How many D&D books do we really need?

[shadowthorn]

With all the debate about the recent Hasbro/WotC layoffs, I found myself wondering how many D&D books the market will actually support. When do we reach saturation?

We already have the 3 core books, the Forgotten Realms, Deities & Demigods, the class books, the Epic Level Handbook, the Psionics Handbook, Oriental Adventures, a couple of monster manuals, a fair number of modules, and various other supplements - and that's just official product (and off the top of my head, to boot - hardly an exhaustive list). Third parties have created many other supplements: campaign settings, monster books, adventures, etc.

I don't know much about marketing, but it seems to me that we already have the books we really NEED. Additional materials just seem like icing on the cake. I'm guessing that while many DMs want supplements of every flavor, the average player is (largely) satisfied with the PHB, DMG & MM.

How long could WotC realistically produce additional materials in a profitable manner? Isn't the decline of D&D sales inevitable in a sense. (This might mean that layoffs are inevitable, as well, but there's another thread discussing that issue ad infinitum).

So, my questions are:

1) Do we already have the basic D&D materials we need?

2) Isn't market saturation (and its consequences) rather inevitable?

Please feel free to correct and/or educate me on these matters.

 

[Buttercup]

Well, there's need vs want. The three core books, with the possible addition of Psionics and Epic handbooks, are really all you need to play for the rest of your life.

But let's talk about want. I've got, hmm, perhaps 200 3E/d20 books, and I don't have everything I want. Some of what I want hasn't even been released yet, and some of it hasn't even been thought of yet.

I'm certainly more selective about what I buy than I was at this time last year. I'll probably sell or give away some of the stuff I bought, since I now realize that I'll never use it. But I am by no means done purchasing. Dunno where I'll put all the new stuff I plan on getting, but I'll figure something out.

 

[Creamsteak]

The monster manual is not a core book IMO. If it contained a system for CR, ECL, and creating balanced new creatures, it would be core, but it just contains a list of creatures.

I believe that the Players handbook is fine, the DMG is slightly short of par to really be called the DMG. These are the only 2 books you really need.

Psionics is a good quality supplement, Dieties and Demigods and the ELH are good supplements as well. The splat books are not good supplements. The book about building castles and such is a great supplement. A mass-combat or governing type book would also make a good supplement. However, that''s the end of it IMO. There might be some need to have a book of feats, but I doubt it would be very good. A book of campaign ideas would also be nice, and a book of mix/match settings and stuff would also be interesting. Really we only need mechanics, we don't need fluff. A book that tells you how to write your own fluff (64 page paperback) would be enough of that.

 

[Crothian]

1) You only need the core three to play. Actually, with a little extra work you can do with even less. For me, it's not about need, it's about want. I don't need any more D&D books, I want more though. Sure, I could be happy for decades with all I have, but that's not the point. I'll be happier with even more quality books.

2) Some say we already have this. The cream has risen to the top, though. There are some great books out there and a lot of lousy ones. However, with this great community I can honestly say there are only 2 d20 books that I bought and regret.

 

[CRGreathouse]

1) Do we already have the basic D&D materials we need?

2) Isn't market saturation (and its consequences) rather inevitable?

1. I think Savage Species will be the last of the quasi-core books (PH, DMG, MM; MotP, PsiH?, D&Dg?, ELH, SS). Obviously, this is personal opinion.
2. In some ways, it's invitable - but in others, it's not. Market saturation will happen to sopme degree, but it won't have to come with all its usual baggage.

 

[Blacksad]

1) No

2) No, I need more! more! MORE!

More seriously, if you just want rules for low to high fantasy, for low to moderate level of play, then you have everything.

Now, if you want to use the d20 system with different genre, there is still some room.

So books to play monster or gods, and new setting that invent a new genre will create a need in the market, i.e. if I play a standard campaign and see a new idea that has some appeal, I might want to use the new idea rather than continuing my campaign without addition or modification.

So once the basic books are produced, you can live on new ideas.

This market is smaller, than the market that buy new rules, but it's still a market, and it's the one that allow you to pay some authors in the wait before producing new rules (once the market is ready to buy the new/updated edition).

IMHO of course

 

[Aaron L]

We don't "need" any. But I want as many good ones as I can get.

 

[shadow]

Thankfully, unlike CCG "card crack" games like Magic, only the three core books are needed to play D&D 3e. Thankfully Wizards has so far stuck to their policy of only referencing the PHB, DMG, and MM in all their supplements. This is a far cry from end of the 2e era. (Somehow Tome of Magic and Battlesystem and a whole slew of 2e books became "official" material)

However, let's face it. Most gamers want new books. What gamer isn't eagerly awaiting the newest adventure of supplement. It comes down to a matter of "needing" a new book versus "wanting" one.

 

[Deedlit]

I strongly hope they add the ELH to the required books list, as otherwise we will get things like deities wasting divine salient abilities, or epic NPCs who can't compare to actual epic level characters.

 

[Nightfall]

Market saturation is just a figment. What it REALLY comes down to is need versus want as some people say. And if people REALLY want a book to help them homebrew their gods and religions, Book of the Righteous will do that. If they want a generic city to add some character to their setting/homebrew or not, Bluffside and Freeport stand at the ready. And if they just want something beside the usual choices, there's plenty out there. I believe that all I really need is the Scarred Lands. But then that's why I'm not running this gig.