The New DnD Human (2024 Species Guide)

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They say that to err is human, but in Dungeons & Dragons playing a human is also divine. And while dwarves, elves, tieflings, dragonborn and other exotic fantasy species have grown in popularity over the years, humans have remained a reliable mainstay.

That’s still the case when it comes to the DnD 2024, with humanity back in action as one of the ten official DnD species featured in the 2024 Player’s Handbook. The new rules, however, have humans given a few major updates, including a complete overhaul of racial ability modifiers and the introduction of several new features.

So is it worth being a human being in DnD 2024? Below, we uncover all the details.

What are Humans in DnD 2024?

In the new 2024 Core Books, humans are described as a species that’s found throughout the multiverse and are as varied as they are numerous. Unlike long-lived races such as elves and dwarves, humans short life spans means that they often endeavor to achieve as much as they can in the few years they’re given. For this reason, humans’ drive, ambition and resourcefulness are commended, respected and feared in equal measure on many worlds throughout the Planes of Existence.

Physically, humans are as diverse in appearance, ranging in height, skin color and garb. While no one knows the true origin of humanity within the lore of DnD, one of the earliest known human communities is said to have begun in Sigil from the Planescape setting, which is also where the Common language was born. From Sigil, humans are believed to have spread to every part of the multiverse, creating their own civilizations and cultures throughout the eons.

What’s changed with the new 2024 DnD Human species?

While humans have been a standard race in Dungeons & Dragons for as long as the game has existed, the 2024 Player’s Handbook has introduced a number of major changes from the previous legacy human race that appeared in the 2014 Player’s Handbook. Below are all the species traits and their associated updates.

Human Species Trait	Level	Changed from 2014 Player’s Handbook?	Changes to the 2024 Human
Ability Score Improvements	1	Yes	Races/species no longer provide ability score improvements. Instead, characters now receive these bonuses from the new DnD backgrounds. This is particularly impactful as in the 2014 rules each ability score for humans increased by 1.
Base Speed	1	No	N/A
Resourceful	1	Yes	This is a new feature for the DnD 2024 human species.
Skillful	1	Yes	This is a new feature for the DnD 2024 human species. It is similar to the “Skill” feature that was granted to the 2014 Variant Human subrace.
Versatile	1	Yes	This is a new feature for the DnD 2024 human species. Notably it is similar to the “Feat” feature that was granted to the 2014 Variant Human subrace.
Subraces	1	Yes	In the 2014 version you could choose from six unique human “Subraces” (including the Variant human), each of which granted racial ability score modifiers and powers. In the 2024 rules, however, there are no human subraces.

What are the new human species traits in DnD 2024?

Below is the full list of all the human traits using the new 2024 core rules.

• Creature Type: Humanoid
• Size: Medium (about 4–7 feet tall) or Small (about 2–4 feet tall), chosen when you select this species
• Speed: 30 feet

As a human, you also have the following special abilities:

• Resourceful: You gain Heroic Inspiration whenever you finish a Long Rest.
• Skillful: You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
• Versatile: You gain an Origin feat of your choice. The Skilled Origin Feat is recommended.

How have Human subraces changed in DnD 2024?

In the 2014 there were six human subraces to choose from: Mark of Finding, Mark of Handling, Mark of Making, Mark of Passage, Mark of Sentinel and the Variant Human (notably the first five were introduced for the Eberron setting). There are, however, no longer human subraces in the DnD 2024 rules. Instead all humans have the same base species features (although this may change in future materials).

For players who are interested, however, below are the legacy human subraces from the 2014 along with their available features (note that we have not included racial ability score modifiers as these are no longer part of the 2024 DnD 5e rules, with characters instead getting their ability score modifiers from their Background).

2014 Human Subrace	2014 Subrace Features
Mark of Finding Human	– Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. – Hunter’s Intuition: When you make a Perception or Survival check, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check. – Finder’s Magic: You can cast the Hunter’s Mark spell with this trait. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast the locate object spell with it. – Spells of the Mark: If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Finding Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Mark of Handling Human	– Wild Intuition: When you make an Animal Handling or Nature check, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check. – Primal Connection: You can cast the animal friendship and speak with animals spells with this trait, requiring no material component. – The Bigger They Are: Starting at 3rd level, you can target a beast or monstrosity when you cast animal friendship or speak with animals, provided the creature’s Intelligence score is 3 or lower. – Spells of the Mark: If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Handling Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Mark of Making Human	– Artisan’s Intuition: When you make an Arcana check or an ability check involving artisan’s tools, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check. – Maker’s Gift: You gain proficiency with one type of artisan’s tools of your choice. – Spellsmith: You know the mending cantrip. You can also cast the magic weapon spell with this trait. – Spells of the Mark: If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Making Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Mark of Passage Human	– Courier’s Speed: Your base walking speed increases to 35 ft.I – Intuitive Motion: When you make an Acrobatics check or any ability check to operate or maintain a land vehicle, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check. – Magical Passage: You can cast the misty step spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to cast it when you finish a long rest. Dexterity is your spellcasting ability for this spell. – Spells of the Mark: If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Passage Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Mark of Sentinel Human	– Sentinel’s Intuition: When you make an Insight or Perception check, you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check. – Guardian’s Shield: You can cast the shield spell once with this trait, and you regain the ability to cast it after you finish a long rest. – Vigilant Guardian: When a creature you can see within 5 feet of you is hit by an attack roll, you can use your reaction to swap places with that creature, and you are hit by the attack instead. – Spells of the Mark: If you have the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Sentinel Spells table are added to the spell list of your spellcasting class.
Variant Human	– Skills: You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice. – Feat: You gain one feat of your choice.

Is the new DnD Human worth playing?

In the 2014 rules, humans’ lack of innate magical abilities and other powers was offset by the fact that they received a juicy +1 increase to all of their ability scores. For this reason, humans are also are arguably the species that has been most impacted by the new DnD 2024 rule that has shifted ability score modifiers from race to background.

So it makes sense that humans would need to have some new abilities to make up for this gap. Fortunately, Wizards of the Coast has done just that in the new 2024 Player’s Handbook, borrowing liberally from the 2014 “Variant” human in terms of granting extra skills and feats. The result is a solid option that keeps up with other updated species like the new dragonborn and new elf, proving that while humans often err, being one is still divine.

You can find the complete rules for the new DnD human in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, which is available now on D&D Beyond and Amazon.

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