New D&D Dungeon Master's Guide will be "more show, not tell"

Fresh details for the new D&D Dungeon Master's Guide have been revealed, and it's taking a completely different approach to its predecessor.

In a video from the official D&D account, game design architect Chris Perkins discusses where the current Dungeon Master's Guide went wrong and how the next version is going to fix that. Along with additions he described as missing in past Dungeons and Dragons books (such as basics like what a DM screen is as well as improvisation advice), he says that its format is being reworked with a greater emphasis on accessibility. 

To be precise, Perkins described the layout of today's DMG as "backward" thanks to in-depth information about world creation and cosmology up-front followed by basic rules. The new DMG will reverse that, with the following sections:

• Dungeon Master basics
• Common issues experienced by Dungeon Masters and how to address them
• A rules compendium of mechanics that aren't in the Player's Handbook 
• Adventure building
• Campaign-building
• Cosmology chapter
• Magic items
• A 'surprise' chapter

To help make things more approachable, Perkins and the team will also be using what he calls a "more show, not tell" approach with specific examples designed to help readers get the hang of running D&D games. For example, it'll include a campaign of sorts made using advice from the book. These example adventures can either inspire your own or you can copy them wholesale, and while they won't be as in-depth as D&D's published quests, they've been created with the DMG so should help show you what to do.

You can check out the video for yourself below.

Although we don't know for sure what the mysterious 'surprise' chapter Perkins mentions will be, it could possibly include the "lore glossary" he mentions during the video. This should apparently explain who the movers and shakers of D&D are (from Vecna to the Demogorgon) and describe iconic locations such as Waterdeep.

Intriguingly, this video also explains why the old DMG might have fallen short - and it's all down to resources. Perkins explains that when the team was making the core rules back in 2012 and 2013, it was a small group with limited funding and a tight timeline. As such, all of its efforts went into the Player's Handbook and Monster Manual.

"The DMG, I wouldn't say it got short shrift, but it kinda had to wait in line," Perkins explains.

Speaking of the Monster Manual, we also got some details on what the 2024 edition of that book will look like. More specifically, it's shaping up to be "the biggest Monster Manual ever." With a lot more monsters under its belt and all-new art, it sounds as if it's going to be a big change in quite a literal sense. However, the Challenge Ratings of existing monsters aren't being tweaked - otherwise, the new version of D&D wouldn't be compatible with current adventure books.

We don't have a release date for any of the above just yet beyond a 2024 launch window, but we know they'll be arriving alongside the seriously impressive D&D virtual tabletop and a new Vecna "cosmic horror" storyline.

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