So i made the drive down to the closest thing i jave to a local game store yesterday for Free RPG Day. I picked up free stuff from Paizo ( and took note of a lively game of We Be Goblins Free). I also grabbed product from/for FASA, 13th Age, DCC, and Castles and Crusades. Per the last year or two, WOTC didn't have anything to give away. Anyway, I never feel right swooping in on Free RPG Day, taking a bunch of free product, and not supporting the store. So, I picked up a copy of Green Ronin's Freeport Companion (for PF, at a 40% discount) and a booster box of Magic cards. In short, good job WOTC. Your clever scheme of minimizing product and not supporting things like Free RPG Day is working admirably.
D&D 5E Well played WOTC (or Free RPG Day 2015)
Lancelot
Adventurer
I guess it must be working, because you still ended up spending money on WotC products (booster box of Magic Cards). 
To be honest, I don't think WotC can be faulted for giving out free stuff. They conducted the most extensive playtest in RPG history for free, including releasing a number of free modules to support the playtest. They issued the basic rules free. They issued the Elemental Evil Players Supplement free. Their release ethic for 5e has been to avoid release bloat, so they can hardly be accused of trying to screw gamers out of their hard-earned dollars (unlike some companies, including "olden days" TSR, who like to release a new module / supplement / card system every month).
Expecting them to release hard copy freebies given their limited resources (fewer D&D staff than Paizo, for example) seems to be a little unreasonable. It's also heller annoying for the increasing number of gamers who don't live anywhere near a brick-and-mortar store.
...
Also, I completely forgot it was Free RPG Day. I must have missed the EN World posting or article (assuming there was one).
To be honest, I don't think WotC can be faulted for giving out free stuff. They conducted the most extensive playtest in RPG history for free, including releasing a number of free modules to support the playtest. They issued the basic rules free. They issued the Elemental Evil Players Supplement free. Their release ethic for 5e has been to avoid release bloat, so they can hardly be accused of trying to screw gamers out of their hard-earned dollars (unlike some companies, including "olden days" TSR, who like to release a new module / supplement / card system every month).
Expecting them to release hard copy freebies given their limited resources (fewer D&D staff than Paizo, for example) seems to be a little unreasonable. It's also heller annoying for the increasing number of gamers who don't live anywhere near a brick-and-mortar store.
...
Also, I completely forgot it was Free RPG Day. I must have missed the EN World posting or article (assuming there was one).
Corpsetaker
First Post
That title would go to Paizo and Pathfinder.
Giltonio_Santos
Hero
WotC is guilty of lots of things, but not giving away a lot of free stuff is not one of them. I hope they keep the flow and don't save anything for the free RPG day.
I think aggressive sarcastic attacks at people who didn't give you free stuff says more about the attacker than the target. Especially against companies who have given you the basic game, in its entirety, for free. The emotion of entitlement is fairly recent, but I feel it's also fairly short-lived. It had its day!
Well, only if you don't believe in numbers!
Of course it doesn't. For better or worse, WotC's 5E playtest was the biggest in history by an order of magnitude. That doesn't make it better (I actually feel the idea number is very small) but it's there.
Well, only if you don't believe in numbers!
Of course it doesn't. For better or worse, WotC's 5E playtest was the biggest in history by an order of magnitude. That doesn't make it better (I actually feel the idea number is very small) but it's there.
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RangerWickett
Legend
That said, you can get the FREE first adventure of the ZEITGEIST Adventure Party at zeitgeistadventurepath.com.
Mark CMG
Creative Mountain Games
It's certainly their choice to not participate in FREE RPG Day. They seem to feel it is best to do things on their own time and schedule. They also set up a "Dungeon Master Appreciation Month" in February this year out ahead of March 4th, GM's Day. I'm sure the timing is coincidental. At least they are doing things for the fans of their game even if it is not in step what others might be doing. Are they holding the Wotcees RPG Awards ceremony next year at Winter Fantasy?
https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/28-ways-appreciate-your-dungeon-master
https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/28-ways-appreciate-your-dungeon-master
Corpsetaker
First Post
Well, only if you don't believe in numbers!
Of course it doesn't. For better or worse, WotC's 5E playtest was the biggest in history by an order of magnitude. That doesn't make it better (I actually feel the idea number is very small) but it's there.
Do you have the exact numbers with regards to magnitude?
Just downloading the rules doesn't really count as playtesting. Paizo had over 100,00 contributions to the Pathfinder rules so the title is a subjective one. We don't necessarily know who's was bigger but I think Pathfinder was the biggest.
I work for charity one day per year - I take my income for that day, and donate it, rather than use it to pay my own bills.
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