D&D General Ben Riggs Shares 2001 D&D 3.0 Core Book Sales.

[Ralif Redhammer]

Based on WotC modern data on the Levels people mostly play, it seems most tables end campaigns in Expert Levels, per the conversion document.

That makes a lot of sense, especially when you look at the Companion and Masters boxed sets, which had some good ideas, but also went a little off-rails (and Immortals was even more dramatically different!).

 

[Stormonu]

That thread is interesting. Posts about the binding issues in 3.0 books earily mirrors the 5e binding issues and even the 4e monster manual lay second HP doubling.

I don't know if it's bad luck or what, but ever since 3E, my first printing books for a D&D edition have had issues. My initial 3E PHB spine cracked, my 3.5E PHB covers fell off, my 4E set had red ink running down several pages of the DMG & PHB, and my 5E PHB fell apart. Conversely, I still have my original 1E (Easley covers) & 2E books in excellent condition.

 

[darjr]

I don't know if it's bad luck or what, but ever since 3E, my first printing books for a D&D edition have had issues. My initial 3E PHB spine cracked, my 3.5E PHB covers fell off, my 4E set had red ink running down several pages of the DMG & PHB, and my 5E PHB fell apart. Conversely, I still have my original 1E (Easley covers) & 2E books in excellent condition.

Oh. The bleeding 4e PHBs. I forgot about those. Ha! It was foretelling.

 

[MockingBird]

I've been gentle with all my books through the years but my 2e PHB has seen better days.

 

[Stormonu]

I've been gentle with all my books through the years but my 2e PHB has seen better days.

My 1E books got hauled around to school every day, they've taken quite the beating. Most surprisingly, my 1E Unearthed Arcana is completely intact.

Conversely, though I used my 2E books a lot, I had vinyl covers for them, so they're in great shape. My black cover 2E PHB & DMG never saw any use - that was a TSR cash grab I completely fell for.

 

[ssvegeta555]

That thread is interesting. Posts about the binding issues in 3.0 books earily mirrors the 5e binding issues and even the 4e monster manual lay second HP doubling.

My 3.0 PHB and DMG are still holding up but I feel it's not quite as strong as I would hope, I'm afraid to use them lol. However, my 3.0 MM has its pages falling out, large chunks of them! But I recall that happening (or at least noticing) a year or two into 3.5 so it was never an issue to me as I was deep in 3.5 at the time (still am!). I have all 3.0 and 3.5 books (minus adventures and Eberron), and aside from 3.0 core, the books are rock solid.

 

[Demetrios1453]

I remember a lot of the 2e PHBs falling apart when I was in college. I don't know if that was a widespread thing, or if we just ended up with a bad batch - or just used them so much they fell apart...

 

[Iosue]

Just recently, the binding broke on my 5e Monster Manual. The ironic thing is, it's hardly seen use since I got it in 2014. I've flipped through it a few times, but since most of my play has been online, I haven't actually needed to refer to it over the years.

Meanwhile, the 1e and 2e books I have are still going strong, despite being 30 and 24 years old, respectively.

 

[Parmandur]

Just recently, the binding broke on my 5e Monster Manual. The ironic thing is, it's hardly seen use since I got it in 2014. I've flipped through it a few times, but since most of my play has been online, I haven't actually needed to refer to it over the years.

Meanwhile, the 1e and 2e books I have are still going strong, despite being 30 and 24 years old, respectively.

Contact WotC, they will replace it.

 

[Nightfly]

1E was done to screw Arnson out of royalties.

But 2e was done to screw Gygax out of royalties, if I remember correctly.

And 2e barely even changed the rules. The other three edition changes were vast, dramatic shifts in the ruleset, but not 1e to 2e.