New Releases Tuesday: SRD 5.2

 For what it is worth, Wizards of the Coast has released version 5.2 of the D&D SRD. 

Right now it only comes in Creative Commons versions.

I don't know much about Creative Commons, but I've been using the Open Game License (OGL) since the beginning.  

While I am not going to be doing a lot with D&D 5.5 (or are we calling it 5.2 to match the SRD?) on the sales front, I am very interested in trying my hand at doing some Creative Commons releases.

Many interesting games have been released under Creative Commons, which will soon be joined by the new OSRIC 3rd edition.

The 5.1 SRD under the Creative Commons and Open Gaming Licenses are all still available. 

These are not the only choices. The TTRPG Resources List keeps a massive list of all sorts of things, including SRDs for your games.

This is a good step forward, but WotC has a lot of ground to make up for what they pissed away in the last few years.

Fantasy Fridays: Tales of the Valiant

 A newer entry today and a potential good replacement for D&D 5e on your table. But is it just a new coat of paint on a familiar rule-set?

Tales of the Valiant

Tales of the Valiant began as the Black Flag system/project from Kobold Press, already a big name in 5e-compatible products. The genesis was, of course, the massive OGL fallout from January 2023. Kobold, among so many of us, saw a threat to our product lines and opted to "pull a Pathfinder" and release their own rules only this time under their own license. They can sell core rule books (which is always a good source of money) and still create their own supporting products (their bread and butter as it were) and have them support both game lines.  It is a good idea.

They have published the "common core" of three books:

• Tales of the Valiant Player's Guide
• Tales of the Valiant Monster Vault
• Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide

The books are attractive and is well laid out. There is a lot great art. But the question is, do they provide me anything above and beyond D&D 5 (2014)? Well, all three books are 1,081 pages, so it is hard to dig through all of this to find specific differences. It looks like 5e and plays like 5e. I guess that is what is important, really. Now, the classes do have additions; each class features a subclass taken from the SRD and often an additional new one. There is the new Mechanist class, which is similar in concept to the Artificer class. So, for current 5e (again, 2014) players, there is something new. 

The truth is there are a lot of new things, but you need to dig for them. There is the "Beastkin" Lineage for example that looks like fun. As do the new "Sydereans" which combine Aasimar and Tieflings and "Small Folk" which combine halflings and gnomes. Ok, I am cool with that. Orcs and Kobolds (natch) are core lineages. I think every clone or RPG should have at least one unique core lineages. Yes, this book uses "lineage" and not race. I like this better. Heritages are how your character was raised. More or less. 

There does seem to be some more monsters, but the monster book is populated by "the Usual Suspects."

Again. It is hard to fault Kobold on this. These books have two purposes, and both require it to cleave close to 5e (2014). First it *is* a D&D 5e replacement. I have not tried, but you could in theory use this books with minor tweaks in a 5e game. I call this the Pathfinder solution. The other purpose is to provide Kobold (and third parties) a means to write "5e" compatible material but not require people use, or even buy, 5e core books from Wizards. I call this the OSRIC solution. 

I suspect the real value of these books and this game will come from future products. For example, the upcoming, just Kickstarted, Monster Vault 2, will be the true test of this system. Yes, they state outright this is for TotV and 5e, but I think this will be the case that makes or breaks this game. So far things are looking rather promising for Tales of the Valiant. 

Honestly, this book looks really good, and if I picked up the physical edition, I would be tempted to get the Core Three because of how good they all look together. But I don't play 5e all that much anymore.

Who Should Play This Game?

Honestly, this game will not replace 5e (2014) on anyone's table. It might supplement it, but it won't replace it. It could, however, replace 5.5e (2024).  My oldest and I have been talking about the various issues with 5.5, and he is sticking with 5.0 for now. But if you are one of those people who have felt especially burned by WotC's actions over the last 2.5 years, then maybe this is the game for you.

Johan Werper for Tales of the Valiant

I don't know. Something about this game makes me want to play a knight in shinning armor and perform actions of Epic Good. Not that I wouldn't play Larina in it, but the classes are not a perfect fit. The closest thing is not the Warlock, but rather the Leaf Druid. Now, the Chaos Sorcerer is interesting as well. Maybe I could try it for Sinéad.

I want to try out Johan, or at least some sort of version of him, because the Paladin in 5.5 seems so nerfed. I have been wanting to compare the various paladins just to see if this is true. 

