Mercurius
Legend
A few years ago I created a spreadsheet that included every official product (I think) produced for D&D by TSR and Wizards of the Coast going back to 1974, as well as Paizo's 3.5 and Pathfinder products (I used a variety of sources, but Echohawk's Collector's Guides were indispensable...unfortunately the seem to be no longer available?). My initial impetus was comparing the out-put of the different editions. I'm one of those people who find visual depictions more meaningful than numerical representation only. A couple weeks ago I dusted off the spreadsheet and updated it through 2020, and then made a new version--at least of 2000-20--that tried to differentiate products by size. More on that in a minute.
The updated charts, which are shared in this post and I'll explain in a moment, offer an interesting way to analyze D&D products. But they also brought up some interesting questions and observations, in particular two related ones that I'd like to explore:
How does Paizo do it?
As you can see in the charts, Paizo's output has been enormous and, if you count Starfinder--which I think one should, as it is essentially an expansion of the Pathfinder line--hasn't abated. Their output isn't quite at the levels of 2E, but is comparable to 3.x or 4E, and dwarfs 5E.
What I mean by "how do they do it?" is how is this sustainable? Now of course other editions of D&D, with much larger outputs than 5E, were sustained for years. 4E didn't end because of glut; it ended due to some combination of poor reception by the community and questionable handling by WotC. Now why 3.5 ended may have something to do with glut, as WotC produced a huge amount of material over its five-year span, covering a wide variety of themes, which led to diminishing returns and the then-believed "inevitable" necessity of a re-boot. And of course 2E is the prime example of "runaway glut"...1995 saw it produce almost 70 different written products (70!); during that year alone, TSR released new and revised core rulebooks, nine box sets by my count, and were actively supporting seven different settings, with the Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun, Planescape, Ravenloft, and Birthright all receiving at least five products, and Lankhmar and Mystara receiving three and one, respectively.
Somehow Paizo is taking a similar approach to WotC of the 3.X and 4E era, and making it work (thus far). I would guess some of the reasons for this is the increased emphasis on stories via adventure paths which, as I'll discuss briefly in a moment, was not WotC's approach before 5E, a focus on a singular setting, and a very loyal fan-base.
Wizards of the Coast is Doing Something Very Different
It isn't just the number of books--it is also the type of books they are producing. It is well known that their focus is on stories via the story arcs, with far more limited rules supplements. Since Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica came out in November of 2018, this focus has expanded to become "stories and worlds," with four unique setting guides published in a period of 20 months.
But as I was going through the 3.X era books, I was struck by a marked difference: With 3.X, there seemed to be an attempt to cover as much ground as possible--to provide options for as many variations on D&D as Wizards could think of, or at least that they thought would have wide enough appeal. There was some narrowing in that with 2E, this "shotgun approach" included settings. 2E saw setting guides for a full thirteen different settings, with varying degrees of coverage; 3.X created product for only four, a number that 5E has already surpassed, with Theros being its fifth setting. Furthermore, where 2E did a lot of everything, 3.X did a lot of some things (rules supplements and focus on two settings), but not much range of settings, and relatively few adventures.
But my point is, 5E has been a huge departure in the type of books that are being produced. Gone are the days of "The Complete X" or the "Y Compendium" series of books. In other words, and here is the key point: They're not trying to be comprehensive and cover everything.
This, I think, is an under-emphasized aspect of their minimalist approach, and a stark contrast to Pathfinder. Paizo's approach is essentially a refinement of WotC's approach in the 3.5/4E era. They created a comprehensive product line, but focused on only one world, and simmered down the rules supplements to a few major releases a year; and, of course, they focused it all on adventure paths, which gave the Paizo community not only a shared world, but a shared world in that story, a strategy that WotC has clearly emulated with 5E. And it worked for Paizo. The problem, or at least result, is that they still followed the "old school" approach of the Edition Cycle. After ten years, they rebooted with Pathfinder 2, and we're seeing old wine in new bottles. This is not to criticize Paizo; if it works, it works. But it is to highlight the difference in approaches (and I would also emphasize that they're further refining their approach with P2, and have also added a new line in Starfinder).
The 5E approach is cleared geared around sustainability. They want to de-emphasize editions and highlight the game of D&D itself. This doesn't mean that we won't eventually see revisions, but that they're making a deliberate break from the traditional Edition Cycle model, which may be a variation on planned obsolescence.
But here's the point I want to highlight, again: 5E products--even the rules supplements--are not intended to cover a subject comprehensively. For example, Xanathar's Guide to Everything is not "Player's Handbook 2." It is more like Some Optional Stuff that DMs and Players Can Use If They Want. Or with Mythic Odysseys of Theros, which has been described as a sourcebook first, a setting guide second. Meaning, the primary purpose of the book is to facilitate "mythic odysseys" in your game, be it in Theros or your homebrew.
