D&D 5E (2014) L&L Basic Dungeons & Dragons

[exile]

Good on WotC for releasing this. I would have still liked to have seen it in hard copy as part of the starter, but good on them all the same.

 

[Allensh]

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I guess this pretty much confirms 5e won't be OGL.

What if there is a free royalty-light or free license for the stuff in Basic D&D? But not some of the stuff in the PHB etc.?

Allen

 

[dd.stevenson]

I guess this pretty much confirms 5e won't be OGL.

I doubt 5E will be OGL (although it may be an open-ish general license); but all THIS press release really means to me is that wotc has the good sense not to use the SRD as an entry point for the general public. Which is as it should be: what ever winds up going in the SRD should be for 3PP developers to look at, not John Wizard or Bobby Barbarian.

Though: I've already asked the obvious question on twitter about the possibility of the free stuff getting wikied.

 

[Mistwell]

I guess this pretty much confirms 5e won't be OGL.

Your definition of confirm, and mine, seem vastly different.

Why are they mutually exclusive, and why do you think people would not want both, and that WOTC would not want both? An SRD doesn't really tell you how to play the game - it's just more of an index of rules for people who know what they are looking for, primarily for third party developers, sort of like an API. A PDF rulebook is an actual guidebook to how to play the game. Different concepts, serving different goals.

 

[GMMichael]

Free core rules. [Cue Irish accent] Brilliant! [/accent]

Also: Is that new art? Those look like 5e goblins.

Those could be 5e goblins. But what's more subtle: there's an Intelligence tree there.

Dumbest: goblins, going into battle shirtless.
Less Dumb: elves and humans, fighting without helms.
Smartest: the dwarf-looking guy in the back, protecting his head.

I'm guessing this won't be in the Basic rules.

 

[the Jester]

This is very good news. Yay WotC!

 

[Mistwell]

It's interesting that you can play any 5e adventure without ever having purchased a single core rulebook. If an adventure gets a good reputation, it's a good way to pick off sales from people playing a competing game, without ever committing them to 5e itself.

In fact, if they publish a fun adventure where you can start and finish the whole thing in one session for like $5, I can see people buying that even if they primarily play another game entirely, just for the fun of it as a one-off.

Seems very smart. There's zero barrier to entry for the game now. You can pick it up...anywhere, with any book they put out.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Just awesome news. In PDF form the entire basic game of D&D (note it includes monsters and minimum stuff from MM & DMG) - FREE. The SRD is great for gamers already but having an edited PDF is pretty cool. Very OSR free basic rules
Also releasing more stuff for the adventures etc is pretty cool too.

I also hope they PoD it in DNDCLassics, but it is no problem to upload and print it at Lulu or your local store.

Awesome news.

 

[Agamon]

Especially if it smells like hot cakes.

I'm printing out the pdf and throwing some butter and syrup on it. Mmmm-mmm!

 

[Agamon]

Basic D&D, free as in beer, tres cool.

I gotta say, that has to be the most positive list of comments under an L&L I've ever seen....