D&D 5E Would you buy a D&D Next Beta Playtest Rulebook?

TheAuldGrump · Jan 25, 2012

[Magic 8 Ball]Answer Cloudy. Ask Again Later.[/Magic 8 Ball]

Not enough information at this time - we have no idea how good the Beta rules will be, how much they would cost, or even how the book might look.

I bought the Pathfinder Beta - but by then I had already started using them, had a good idea what they would look like, and the book was reasonably priced.

The Auld Grump

Jeff Carlsen · Jan 25, 2012

It's a beta test, which means that they would need people to actually play the game, not just read the rules. I have no problems using a PDF at the table or printing out the rules if they're printer friendly, but that doesn't mean having a hardbound copy wouldn't be useful, particularly during an extended, multi-month playtest.

So, if I'm actually playtesting it, and they offered a bound copy, essentially at cost to produce, I might be willing to buy that. I certainly wouldn't expect them to send out free print copies in the numbers needed for an open playtest.

Glade Riven · Jan 25, 2012

Would I buy a beta book? No. Do I care if WotC offers one? Nope.

I hope the beta is text-only and written like the d20 SRD; save the artwork and fluff for the finished product.

OpsKT · Jan 25, 2012

Incenjucar said:
If the edition needs a paid beta to be financially viable then it's already failed.

They'll have some sort of printed rules at the various conventions they'll be running this at, and they'll almost certainly have PDFs. They might produce something like the preview books that 4E had, and I fully expect beta rules copies to be sent out for Encounters, but I can't imagine them trying to make half-finished rules an actual product. It will be hard enough managing PR with free demos.

Except Paizo did just that very thing and clearly Pathfinder is doing well enough.

I'd consider it, under these conditions -

1) Softcover

2) Black and White (yet looking like a finished prodcut preview, so we can see formatting being considered)

3) No more than $20, and $10 would be ideal for the privalge of paying for an alpha test.

Stormonu · Jan 25, 2012

I would not pay for a beta, but if it was available as a PDF for free, or even just a rules preview (kind of like the one included with Keep on the Shadowfell), I'd be willing to look.

Incenjucar · Jan 25, 2012

OpsKT said:
Except Paizo did just that very thing and clearly Pathfinder is doing well enough.

Paizo is not WotC, and WotC is not Paizo. Paizo has something similar to "indie" cred. WotC is unlikely to use what amounts to a Kickstarter program. Regardless, I certainly won't pay for it.

MoxieFu · Jan 26, 2012

I would have to see it first as many have said about a free PDF preview. If I liked it and the price was good I would certainly buy it. There's every chance that after all the yabbo feedback that I would like the actual product even less.

Charleois · Jan 28, 2012

Get me in on the action now!

Shemeska · Jan 28, 2012

If I balked at buying Races & Classes and World & Monsters, there's no way I'd pay money for a beta test of a ruleset. I literally cannot fathom why someone would either pay money for a glorified pre-release advertisement or pay money to do what should be someone's job to test or should be both free and open.

Mind you, I'll give it an open chance once it's released, but paying for a beta test I'd probably be less inclined to stay positive.

Mark CMG · Feb 8, 2012

I could imagine a scenario where a beta rulebook could be made available for a low cost, allowing some early adopters to be a larger part of the finalization process, then allowing those early adopters to turn in the beta to get the full rules at discount or for no additional cost. Or, in the case of an electronic medium, like PDF, adopting early getting the revised final rules as a free download.