Yes, I decided to invoke Betteridge's Law ... because, to date, I am decidedly underwhelmed by the 50th Anniversary of D&D.
Let me start by saying that I am most certainly not a hater of a D&D, 5e, or the planned revisions to D&D. I can certainly understand that there is a lot on their plate right now, from the upcoming major revisions to 5e to the D&D Beyond / VTT, and I am sure that this is consuming time and resources. And yet, as someone who previously speculated breathlessly about what we might see this year ... I am beginning to think that the ambitious plans for revamping 5e and the VTT this year have come at the expense of a once-in-a-lifetime* opportunity to celebrate the game.
*Speaking for you. As someone who still intends to live forever, I can't wait to see what they have planned for the 500th Anniversary!
Let's start with the ... if not great, then the not-bad. The announced books for this year (as of PAX Unplugged) include:
1. A new PHB. This will most assuredly drop this year, with the publication of the other core three being in the more ... nebulous categories.
2. Descent Into the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. The classic 1982 module updated, and will include a tournament-style scoring system!
3. Vecna: Eye of Ruin. You see, most APs, you know, will be playing at fifteen...Where can you go from there? Where? Twenty. This one goes to Twenty. That's five more.
4. Quests from the Infinite Staircase. A collection (eight?) of older adventures updated to 5e.
5. The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons: 1970-1976. I mean, it's not like we don't have plenty of other great historical account already. Ahem.
None of these are bad, per se. Obviously, I am concerned that the history book will have to be "sanded down" and "corporatized" to make sure everyone is happy, and won't have the truly interesting (and controversial) information that you can get from other books like Game Wizards. I suspect it will be nice, pleasant, and redundant for those who are familiar with the history.
Two of the entries (Tosjcanth and Infinite Staircase) can basically be boiled down to, "Updating Nine Older Adventures." While I think that including tournament-style scoring in Tsojcanth is a great idea, I have a feeling that it will be a one-and-done; if they don't make further competition modules, what's the point?
So other than their plans to continue conquering the world (new 5e, VTT), we are left with Vecna. It's good to see Vecna, of course, but that's it for published materials for the 50th that aren't just rehashes of their old modules. Sure, I bet that there will be 50th merchandise or special covers, but ... that's not what I was hoping for.
Where is the setting? A reboot of Greyhawk? Or a real FR setting? Either with an actual map? Or something as simple as special, 50th Anniversary hardcover (or boxed) reprints of their classic rulebooks (such as 1e and B/X, or even all of them?). Heck, put those aside ... how about something that thrills and excites? I love Vecna as much as (if not more than) the next person, but Vecna is a well that they've gone to a lot. For the 50th, it's nine reprints, and Vecna. Yay?
Again, not trying to be a nattering nabob of negativism, but I've been decidedly unthrilled so far this year. Between the ad experience here (ahem) and the lack of exciting things, there just hasn't been much to capture the imagination and drive me to celebrate D&D. Maybe this will change when I see the products. Maybe I'm discounting the revision to 5e. Maybe I wanted too much for the 50th.
But overall, as I reflect on my level of interest ... I am, most decidedly, not entertained. What about the rest of you ... is the 50th Anniversary living up to your expectations?
