D&D 5E (2024) Are we going to see DMG previews?

[Gorck]

Also, if I remember right, someone posted a similar thread asking when the PHB previews would start, and the previews began like 3 days later.

The lesson here is: this thread should have been created 3 days ago so we'd have the previews by now.

 

[sevenbastard]

I'm a physical book guy, but I imagine for a lot of people the DMG is one they will just buy digitally to have access to the magic items for there digital character sheet of choice.

If i was marketing at WOTC the question i would ask is "Should the DMG exist?" Or should it be rebranded as a book of sample settings, magic items, rules options, expanded play examples, etc. That can be sold to all players versus marketing to a small sub set of players.

 

[Lidgar]

As a regular DM and fan of Greyhawk, I’m definitely looking forward to this (and the MM) more so than the PHB.

My guess is we see something Monday or Tuesday.

 

[Parmandur]

I'm a physical book guy, but I imagine for a lot of people the DMG is one they will just buy digitally to have access to the magic items for there digital character sheet of choice.

If i was marketing at WOTC the question i would ask is "Should the DMG exist?" Or should it be rebranded as a book of sample settings, magic items, rules options, expanded play examples, etc. That can be sold to all players versus marketing to a small sub set of players.

I mean, the DMs are apparently usually the only ones who buy any D&D books, and attempts to change that in 3x and 4E largely failed.

It does seem they are making the DMG a bit of an intro Advebture anthology and Greyhawk Setting book

 

[EzekielRaiden]

So... the FLGS release of the DMG is 5 weeks and the full release 7 weeks away.

Have we even seen any Previews yet?

They did a SLEW of videos and promotions for the PHB (after months and months of playtesting).

DMG? So far, Crickets. Even after they promised UAs, they only delivered the Bastions one. (Which needed a LOT of work).

What do you think? Are we going to see anything at all? Or is the book just going to show up?

No, we haven't seen any AFAIK (apart from the Bastions, as you mentioned, which was a weak and half-hearted effort to fulfill a promise they should have gone GUNG-HO for). I'm fully expecting a very poor performance, albeit a smidgeon better than the 5.0 DMG, but that's damning with faint praise. No, we won't see anything, or at least I would be truly shocked if we did. Yes, the books will just show up. It's only the most important book for a game that's all rah-rah-sis-boom-bah "DM Empowerment!" and they'll tell us diddly-squat about it until it hits the shelves.

 

[Retreater]

It's only the most important book for a game that's all rah-rah-sis-boom-bah "DM Empowerment!" and they'll tell us diddly-squat about it until it hits the shelves.

But is it?
I bet there are plenty of DMs who have never purchased or read the DMG.
It's the least important book of the core. Always has been.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

But is it?
I bet there are plenty of DMs who have never purchased or read the DMG.
It's the least important book of the core. Always has been.

It's only least important if you think every DM is already extremely skilled, which is....one of the opinions of all time, that's for sure.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It's only least important if you think every DM is already extremely skilled, which is....one of the opinions of all time, that's for sure.

It's also least important if you place the highest priority for a gamebook on whether or not it contains rules needed to play it.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

It's also least important if you place the highest priority for a gamebook on whether or not it contains rules needed to play it.

One should think the rulebook literally called the Dungeon Master's Guide would contain both the rules and the guidance for the Dungeon Master.

But this is an argument I've already had to death in at least two previous threads and don't really feel like re-hashing it. If it calls itself the "Dungeon Master's Guide," it should bloody well be giving guidance to dungeon masters.

 

[Micah Sweet]

One should think the rulebook literally called the Dungeon Master's Guide would contain both the rules and the guidance for the Dungeon Master.

But this is an argument I've already had to death in at least two previous threads and don't really feel like re-hashing it. If it calls itself the "Dungeon Master's Guide," it should bloody well be giving guidance to dungeon masters.

Perhaps one would, but the fact is there are certain hard mechanics you need to actually play the game, and virtually all of them have almost always been in the PH.

And to be frank, guidance (good guidance at least), is very nice to have, but not strictly needed for the kind of casual play most people paying WotC for books are looking for.