D&D 5E The Printers Can't Handle WotC's One D&D Print Runs!

One of the reasons why the three new core rulebooks next year will not be released together is because D&D is such a juggernaut that the printers can't actually handle the size of the print runs!

Jeremy Crawford told Polygon "Our print runs are pretty darn big and printers are telling us you can’t give us these three books at the same time.” And Chris Perkins added that "The print runs we’re talking about are massive. That’s been not only true of the core books, but also Tasha’s Cauldron. It’s what we call a high-end problem."

 

[Erdric Dragin]

For #2 that's not a bad thing, I'd rather see growth than a game slowly dying.

Game's already died. Least the way it used to be, which was better. We had so much content, even had magazine issues, and it's all gone. We get a stingy few books a year, the lore of the Forgotten Realms hasn't expanded past the Sword Coast book, it's ridiculous.

Heck, the quality is garbage also. Let's see here:

SWORD COAST ADVENTURER'S GUIDE (5th Edition)

• 44,000 word count approximately
• 160 pages
• covered only small part of Faerun
• Barely any game material (feats, spells, subclasses, items, etc.)
• No poster map
• Cost $40+tax (originally)

FORGOTTEN REALMS CAMPAIGN SETTING (3rd Edition)

• 220,000 word count
• 330+ pages
• Explores most of Faerun and even a little beyond
• A wonderful amount of game material (Prestige Classes, spells, feats, etc.)
• and a POSTER MAP!
• Cost $40+tax (originally)

The game may be doing great profitably but it's dying in every other aspect. I wouldn't call that a win. I'd call that capitalism ruining the things we love as always.

And now they're selling books at an even HIGHER price as the news recently shared, for the same low quality and quantity of content and the newbs are gonna eat it up like it's the best thing ever, completely disregarding how much better it was pre-4E days (The Legacy D&D Days I call it)

 

[Parmandur]

4th at least came out all at once and had an option for a slipcase collection day 1.

You're right for quite a few editions though.

Sort of, they cut the books up and staggered them over 3 years

 

[Parmandur]

Fun fact about the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting: adjusted for inflation, if WotC released a product at the same price point today it would be nearly $68 USD.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I think the MM would be the most needed, though. They say the MM is correcting the balance of monsters, so that they actually have a challenge that matches their listed CR. The PHB changes seem to be less about balance, and more about massaging class identity and offering new options. The DMG seems to be the least critical of releases, but also probably doesn't require any playtesting, so is likely already being written.

You know, you have a point. A lot of the language and way monsters are conceptualized has changed dramatically, too.

 

[Michael Linke]

Game's already died. Least the way it used to be, which was better. We had so much content, even had magazine issues, and it's all gone. We get a stingy few books a year, the lore of the Forgotten Realms hasn't expanded past the Sword Coast book, it's ridiculous.

Heck, the quality is garbage also. Let's see here:

SWORD COAST ADVENTURER'S GUIDE (5th Edition)

• 44,000 word count approximately
• 160 pages
• covered only small part of Faerun
• Barely any game material (feats, spells, subclasses, items, etc.)
• No poster map
• Cost $40+tax (originally)

FORGOTTEN REALMS CAMPAIGN SETTING (3rd Edition)

• 220,000 word count
• 330+ pages
• Explores most of Faerun and even a little beyond
• A wonderful amount of game material (Prestige Classes, spells, feats, etc.)
• and a POSTER MAP!
• Cost $40+tax (originally)

The game may be doing great profitably but it's dying in every other aspect. I wouldn't call that a win. I'd call that capitalism ruining the things we love as always.

And now they're selling books at an even HIGHER price as the news recently shared, for the same low quality and quantity of content and the newbs are gonna eat it up like it's the best thing ever, completely disregarding how much better it was pre-4E days (The Legacy D&D Days I call it)

We get more fan content in a week via the internet than TSR could put out in a year at their prime. I don’t think the game is dead, just decentralized.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yes!! So many people on this site who obviously are done with D&D and WoTC have to come into the threads to say they hate it or don’t intend to play it, etc. Why do that? If it isn’t your thing move on to a thread or topic that is. You don’t see me posting in the Candelera Obscura thread about how I am not going to play it. Because the thread is for those who are interested.

I will remind everyone that D&D and WotC are not the same thing. 5e and WotC aren't even the same thing. You can be done with one and still enjoy the other.

 

[mamba]

The game may be doing great profitably but it's dying in every other aspect. I wouldn't call that a win. I'd call that capitalism ruining the things we love as always.

we already had the alternative, TSR went bankrupt, not sure how the game disappearing completely would have ruined it less than ‘capitalism did’

It also has more players than it ever did, so you must have some interesting metrics to arrive at it being ruined / dying

 

[Micah Sweet]

We get more fan content in a week via the internet than TSR could put out in a year at their prime. I don’t think the game is dead, just decentralized.

True, but that doesn't invalidate their point about the part of D&D that is centralized.

 

[Micah Sweet]

we already had the alternative, TSR went bankrupt, not sure how the game disappearing completely would have ruined it less than ‘capitalism did’

After 11 years of amazing content. And that just 2e. 3e had a lot of good stuff too.

 

[mamba]

I will remind everyone that D&D and WotC are not the same thing. 5e and WotC aren't even the same thing. You can be done with one and still enjoy the other.

then enjoy the other instead of constantly whining about the former (the generic ‘you’)