This will be Johan VII, the son of Johan VI and Lana (my wife's character) for 5e. He has a twin sister, not uncommon for the Werpers. She will be a 5.5 character so I can compare properly. Their background is they were exposed to cosmic forces before birth, so they have something a little "extra."  In Johan VII this means his "Anointed" Heritage.

Johan Werper VII
Human (Anointed) Paladin (Devotion) 3rd level

Strength: +2
Dexterity: +1
Constitution: -1
Intelligence: +0
Wisdom: +2 (saves +4)
Charisma: +3 (saves +5)

Proficiency Bonus: +2
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30ft

AC: 17 (chain mail and shield)

Weapons
Longsword +4 1d8/1d10 (versatile)
Crossbow, Hand +2 1d6 30/120 

Passive Insight: 14
Passive Investigation: 12
Passive Perception: 12

Skills
History, Insight, Relgion

Proficiencies, Languages, & Talents
Advantage on Death Saves, Thaumaturgy Cantrip
Languages: Common, Elven, Draconic, Giant
Navigator's Tools
Talent: Combat Conditioning +2 to hp each level
All armor and shields, simple and martial weapons

Class Features & Traits
Divine Sense
Lay on Hands
Divine Smite
Martial Action - Guard
Spellcasting (Divine)
Sacred Weapon
Sanctifying Light

Spells
Cantrips: Thaumaturgy
First Level: Bless, Cure Wounds, Sanctuary

I like this version. 

Given his family history, his twin sister would be named Celeste or Celine. She will be stated up with D&D 5.5 as a Celestial Warlock, or whatever the warlock is called in that. 

The Player's Book includes Greek, Egyptian, and Norse gods as examples. I am half tempted to continue using my "Black Forest" mythos, maybe making them avatars of Jäger and Jägerin. They would not be real avatars, but that is how they would be perceived. 

I like this idea since my wife based her character Lana on Lagertha from Vikings. It also explains why Johan VII can also speak Giant. 

He compares well to his dad. So that is cool, with enough differences to feel like a new character.

I think I am going to need a bigger binder for Johan.

Monstrous Mondays: Monstrous Maleficarum #3 - Nymphs, Daughters of the Gods

 Today I release the next Monstrous Maleficarum! For Volume #3 I present 13 nymphs for use in the 5th edition of the World's Greatest Fantasy RPG.

Volume #3 of Monstrous Maleficarum - Nymphs, Daughters of the Gods

Tales of the nymphs are as old as the Gods themselves. Semi-divine protectors of the natural world have also always been a part of the Fantasy RPGs since the beginning. 

With Monstrous Maleficarum #3 I return nymphs to the latest edition of the World’s Greatest Roleplaying Game. Nymphs, Daughters of the Gods for the new 5th Era.

Herein, you will find 13 types of nymphs to challenge and wonder your games. The sylph, whose feet hardly ever touch the ground. The melinoë who dance by the light of the moon. The mighty themeid, warriors among the nymphs. The underworld lampad, and the naiads, nereids, and oceanids, of their watery realms. 

Note: This product contains classical art that depicts some nudity.

One of the routes I came to Dungeons & Dragons was via Greek Mythology. I noticed a while back that the 5th edition of the game, both the 2014 and 2024 flavors, did not have nymphs as a creature type. I thought this was a serious oversight. So with Monstrous Maleficarum #3 I added them back.

I hope you enjoy!

Monstrous Mondays: Monstrous Maleficarum #2 - Return of the Orcs

 Today's Monstrous Monday is a special one, the return of my erstwhile series "Monstrous Maleficarum." In this new and revised version for "5th Era Fantasy RPGs" I am featuring the return of the Orc as a monster you can have as an antagonist. 

Just in time for tomorrow's new Monster Manual release. 

Volume #2 of Monstrous Maleficarum - Return of the Orcs

Orcs have been a staple of FRPGs since the dawn of the hobby. These creatures are as iconic as they are ubiquitous. 

With Monstrous Maleficarum #2 I present the return of the orcs to the latest edition of the World’s Greatest Roleplaying Game. Orcs for the new 5th Era.

Herein, you will find the classic Pig-nosed orc, the mighty green and gray orcs, the blood-thirsty Blood Orcs, the violent Ghost-Face orcs, the noble and good Desert Orcs who call elves “brother,” and the intelligent and equally dangerous High Orcs.

