D&D General 5.5E--new edition or not?

[Belen]

But we could sell out Level Up A5E stuff. It was specifically the 5E stuff we couldn’t shift.

Either they felt they owned enough 5e material or they just wanted new stuff that is perceived as new.

I’d just say it is all 5.5 at this point.

Your sticking point will be books with classes, species, or backgrounds.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

To the point of the OP in reverse…

I am unlikely to buy any 5.5 material at this point. I might fill in some
Of my 5.0 stuff but own most of the books. APs I passed on I might pick up on the cheap.

I have not argued much whether 5.5 is a new edition but my consumer behavior suggests I think it is a new edition de facto.

 

[abazaba]

Ok, so I've barely been following 5.5, but is there anything for it yet?
In my mind there's the core books, a starter set with about two sessions worth of adventure (from what I've heard), a few campaign setting books (Forgotten Realms, Eberron, and Ravenloft - which I've heard are mostly reprints or fluff), and a disconnected anthology of dragon adventures.
Anything by 3rd party is probably not actually 5.5 because the system hasn't been out long enough for anyone to actually publish anything with it.
Like, for me there doesn't seem to be enough content for a month of gaming with official 5.5 stuff.

The things you listed are all valid choices. Also, on places like DMsGuild you can filter for (things like) 5.5e. Whether any of that is to your liking, or how quickly you would go through any material, greatly depends on personal preferences, and how often you play and typical length of your sessions. Also, when getting a setting book like the ones you mentioned, that may be enough for your DM to create adventures in for themselves without the need for an adventure book. YMMV.

 

[Plaguescarred]

As a friend once told me; ¨If it got new core rulebooks and character sheet, it's a new edition¨

 

[Dire Bare]

The thing is most if not all of these changes were implemented before Essentials. Thats moreso my point, I prefer the cleaner approach of new corebooks...as opposed to errata and core supplements that fundamentally change the game...but it appears doing it that way (updated corebooks) is what sets off cries of a new edition, regardless of the actual changes or compatibility.

In an alternate universe . . . 5.5E is never released, but each successive "Somebody's Guide to Everything" book shifts the game further away from the core rulebooks.

I wonder how that would have gone over with the fan community at large . . . .

One thing is for certain . . . fans would complain, regardless of the situation. Different fans maybe, but griping would be had.

 

[Dire Bare]

Did game updates through errata rather than a new edition (or half edition, etc). There's even a 3.5e Rules Compendium that was released late in the product cycle with all the errata and updates, but was clearly marketed as a reprinting of the 3.5e rules, not a new edition.

There's also the 2e Rules Cyclopedia. But 2e was always much more of a splintered rules system, so it's not a great comparison.

There was a "Rules Cyclopedia" for BECMI D&D, but I do not remember one for AD&D 2E. Couldn't find such a beast with a quick google search either, are you sure?

 

[Laurefindel]

In an alternate universe . . . 5.5E is never released, but each successive "Somebody's Guide to Everything" book shifts the game further away from the core rulebooks.

I wonder how that would have gone over with the fan community at large . . . .

One thing is for certain . . . fans would complain, regardless of the situation. Different fans maybe, but griping would be had.

Yeah, a lot of people were already referring to post-Tasha as D&D 5.25.

 

[Deset Gled]

There was a "Rules Cyclopedia" for BECMI D&D, but I do not remember one for AD&D 2E. Couldn't find such a beast with a quick google search either, are you sure?

No, you're right. Total brain fart on my part. I had to Google to remember the correct name of the 3.5e Rules Compendium, and the results also gave me the Rules Cyclopedia with a 1991 publishing date. I completely spaced out and said it was 2e based on the date.

 

[Morrus]

Anything by 3rd party is probably not actually 5.5 because the system hasn't been out long enough for anyone to actually publish anything with it.

It came out in 2024. We've had 2 whole years. We've published an entire year's worth of EN5ider content, and about a dozen adventures, and 5.5E isn't even our main focus. I'm sure the quadzillion other small publishers out there have done likewise or more.

 

[Belen]

In an alternate universe . . . 5.5E is never released, but each successive "Somebody's Guide to Everything" book shifts the game further away from the core rulebooks.

I wonder how that would have gone over with the fan community at large . . . .

One thing is for certain . . . fans would complain, regardless of the situation. Different fans maybe, but griping would be had.

I think it would have been better to create additional systems rather than a new edition. The weapon masteries could have worked better as an add-on.