Core Rules Alternative Cover Gift Set

Original covers online: $96. This set: $170. It is hard to justify spending that much for something we already have, or could get much cheaper with the normal covers.

 

[Jester David]

Many do not have FLGS near them. It would be nice if these people could buy the books online, if not from Amazon, then from the publisher.

Which is a valid complaint. But not one raised that complaint. No one was complaining about not being able to get to this edition, but being forced to buy it without a discount.

You can certainly get the regular slipcase box at Amazon prices, just not this collector's edition variant.
Well... there are quite a few FLGS who sell online. So a little bit of searching ahead should be able to get you one. I recommend Noble Knight or Miniature Market. Keep an eye on those and pre-order when available. Emailing ahead to ask if they're getting extras would not hurt.

 

[jasper]

Please tell these are not real photos of the alternative covers. Because me and my wife agree they are bad.

 

[Jester David]

But not the core books -- the ones that are necessary to play.

The rules that are necessary to play are the Basic Rules. Which ARE available as a PDF. And a free one.

 

[rknop]

Uh.... the rules that are necessary to play if you're going to play the full game beyond what's in the Basic Rules.

In other words: sure, you can get some of the supplements and adventures as PDFs. This is held up as evidence that WotC likes PDFs. But you can't get the core rulesbooks as PDFs, which are the primary ones everybody would want. If the Basic Set was good enough, then nobody would want to have the core rulebooks in hardcover either, and that's patently absurd.

 

[pukunui]

Thus the three hour drive Maybe I can get them sent up.

Try Vagabond or King of Cards. I’m pretty sure both of them have been getting the special covers in, and both are happy to ship stuff around the country.

Gateway Games in Tauranga is another option.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Thanks bro!

 

[unknowable]

Damn, I want the alternate covers... and now wish I had gotten the other alternate covers along the way.

I never got them because I always felt it would be a waste with them not matching the rest of the set... But now...

This said, I was planning on selling off my pathfinder collection (it just doesn't fill a niche I feel like running anymore)

 

[MNblockhead]

Please tell these are not real photos of the alternative covers. Because me and my wife agree they are bad.

They are and you and your wife have no taste.

I KID! I KID!

But I do really like these alternative covers--a lot. Not enough to spend $170 on in my current situation, but if I was a little more flush with funds, I would love to have these on my bookshelf.

Lucky for you, you have a choice. You can buy the standard covers, buy a digital version, or not buy at all.

Though, as I write that, I realize I'm being a bit too snarky. If you are a collector, perhaps buying alternative covers from prior editions, and are disappointed with this editions alternative covers, I can understand your disappointment. I guess I figure collectors buy them because they are less common and to be completionists, whether they like the items or not.

Anyway, each to their own. Sorry you don't like them. If someone buys you a set, I'd happily buy them from you at a discount.

 

[MNblockhead]

There is also an Android app, which means it is available on Android phones, tablets, and many Chromebooks. Apple is playing with running iOS apps on their macs as well. The D&D Beyond apps, which are still in beta at the moment, are currently e-readers only, but the team is working on expanding functionality to mirror the online website.

I have downloaded all of my purchased material to the app, but I prefer the site right now. I don't have any trouble with lack of wifi where I am so offline capability is not a concern of mine, but I know it is a big deal for many folks.

Right, didn't look it up. So they really just need to get a windows app out.

I've never enjoyed reading books from a laptop and especially a desktop. I use the DnD Beyond website when prepping my games or to look something up or have reference material/monster stats in different tabs while running a game. But I much prefer reading the books on the app on my iPhone. Same with Kindle. I should probably get a new iPad. The one that I have is fist gen and too old for most apps now and too heavy to enjoy reading for long periods of time. Heck, maybe with a good tablet I might come to enjoy reading PDFs.

 

[LordEntrails]

I won't debate functionality with you. Because in a way you are right, if all I want to do is get to my neighbors, shoes work really well. But if I want to get 20,000 KG to my neighbors, or I want to go 20 KM shoes suck. So if all you want to do is read formatted text then PDF does that for you. Good for you.

which is why every other game company releases all their stuff as PDFs.

Is flat out wrong. You're attempting to strengthen your case with an absolute that is a fallacy. No point in discussing that further.

...
While all of these may do some things that PDFs do not, none of them serve the purpose that a simple PDF would serve. That is, having a file in a non-proprietary format that you can read on whatever device and with whatever software you want to read it with. A simple electronic copy of the text and layout that does not require regular subscription fees to maintain.

Another pair of fallacies,
1) you can not read a PDF on whatever device you want with whatever software you want. I can not read one using Discord nor can I read one on my microwave. Again, you are trying to strengthen your arguments with absolutes that are not true.
2) not all digital versions of 5E products require a subscription. Here you are just misinformed or uninformed.

 

[LordEntrails]

What are the better formats? And, more to the point, how do you get D&D on those formats? Reading online doesn't cut it, because one can't always count on having an internet connection when one is out gaming. A priority app is no good, as it will expire eventually; a PDF is going to be usable for the foreseeable future.

Let's see, a better format than PDF... something that allows drag and drop copying/linking. Something that can be shared with multiple players simultaneously. Something that weighs milligrams or less. Something that does not require a subscription. Something that doesn't require an internet connection. Something I keep locally so if the provider goes out of business or changes their terms of service I can just walk away from and keep what I purchased.

Oh, you mean Fantasy Grounds modules. Nice. Glad that's the format I've bought all my 5E stuff in.

