All 10 D&D Species In The 2024 Player's Handbook (2024)

Species are a big part of character customization in , and the new 2024 Player's Handbook includes 10 to choose from. Referred to as races in the 2014 edition, species determine key aspects of a character's heritage and place within a fantasy world. There's nothing wrong with just playing a human every campaign, but exploring the other options can lead to exciting roleplay opportunities and some interesting mechanical tweaks.

Although races came with ability score increases in the 2014 Player's Handbook, the 2024 version moves those to backgrounds, scaling back the impact that species have on general play. The option to play as half-orcs and half-elves has also been removed, although it's still possible to do so from a roleplay perspective. Despite the changes, there are still a variety of special traits to give each species unique advantages both on and off the battlefield.

10 Aasimar Showcase Angelic Flair

Aasimar didn't appear in the 2014 Player's Handbook, having been introduced to DnD 5e a bit later in Volo's Guide to Monsters. These partly angelic beings can invoke strains of celestial power to gain a number of unique features, gaining the option of temporary transformations at level three. Although the 2024 Player's Handbook is somewhat lacking in species flavor text, Volo's Guide To Monsters established that angelic beings communicate with aasimar through dreams, a concept that DMs could still employ for interesting storytelling opportunities.

General aasimar traits include damage resistances, Darkvision, healing hands, and the light cantrip. Celestial Revelation opens up the transformation choices for aasimar, which can manifest as spectral wings that grant flight, a searing radiance that damages nearby creatures, or a necrotic shroud that can inflict the Frightened condition on enemies.

9 Dragonborn Resemble Iconic Fantasy Creatures

The origins of dragonborn are still subject to some debate in the Forgotten Realms, but whatever the exact nature of their creation, the element of some draconic ancestry is obvious. Although dragonborn lack the wings of dragons, they feature similar visages and scale-covered bodies. Dragonborn coloration reflects the different types of dragons in DnD, and dragonborn characters get a breath weapon and damage resistance to match.

Dragonborn breath weapons allow them to exhale magical energy in either a cone or a line, forcing creatures in the vicinity to take damage of various types. A bronze dragonborn can deal lightning damage, for example, while a red dragonborn breathes fire. A new feature in the 2024 Player's Handbook called Draconic Flight gives them temporary flight with spectral wings, and damage resistance and darkvision complete the package.

8 Dwarves Are Experts Underground

Dwarves in DnD's 2024 Player's Handbook follow in the typical Tolkien tradition, with a history of carving strongholds under the earth and a typical sturdiness that reflects their resilient strength. Unlike the 2014 Player's Handbook, hill dwarves and mountain dwarves are mentioned, but there's no mechanical difference between playing one or the other.

The 2024 Player's Handbook gives dwarves a buff to Darkvision, increasing it from 60 feet to 120. Dwarven Toughness raises their hit point maximum by 1 each level. Stonecunning takes on a new function by providing access to Tremorsense, which makes it possible to detect creatures in the vicinity by their vibrations on a stone surface. Unlike their previously unimpressive walking speed of 25 feet, dwarves and all other smaller classes have gained a walking speed of 30 feet in the new Player's Handbook.

7 Elves Live Long Magical Lives

DnD's 2024 Player's Handbook divides elves into three lineages, all of which share the same basic traits but get some unique features. Drow hail from the Underdark, high elves boast the influence of fey magic, and wood elves are shaped by the magic of forests. All three groups have long lifespans that shape their view of the world differently than the experience of other species.

All elves feature Darkvision, a Fey Ancestry that makes it difficult for them to be charmed, proficiency in Insight, Perception, or survival, and the ability to finish Long Rests in half the time. Drow receive 120 feet of Darkvision like dwarves, high elves can select any cantrip from the wizard spell list in the 2024 Player's Handbook to prepare upon long rests, and wood elves get an increased speed of 35 feet. Each lineage also features a few unique spells.

6 Gnomes Have A Love For Life

Gnomes are a historically clever DnD species, learning magic and cunning to attain prosperity over the years. The 2014 Player's Handbook went into more detail on their general love for life, which is typically writ large over their demeanor. On average, they live longer than dwarves but shorter than elves, with a typical lifespan of 425 years.