What is Monstrous Maleficarum?

Monstrous Maleficarum is a series of smaller publications to feature new monsters for the 5th Edition of the World's Greatest Role-Playing game. Sometimes these monsters are from previous editions, brought into the new era via the Open Gaming License. Sometimes they are new takes on classic creatures of myth and legend. And other times they will be brand new creatures.

Each “issue” will feature a theme of related monsters.
Every issue will feature 100% Open Gaming Content text.

I will have more to say on Orcs and other "missing monsters" as time goes on.

New Release: Dungeons & Dragons 5.5 Monster Manual

 I went to my FLGS yesterday and picked up the last of the new Dungeons & Dragons 5.5 core books, the new Monster Manual.

It was the original AD&D Monster Manual that got me into D&D originally, so any new Monster Manual has a long climb to impress me.

Yes, it is true. There are no orcs in this book, nor humans, halflings, elves, dwarves, duergar, dragonborn, or gnomes.

There are goblins, bugbears, and hobgoblins. Also, monsters still have alignments. So the oft repeated rumor that WotC/Hasbro was getting rid of alignments is not true. There are still plenty of purely evil creatures to kill. Note: Goblins are now chaotic neutral. I actually like this, more akin to how I have been playing them.

The art is gorgeous, as expected, and there is art for every monster and then some.

The stat blocks are mostly the same as D&D 5.0 (2014), they are a bit clearer to read. Saving throws are all listed now, even when they are just the same as the ability modifier. 

The new book sits at 384 pages. The 2014 Monster Manual was 352.

Following in the footsteps of every major "Even" release (2nd ed, 4th ed, and this as 6th ed) each monster fits on 1, 2, or 4 whole pages. This makes reading the monster stat easy while in game; everything is right there. It also follows the trend established by many OSR and D20 publishers. Lots of monster books have been doing this, going back to the Creature Collection from Sword & Sorcery Studios in 2000. While it does make reading easy, sometimes narrative text and lore takes the hit to make room for stat blocks. I am mixed on that. I love the layout, and I am generally a fan of one-page monsters, but I feel like some monsters get shorted.

My biggest pet peeve, though, is the alphabetical organization. For example, Blue and Black Dragons are listed under "B" right along with Balor. Red Dragons are under "R."  This continues for all groups, including Giants, demons, devils, and everything. 

An interesting little quirk of this and a logical extension from the 2014 MM, Succubi are now an independent fiendish creature and Neutral Evil. They are also distinct from the Incubus. They are no longer separated by gender, but by role. Succubi (male and female) drain life via physical touch and Incubi (male and female) drain via dreams. I like the split in roles and it allows us to have two creatures to fill the role of the mythological succubus.

You can see this movement away from "gendered" monsters throughout the book. The art for the dryad is androgynous, which is fine. I have had male and female Ginko Dryads ever since I learned that ginko trees can be male or female. There are female satyrs. Again, there is precedent for that in art.  Sphinxes are no longer Andro- or Gyno- but rather Sphinxes of Wonder, Secrets, Lore, and Valor. Ok, that I actually like.  But, there are no nymphs.  I came to the D&D Monster Manual by way of Greek myths, so this feels a bit odd to me.

Honestly. I have been moving away from Orcs as my big bads for a while now. Goblins have always been too much fun to make completely evil. Give me gnolls, yuan-ti, or beholders as my monsters, and I can slaughter them indiscriminately. 

Even Star Trek made allies out of the Klingons and, eventually, the Romulans, so why can't D&D grow in its nuanced takes as well.

While the book is plenty large, I am disappointed there are no named Demons and Devils here. No Demon Princes, no Lords of the Nine, no Slaad Lords.

This book completes the Dungeons & Dragons 5.5 aka 2024 version of the Core Rules. I am not 100% sure I'll get much more of this line. I am not playing D&D 5 in any flavor at the moment. But who knows. 

Kickstart Your Weekend: 5e Witch Content

 I mentioned before that one of the reasons I have not done a 5e Witch class myself is that I have wanted to have some joy in discovery of something new for D&D. If I make a 5e witch, then I am always comparing it to the new stuff to mine. 

So today there are two witch-related 5e Kickstarters I want to share. They are in their last days of funding, so get on these while you can.

