D&D 5E State of D&D

[Hussar]

Great point. As was probably mentioned before...the smaller 5e modules are currently released via the Adventure League. The only way to experience those is to show up at a local gaming store or find a DM online that supports them. Maybe they could sell a pdf with all those adventures after the League has moved on to the next season or adventure series. Folks could use a print by demand service or something if they wanted a hardback.

But, you're missing the point for Adventurers League. It's to SUPPORT the LGS. That's 100% the point behind AL play. If you want the modules, they don't want your money, they want your time. If you give up about four hours of your free time, you get access to the entire season's library of modules. That's what it costs. AL play is not there to make WotC money. It's there to support the LGS, which in turn, makes money for WotC. Selling the modules would defeat the purpose of those modules in the first place.

Never minding the huge expense it would be to get those modules to the standards of a WotC "for sale" product. The AL modules are barely formatted, have no art and hand drawn maps. There isn't a chance that WotC would sell them in this form. Which means they'd have to hire artists for every module, cartographers, someone to do the layout, line editors, the whole nine yards. All for a ten page module.

Because, you have to realise WotC trades pretty heavily on producing some of the highest quality books for RPG's. They're the reason that we get full color, hardback RPG books. Going back and banging out "Published in my Basement" level products would hurt them far, far more than just giving them away at the cost of one afternoon every six months or so.

 

[darjr]

Great point. If you want those mods, run an AL event. It's as simple as that.

There is an online region of AL if you want to run on the net.

 

[hawknsparrow]

By showing up, the PCs don't "get access to the entire library of modules." Was that your experience? The PCs should get the credit for the experience through the DMs DCI number that is annotated in thier log. The production cost for making PDFs available is probably close to zero and the community would benefit by being able to collect them then cut and paste content for personal use with thier home games. I mentioned releasing the PDFs after the original season so the support aspect you mentioned would not be degraded. It's not about missing the point. You assumed you understood my point. You didn't. That's o.k. I still say make them available as PDFs at some later date. They are great. I do run them and enjoy introducing players to the game with them by the way.

 

[Hussar]

By showing up, the PCs don't "get access to the entire library of modules." Was that your experience? The PCs should get the credit for the experience through the DMs DCI number that is annotated in thier log. The production cost for making PDFs available is probably close to zero and the community would benefit by being able to collect them then cut and paste content for personal use with thier home games. I mentioned releasing the PDFs after the original season so the support aspect you mentioned would not be degraded. It's not about missing the point. You assumed you understood my point. You didn't. That's o.k. I still say make them available as PDFs at some later date. They are great. I do run them and enjoy introducing players to the game with them by the way.

No, that's true. You'd actually have to run a game to get the access password for every single module. Just showing up to play isn't enough. That's true.

IOW, they are 100% available, right now, for free. All it costs you is four hours once every six months and you've got the entire library for the season.

What would be the point of making them available after the fact? That doesn't bring anyone to the gaming store. That doesn't get new DM's to run games at the gaming store. The whole point of those modules is to support the FLGS. Making them useful for home games is not why they are there. You want them? Go get them. It's not hard. But, the cost is not monetary.

 

[seebs]

Great point. If you want those mods, run an AL event. It's as simple as that.

There is an online region of AL if you want to run on the net.

I think the thing is... For a lot of reasons, there is absolutely no chance, ever that I would participate in something like AL. So the largest and most visible amount of product Wizards is making right now absolutely, unconditionally excludes me. So... I'm not welcome in their market? They don't want me as a customer?

That is an awful message to send. And I don't think they're sending it, but you are sure trying to send it for them, and that's not a great thing.

This hobby does not need even more people telling other people to stop having fun incorrectly.

 

[seebs]

What would be the point of making them available after the fact?

It makes it possible for any person, ever, to derive value from their existence, instead of consigning them entirely to the trash heap forever, with no future possibility that anyone will enjoy them.

That doesn't bring anyone to the gaming store.

Not all of us live close enough to "the gaming store" to find that in any way relevant to our interests or goals. Furthermore, not all of us want to go to the gaming store.

That doesn't get new DM's to run games at the gaming store.

One of my friends went to an AL thing, which was indeed run by a new DM. He won't be back, ever, because it was an utterly horrible experience, because the new DM had no idea how to run the module or how to run an enjoyable game.

This doesn't sound like a good thing at all.

The whole point of those modules is to support the FLGS. Making them useful for home games is not why they are there. You want them? Go get them. It's not hard. But, the cost is not monetary.

Maybe it's "not hard" for you. For me, it would be very hard.

And while I get your idea that they are there for one purpose and only one purpose... That makes them bad D&D, because the entire point of the system, the soul of the RPG, is that it has whatever purpose the players feel like having. You can run heroes. You can run villains. You can do politics, or kick-in-the-door combat, or you can do romance plots, or you can do intrigue, and whatever you want, you decide how to apply the gaming materials to the experience you want to have.

If your pitch here is "this is like D&D, but we want to actively insult anyone who doesn't want to use it for exactly this particular experience here and not ever for any other experience, and we will take steps to specifically prevent anyone from using this material to make other experiences", well, that sure does not sound appealing to me. That's not what made D&D a good idea in the first place.

 

[darjr]

[MENTION=61529]seebs[/MENTION] I'm doing nothing of the kind. I do not appreciate you ascribing such a thing to me. Please stop.

AL is a lot of fun. I'm sorry your experience has been bad, I wish it wasn't, I wish i could have helped that DM. It does happen, it is public, run by volunteers. However, the vast majority of games and events I've seen or run in have been huge fun.

If you were to run any games you wouldn't have to put up with disruptive behavior and this campaign has a ton of DM leeway.

 

[seebs]

You may not intend it, but you are very clearly sending the message that people who would only play with friends, not in organized play, are unwelcome in the D&D community, and that Wizards should actively exclude them from access to new content. That seems like a really bad message.

It's not as though this is a new concept for D&D; lots of classic 1E modules were originally tournament-play modules, which were then published later for home play, for the benefit of the large number of players who absolutely do not want to go to a public place and play with strangers, but who still want to see the modules or adapt them for their own use.

 

[darjr]

The LFR mods have been mostly made available for free. I don't know what the long term intent of WotC's is with the AL adventures, but they have made a few of them available and have made it a really easy hurdle to get access to them, contact customer support, if it's really that important to you then a polite earnest request might help sway them.

As far as getting access now via running please note that a two hour session would do it. It wouldn't have to be an in person game either.

I do hope that you get your wish. If you ever decide you might want to give it another try I'm here quite a lot in case the lights need cycling, PM me or see the AL website for the online coordinator.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

 

[seebs]

My point stands: Creating this "you MUST run a PUBLIC game or you cannot see these adventures" rule is completely contrary to the spirit of D&D. It makes no sense. It does not align with what makes the hobby work.