5e
Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition
Example
What version of D&D do you guys play?
Oh, our group loves 5e
5e definition by Slang.net
This page explains what the abbreviation "5e" means. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the Slang.net team.
We are constantly updating our database with new slang terms, acronyms, and abbreviations. If you would like to suggest a term or an update to an existing one, please let us know!
How well do you know your Fantasy Football slang?
On Dungeons & Dragons forums, wikis, and other web pages, 5e is short for "5th edition." As of 2020, 5th edition is the most recent ruleset used to play DnD.
Since its initial release in 1974, D&D has been played using a variety of rules. D&D's original ruleset consisted of three comparatively slight books, which were added on to via a variety of supplemental material.
In 1977, D&D's developers decided that they needed to streamline and reorganize the game's initial ruleset. To do this, they produced both a basic and advanced (AD&D) version of D&D. (Which yes, was still somehow less confusing than D&D's previous ruleset.) AD&D's second edition was released in 1989, but in 2000, the game's developers condensed basic and advanced D&D back into one game with Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition (3e).
Since then, D&D has released a fourth (4e) and fifth (5e) edition of its ruleset, with 5e proving incredibly popular. Notably, D&D 5e allows players and DMs to focus on creating a compelling narrative, by streamlining some of the mathematics that slowed down play in earlier editions.