D&D 5E So what's the scoop on D&D in PDF Format?

[LordEntrails]

Clarity in language is important...

Thanks, this is just what I was looking for. But sad that WotC is losing a sales opportunity by not offering the digital material separately. Maybe they'll make 5e stuff available as digital only once 6e is out.

WotC currently makes every book available in multiple digital formats. Just not PDFs

WOTC has a history of killing their digital platforms and taking all of the products within away. They did this with pretty much everything in 4e and then just recently with Dragon+.

I would never trust them to keep a digital platform up indefinitely. PDFs, however, as long as I care for them, can last the rest of my life.

This is why digital formats like Fantasy Grounds and Foundry are so important. You are purchasing them forever. Foundry because you download it to your own computer/server. FG because their license agreement with WotC says so.

DDB and Roll20, as software as a service platforms are all about renting the content. But not all digital formats are so limited.

Folks, Digital does NOT equal PDF. PDFs are one of the absolute worst formats there is for digital products. The don't scale to fit the page or have the text and background colors changed or the font size altered like an epub or other formats do. They are not un-editable like they originally claimed to be. They can't readily be linked to or leveraged with database tools and searching is rudimentary. And that's just the start of their shortcomings.

IMO, the only reason you all want PDFs is because its what you know. There are better options, really.

 

[R_J_K75]

Until the readers change to the degree you can't open them. Best print them out.

Ive found some pdfs I have have become corrupt over the years and wont open anymore. I suspect that could be from copy and pasting them into different folders one too many times though. I really should back up my hard drive more often than once every 10 years

 

[Staffan]

IMO, the only reason you all want PDFs is because its what you know. There are better options, really.

I figure that the main advantage of PDFs is on the creator side. If you're making a book to be printed, the amount of extra effort you need to make a basic PDF is pretty low. Now, if you also want to bring in hyperlinks and stuff, that's more effort but a basic PDF can't cost much extra to create.

As a side effect, it also maintains the same pagination and such as the physical book. If a thing is supposed to be on page 40, it's gonna be on page 40 in both the physical book and the PDF.

 

[ezo]

You pay a monthly sub now for MS Office

Well, you don't have to. MS Office 2024 will be out later this year. No subscription necessary.

 

[Wolfpack48]

Well, you don't have to. MS Office 2024 will be out later this year. No subscription necessary.

Yeah, I'm just saying it's a model companies are trying to go to - consistent cash flow. Not always a good trend. I would never sub for a music service either, yet it's out there...

 

[Wolfpack48]

I figure that the main advantage of PDFs is on the creator side. If you're making a book to be printed, the amount of extra effort you need to make a basic PDF is pretty low. Now, if you also want to bring in hyperlinks and stuff, that's more effort but a basic PDF can't cost much extra to create.

As a side effect, it also maintains the same pagination and such as the physical book. If a thing is supposed to be on page 40, it's gonna be on page 40 in both the physical book and the PDF.

Agreed there - I'm not this huge fan of PDF, but it's ubiquitous, and easy to find a reader and to convert. The Internet Archive has a much better experience as a reader but it's proprietary software, and you have to worry about import formatting. Betamax was better than VHS, too.

 

[ezo]

Yeah, I'm just saying it's a model companies are trying to go to - consistent cash flow. Not always a good trend. I would never sub for a music service either, yet it's out there...

Sub services will never get my money. Why? Because I buy the current version, which I likely use for 4-5 years (about the time I get a new laptop), and then I upgrade to the latest version for the next 4-5 years.

 

[Wolfpack48]

Sub services will never get my money. Why? Because I buy the current version, which I likely use for 4-5 years (about the time I get a new laptop), and then I upgrade to the latest version for the next 4-5 years.

SaaS is a thing. But voting with your wallet is the right way to go.

 

[LordEntrails]

I figure that the main advantage of PDFs is on the creator side. If you're making a book to be printed, the amount of extra effort you need to make a basic PDF is pretty low. Now, if you also want to bring in hyperlinks and stuff, that's more effort but a basic PDF can't cost much extra to create.

As a side effect, it also maintains the same pagination and such as the physical book. If a thing is supposed to be on page 40, it's gonna be on page 40 in both the physical book and the PDF.

You are absolutely right

 

[Micah Sweet]

Clarity in language is important...


WotC currently makes every book available in multiple digital formats. Just not PDFs

This is why digital formats like Fantasy Grounds and Foundry are so important. You are purchasing them forever. Foundry because you download it to your own computer/server. FG because their license agreement with WotC says so.

DDB and Roll20, as software as a service platforms are all about renting the content. But not all digital formats are so limited.

Folks, Digital does NOT equal PDF. PDFs are one of the absolute worst formats there is for digital products. The don't scale to fit the page or have the text and background colors changed or the font size altered like an epub or other formats do. They are not un-editable like they originally claimed to be. They can't readily be linked to or leveraged with database tools and searching is rudimentary. And that's just the start of their shortcomings.

IMO, the only reason you all want PDFs is because its what you know. There are better options, really.

Way to assume you know the minds of people who don't agree with you.