D&D 5E Am I no longer WoTC's target audience?

[Fenris-77]

You honestly think the D&D core books are being aimed at kids and families? That's not my sense at all. I'd be shocked if even 10 per cent of the core books were being sold to or bought for kids under 16. Just as I'd by shocked if anything more than a tiny portion of the audience of Critical Role was 6 and 8 years olds.

That's quite the gap. I'd imagine the sweet spot there is the 12-13 age bracket. I started playing at 10, and I bought the core rules for my sons when the youngest was 12. Lots of gamers run games for their own kids at younger ages than that. I doubt they bought the books to do specifically that, but kids that young playing D&D isn't that rare (from my admittedly anecdotal experience). I wouldn't expect 6 and 8 year olds to watch CR, but 10 and 12 year olds wouldn't shock me at all.

 

[Haffrung]

Okay, but WotC is not the only professional company putting out 5E supplements. Kobold Press, Frog God Games, Troll Lord Games, and Nord Games are examples of professional publishers who are making 5E material. Even Monte Cook Games is due to put out a science fantasy supplement in a few months. It's definitely possible to restrict yourself to professional-quality hardback books and still multiply your number of options many times over from WotC books alone.

I don't regard some of those outfits as professional. They're labours of love by part-timers and hobbyists, and the quality of the product reflects that. For instance, I find the layout and presentation of Frog God books to be so awkward and ugly that I've stopped buying them.

 

[Haffrung]

That's quite the gap. I'd imagine the sweet spot there is the 12-13 age bracket. I started playing at 10, and I bought the core rules for my sons when the youngest was 12. Lots of gamers run games for their own kids at younger ages than that. I doubt they bought the books to do specifically that, but kids that young playing D&D isn't that rare (from my admittedly anecdotal experience). I wouldn't expect 6 and 8 year olds to watch CR, but 10 and 12 year olds wouldn't shock me at all.

The assertion I was responding to was that WotC was heavily skewing the presentation of the books to children and families. I just don't see that. Compare the artwork of today's D&D books the artwork in 1983, and it's seems pretty clear to me that they're aiming for an older audience today. The core market for D&D today is 20-35 year olds, which happens to not coincidentally correspond to the core audience of Critical Role.

 

[Fenris-77]

I'd agree with you. They are mostly keeping official publications PG-13, but that's fine. Leave the rated R stuff for 3PP.

 

[jayoungr]

I don't regard some of those outfits as professional.

Do you regard any of them as professional? Is WotC the only company putting out 5E content that meets your standards?

 

[BookBarbarian]

I'd agree with you. They are mostly keeping official publications PG-13, but that's fine. Leave the rated R stuff for 3PP.

As long as I get my harlots table.

 

[generic]

As long as I get my harlots table.

Book of Erotic Adventure? Anyone?

 

[Fenris-77]

As long as I get my harlots table.

You get a harlot, and you get a harlot, everyone gets a harlot.

 

[generic]

You get a harlot, and you get a harlot, everyone gets a harlot.

That sounds lewd.

 

[Fenris-77]

Book of Erotic Adventure? Anyone?

Is that a question or a promise?