The One D&D update for Dungeons & Dragons has revealed a major change that’s coming in the D&D revision in 2024, as Inspiration is becoming a major part of the rules and not an optional thing that is easily ignored. Technically, all D&D rules can be ignored or rewritten, and it’s harder to find a group that plays things exactly by the book than it is a group that changes things to their liking. Wizards of the Coast goes to great lengths in the D&D books to let players know that it’s their world, and they should change things as they see fit.
A lot of D&D groups will create their own homebrew content for their games, which can include completely changing the original versions of the dragonborn race and ranger class from the Player’s Handbook, to creating new campaign settings, spells, monsters, and magic items for their games. Ultimately, the DM has the final word, and they can throw out something from the Player’s Handbook if they feel it doesn’t make sense. If DMs want to scrap D&D‘s nonsensical falling damage rules, then they can, and have the player characters actually die from falling from orbit.
There are some rules in the Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master’s Guide that are treated as optional, such as the use of Feats. One such rule is Inspiration, which is a system where a DM can reward a player with a point of Inspiration whenever they do something impressive, such as some excellent roleplaying, or thinking of a cunning plan to outwit their foes. A player can hold one point of Inspiration, and it can be used to give advantage on a d20 roll. Inspiration is treated as something that is entirely up to the discretion of the DM, but that’s going to change.
Inspiration Will Become A Mandatory Part Of D&D 5.5’s Rules
The new “Character Options” Unearthed Arcana article on D&D Beyond features an early look at the upcoming D&D 5.5 rules update that is set to launch in 2024, as new versions of the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual will be released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the game. One of the big changes in “Character Options” is that Inspiration is now a core mechanic. Players now receive a point of Inspiration when rolling a natural 20, in addition to receiving it as a reward from the GM. Humans now generate Inspiration after a long rest, as does the Musician feat while resting, and receiving an additional point allows the character to grant the Inspiration point to another character who doesn’t have one.
DMs are still free to ignore the Inspiration rule, but it’s going to be a lot harder in the rules update. The fact that D&D 5.5 has changed a playable race to accommodate the new Inspiration rules means that it’s becoming a major part of the game. DMs might bristle at this, seeing Inspiration as something that should be earned by a Dungeons & Dragons player who plays well, rather than being a resource that certain characters always have access to.
