D&D 5E Initial D&D Next Releases Showing Up on Barnes & Noble Website

M.L. Martin · Mar 2, 2014

Well, it looks like the first information has started to leak out to bookstores, as the following products can be found on barnesandnoble.com

D&D Starter Set, releasing July 15, 2014, list price $19.95

D&D Player's Handbook, releasing August 19, 2014, list price $49.95

That's a pretty pricey Player's Handbook. Not out of line for RPGs nowadays, but if they're sticking with the 3-book model, with all the books priced the same, that could add up awfully quickly.

Shadowsoul · Mar 2, 2014

50 quid for the PHB!!!!!!

That's a bit steep.

With Pathfinder you get the PHB and DMG rolled into one for 50.00.

Olgar Shiverstone · Mar 2, 2014

Yowza, that's a pricey PHB.

Obryn · Mar 2, 2014

There is nothing good or reassuring about either of these.

"Starter set" @ $20 implies useless crap like the 3e or 4e Essentials "box sets," both of which were awful. I'm hoping (though doubting) it'd be more along the lines of the new Gamma World, which actually was a complete and playable game - but much pricier than $20.

The PHB being $50 implies there will be a DMG and an MM, each of which will also be $50. $150 MSRP is very much over my auto-buy threshold, and we're back to a world where I'll want to review it before buying it out of hand.

It's speculation, sure, but it's consistent with history...

herrozerro · Mar 2, 2014

Amazon will probably be like ~30

D'karr · Mar 2, 2014

If the PHB is a monster sized book with all the optional rules in it, I could see myself spending the cash for it. If the phb is just as any other phb, I will definitely be skipping this at this time.

By far, my favorite RPG is Shadowrun and I've held myself from buying its fifth edition mostly because of cost. I don't see the value of yet another edition of that game at the current price. I might find myself on the same situation with D&D's fifth edition.

Plaguescarred · Mar 2, 2014

Glad to see 5E will have a Starter Set with a simpler and cheaper point of entry. I hope it will be sold at places like Walmart as well.

The PHB's price is a little high compared to what we'ved been used toi agree. The 3E PHB was going for $19.95 and the 4E PHB was going for $34.95.

D'karr · Mar 2, 2014

Also with a release of August 19th this means that GenCon will be the only place to get this if you want to use it during GenCon. I'm sure the WotC booth will be happily selling you these. So discounted price will go out the window, if you want it for GenCon.

I might spend the $20 on the starter set, I can always find something useful out of those, even the terrible ones. My holy grail for starter sets was the Pathfinder one, and I don't even play Pathfinder. That is what a starter set should be like, but of course I would not expect to see one like it for $20.

Mistwell · Mar 2, 2014

Obryn said:
There is nothing good or reassuring about either of these.

"Starter set" @ $20 implies useless crap like the 3e or 4e Essentials "box sets," both of which were awful. I'm hoping (though doubting) it'd be more along the lines of the new Gamma World, which actually was a complete and playable game - but much pricier than $20.

See I find it a very hopeful sign, as I am really hoping for a Basic game (no feats, no backgrounds, four races, four classes, basic classic spells, several levels completely playable out of the box, compatible with the advanced game).