D&D 5E Anyone else feeling "meh" about recent 5e releases?

[dave2008]

It's been nearly two years since I've been excited about an official 5e release (Xanathar's in Nov 2017). The next big release, Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, was okay. Didn't set the world on fire for me and has gotten little use, but it was alright.

Since then we got Dragon Heist (no interest in that); Ravnica (the MtG setting - blah); Dungeon of the Mad Mage (ho-hum); Stranger Things Starter (no interest); Saltmarsh (reprint - only mildly interested in that); Acquisitions Inc (a parody setting book); and another Starter Set. Other announced books include Rick & Morty (another comedy book), Avernus (edge lord stuff I can't get excited about), and Eberron (blah).

Am I wrong? This just seems blah. If you don't want to use a bizarre setting (Ravnica, Eberron), play levels 1-5 (Dragon Heist, Stranger Things Starter Set, New Starter Set), play comedy (Acquisitions or Rick & Morty) - there's just not much there: a fairly mundane dungeon hack (Mad Mage), a reprint adventure (Saltmarsh).

I just don't know if I can get into Avernus. I don't know a lot about it. I tend to shy away from urban adventures (hence I'm not into Dragon Heist) - and this being set in Baldur's Gate is something I'm not digging, coupled with the trip to hell.

Anyone else experiencing this drought in interest? I'd be happy to purchase stuff that interests me, but I'm just not seeing it. I own most of the other adventures Wizards has put out, and have run them (some of them more than once).

I have a had a downturn in interest since at least SKT and I didn't get Xanathar's (nothing that really grabbed me). However, I am experiencing a bit o an up turn in interest. I don't play Magic, but I've really enjoyed Ravnica (definitely not blah), and the Eberron (50/50 on buy not buy) and Avernus (75/25) stuff is interesting to me. Less interest in the rest of the recent releases (MToF was pretty good), but the direction is trending up for me personally. If they continue making books like Ravnica I might actually start buying setting books!

 

[dave2008]

Any good adventures? From what I've been reading, Frog God (the successor to Necromancer - one of the better 3pp back in the day) has been pretty hit and miss these days.

Yes, tons of them. But I'm not doing your work for you

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I have one of the Kobold Press monster books. It's alright. A little too campaign-specific and imbalanced, but it's okay.

Any good adventures? From what I've been reading, Frog God (the successor to Necromancer - one of the better 3pp back in the day) has been pretty hit and miss these days.

I'm a big fan of the adventure path for Adventure in Middle-Earth. It would require a little work, but they are a good mix of exploration, cool battle scenes and roleplay opportunities.

 

[MNblockhead]

Maybe you've just been playing D&D too long. You are jaded and cynical. Take a break. Try a completely new system and genre.

I'm very excited about the Eberron book. I loved wayfinders and am looking forward to having a large hardcover for the setting.

Descent to Avernus looks fun, though I don't know when I'll have time to play it.

I bough the Acq. Inc. book and enjoyed reading it and hope to run it as a mini campaign.

My problem is that I have enough 5e stuff to keep me busy for years. The fact that I'm buying anything from WotC at this point is a testament to how interesting I am finding the material. I skipped many of the early adventure paths (Hoard the the Dragon Queen, Rise of Tiamat, Princes of the Apocalypse, and Out of the Abyss) but have bought every other adventure and setting book.

 

[pming]

Hiya!

I haven't bought a 5e book since the DMG was released in December 2014. Everything produced so far has been in the "meh" category for me. Not that I'm complaining (any more)...I've simply accepted that my particular "old skool grognardian style" of play just isn't very compatible with what all the cool kids are playing nowadays.

What would I buy? I'd buy "Adventure Module's". Go look at 1e 'classic modules' like L1, I2, S4, A1, etc. It was a 28 to 32 page (+/-) black and white booklet sitting inside an 11"x17" cardboard 'cover' that had the main map(s) on the inside. Simple, readable maps. Not full colour almost-impossible-to-read-on-glossy-paper hardback book. Ick! What about non-adventures? Sure...update the 1e Dungeoneer's and Wilderness Survival guides as well as the Manual of the Planes. Slap a $100 price on each one and I'd pre-order without hesitation.

