D&D 5E (2024) 6E When?

[3catcircus]

Not inside the relevant chapters: Chapter 2 is just the original Sinister Secrets of Saltmarsh, Chapter 3 is just the original Danger in Dunwater, Chapter 6 is a conversion of The Final Enemy, and the same for the chapters on the Dungeon magazine modules. Those chapters are all straight conversions, with Chapter 1 fleshing out the sandbox region it's all set in, and there is some cool stuff in the Appendix. All for $28.49 on Amazon, which costs less than buying just three of the included modules and the DMsGuild conversion keys.

You are completely missing (or being willfully ignorant of) my point: a DM can buy one module for a few sheckels and use it in their campaign as they see fit, and they can take the sequel as the next adventure when it comes out, or apply it to some other plot hook 6 months later, or mine it for ideas.

I'd rather spend $4.95 on dmsguild for a short adventure, picking and choosing, rather than get locked in to a $50 encyclopedia that might be complete suckage.

 

[darjr]

DnDBeyond and DMsGuild are in flyers in both boxed sets asfaik

 

[Zardnaar]

How many people new to playing D&D starting with 5e are aware of ENWorld, dmsguild, or drivethrurpg? Or Pathfinder, Burning Wheel, or any other RPG? D&D has brand recognition unmatched by any other TTRPG publisher.

Those $50 hardback adventures are all many D&D buyers know exist. When you aren't aware of other resources, you'll buy what you know is available.

The other piece to this that no one talks about: how many DMs end up spending $50 for that hardback only to abandon it halfway through because the players have lost interest? A 32 page generic module is easy to go drop in, and it's easy to salvage or abandon.

Have all this freelancers do them for you and even if you as WotC kept 75% of the profit, that name brand recognition will drive buyers to dmsguild or drivethrurpg head and shoulders above their current traffic.

I find it disheartening that the quality of content in adventures is, on average, better amongst 3pp than it is for the ones WotC publish themselves.

This. Books might be selling, idk how many actually get used let alone completed.

I use 3pp none of the other 10 groups do.

 

[darjr]

A lot of the groups around here dive into the books and run them. It really does become a common ground of sorts, sometimes it’s like folks were in it together. Sometimes it’s like a weird alternate universe. It’s cool when folks discuss the different ways they handled the same areas and NPCs and monsters.

 

[Parmandur]

You are completely missing (or being willfully ignorant of) my point: a DM can buy one module for a few sheckels and use it in their campaign as they see fit, and they can take the sequel as the next adventure when it comes out, or apply it to some other plot hook 6 months later, or mine it for ideas.

Which can also be done with the larger books individual chapters very easily. As it is, the same material (because they wouldn't have different adventure styles if they were putting out smaller books) costs less and is delivered in a compact form. This is a mild inconvenience for some who are only interested in pieces and parts (that is, people interested in giving WotC less money). However, anyone who would want to buy it all (i.e., the customers) would be out a lot of money if they had to buy the components separately. In the business of maximizing overall satisfaction and ROI, bigger adventure books are a win-win for WotC.

I'd rather spend $4.95 on dmsguild for a short adventure, picking and choosing, rather than get locked in to a $50 encyclopedia that might be complete suckage.

By all means, do so, those options are available. But your individual preferences do not necessarily translate to an "ought" for WotC business plan.

 

[Parmandur]

A lot of the groups around here dive into the books and run them. It really does become a common ground of sorts, sometimes it’s like folks were in it together. Sometimes it’s like a weird alternate universe. It’s cool when folks discuss the different ways they handled the same areas and NPCs and monsters.

I've seen and heard a lot of that with Curse of Strahd particularly. I know that phenomenon, of shared experience, was something that Mearls would talk about as one of their design goals for the big adventure books. Mission Accomplished.

 

[darjr]

Huh? Yea i did notice it more with Curse. The creepy factor played well I guess. It was fun.

 

[Nebulous]

I've seen and heard a lot of that with Curse of Strahd particularly. I know that phenomenon, of shared experience, was something that Mearls would talk about as one of their design goals for the big adventure books. Mission Accomplished.

Yeah, it's a great feature of the game, the shared experiences. Phandlever is a shorter one, but it also has such a great premise and execution that it's fun to see how other campaigns do it. I sat in on a game today at local hobby shop and they were trudging through Thundertree with brand new players.

 

[Hussar]

Smaller adventures are easier to run. LMoP is so good because of its length.

3pp exist but they don't have the same "prestige" as WotC ones.

Often the longer adventures don't get completed either and they can be hard for a DM to digest.

But, again, for the FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, modules are not only selling on release, but, continuing to be sold. In any other edition, a 4 year old module was done. It sure as heck wasn't even a blip on the radar of sales. Now, 4 year old modules are selling better than entire RPG lines. Again, why would WotC change what they are doing? Selling small modules was tried. Selling parcels of modules through subscription was tried. None of them worked. Modules were almost always poor sellers. This is the first time that modules are driving sales of D&D.

/snip

I find it disheartening that the quality of content in adventures is, on average, better amongst 3pp than it is for the ones WotC publish themselves.

This is the same song and dance we had back in 3e where it was always the 3rd party publishers that were doing better games, better content, more interesting stuff, so on and so forth.

Yet, funnily enough, you could take the entire DM's Guild sales and probably not equal the total sales of one WotC module.

Small modules don't sell. I'm sorry to burst people's bubbles, but, they just don't. There's a reason that Paizo doesn't do them, and WotC doesn't either. Too much money investment for far too little return. It's kinda funny in a way. DM's Guild is doing exactly what WotC wanted the 3pp to do back in 3e- focus on modules and adventures and not try to reinvent the game wheel. Win win.

 

[Zardnaar]

But, again, for the FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, modules are not only selling on release, but, continuing to be sold. In any other edition, a 4 year old module was done. It sure as heck wasn't even a blip on the radar of sales. Now, 4 year old modules are selling better than entire RPG lines. Again, why would WotC change what they are doing? Selling small modules was tried. Selling parcels of modules through subscription was tried. None of them worked. Modules were almost always poor sellers. This is the first time that modules are driving sales of D&D.



This is the same song and dance we had back in 3e where it was always the 3rd party publishers that were doing better games, better content, more interesting stuff, so on and so forth.

Yet, funnily enough, you could take the entire DM's Guild sales and probably not equal the total sales of one WotC module.

Small modules don't sell. I'm sorry to burst people's bubbles, but, they just don't. There's a reason that Paizo doesn't do them, and WotC doesn't either. Too much money investment for far too little return. It's kinda funny in a way. DM's Guild is doing exactly what WotC wanted the 3pp to do back in 3e- focus on modules and adventures and not try to reinvent the game wheel. Win win.

They won't make a lot of money but if they made some a'la LMoP and sold them cheap.

I don't expect them to make a huge amount but more than 1 would be nice.

Also you might want to look into sales if some if the OSR modules several of which sold six figures.

WotC hasn't had an edition as popular as 5E a follow up module to LMoP could be popular or deluxe starter set containing hypothetical module.

There's apparently a shortage of DMs, shorter modules will help with that. They're easier to run/digest.

Adventures don't sell dates from 2E when they didn't sell because 2E had crap adventures and spilt the playerbase with settings.

To have a great hardcover adventure in effect you need to write 5 or 6 smaller ones and it's an art form not a science.