WotC D&D's Christopher Perkins Promoted to Creative Director

On Twitter WotC's Christopher Perkins clarified queries about his new role after it was revealed that the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide would be his last book as Product Lead--he is now D&D's Creative Director, which looks like a broader, more overview-type job. Creative Director was the role that Mike Mearls held until 2018 before moving over the Magic: The Gathering, and George Krstic held a similarly named role until August this year.

Not true. I was a Game Design Architect. Now I’m the Creative Director, which is a more “behind the scenes” gig that lets me play quietly in a bunch of different sandboxes. #wotcstaff

 

[mamba]

So, in the day (per my research a while back), they cost about $7-9, which today would be $27-$35 MSRP. That's just inflation, but my understanding is that printing prices have actually gone up well aheadd of inflation since the 80's...but for the sake of discussion, let's go with $27-$35 as a realistic-ish modern module price point in your FLGS.

Tales from the Yawning Portal is currently $29.71 on Amazon.

So, buying all 7 5E versions of the Yawning Portal Modules as independent booklets (totally doable, obviously) would cost somewhere between $189-$245.

As opposed to $29.71

then how come TotYP is $30… there must be some savings when printing 32 pages instead of 200. Hardcover also costs more than softcover (not expecting HC for the 32 pages)

I understand that 7 individual adventures are more expensive than Tales, but in your example every single one costs 1/2 to 2/3s of Tales’ MSRP and about as much as Tales actually costs on Amazon

How much does it cost WotC to print Tales, $2? There is a lot of leeway to go from printing cost to MSRP (not that it is the only cost that needs covering).

The 2e boxed sets cost what, $15? The starter sets are not that far off today either, so just going by inflation feels off, you have a lot more sales that brings fixed costs (adventure design, art, …) down per unit, inflation is not the full picture.

I assume they could sell 32 pages for $10-15 if they wanted to, there just are so many alternatives out there that it does not make sense for WotC to do so

 

[Parmandur]

there must be some savings when printing 32 pages instead of 200.

100% the opposite: there are savongs to print a single 320 page book than 10 different 32 page books.

 

[mamba]

100% the opposite: there are savongs to print a single 320 page book than 10 different 32 page books.

I am talking per unit, not per 320 pages printed. A 320 page HC book must cost more to print than a 32 page SC one

 

[Parmandur]

I am talking per unit, not per 320 pages printed. A 320 page HC book must cost more to print than a 32 page SC one

Sort of: volume can make as much of a difference as size. And the 5E hardcovers sell way more than old softcover modules (other than B2 and X1) did, from what I have seen.

The Amazon price is Amazon cutting out the retailer cut, to be fair. A new big hardcover would have a $60 MSRP, most of which would go to the retailer and distributor rather than WotC.

Point is, 10 32 page books are not going to do the volume of a Tyranny of Drafons or Curse of Strahd.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

That isn't true.

Isn't it? Who exactly worked with Larian that they retained. Certainly Swen Vincke was very clear that they fired the people who he worked with.

But go on, name the exact names. Otherwise I'm sorry but I'll take the word of Swen Vincke who actually knows, over yours.

 

[mamba]

Point is, 10 32 page books are not going to do the volume of a Tyranny of Drafons or Curse of Strahd.

what data is this based on? I tend to agree, mostly because there are a lot of short adventures out there, esp when you consider digital, just curious if there is any data to it.

I am not disagreeing with 7 individual modules costing more than one compendium, I just think your price ended up way too high. I would expect more of a $10-15 range. If Goodman can do it for $10 at their volume, then WotC should be able to as well

 

[EzekielRaiden]

God, I know I don't ask You for all that much...but please, if You're listening...

Let him still be the creative director when they're working on 6e.

 

[Parmandur]

what data is this based on? I tend to agree, mostly because there are a lot of short adventures out there, esp when you consider digital, just curious if there is any data to it.

I am not disagreeing with 7 individual modules costing more than one compendium, I just think your price ended up way too high. I would expect more of a $10-15 range. If Goodman can do it for $10 at their volume, then WotC should be able to as well

I think the secret for Goodman ia that those are limited runs for what will mostly be sold even cheaper as PDF.

WotC doesn't PDF...but, they do seem to be experimenting with short Beyond Modules now.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Prolific and creative aren't really the same thing - they can overlap but they don't necessarily have to. I don't see much evidence that Perkins is particularly hugely creative force. You can see that also in his pre-5E career, and in his own writing about DMing and so on. I can't think of anything he's done that was really original or surprising or cool, and I don't see him brimming with good ideas.

He's not a good showrunner given how mediocre 5E's adventures and campaigns have been overall.

If anything he looks like a classic example of a guy who has been overpromoted due simply to seniority and being easy to get along with, as well as not being profoundly incompetent. Practically every company has people like this.

Have...have you never heard of Iomandra?

 

[mamba]

I think the secret for Goodman ia that those are limited runs for what will mostly be sold even cheaper as PDF.

yes, that helps distributing the fixed costs over more copies than the print run, I would expect WotC to reach a big enough volume with just their print run however.

Better yet if they finally started offering PDFs, I am tired of them not doing so