So, yeah...as I said...I'm not what WotC is targeting. No worries for me. I just make it up or convert/use older system stuff. That said, I'm really digging Goodman Game's "Classic Compilation" series...the "Into The Borderlands" (own), "The Isle of Dread" (own), "Expedition To The Barrier Peaks" (pre-ordered), and the just announced "The Lost City" (will pre-order). I've found that Goodman Games "style" is very VERY similar to mine. So if they start to produce "5e sorcebooks akin to DSG, WSG, MotP, etc", then they should just get a big bucket so I can keep throwing my money into it for them.

 

[JeffB]

I will pick up the Essentials kit. I love starter set sandboxy things. I have picked up some of the Endless Quest books for my daughter (they are fun!). Otherwise, I haven't been interested in anything since ToA. U1 is in my top 5 all time fave D&D modules, but I already have it and have run it a dozen times for all editions and other games. U2 and U3 never captured my interest like the first module- I always spun it off into whatever plot point seemed appropriate and the rest of the GoS book doesn't do anything for me. No interest in Avernus or Planescapy stuff. Love me some xen'drik, but the rest of ebberon, meh.

OMMV

 

[Retreater]

Hiya!

I haven't bought a 5e book since the DMG was released in December 2014. Everything produced so far has been in the "meh" category for me. Not that I'm complaining (any more)...I've simply accepted that my particular "old skool grognardian style" of play just isn't very compatible with what all the cool kids are playing nowadays.

What would I buy? I'd buy "Adventure Module's". Go look at 1e 'classic modules' like L1, I2, S4, A1, etc. It was a 28 to 32 page (+/-) black and white booklet sitting inside an 11"x17" cardboard 'cover' that had the main map(s) on the inside. Simple, readable maps. Not full colour almost-impossible-to-read-on-glossy-paper hardback book. Ick! What about non-adventures? Sure...update the 1e Dungeoneer's and Wilderness Survival guides as well as the Manual of the Planes. Slap a $100 price on each one and I'd pre-order without hesitation.

So, yeah...as I said...I'm not what WotC is targeting. No worries for me. I just make it up or convert/use older system stuff. That said, I'm really digging Goodman Game's "Classic Compilation" series...the "Into The Borderlands" (own), "The Isle of Dread" (own), "Expedition To The Barrier Peaks" (pre-ordered), and the just announced "The Lost City" (will pre-order). I've found that Goodman Games "style" is very VERY similar to mine. So if they start to produce "5e sorcebooks akin to DSG, WSG, MotP, etc", then they should just get a big bucket so I can keep throwing my money into it for them.

I just have a hard time buying a 300+ page hardcover book at a premium price to get a reprint of 32 page adventure and a bunch of stuff I'll probably never use.
I don't get what Goodman is doing with that series. Their Dungeon Crawl Classics adventures were some highlights for me in the 3.x era.

 

[Parmandur]

Maybe you've just been playing D&D too long. You are jaded and cynical. Take a break. Try a completely new system and genre.

I'm very excited about the Eberron book. I loved wayfinders and am looking forward to having a large hardcover for the setting.

Descent to Avernus looks fun, though I don't know when I'll have time to play it.

I bough the Acq. Inc. book and enjoyed reading it and hope to run it as a mini campaign.

My problem is that I have enough 5e stuff to keep me busy for years. The fact that I'm buying anything from WotC at this point is a testament to how interesting I am finding the material. I skipped many of the early adventure paths (Hoard the the Dragon Queen, Rise of Tiamat, Princes of the Apocalypse, and Out of the Abyss) but have bought every other adventure and setting book.

To a large extent, my completionist approach right now is partly nesting.

I just have a hard time buying a 300+ page hardcover book at a premium price to get a reprint of 32 page adventure and a bunch of stuff I'll probably never use.
I don't get what Goodman is doing with that series. Their Dungeon Crawl Classics adventures were some highlights for me in the 3.x era.

The 5E conversions are considerably longer and meatier than the originals in the book.

 

[Shardstone]

Saltmarsh, Ravnica, and Mordekainen's are 5E's best books to date.

 

[Vael]

I'll admit, I'm mainly hungry for new player material. Adventures are cool and all, but since Xanathar's, there hasn't been much. I've debated getting the Ravnica book, and Eberron is something I've been waiting for since 5e launched. I find it frustrating that Psionics aren't out yet. I get the desire to properly test and not wanting to put out too much material, but this has been a glacial pace.