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In the past, the 5e rules contained a large number of rules variants, like the variant for creatures giving half cover, or for encumberance, that allowed the DM to tweak the level of abstraction or detail.

However, the only mention of a Variant Rule I could find in the Index of the new edition is a variant on Equipment Sizes (p. 219, PHB), and the ToC of both published books (which contained the majority of such rules in 2014) has not yielded anything either. I do not have a digital version to search on D&DB, so it’s difficult to check for all mentions of „variant“, „optional“ etc, but this seems to be quite a change from the earlier „there are many different ways to play depending on your taste, all valid" stance of 5e.

Are there no other rules variants in the entire core ruleset of 2024 5e? If there are any, where can I find them?

(For what it's worth, given there is no index entry for them, I would find it useful to have a place where they are all referenced, if they still exist).

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    \$\begingroup\$ Are you just asking for a list of all the variant rules and their locations? I’ve downvoted because this seems like a pretty straightforward “lacks research” question. If you read the books, I imagine you’d find any and all variant rules in the process. This reads like “I have the means to do the research for this question, I just want someone else to do it.” \$\endgroup\$
    – Thomas Markov
    Commented Nov 28 at 16:32
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    \$\begingroup\$ @NobodytheHobgoblin I honestly don't know anymore. I'll retract my close vote and let the rest of the community decide this. \$\endgroup\$
    – TreeSpawned
    Commented Nov 28 at 19:04
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    \$\begingroup\$ The fact is that the new core rules are not complete yet, the MM has to be published. With just the 2 current manuals, that I understood you already have read, what is the point of this question? \$\endgroup\$
    – Eddymage
    Commented Nov 28 at 19:10
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Eddymage I am just wondering if they essentially got rid of variant rules, which is quite an attitude change from the earlier „there are many ways to play“ version 5e. And I have not read the rules cover to cover yet. There may be well variants in places I missed to check. \$\endgroup\$
    – Nobody the Hobgoblin
    Commented Nov 28 at 23:53
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    \$\begingroup\$ @NobodytheHobgoblin Yes, the dev team are doing a lot of wrong things, the discarding of useful variant rules among them. \$\endgroup\$
    – KorvinStarmast
    Commented Nov 29 at 20:39

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Many of the variant or optional rules from the 2014 Core Rulebooks are not present now.

The 2024 Monster Manual hasn't been released yet, so for now, these are the variant or optional rules in the 2024 PHB and DMG:

  • PHB:

    • Playing on a Grid (Chapter 1: Playing the Game, p. 25)
    • Variant: Equipment Sizes (Chapter 6: Equipment, p. 219)

  • DMG:

    • Miniatures (Chapter 2: Running the Game, p.44). This section expands the rules in the PHB for depicting combat with miniature figures on a grid.
    • Variant: Training to Gain Levels (Chapter 5: Creating Campaigns, p. 49)
    • Loyalty (Chapter 3: DM's Toolbox, p. 89)
    • Renown (Chapter 3: DM's Toolbox, p. 92)
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