Dungeons & Dragons: New Dungeon Master’s Guide & Players Handbook 6E Playtest

Dungeons & Dragons (Hasbro) has just announced that the new Dungeon Master’s Guide for Dungeons & Dragons Version 6E will be released next year in 2024.

Hasbro Dungeons & Dragons 5E released in 2014 was their biggest selling version and has since released a new successful classic movie still in theaters “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” starring Hugh Grant and Chris Pine.

The toy line with the movie sold at large chains like Toys R Us during the movie run appeared sold out in many areas, with new Dungeons & Dragons action figures and toys from the movie as well as classic re-printed 1980’s toys.

Also of note, Dungeons & Dragons classic tales are now featured in the children’s “Golden Books” series with coloring books etc.

Also rumored on some news pages is a Dungeons & Dragons TV Channel on Paramount+ which will hopefully feature more game play and televised official rules version games.

In the meantime, Dungeons & Dragons has released One D&D a playtest version of new material.

The material is about 200 pages and is specifically focused on bringing back the “Unearthed Arcana” series for game development leading to version 6E.

Personally, I’m happy to see this new material tested and being developed at Hasbro in the “Unearthed Aracana” series which left many classic game players from the 1980’s disapointed.

The original game which deals with Ability Scores in Game Play over score 18 is riddled with confusion and disconnected pieces for gamers.

This new series tries to explore these higher levels for Dungeons & Dragons Version 6E using this playtest from the 6E Players Handbook series.

You could say that technically this book is an EXPANSION on the 6E Players Handbook with an expanded rule set for higher Ability Score Game Play in Unearthed Arcana.

Jumping in to the playtest today players will learn that this version falls between the 5E version Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook and the 6E Players Handbook “Expansion Series”…

This one being…”Unearthed Arcana: 6E Players Handbook Expansion”.

Missing from the playtest is the other sections of the “Unearthed Arcana” book that would include the Dungeon Masters section and the Monster Manual section.

When I see this book test, it looks to me like the first version of the new Dungeons & Dragons 6E “Unearthed Arcana” Basic Rule Set which is missing the Dungeon Masters Guide Section which in the past has appeared in the second half of the book with the new Dungeon variations and special monster list.

Combine this with the new Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set: Dragons Of Stormwreck Isle series and you get a look at Hasbro Dungeons & Dragons version 6E.

This book Players Handbook Playtest for Unearthed Arcana Rules for 6E includes spell updates, character origins and expert classes features for playing at higher levels with higher ability scores in the upcoming version 6E.

To me this book features new rules for character origins to create “weapon’s mastery” skills for character’s playing in the higher ability score levels with new character options that CREATE stronger characters by building better character backgrounds that allow them to be successful at these high levels.

Also of note was new features like “second attack” which goes along with the “Weapons Mastery” features for playing in the Unearthed Arcana Dungeons & Dragons game setting and new spells and game interaction among characters.

To play this test you need to download the free game material from the official page (D&D Beyond) and then use your rules version to play the test.

Remember, the new Dungeon Masters Guide does not come out until 2024!

However, I think their is going to be new playtest material later in this section they mention before then.

This playtest is a leap for most regular players as you need to jump from the 5E Rule Set to the 6E Unearthed Arcana Rule Set but missing the Dungeon Master’s Guide Section.

In my game group we play the most current version which is on Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set: Dragons Of Stormwreck Isle.

Then, the added features for the Unearthed Arcana Playtest to expand our characters were taken from the “character origins” section of the playest and expanded with the already released “Monsters Of The Multiverse” Rules Expansion Set.

To build you character for the playtest for preview version 6E you need to use the new Starter Set plus “Monsters Of The Multiverse”, “Xanathar’s Guide To Everything” and “Tasha’s Cauldron Of Everything”

Using these books and the new starter set you can begin to build your new 6E Character by building your character backgrounds to strength your character sheet abilities, then this playtest will expand your character into the Unearthed Arcana 6E Players Handbook Expansion Section, not yet released.