A new version of Dungeons & Dragons (referred to by the fans as DnD 5.5) is coming in 2024 and DMs can prepare for it in a number of different ways. DnD 5e is easily the most popular edition in the history of the game, but it's not without its flaws, as some aspects of the game are unbalanced. There have been updates to underpowered player options in the past, such as revised versions of the dragonborn race and ranger class appearing in later books, in order to make them more appealing, but the weaker versions still exist in the core rulebooks.
D&D's 50th anniversary is bringing 5e rules upgrades by way of new books in 2024. These will be revised and updated versions of the three DnD 5e core rulebooks: the Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual. Wizards of the Coast has assured fans that the new books will be backward compatible with the old material and that anything that comes out between now and the release of DnD 5.5 will work with the updated rules. Once the new core rulebooks are out, it's likely that all books released afterward will be made with the updated rules in mind, so lots of groups will want to make the jump, and there are different ways to prepare for DnD 5.5.
Keep Up With The One D&D Documents & Answer Surveys
The easiest way to keep up with DnD 5.5 is to follow One D&D's digital toolset and playtesting materials. Wizards of the Coast plans to regularly release Unearthed Arcana updates on the D&D Beyond website's One D&D section, which will test out some rules concepts that are being considered for the DnD 5.5 rulebooks. As of the time of writing, there have only been two rules updates released: one which focuses on races, backgrounds, and feats, and another that focuses on new versions of the bard, rogue, and ranger classes, all of which are called the "Expert" classes.
It's easy to see which direction the game is moving in, especially in regard to character creation. Based on what has been revealed so far, the One D&D classes are changing to be stronger, while backgrounds are way more important than they were in the base DnD 5e Player's Handbook. The DMs who will be making the jump to DnD 5.5 should be prepared for the players to be stronger than they were in DnD 5e, with more options available during character creation that will give them a wider range of abilities.
The purpose of the One D&D updates is for fans to have their say about the content changes that are being considered for DnD 5.5. Each new update adds a survey, which groups can fill out to give their opinions regarding the new rules in each document. It's likely that One D&D changed the unpopular new crit rules in response to the fan backlash, but that's the entire point of the process. One D&D is giving fans the chance to have their say about the future of the game, so playtesting the new material and filling out the surveys is the best way to do so.
There are still lots of One D&D Unearthed Arcana articles to come in the future, as the remaining character classes in the Mage, Priest, and Warrior groups still need to be playtested. The current One D&D articles have yet to touch on how monsters will be changed, as DnD has already been altering how monster stat blocks look in the printed books. There are also a ton of DnD spells that need to be updated, with One D&D already changing spell schools for certain spells. One D&D is going to be releasing a lot of content over the next year, and it helps the game if fans get involved.
Homebrew DnD Groups Can Use D&D 5.5 As A Chance To Reshape The Universe
Where the introduction of DnD 5.5 might be disruptive is for groups that are in the middle of a campaign, especially a homebrew one. Once these three new rulebooks are on the market, a lot of people are going to want to make the jump, especially if the options provided will make their existing character stronger. The DnD 5e ranger players around the world are likely eager for the better version of the class, so there is an incentive to update to the new books.
The lore of the DnD settings has changed with the shifting editions, such as the Lady of Pain remaking the multiverse when Vecna ended an entire DnD edition. The DnD campaign worlds have had to adjust to the arrival of sorcerers and warlocks, as well as the dragonborn race, while attitudes towards races like the drow and the orcs changed over time. In the case of a jump to DnD 5.5, the DM can prepare an earth-shattering event to explain the change, which could lead to an epic campaign.
A DnD campaign where players get to interact with items like the Tablets of Fate in Faerun or are witness to a council of the gods that want to remake creation can lead to once-in-a-lifetime storylines, which result in the universe being rewritten at the end. The players should have a key role in the storyline, possibly being the catalyst for the change. Maybe the players manage to perform a 10th-level DnD spell that saves reality from being destroyed, but everything is remade in a slightly different way. A DnD group can easily retcon the DnD 5.5 changes into their group, but they'd be missing out on the chance to do a superhero comic-style storyline, where the fate of the multiverse hangs in the balance, and they have to step up and save reality. The DMs running homebrew campaigns who want to keep the same setting can use this as an epic send-off for one group, before letting everyone start over fresh with new Dungeons & Dragons 5.5e characters.
Source: D&D Beyond