 

[unknowable]

On the topic of PDFs, a modern PDF is quite different in options / functionality to older pdfs.

I love technology but as it is even with having D&D beyond, Fantasygrounds and every book in hard cover. I will often sit down with my tablet and read scanned pdfs of the books.
Why?
Because they are more comfortable for me to read than physical books in certain circumstances and D&D beyond sucks to read at any length beyond referencing imo. (especially if I want to list page numbers for my note taking or refer players to page numbers)

Then you get companies that do PDFs well like MCG and their books (Numenera 2 books especially, really well done PDFs)

I can access it offline, I can bookmark pages or create notes on pages themselves (great for errata or notes on connecting/related rules)

PDFs are a great option and the fact that there aren't any options to buy them has done nothing but lose WotC money, people who want to pirate have been able to pirate since the launch of 5e.
Remember that we went YEARS without beyond as well. Which was especially annoying.

 

[darjr]

I would LOVE a good PDF of the core rules. I respect that WotC doesn’t want to sell them, no worries. D&D Beyond is good and getting better, still I’d prefer a PDF.

 

[rknop]

Is flat out wrong. You're attempting to strengthen your case with an absolute that is a fallacy. No point in discussing that further.

Which game company does not release their stuff as PDFs? I am not aware of any.

Suffice to say that the vast majority of them do. WOTC is an outlier by not releasing their core books as PDF, even if they are not the one and only outlier.

Another pair of fallacies,
1) you can not read a PDF on whatever device you want with whatever software you want. I can not read one using Discord nor can I read one on my microwave. Again, you are trying to strengthen your arguments with absolutes that are not true.

Oh, give me a break. This is sophistry.

You can read a PDF on whatever device that has PDF reading software (which is every modern phone, tablet, laptop, desktop) with whatever PDF reading software you want -- and, given that PDF is an open format, there is a variety of PDF reading software available on all platforms.

I had thought that those qualifiers were obvious.

 

[rknop]

Let's see, a better format than PDF... something that allows drag and drop copying/linking. Something that can be shared with multiple players simultaneously. Something that weighs milligrams or less. Something that does not require a subscription. Something that doesn't require an internet connection. Something I keep locally so if the provider goes out of business or changes their terms of service I can just walk away from and keep what I purchased.

Oh, you mean Fantasy Grounds modules. Nice. Glad that's the format I've bought all my 5E stuff in.

...which is great if you've bought Fantasy Grounds and want to use it.

If you don't want to be locked in to that one proprietary format, then it's no good. This is especially true for Fantasy Grounds if you aren't playing a VTT game.

What format that does not lock you in to a single proprietary application is there that's better than PDF?

 

[Jester David]

Which game company does not release their stuff as PDFs? I am not aware of any.

The #3-4 RPG is Fantasy Flight Games’ Star Wars. There are no PDFs.

Suffice to say that the vast majority of them do. WOTC is an outlier by not releasing their core books as PDF, even if they are not the one and only outlier.

How many others release the Basic Rules for free? Have an SRD that allows 3rd Parties to make compatible content? How many have a DMsGuild that allows you to sell your fan content?

I think it’s a managerial issue blocking PDFs. I think the D&D team would do them if they had the chance.
But even if WotC did allow PDFs, I think a lot of people would just be complaining that WotC is charging $30 or whining that they should somehow be free with the purchase of a physical book.

 

[LordEntrails]

Which game company does not release their stuff as PDFs? I am not aware of any.

Suffice to say that the vast majority of them do. WOTC is an outlier by not releasing their core books as PDF, even if they are not the one and only outlier.
...
I had thought that those qualifiers were obvious.

Thank you for proving my point. Your statements were unqualified and false as written.

...which is great if you've bought Fantasy Grounds and want to use it.

If you don't want to be locked in to that one proprietary format, then it's no good. This is especially true for Fantasy Grounds if you aren't playing a VTT game.

What format that does not lock you in to a single proprietary application is there that's better than PDF?

Buying a permanent license of FG and the 5E products on FG is cheaper (by far) than buying the books alone through your FLGS.

If your requirements/criteria for what you want are set so that only a PDF will suffice, then nothing else matters and you will never be happy with WotC. You should know by now that they have made their view of PDFs clear, and that complaining about it on any forum is futile and a waste of your time and ours.

I hope you have something else in life that can make you happy, because it won't be 5E in PDF's while 5E is the current edition.

 

[BrockBallingdark]

Great alt covers, no way I'm paying $170 for that set. So glad I'm not a collector or have OCD about things like this.

 

[RevTurkey]

I’d love to see a ‘classic’ edition of 5e...maybe with black/white matt interiors...the best art from all the old editions and better binding...with orange spines. That’d be a fun set.

 

[jasper]

They are and you and your wife have no taste.

I KID! I KID!

But I do really like these alternative covers--a lot. Not enough to spend $170 on in my current situation, but if I was a little more flush with funds, I would love to have these on my bookshelf.

Lucky for you, you have a choice. You can buy the standard covers, buy a digital version, or not buy at all.

Though, as I write that, I realize I'm being a bit too snarky. If you are a collector, perhaps buying alternative covers from prior editions, and are disappointed with this editions alternative covers, I can understand your disappointment. I guess I figure collectors buy them because they are less common and to be completionists, whether they like the items or not.

Anyway, each to their own. Sorry you don't like them. If someone buys you a set, I'd happily buy them from you at a discount.

Hmm Insult my taste will you. D20s at twenty paces at dragoncon!. Just for you I would only charger $1,700.00. Hey I got to pay for the con and my wife's bike habit.