Witchfyre: A Dark Fantasy RPG for 5E+ & Pathfinder

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/witchfyre/witchfyre-a-dark-fantasy-rpg?ref=theotherside

This looks like a lot of fun and has a great Folk Horror vibe. It is for 5e and Pathfinder, so that is really great.  And it comes with minis and a tarot set, so I am very intrigued. While the deluxe cover looks nice, I think I prefer the standard cover.

Any looks great, to bad I will have to wait a year to get it.

The Mystery of Witchhaven: A 5e Solo Adventure

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/obviousmimic/the-mystery-of-witchhaven-a-5e-solo-adventure?ref=theotherside

I admit a little trepidation to this one. First, I am generally not a fan of Solo adventures. Nothing against them, I just prefer to play with a group. Secondly I have my own "Witch Haven" but the name is so common I should not be surprised when a variation of it gets used.

But this does look fun and I'd be remiss if I didn't check it out.

ETA: Another one!

Wicked Echoes - Whispers of the Samodiva: A 5E Supplement

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wicked-echoes/wicked-echoes-whispers-of-the-samodiva?ref=theotherside

Folk Horror is pretty hot right now. And this one looks great.  This is more horror than Witch focused, but that is fine by me!

--

Both look great and hopefully ship quickly.

Mail Call and Review: Hexbound: A Witchy Supplement for 5e

 So this one was a bit of a surprise for me this week. I honestly kinda forgot I backed it over two and half years ago. But it came in yesterday and I thought I would share it.

Hexbound: A Witchy Supplement for 5e

There are a lot of reasons why I have never put together a witch class of my own for 5e. One of the biggest is I have wanted to see what others have done with their own ideas. You know, try and recapture that thrill of discovery that I had back in the 1980s and 90s when I'd find a new witch class. 

Hexbound is the first big 5e "Witch" class Kickstarter I have backed.  So how did they deliver?

I got the PDFs and STLs a while back and they looked great, but I have been waiting on the book.

Here is what I was sent.

The level I pledged at was for the  Collector's Edition cover of the Hexbound Hardcover, a set of Hexbound Reference Cards, two pins, four minis and digital files of the book and minis.

The book is really nice. I love the art and in particular the Art Nouveau style cover. Really fits the vibe I want for my witches in 5e. 

The add-ons are nice. I am a sucker for a deck of tarot-like cards for a game. I want to make a witch character for 5e JUST so I can use these cards.

And the minis are also nice. I am not sure I recall what that big one is, but it is in the book.

Hexbound: The Good

REMINDER: I am always sensitive when I am reviewing someone else's witch material. I am not aware of any RPG author who has written as much about witches as I have, so I need to be careful on how critical I could be. 

Like I said, the book is really attractive. The art is really nice I think I need some dice to go with it to fit the aesthetic (that should have been an option really.) The author of the book, Antonio Demico, is also the illustrator. 

What attracted me most to this book was there was not just one "Witch Class" but rather witch subclasses for each class. And there are some really fun ones here. All are considered "Witches" and they just have different ways of expressing their magics. This is the same idea I have witches but going in the opposite direction.  I have one witch class with a lot of options, aka Traditions which can be viewed as "subclasses." I rather like it to be honest and it would be a fun way to build a coven of witches in 5e. Everyone takes a class and then the witch sub classes. Each one has a lot of unique options to help keep the witches very flexible.

The classes and their witch subclasses are: 

• The Intoner for Bards. I kinda love this one.
• The Medium for Clerics. This one is so obvious that I am kicking myself for not doing it myself.
• Circle of the Brew for Druids. Not how I would have gone, but it is certainly clever. 
• The Witchblade for Fighters. File under "Why the hell didn't I think of that." Well, I guess I do have my Witch Knights.
• Way of the Specter for Monks. Interesting, I'd have to play it to really understand it.
• Path of the Coven for Paladins. Cool, different enough from my Green Knight to be fun.
• Coven Conclave for Rangers. Similar to my Huntsman but more powers.
• Duskwalker for Rogues. This one is interesting. I rarely mix rogues/thieves with witches. So I will have to try this one.
• Coven of Spirits for Sorcerer. This one calls on the magic of family spirits. Pretty much exactly my Family Witch.
• Witch Patron for Warlocks. This one is also pretty obvious, and likely one of the more popular ones that will get played. 
• School of Witchcraft for Wizards. Now this one is both obvious and yet still a lot of fun. It also has conceptual roots going all the way back to the earliest editions of D&D. 
• Path of the Witch for Barbarian. This one was added later on. In some ways it reminds me of my Cowan for the Pagan Witch, OR (better yet) this is how you can play Cú Chulainn (with Scáthach as his witch) OR even like the warriors on their dajemma with the Witches of Rashemen.

