested: Josephine Teo

Money

Money
    • Best credit card promotions in Singapore (June 2025): Citibank, DBS, HSBC, UOB and more
    • Japan, South Korea hit with 25% tariffs as Trump ramps up trade war in letters to leaders
    • Trump says alignment with BRICS' 'anti-American policies' to invite additional 10% tariffs
    • Regulators warned Air India Express about delay on Airbus engine fix, forging records
    • Higher seller's stamp duty a 'light touch' to curb property flipping: Experts
    • Trump tax bill averts one debt crisis but makes future financial woes worse
    • Seller's stamp duty rates for private homes raised; holding period increased from 3 years to 4
    • Trump escalates feud with Musk, threatens Tesla, SpaceX support
    • Online groceries in Singapore: Which supermarket has the cheapest delivery fees?
    • Laundry services in Singapore: Price comparison of 8 affordable laundromats (2025)

Latest

Latest
  • Malaysia says China will sign Southeast Asia nuclear weapons free zone treaty when documents are ready
  • Pope Leo meets Zelenskiy, offers to host Ukraine peace talks
  • Wife buries remains of Srebrenica victim 30 years after Bosnia genocide
  • Texas officials deflect mounting questions about response to deadly flood
  • US military delivering some weapons to Ukraine after pause
  • Netanyahu and Trump prioritise hostages as Gaza military campaign grinds on
  • Trump administration threatens Harvard's accreditation, seeks records on foreign students
  • Trump imposes 50% tariffs on Brazil after spat with Lula
  • Malaysia confirms existence of document central to ex-PM Najib's house arrest bid, reports say

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • Jail for ex-auxiliary police officer who loaded 1 bullet and accidentally discharged revolver
  • Woman injured on SMRT bus after bottle thrown at vehicle shatters window
  • Singaporean drivers rack up over $17k in fines for VEP violations in 5 days
  • Roblox avatar and lantern: Star Awards 2025 looks that made us go 'huh?'
  • Long time no see! Sharon Au, Li Nanxing, Yvonne Lim and others return to Star Awards stage
  • 'Intimacy was not anything sexual', says man who drove car with lover's husband on bonnet
  • Boy, 9, has kidney removed after falling at Bukit Batok playground
  • 'We just want our money': Income Insurance shareholders disappointed at failed Allianz deal
  • Buying property in Malaysia as a Singaporean: 6 key restrictions to be aware of
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.