All gnomes have Gnomish Cunning, an ability that grants advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws, along with Darkvision. Two lineages determine which spells gnomes have access to. Forest gnomes know minor illusion and keep speak with animals perpetually prepared, with a limited ability to cast the latter without a spell slot. Rock gnomes know mending and prestidigitation, and they can use the latter to make tiny clockwork devices.

5 Goliaths Tower Over Other Species

When it comes to goliaths, it's all in the name — they're big. This DnD species is descended from giants, and although they're generally only a couple of feet taller than humans, that's still an impressive difference in stature. This advantage is enhanced by the Large Form feature, which allows goliaths to change their size to Large as a bonus action in spaces big enough to support it, and Powerful Build, which assists with carrying capacity and ending the Grappled condition.

Like Dragonborn, goliaths feature unique abilities according to the nature of their giant ancestry. Descendants of fire giants can add fire damage to successful attacks, for example, while hill giants can knock targets prone. Goliaths have a walking speed of 35 feet, the only class in the 2024 Player's Handbook to universally boast this advantage.

4 Halflings Have The Most Luck

Halflings in DnD are perhaps most famous for their luck, a concept that remains unchanged in the 2024 Player's Handbook. When rolling a 1, halflings reroll and take the new result instead, reducing the odds of disaster befalling them. Halflings place significant belief in this luck, often attributing it to their gods.

Halflings also know how to use their small size to their advantage, with Halfling Nimbleness allowing them to move through the space of larger creatures. They can also hide behind larger creatures, easily concealing themselves behind other party members or anyone who's at least Medium. Their bravery finishes their suite of traits, giving Halflings advantage on saving throws dealing with the Frightened condition.

3 Humans Are D&D's Most Versatile Species

Humans have the shortest section of any DnD species in the 2024 Player's Handbook, but it's certainly possible to argue that they're the most self-explanatory. DnD tends to emphasize the versatility of humans over any specific advantage, and the new rules are no exception.

Humans lose their primary feature from the 2014 Player's Handbook, which gave them an extra point in every ability score, but they get some compelling new traits to make up for it. Resourceful grants them Heroic Inspiration (the new term for inspiration) on every long rest. Skillful grants proficiency in a chosen skill, and Versatile gives humans an Origin feat of their choice. Picking Skilled for the latter makes it possible to grab some more proficiencies, further emphasizing the renaissance man idea.

2 Orcs Feature Noteworthy Endurance

Orcs are another 2024 Player's Handbook inclusion that didn't make the 2014 cut, with half-orcs being presented as a playable option instead. Although they don't tend to be quite as big as goliaths, orcs are still larger than most playable humanoids in DnD, and they boast more endurance than most alternatives. Originally created by the god Gruumsh, not all orcs remain devoted to their maker, but they still bear the advantages he bestowed upon them.

Adrenaline Rush gives orcs a good bit of maneuverability in combat, allowing them to Dash as a bonus action and granting temporary hit points for doing so. Relentless Endurance gives them a single hit point when they would otherwise fall to zero once per long rest, making it a bit harder to take them off the playing field. 120 feet of Darkvision caps off the suite of Orc features.

1 Tieflings Have A Complex Legacy

Tieflings have grown significantly in popularity over the course of DnD's last decade, and the 2024 Player's Handbook expands on the species by offering three fiendish legacies. Tieflings can embrace their heritage or turn their back on it, as nothing beholds them to evil behavior. All tieflings gain access to the thaumaturgy cantrip and 60 feet of Darkvision.

Abyssal tieflings trace their lineage to the Abyss, Pandemonium, and Carceri, and they gain resistance to poison damage. Chthonic tieflings, with features that recall neutral evil ancestors, have resistance to necrotic damage and can be connected to Carceri, Gehema, and Hades. Infernal tieflings draw on a legacy from Gehenna, the Nine Hells, and Acheron, and their faint odor of sulfur or smoke makes their resistance to fire damage in the 2024 Dungeons & DragonsPlayer's Handbook come as no surprise.