So yeah, if you have a witch concept then there is likely a subclass here that will fit your needs.

There are some new backgrounds for your new witch. All look great really. 

We also get some new familiars here too including a personal favorite, the Jackalope. 

There are some new spells, but only 10. That seems to be a bit, well, underwhelming to be honest. 

Part II of the book is for GMs.

This includes magic items (again, there should have been more), some wands (some really fun ones too), and some magical hats.

Part III is called "for the table." This discusses how to run and play a game filled with witches. There are adventure hooks, NPCs (lots of those), monsters, and some adventures to run. 

Hexbound: The Not So Good

While the book is great to look at, it is not without some issues.

I am not going to quibble about how long it took us to get this and how it may (or may not) sitll be compatible with D&D 5.5. That stuff happens and this is likely a one man show. They get a pass from me on that.

Some issues are like the cards above. Great idea, but I'd have to try them out to see how well they work in a game. And as you can see two of the cards went to press with their placeholder art and not the art for their NPCs.

The minis are nice, but they are really too small. As you can see above compared to HeroForge minis; one I printed myself and one I bought color printed. 

I have the 3D printer, I can print new ones if I want to get them to 25/28 mm Not everyone has that option. OR I just redo the characters as halflings, dwarfs, gnomes and/or goblins.

There should have really been more spells. I know all to well that page count is all important when it comes to this Kickstarters fulfilments. But spells are important to the witch, and there should have been a lot more. 

Ok, so I do not know much about the creator Antonio Demico, but I think I have been writing about witches for longer than he has been alive. So I can't hold his work up to the same critical lens I would hold my own up too, but really. Ten spells is not even close to enough. Reduce the font size by a point and get at least 13 in there. Respect the source material. 

One last thing. Antonio Demico is a great artist and he certainly knows someone that is great at layout, there really should have been a redesigned witchy character sheet. I mean that cover BEGS to have a character sheet to match. I mean really, I do love that cover. 

Overall I am happy with the book and the cards. The minis are too small really and the pins, while nice, are largely forgettable. I mean I put them on my gamer bag and will I even remember what they were from next Gen Con?

At the end of the day, I am still happy to have another witch class and book for my collection. Since at last count I had, well, all of them.

Review: Ravenloft for D&D 5e

We have now come to the most current versions of Ravenloft, and I have covered these in detail already but they are worth another look.

Curse of Strahd

This is the classic I6 Ravenloft adventure, updated yet again for D&D 5e. There are some interesting additions, and much like the 3e version, it adds some details and provides more for the players to do. Like many of the 5e adventures, this expands the adventure into a mini-campaign of sorts.

The hardcover adventure was later updated to a softcover book with Tarokka cards in a coffin-shaped box. Retitled "Curse of Strahd Revamped."

The changes are largely confined to making less racist remarks about the Vistani. Mind you, the text has changed, but there is no reason the townsfolk of Barovia and surrounding areas have changed their minds. 

The better change concerns Ezmerelda d'Avenir. Earlier, she had lost a leg and was hiding her wooden prosthetic leg. Now, she wears it openly as a testament to how she defeated a werewolf. Yeah, yeah, there is magical healing...but not always to the common folk and not always in Ravenloft.

We can now play "Castle Ravenloft" in every edition of D&D. Almost. For 4e you might need the maps from the 3e version with the board game.

Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft

This book brings the Demi-plane of Dread back to 5e. The obvious parallel here is to the AD&D 2nd Edition Campaign setting. There are some changes, but nothing I feel are game breaking. I spent a lot of time covering this one a while back.

• Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, Part 1 Welcome to Ravenloft
• Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, Part 1b But...It's Not Like Old Ravenloft
• Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, Part 2 Domains and Darklords
• Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, Part 2b. Do You Wanna Build a Darklord?
• Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, Part 3 Horrors and Monsters
• Monstrous Mondays: The Bagman
• Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, Part 4. Do You Wanna Build a Darklord II?
• Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, Part 5. Plays Well With Others

Ravenloft has been embraced by the 5e players and has a lot of material on DMsGuild. 

