D&D 3E/3.5 The DMG: A CRITICAL HIT at 93.5%!

The 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide is still pulling in rave reviews, and is trending at 93.5%. io9 says its "like a Hacker's Manual for D&D", and Geekdad reports that "this 5e ruleset has completely won me back!" There are dissenters, of course - 5 Minute Workday feels its "a whole lot of appetizers but no real main course" - but these are outweighed by reviews from the likes of boingboing who called it "gorgeous, evocative, hefty, organized, and readable".

So, clearly the Dungeon Master's Guide has garnered critical praise. You can look at the list of critical reviews from outlets around the web. The critics have given it an aggregate score of 85%; but fans have shown more support and weigh in with a whopping 93.5%!

Fun with stats: D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide is ranked #3 out of 24 products with 10 or more reviews, placing it in the 92% percentile. It is rated 15.1 points higher than the overall average product rating of 78.4%. With 43 reviews, this is the #3 most reviewed product.

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[Hussar]

I have to say that after years of constant bitching and negativity, it is so cool to see this degree of unanimity among fans.

 

[guachi]

It would have been very easy for the reviews to have been brutal. And we have clue that the reaction isn't solely 5e fanboyism. See the reviews of the HotDQ module, for example.

 

[Psyga315]

I made it clock in at 94%

 

[I'm A Banana]

The 5e DMG is quite good. I'd say perhaps the best DMG the game has produced. Not, like, 100% flawless, but VERY good.

 

[DaveDash]

It's a great book with a lot of inspiration, but it certainly doesnt deserve 93%.

Master of Worlds: 90%
Master of Adventures: 90%
Master of Rules: 50%
DM's toolbox: 66%

74% from me.

 

[Jester David]

Feel a little bit like a monster, as my blog/webcomic was the review called out as a "dissenter". Oh well, the traffic is good and I stand by my review.

 

[DaveDash]

Feel a little bit like a monster, as my blog/webcomic was the review called out as a "dissenter". Oh well, the traffic is good and I stand by my review.

You read my mind with this review.

 

[Jester David]

You read my mind with this review.

Oh good, I wondered if I was the only one who felt underwhelmed by the hacking and options.

 

[mouselim]

This is very wrong. Shadowrun Beginner Box set gets 75%, 13 True Ways get 91%, The Strange Core rulebook gets 91%, Numenera core rulebook gets 92%, 13th Age Core rulebook gets 86.5%, and here, DMG for D&D 5e gets 93.4% trending towards 94%?!!?

Either most of those who reviewed this are too lenient, bias or else their repertoire of RPG readings are quite restrictive.

I mean DMG for D&D 5e is good but not that good. Nearly 50-60% of the content are fluff. Compare world building in the DMG against another book like the Guide to World Building from Kobold Press. The material found in the former is so high-level, actually most of the materials are very high-level, more like an overview.

Does those who like such material mean that if I am to write another such DM/GM guide with overarching materials on world building, campaign creation, adventure/dungeon/wilderness setup, I will get a 94% rating and it will sell like hot-cakes?

By the way, I also gave a 3/5 for this book. Guess that labels me as a dissenter...guess I know where the EN World staff stands...