D&D 3.5 Reprints in September?

ColonelHardisson · Apr 28, 2012

IronWolf said:
I think the thing is if it is 5e being released in September, then an open play test that starts in late May is really more of an open preview, not test. There simply isn't enough time to take the feedback from an open playtest, tweak the rules, test the tweaked rules and then make them fit for publishing and turn the book over to the printer in time for a September release.

A four month open play test with a release sometime in 2013 would work fine.

Yeah, I get that now, it just wasn't clear that was the sticking point when I posted. I've been going under the assumption that Next would appear in 2013, probably at GenCon, given that WotC seems to have refocused on that con.

Cergorach · Apr 28, 2012

IronWolf said:
I think a reprint of the 3.5e PHB would have been a brilliant move when Pathfinder was released. Now it seems a little late.

It seems to be more of a threat to D&D Next than anything. D&D Next is supposed to be the edition that brings everyone together, a re-release of 3.5 doesn't instill confidence that D&D Next is ready to do that.

Yeah, it's supposed to bring everyone together, but after the 4E 'debacle' how many folks are willing to give WotC the benefit of the doubt and try this D&D Next? The folks that weren't disappointed by 4E and the folks that buy everything D&D, that isn't enough. WotC is trying to reach out to older fans, fans it has lost. They did that with the 1E reprint, they do that with the sporadic miniature releases, and possibly with the 3.5E reprint. WotC is generating goodwill. Also keep in mind that this particular reprint doesn't have to cost a lot of money, all the work has been done, changing a book with errata isn't that big of a deal with modern software. It's only the printing and the shipping, add to that that they might not be looking for a profit (but for goodwill) and it's suddenly it isn't impossible anymore.

IronWolf · Apr 28, 2012

Cergorach said:
Yeah, it's supposed to bring everyone together, but after the 4E 'debacle' how many folks are willing to give WotC the benefit of the doubt and try this D&D Next?

I was one that looked at 4e and then decided it wasn't for me. D&D Next seemed attractive to me (and it still might), but I am beginning to wonder. Monte I felt would bring enough of the "old" feel to attract me and the talk had been bringing the players back together.

Now with a possible release of 3.5 books again, that just makes me wonder if D&D Next is going to follow more in 4e's steps and leave us with 3.5 to play. Pure speculation of course - but these recent news events aren't leaving me warm and fuzzy about D&D Next and I was optimistic up until this point.

Cergorach said:
WotC is generating goodwill. Also keep in mind that this particular reprint doesn't have to cost a lot of money, all the work has been done, changing a book with errata isn't that big of a deal with modern software. It's only the printing and the shipping, add to that that they might not be looking for a profit (but for goodwill) and it's suddenly it isn't impossible anymore.

Perhaps. I am skeptical it will be enough as it seems we will still have islands of players and a further fractured community. And regardless, it still costs money to reprint books. And to me it looks like this will just reinforce the fractured community and possibly cut into D&D Next sales. Again, pure speculation and opinion on my part.

Nellisir · Apr 28, 2012

rkwoodard said:
But I also have Book of 9 Swords, Magic of the Incarnum, and Tome of Magic. Each has systems that vary wildy from the base: Skills, Feats, Prep Magic, and Spontaneous Magic system. They are all good, as is Pathfinder, but they are not core 3.5.

I almost wish (knowing it would not be a good business decision), that WOTC would have marketed each of those as separate RPG games.

A really interesting idea. I like it. It would be cool to see each as a mini-setting/rpg book, with different, but compatible, races, classes, & etc.

3catcircus · Apr 29, 2012

JeffB said:
Cheap prices too.

I suspect this is part of WOTCs goodwill support all the editions intention, like they did with the 1E books. They are not trying to make money off these books, they are trying to bring back lapsed/pissed off customers...which will hopefully make them money in the long haul.

If they REALLY want to engender goodwill, they'd immediately throw up their back catalog of pdfs on DrivethruRPG/RPGNow and/or Paizo and also offer them as POD. And they wouldn't charge (nearly) the same price for the 3.x and 4e pdfs as for actual print products (like they did when they did offer pdfs).

Frankly - from the moment they went nuclear and pulled all their products and sued people for file-sharing printer proofs, they lost me as a customer since I looked at 4e, found it lacking, but wanted to keep purchasing stuff from earlier editions. I'm willing to give 5e a try, but WotC will have to offer their back catalog to see me return as a regular customer. If they want to draw customers and make boatloads of cash, they'd do well to consider adopting Paizo's model of offering print with a complimentary free pdf, and offering just a pdf at a lower price.

Aluvial · Apr 29, 2012

Dungeon!

Awesome. I have this game in my closet and have made a point of playing once a year with my brothers on beach trips. Dragon magazine expanded the original rules with additional characters and we made TONS of expansion monster, traps, and treasure cards. We even had a few different spells.

Lot of fun and daring. A good race to the finish.

Aluvial

UngeheuerLich · Apr 29, 2012

I think it is a sart move to rerelease older edition books. They have a very ambitious goal. If they are afraid to release a 3.5 PHB, they could as well give up. there are people playing D&D 3.5 who don´t want to have something to do with pathfinder. And fecing those people to either switch or buy an old PHB fo 100 dollars is no smart move.
And when you think even more about it, it should really reassure 4e fans, that their edition will not be left behind. Actually, with rereleased 3.5 books, maybe even fully errated 4e books will appear at the end of the edition. This should make everyone happy.

talok55 · Apr 30, 2012

I was kind of excited about these reprints. I was considering buying them. As it turns out it was a mistake, because the listing was quickly removed.

cougent · May 1, 2012

Jack Daniel said:
It's part of WotC's devious plan to reach out to the Trekkie/D&Der crossover market. "Unlike Trek movies, it's the odd-numbered D&D editions that don't suck!"

It just might work then, cause I fit right into that category. My biggest complaint with 4E was always the $1,000's I had (and still was) invested in 3.X. I simply could not afford to start over... again.

<Looks over at the massive collection of AD&D stuff on the shelf>

frankthedm · May 1, 2012

kitsune9 said:
3.5? Really? Why not 2e

Money. 3.5 PHB is still doing very good on the secondary market. 2E PHB can be had for much less and is pretty easy to find in used bookstores due to T$R's market flooding. 1E needed the Collectability and Charity angles to get respectable sales numbers. 3.5 will sell itself.