Will there be a Ravenloft adventure for 5.5? I doubt there will be a repeat of I6, but there will be something I am sure. The producers of D&D have gone back to this well many times, and I don't see them stopping now.

New Release: Dungeons & Dragons 5.5 Dungeon Master's Guide

 Went to my FLGS today to pick up the new D&D 5.5 edition of the Dungeon Master's Guide.

It's a big book at 384 pages. Love that my girl Skylla made the cover!

Certainly aimed at new DMs there is still a lot of neat things in this tome. 

There are some cool tracking sheets that look like they would work with any version of the game. I hope they release those as PDFs. Granted many of these can be done on just plain notebook paper. 

I can also see a world where both this and the 2014 DMG are used together. The 2024 has new and updated information, but I wonder what is not here from the previous one.

The art is great, lots of the magic items get illustrations. Even the spirit board from Ravenloft makes an appearance. Plus there are nice cameos of many familiar NPCs.

 The coolest addition in my mind is the 30 pages dedicated to Greyhawk; both the Free City of and the world of Oerth. Including a fold out map attached in back of Oerth on one side and the Free City of Greyhawk on the other.

The Lore Glossary at the end is a lot of fun. The D&D kids, Bobby, Diana, Hank, Presto, Sheila, and Eric are here as The Heroes of the Realm. There are entries here from all over the D&D multiverse of the last 50 years. 

Honestly I am more excited about this book than I was about the new Player's Handbook. 

I'll have to spend more time with this one. But that will wait till next year I think.

New Release: Dungeons & Dragons 5.5 Player's Handbook

 It is Tuesday and my FLGS opened at midnight so we could get the new D&D 5.5 Player's Handbook. So here it is!

It is a beast of a book really. 384 Pages vs. the 320 of the 2014 5.0 edition. Most of this though is given over to new art and introductions to the game.  This book is trying to set the stage for new players to D&D.

Rules are covered in the first 30 or so pages which works out nicely. You are eased into it. Sure, I like starting with character creation, but sometimes it is nice to know a bit more about what is going on.

Bloodied is back. It is not exactly the same, but it is there. 

Creating a character is just 14 or so pages. This includes the mechanics of rolling the dice. 

Character classes cover the bulk, about 130 pages. There are the same 12 classes from D&D 5.0 (2014) with their subclasses. Most get four subclasses, some get five. There are a lot of little changes to classes. Fighters get a psychic variant, rangers feel nerfed, warlocks are a little cooler. I'll post more when I have had a chance to get into the details. 

There are backgrounds, like 5.0 though these seem to be a bit better defined.

Race is now Species and that is fine with me. We get Aasimar, Dragonborn, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Goliath, Halfling, Human, Orc, and Tiefling. No half-elf or half-orcs, though I will admit they might be taking the Pathfinder route here and folding them into the elf and orc respectively with some mods. This doesn't bother me. If I want to play a half-elf in 5.5 I can use the elf rules. Easy.

There are some feats from Tasha's here that I love, like Telepathic and Telekinetic. 

About 20 pages for equipment with great illustrations.

Spells take up the next bulk at over 100 pages. Spells are better explained and if is summons a creature that stat block is included with the spell.

Appendix A covers the multiverse. There are no changes here from 1st Ed.

Appendix B has some creature stat blocks related to class, ie Druid Wild Shape and the like. And YES monsters still have alignment. For example Imps are (still) Lawful Evil and Quasits are (still) Chaotic Evil. 

The changes here are less than the changes found between 1st and 2nd Edition. They are more akin to the changes between 3.0 and 3.5. I am going to keep calling this edition 5.5.

Visually speaking, they are closer together than some of the books of the AD&D 2nd Ed era were to each other.

I picked this up just a hour or so ago. So I really have not gone into it in detail. Save to check on the Rangers and Warlocks. They are classes I have heard the most about getting worse and better respectively.

The art is generally better, with some "names" popping up among the nameless NPCs and characters. So that will be fun on a deeper read through.

Overall there is "less flipping" one would need to do through this book while playing. 

I am looking for some character sheets so I can make a new version of Johan for this game; Johan VII for the win!

My 2014 PHB is falling apart and I am not 100% sure how much I will play this edition, but I am glad to have it.