D&D’s 2024 Player’s Handbook: Bringing Baldur’s Gate 3 Buffs to Fan-Favorite Species

The new Player’s Handbook of Dungeons & Dragons addresses one of the main problems with the Dark Elf by providing a buff inspired by Baldur’s Gate 3.

The long-awaited update for Dungeons & Dragons is finally on its way, marking the first major overhaul since the launch of D&D 5E. The highly anticipated Player’s Handbook is set to be released soon, and a fortunate few may even have the opportunity to purchase it in advance.

We have thoroughly examined the new updates for traditional classes such as the Fighter, Paladin, and Barbarian in the upcoming update. However, the latest D&D Players Handbook offers more than just information on Classes.

A recent blog post published by the team at Wizards of the Coast has announced updates to the various Species (previously known as races) in D&D. The eagerly anticipated modifications to the Dark Elf Species have been influenced by Baldur’s Gate 3.

Dungeons & Dragons Dark Elf — Wizards of the Coast

Dark Elves are about to become a lot more playable in Dungeons & Dragons.

The changes made to the Species in the new D&D Player’s Handbook seem to be aimed at eliminating unnecessary weaknesses. One such example is the removal of the Dark Elf’s sunlight sensitivity.

The Dar Elves suffer from sunlight sensitivity, resulting in a disadvantage on attacks and sight-based perception checks when targeted by creatures in direct sunlight. This feature was noticeably absent in Baldur’s Gate 3, but it appears that Wizards of the Coast has drawn inspiration from Larian in order to make the Dark Elf more viable for players.

While this natural hindrance has typically been avoided by not implementing it in custom game settings, it rendered Dark Elves nearly irrelevant in official Adventurer’s League play. This change now allows players to create brooding Dark Elf characters with tragic backgrounds without being unfairly penalized.

The upcoming Player’s Handbook will introduce new species such as Aasimar and Goliaths to the core rulebook, marking their first appearance in the game. Its release date is scheduled for September 17, 2024, ushering in a new era for D&D.