D&D (2024) WotC Announces 3rd Party Creator Partners

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This content will be coming to the D&D Beyond marketplace--the selected publishers are The Griffon's Saddlebag, MCDM, Ghostfire Gaming, Dungeon Dudes, Hit Point Press, Kobold Press, and Free League. Generally, these are creators who have achieved million-dollar Kickstarters with 5E compatible products.

Notably, this also includes the official Lord of the Rings roleplaying game from Free League, who also produce The One Ring, the non-D&D version of the game. WotC will be selling the official D&D compatible Lord of the Rings TTRPG on its primary platform. Back in 1992, TSR (the then-owners of D&D) nearly acquired the rights to JRR Tolkien's work, and then passed on it, then-CEO Lorraine Williams saying it was "not worth our while".

 

[Scribe]

It's certainly a better way to go than their previous approach to the rest of the industry. And yeah, likely to be both successful and lucrative. As big as OneBookShelf is, it can't really compete with Hasbro money.

Yeah I dont think anyone is going to compete with the Brand Name and financial backing. Considering where the leadership of this company is coming from, it just makes way too much sense.

I'm not sure its even the worst thing ever, assuming we get the type of variety Steam offers. Some actual Sword and Sorcery? Perish the thought.

 

[mamba]

There's no evidence of this.
There is evidence that Beyond staff handles the conversion.

who is handling it and how it is being paid for are two separate issues

 

[Micah Sweet]

I expect it to be the same content as the already released PDF / print book, they are showing the same cover after all

But that book doesn't use all the same rules and assumptions as WotC, either 5.0 or 5.5. It can't be exactly the same.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yeah I dont think anyone is going to compete with the Brand Name and financial backing. Considering where the leadership of this company is coming from, it just makes way too much sense.

I'm not sure its even the worst thing ever, assuming we get the type of variety Steam offers. Some actual Sword and Sorcery? Perish the thought.

No way to know how much control WotC is going to exert on those who use their platform, although precedent isn't great.

 

[mamba]

Let's be honest, also Morrus/EN Publishing took advantage of that news cylce with their own A5E announcements... But he certainly didn't go overboard. I'm looking at Paizo, Kobold Press, and a bunch of others for that... Whatever happened with that ORC license, how many of those signees actually stared publishing all their products under that umbrella?

no idea, Paizo and Kobold Press certainly did

There was a LOT of hot air blowing, many in the silent hope that 'their' alternative would revolutionize the industry, become the next D&D (or at least the next Pathfinder). But when the smoke settled, everyone went back to business as usual (some even published some of these 'revolutionary' products)...

There were not that many RPGs that were 5e derivates in the first place, nor was there a 6e that is incompatible with 5e that people hated. That is much more important to the formation of a new Pathfinder / huge 5e spinoff than the OGL

 

[mamba]

But that book doesn't use all the same rules and assumptions as WotC, either 5.0 or 5.5. It can't be exactly the same.

that is a matter of its implementation in DDB, I would expect it to be the same, otherwise they should use a different name and cover

 

[Micah Sweet]

that is a matter of its implementation in DDB, I would expect it to be the same, otherwise they should use a different name and cover

Yes, they certainly should...

 

[WarlockkingNelzul]

View attachment 377915

Where is this screen shot from?

 

[bedir than]

who is handling it and how it is being paid for are two separate issues

as are evidence and supposition

 

[Cergorach]

It's certainly a better way to go than their previous approach to the rest of the industry. And yeah, likely to be both successful and lucrative. As big as OneBookShelf is, it can't really compete with Hasbro money.

OneBookShelf didn't need Hasbro or even WotC money to become successful, I would say that they became successful despite WotC/Hasbro. And when WotC/Hasbro backtracked on their (old edition) pdf policy, they still went for the industry leaders instead of doing their own thing...

And OneBookShelf is doing both pdfs and keys for competing VTT products (Roll20, Foundry, others?).

The BIG advantage OneBookShelf has over WotC/Hasbro is that OneBookShelf has a longer track record and imho a better track record. If I had the choice between OneBookShelf (DTRPG) and WotC/Hasbro (DDB), I would go with OneBookShelf.