D&D General Adventurers in Faerun-The Book of Low and Mid Level Adventures?

[mamba]

Do you think the market is essentially the same as it was 30 years ago?

in terms of high level selling worse, absolutely

 

[mamba]

Candlekeep Mysteries' top level adventure is level 16.

Dragon Delves caps out at level 12.

EDIT: Radiant Citadel gets to level 14.

Yawning Portal: 14
Saltmarsh: 11
Infinite Staircase: 13

 

[Stormonu]

Maybe there should just be a basic version of D&D that only goes to level 10-12. The posts I am seeing here make it seem like the game is just basically broken past that point. The PHB could be about half the size and far less intimidating to new players. Also, the classes would have far less information. Fewer spells would need to be written, and it would bridge the gap between the starter sets and the full game. I learned with Mentzer Basic, and it was so easy to follow that little booklet.

Yeah, for PC levels, as I've gotten older I agree. I was shocked when I bought OSE that it stopped at 15th, but after some reflection those higher levels just aren't for me. Really, I generally just use anything above 12th level for the bad guys or in the case of spells as one-shot treasures.

Mostly, players might come across a scroll of something like wish and get a one-time use out of it, or the BBEG might drop a meteor shower on the PCs in the climax of the battle, but the PCs are just unlikely to reach those levels of power themselves because with the players having those abilities at their beck and call just turns making adventures into a DM's headache - for a past time that's supposed to be fun and enjoyable, not work.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Depends on the group.

I’ve never heard anyone complain the high level adventures are too difficult!

I usually subtract at least one from the level WotC suggest for anything over 9.

 

[Zardnaar]

Yeah, for PC levels, as I've gotten older I agree. I was shocked when I bought OSE that it stopped at 15th, but after some reflection those higher levels just aren't for me. Really, I generally just use anything above 12th level for the bad guys or in the case of spells as one-shot treasures.

Mostly, players might come across a scroll of something like wish and get a one-time use out of it, or the BBEG might drop a meteor shower on the PCs in the climax of the battle, but the PCs are just unlikely to reach those levels of power themselves because with the players having those abilities at their beck and call just turns making adventures into a DM's headache - for a past time that's supposed to be fun and enjoyable, not work.

I can run them. Its not fun though ive gone up to 21-30.

Amount of effort isn't worth the time/fun ratio.

 

[RainOnTheSun]

I have to admit, Faerun is the last place I'd expect to have a lack of high level adventures. I understand that there have been efforts to change it, but I still feel like the authentic Forgotten Realms is the Ed Greenwood "every inn has an archmage, every town guard is a fourth level fighter" one.

 

[Parmandur]

in terms of high level selling worse, absolutely

Yeah, it is notable that the point where 5E play seems to end organically by and large matches up pretty closely with the transition from Expert box Levels to Companion box Levels, if you look at the conversion guide for older editions to 5E.

Given that the audience that passed on Companion and higher and those that simply fizzle out and start new Campaigns by Tier 3 are completely different...I would posit simply that yhe natural end of D&D for most players is around the top end of Expert. This isn't a chicken and egg, build it and they will come thong...it has been built, by different companies across decades...and they did not come.

 

[GarrettKP]

High-level adventures do not sell well.

D&D 5E (2014) Thread '5E Lifetime Sales in North American Big Box Stores Revealed'

Jul 26, 2023

Roll for Combat recently put up a video with guest Professor Dungeon Master, taking a look at professional book sales information they have access to as publishers. The data is limited to big box stores like Target, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, or Books a Million im the US only, so this is excluding any FLGS or Amazon or non-American sales.

Apparently with the numbers from hust these limited channels, the 5E PHB has sold over 1.6 million copies, and is selling 2000 copies a week currently. There was no effect on sales during the OGL fiasco, but Honor Among Thieves did lead to a sales surge...

• Parmandur
• Replies: 121
• Forum: *Dungeons & Dragons

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This 2023 post broke down sales for 5e books. When listing out what adventures sold, Curse of Strahd (one of the lowest-level range adventures) sold the best. The worst-selling?

Dungeon of the Mad Mage, the only adventure on the list that goes to level 20:

• Curse of Strahd with 147,244 copies sold
• Hoard of the Dragon Queen with 120,844
• Waterdeep Dragon Heist with 110,678
• Tales from the Yawning Portal with 106,942 copies
• Ghosts of Saltmarsh with 92,905 copies
• Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frost Maiden with 83,308 copies
• Tomb of Annihilation with 81,903 copies
• Candlekeep Mysteries with 77,950 copies
• Out of the Abyss with 75,340 copies
• Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage with 74,750 copies

The truth is, high-level adventuring is not something the masses are really all that into. WotC has tried twice to make a high-level, up to 20 adventure book (Mad Mage and Eve of Ruin), and both times the books have largely flopped. There just is not money to be made in that space, at least not for mass publications.

 

[Reynard]

The truth is, high-level adventuring is not something the masses are really all that into. WotC has tried twice to make a high-level, up to 20 adventure book (Mad Mage and Eve of Ruin), and both times the books have largely flopped. There just is not money to be made in that space, at least not for mass publications.

Both time the adventures were just bad. Coincidence?

 

[Reynard]

I actually think the D&D 2024 short adventure outline format would be better for high level support content. By those levels, there is so much happening and so that has happened in the campaign, it is impossible to write a "generic" adventure. But you can present a scenario, a villain and a location that the GM can use. That is the kind of support I think could really help a GM with high level play.