Remember the 4E adage, "everything is core?" That seems to be reversed: everything (outside the core rulebooks) is optional. "Everything is core" seems like a not-so-subtle way to say, "buy everything," whereas the new approach is "You don't have to buy anything after the core rulebooks, but we're going to offer some options that you might enjoy." Coupled with their minimalist approach, this has led to unprecedented growth. In other words, sustainability and not implying that everyone "must have this product," is working very, very well.
Now I know there are other factors involved, but I think this is part of what has made 5E thrive so much. 5E's vitality and growth seems to be two-fold:
The Charts
OK, onto the charts. I'm going to offer two versions: one that includes product names, and one that doesn't, and is narrowed so that you can better compare the output of editions.
The format is this: Rulebooks are in shades of green, settings are in pink, and adventures are in blue. Darker colors mean a core book (whether a rulebook or setting), or a complete adventure path or story. All capitals means a BOXED SET, and bold-face means a hardcover. Finally, I've tried to differentiate the size of the book by how many rows the entry takes up. This isn't an exact science, and I'm sure there are errors, but as a general rule:
Again, these are rough. I've made some judgement calls, such as giving each episode of a Paizo adventure path only one row, despite them being 96 pages, but their Golarion campaign setting supplements two rows, despite being only 64 pages, because I figure that a distinct setting supplement is more significant than a single episode of a six-part adventure. Or I've color-coded all of the Pathfinder player's companions as setting books, because most of them are specific to Golarion, even if some aren't (I can only do so much research into all of these products!).
Finally, please let me know if there are any significant inaccuracies or missing products. I only included written products: no flip-maps, map folios, dice sets, or accessories that don't have usable gaming text. I generally only included products that could be purchased, but did include the 5E Basic Rules, but for some reason, not the Elemental Companion, maybe because it is more of a web enhancement to an existing product. I also didn't include the Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron because it is a D&D Beyond product, and was largely subsumed in the Eberron hardcover. I did include some of the Next playtest material, but mostly only for visual reference.
WIZARDS OF THE COAST OFFICIAL D&D PRODUCTS: 2000-20 (3E, 3.5E, 4E, 5E)
PAIZO PRODUCTS: 2007-20 ((3.5, Pathfinder, Starfinder, Pathfinder 2)
VISUAL COMPARISON OF ALL D&D and PAIZO PRODUCTS: 2000-20
The updated charts, which are shared in this post and I'll explain in a moment, offer an interesting way to analyze D&D products. But they also brought up some interesting questions and observations, in particular two related ones that I'd like to explore:
How does Paizo do it?
As you can see in the charts, Paizo's output has been enormous and, if you count Starfinder--which I think one should, as it is essentially an expansion of the Pathfinder line--hasn't abated. Their output isn't quite at the levels of 2E, but is comparable to 3.x or 4E, and dwarfs 5E.
What I mean by "how do they do it?" is how is this sustainable? Now of course other editions of D&D, with much larger outputs than 5E, were sustained for years. 4E didn't end because of glut; it ended due to some combination of poor reception by the community and questionable handling by WotC. Now why 3.5 ended may have something to do with glut, as WotC produced a huge amount of material over its five-year span, covering a wide variety of themes, which led to diminishing returns and the then-believed "inevitable" necessity of a re-boot. And of course 2E is the prime example of "runaway glut"...1995 saw it produce almost 70 different written products (70!); during that year alone, TSR released new and revised core rulebooks, nine box sets by my count, and were actively supporting seven different settings, with the Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun, Planescape, Ravenloft, and Birthright all receiving at least five products, and Lankhmar and Mystara receiving three and one, respectively.
Somehow Paizo is taking a similar approach to WotC of the 3.X and 4E era, and making it work (thus far). I would guess some of the reasons for this is the increased emphasis on stories via adventure paths which, as I'll discuss briefly in a moment, was not WotC's approach before 5E, a focus on a singular setting, and a very loyal fan-base.
Wizards of the Coast is Doing Something Very Different
It isn't just the number of books--it is also the type of books they are producing. It is well known that their focus is on stories via the story arcs, with far more limited rules supplements. Since Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica came out in November of 2018, this focus has expanded to become "stories and worlds," with four unique setting guides published in a period of 20 months.
But as I was going through the 3.X era books, I was struck by a marked difference: With 3.X, there seemed to be an attempt to cover as much ground as possible--to provide options for as many variations on D&D as Wizards could think of, or at least that they thought would have wide enough appeal. There was some narrowing in that with 2E, this "shotgun approach" included settings. 2E saw setting guides for a full thirteen different settings, with varying degrees of coverage; 3.X created product for only four, a number that 5E has already surpassed, with Theros being its fifth setting. Furthermore, where 2E did a lot of everything, 3.X did a lot of some things (rules supplements and focus on two settings), but not much range of settings, and relatively few adventures.
