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In 2024 Dungeons and Dragons will turn 50 years old, and it’s current incarnation, 5th edition, will turn 10. To celebrate this momentous occasion Wizards of the Coast will release revised core rule books and launch what they’re calling One D&D. The idea is that editions are over, and Chris Perkins put it, there is just D&D.

In the same way that 5th edition D&D was forged, One D&D will draw heavily on customer/player feedback to shape its revisions. The first such playtest materials revolve around Character Origins:

Here’s the PDF version:

Ready to learn more about One D&D? According to their website, here’s the FAQ:

General

What is One D&D?

One D&D is the code name for the next generation of Dungeons & Dragons, bringing together three initiatives that will shape the future of the game:

• D&D Rules. This takes what we love about fifth edition and updates the rules of the game to reflect the feedback we have heard from players and where the game is today.
• D&D Beyond. This will be the platform for your digital D&D collection, content, and tools.
• D&D Digital Play Experience. In early development, D&D Digital will offer an immersive player experience, rich creation tools for Dungeon Masters, and a connected space for DMs and players to get together and play D&D.

Our goal is to give you more D&D wherever you play, whenever you want.

Is One D&D introducing a new edition of D&D?

It’s bigger than that. One D&D will usher in the next generation of D&D with new and more comprehensive versions of the core rulebooks that millions of players have enjoyed for the past decade. The rules will be backward compatible with fifth edition adventures and supplements and offer players and Dungeon Masters new options and opportunities for adventure. The evolution of fifth edition has shown us it’s less important to create new editions of the game and more important to grow and expand the game you love with each new product.

What does backward compatible mean?

It means that fifth edition adventures and supplements will work in One D&D. For example, if you want to run Curse of Strahd in One D&D, that book will work with the new versions of the core rulebooks. Our goal is for you to keep enjoying the content you already have and make it even better. You’ll see this in action through the playtest materials, which you will be able to provide feedback on.

What is changing with the One D&D rules?

There will be many fundamental updates to D&D that we will collect your feedback on. In the upcoming Unearthed Arcana playtest content, you’ll see proposed updates to character backgrounds, races, classes, feats, information presentation, and more. Ultimately, the answer to what will change depends on what we hear from you throughout One D&D playtests.

When will the One D&D rules be released?

The new core rulebooks are expected to be released in 2024.

Where can I find out more and stay up to date on the latest One D&D news?

To keep up to date on One D&D, sign up for D&D Beyond. Then, hop into your account settings and update your email preferences to receive communications from D&D Beyond. You can expect news on One D&D roughly monthly.

Your Feedback and Playtesting

How do I access One D&D playtest materials?

Log in with your D&D Beyond account and head over to the One D&D claim page to unlock the Unearthed Arcana playtest materials. You will then see the One D&D compendium (found under the “Sources” menu) where you can download the latest playtest and respond to the latest survey.

How do I submit my feedback on One D&D?

You will be able to submit feedback via a survey link in the One D&D compendium. Surveys will be available roughly two weeks after a new playtest packet has been released and remain live for a period of two weeks. This is the same process we’ve previously followed for Unearthed Arcana.

What will I be providing feedback on?

Roughly every month new playtest content will release on D&D Beyond. Each new playtest will cover rules on a different subject, from player classes, to subclasses, to game mechanics.

How long will the One D&D rules be in playtesting?

We expect playtests to continue through at least the end of 2023. How long it ultimately lasts will depend on what we hear from you.

Where can I find people to playtest with?

If you want to playtest but don’t have a group to play with—or your current D&D playgroup isn’t interested—visit the D&D Beyond Discord and D&D Discord and post in the #looking-for-players or #looking-for-group channels.

Digital Play Experience

What is the D&D Digital Play Experience?

D&D Digital is in early development. It will be a virtual play space that allows Dungeon Masters to create truly immersive campaigns and players to enjoy a D&D experience where we offload a lot of the rules referencing. Our goal is to make D&D more immersive, faster, more fun, easier to play, and easier to create in.

What’s the difference between the D&D Digital Play Experience and D&D Beyond?

This is intended to be an immersive digital experience for your D&D sessions. It will be integrated with D&D Beyond, which will continue to offer tools for reference and play.

What about all the other digital tools I use today to play D&D?

Whatever tools you love using, keep using them. Our goal is to make the best digital play experience for D&D. And just like everything else in D&D, everything is optional.

When will the D&D Digital Play Experience begin playtesting?

This experience is still in early development. Everything we’ve shown is pre-alpha. We expect to start showing more to players with a closed beta later in 2023.

I have more questions about the D&D Digital Play Experience!

We know players have a lot of questions after getting an exciting first look at D&D Digital. What you saw is still a prototype and in early development. Expect us to share more details when they’re ready.

Digital & Physical Product Bundles

What are digital and physical product bundles?

We’re excited to offer our first ever selection of specially priced bundles that give you a physical copy and a D&D Beyond digital copy of the upcoming book Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen. Our first offering is now live on dndstore.wizards.com.

Can I expect more D&D products to offer physical and digital bundles?

Yes! We want to deliver on this ask. Right now, we are in the test and learn phase. Join us on this first foray and expect more in the future. For now, we’re not quite ready to commit to every book getting a bundle.

You called this bundle a test. What are you testing?

We are testing everything from distribution method and quantities to bundle contents. We thought it was important to call this out as a test because you should expect things to change over the next two years while we work on bringing more D&D in more ways to more people.

Does the bundle come with preorder perks?

Yes, all preorder perks you would receive on D&D Beyond are included in this bundle. A preorder perk exclusive to this bundle is early access to Shadow of the Dragon Queen on D&D Beyond. Players who preorder the bundle will be able to access the D&D Beyond digital book starting November 22, 2022.

How do I redeem my product on D&D Beyond?

When you purchase a bundle, you will be asked to provide an email address at checkout. You will later receive instructions via that email to access a code that grants you early access to the product on D&D Beyond. Your code can be redeemed at: dndbeyond.com/marketplace/redeem-key.

If I have purchased a bundle on D&D Beyond that discounts products, will that discount apply to this bundle?

No, those discounts only apply to products purchased directly on the D&D Beyond website.

Is there a way to get this bundle and support my local game store?

We love our friendly local game stores and we know you do, too, but at present this test bundle is limited to online purchases directly from dndstore.wizards.com. It is not available through any other store or marketplace.

I already preordered my book physically or digitally on D&D Beyond. Can I swap it for the bundle?

We do not have any upgrade paths to the bundle at this time. You would need to work with that outlet to request a refund.

This entry was posted on August 19, 2022 at 9:24 am and is filed under Dungeons and Dragons, One D&D with tags D&D, Dungeons and Dragons, One D&D, Wizards of the Coast. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.