But my point is, 5E has been a huge departure in the type of books that are being produced. Gone are the days of "The Complete X" or the "Y Compendium" series of books. In other words, and here is the key point: They're not trying to be comprehensive and cover everything.
This, I think, is an under-emphasized aspect of their minimalist approach, and a stark contrast to Pathfinder. Paizo's approach is essentially a refinement of WotC's approach in the 3.5/4E era. They created a comprehensive product line, but focused on only one world, and simmered down the rules supplements to a few major releases a year; and, of course, they focused it all on adventure paths, which gave the Paizo community not only a shared world, but a shared world in that story, a strategy that WotC has clearly emulated with 5E. And it worked for Paizo. The problem, or at least result, is that they still followed the "old school" approach of the Edition Cycle. After ten years, they rebooted with Pathfinder 2, and we're seeing old wine in new bottles. This is not to criticize Paizo; if it works, it works. But it is to highlight the difference in approaches (and I would also emphasize that they're further refining their approach with P2, and have also added a new line in Starfinder).
The 5E approach is cleared geared around sustainability. They want to de-emphasize editions and highlight the game of D&D itself. This doesn't mean that we won't eventually see revisions, but that they're making a deliberate break from the traditional Edition Cycle model, which may be a variation on planned obsolescence.
But here's the point I want to highlight, again: 5E products--even the rules supplements--are not intended to cover a subject comprehensively. For example, Xanathar's Guide to Everything is not "Player's Handbook 2." It is more like Some Optional Stuff that DMs and Players Can Use If They Want. Or with Mythic Odysseys of Theros, which has been described as a sourcebook first, a setting guide second. Meaning, the primary purpose of the book is to facilitate "mythic odysseys" in your game, be it in Theros or your homebrew.
Remember the 4E adage, "everything is core?" That seems to be reversed: everything (outside the core rulebooks) is optional. "Everything is core" seems like a not-so-subtle way to say, "buy everything," whereas the new approach is "You don't have to buy anything after the core rulebooks, but we're going to offer some options that you might enjoy." Coupled with their minimalist approach, this has led to unprecedented growth. In other words, sustainability and not implying that everyone "must have this product," is working very, very well.
Now I know there are other factors involved, but I think this is part of what has made 5E thrive so much. 5E's vitality and growth seems to be two-fold:
- It has somehow found the "holy grail" of bringing a huge number of new players, perhaps primarily due to social media, but certainly a greater degree of cultural visibility, with an increasing number of "celebrity surrogates."
- It offers a version of the game that seems to be a sweet-spot that appeals to a wide array of die-hard and long-term fans, bringing the "fractured tribes" together again. It may not be crunchy enough for some, innovative enough for others, or traditional enough for old-schoolers, but still finds that sweet-spot that appeals to the widest range of D&D players in decades.
The Charts
OK, onto the charts. I'm going to offer two versions: one that includes product names, and one that doesn't, and is narrowed so that you can better compare the output of editions.
The format is this: Rulebooks are in shades of green, settings are in pink, and adventures are in blue. Darker colors mean a core book (whether a rulebook or setting), or a complete adventure path or story. All capitals means a BOXED SET, and bold-face means a hardcover. Finally, I've tried to differentiate the size of the book by how many rows the entry takes up. This isn't an exact science, and I'm sure there are errors, but as a general rule:
One row means a 32-64 adventure or rules supplement, or a single entry in an adventure path, or 32 page setting supplement.
Two rows means a longer adventure, or a 64 page setting supplement.
Three rows means a major product, in the 100-200 page range.
Four rows means a core product, 200+ pages.
Again, these are rough. I've made some judgement calls, such as giving each episode of a Paizo adventure path only one row, despite them being 96 pages, but their Golarion campaign setting supplements two rows, despite being only 64 pages, because I figure that a distinct setting supplement is more significant than a single episode of a six-part adventure. Or I've color-coded all of the Pathfinder player's companions as setting books, because most of them are specific to Golarion, even if some aren't (I can only do so much research into all of these products!).
Finally, please let me know if there are any significant inaccuracies or missing products. I only included written products: no flip-maps, map folios, dice sets, or accessories that don't have usable gaming text. I generally only included products that could be purchased, but did include the 5E Basic Rules, but for some reason, not the Elemental Companion, maybe because it is more of a web enhancement to an existing product. I also didn't include the Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron because it is a D&D Beyond product, and was largely subsumed in the Eberron hardcover. I did include some of the Next playtest material, but mostly only for visual reference.
WIZARDS OF THE COAST OFFICIAL D&D PRODUCTS: 2000-20 (3E, 3.5E, 4E, 5E)
PAIZO PRODUCTS: 2007-20 ((3.5, Pathfinder, Starfinder, Pathfinder 2)
VISUAL COMPARISON OF ALL D&D and PAIZO PRODUCTS: 2000-20
