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.

 

[rknop]

Both Document Viewer (https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.sufficientlysecure.viewer/) and PDF Viewer (https://pdfviewer.io) do quite a good job with game PDFs on Android.

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.

mach1.9pants suggests that one could save PDF from D&D Beyond. Could I buy D&D beyond, save a PDF of (say) the Player's Handbook, and then have a PDF that would work just like all my Pathfinder PDFs? I've googled around, and have not seen an indication that D&D Beyond works this way.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Both Document Viewer (https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.sufficientlysecure.viewer/) and PDF Viewer (https://pdfviewer.io) do quite a good job with game PDFs on Android.

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 table for the foreseeable future.

mach1.9pants suggests that one could save PDF from D&D Beyond. Could I buy D&D beyond, save a PDF of (say) the Player's Handbook, and then have a PDF that would work just like all my Pathfinder PDFs? I've googled around, and have not seen an indication that D&D Beyond works this way.

Yup, but it is one chapter at a time ( so you'd have to merge, and link if you want those) - just 'print' the browser page> save as PDF. Sign up for DDB, free account, and trial it with the Basic Set for nothing

 

[rknop]

Is this a print of the web page, or the actual laid out PDF of the book? While the former is usable, it's not at all the same as the latter.

 

[MNblockhead]

Every other company does a special edition and charges 150% for said books. Often just with a variant cover.
Which are typically only available on the publisher’s online stores.

WotC charges the MSRP and lets you buy them at FLGS where you don’t have to pay for shipping. And people flip out because they can’t buy them at Amazon discounted prices.

:/

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.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Is this a print of the web page, or the actual laid out PDF of the book? While the former is usable, it's not at all the same as the latter.

Print the Web page, it prints in a mobile friendly format, No extraneous stuff. But no links etc, and displaying one chapter at a time. Only a little effort to make your own. Give it a try, it's free

 

[mach1.9pants]

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.

I'm not sure we actually have any FLGS left in the country! Cards stores, warhammer stores but no actual rpg stores, some will sell DnD but certainly not special editions. So either online or drive 3 hours for me, that's if I can get them to stock it! Unlikely to even make it to NZ

 

[MNblockhead]

And DnD Beyond its a lot better than PDFs, although usable on less devices

DnD Beyond can be used on any browser. I've used it on my Windows laptop, iMAC desktop, an iPad, an iPhone, and on my TV with the Amazon File TV Silk browser. There are far more devices I can access DnD beyond on than I could with a PDF.

But, for OFFLINE use, it is true, I can only access the material offline using my iPhone.

 

[MNblockhead]

Both Document Viewer (https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.sufficientlysecure.viewer/) and PDF Viewer (https://pdfviewer.io) do quite a good job with game PDFs on Android.

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.

mach1.9pants suggests that one could save PDF from D&D Beyond. Could I buy D&D beyond, save a PDF of (say) the Player's Handbook, and then have a PDF that would work just like all my Pathfinder PDFs? I've googled around, and have not seen an indication that D&D Beyond works this way.

AFAIK DnD Beyond's offline reader is only available for iOS at this point. So for offline use, yes, you are quite limited to which devices to use (iPADs and iPhones basically). But, I have to say, that reading the DnD material in the DnD Beyond app on my iPhone X is an excellent experience. I actually read the entire Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes on my phone and have barely done any reading in the physical book. Also, I can created foldered book marks so that I can organize rules in a way that makes sense to me across all the books. I can also search across all my downloaded content and see the results from multiple sources listed together.

PDFs have their role as an archive format and it is more likely that I'll be able to access my old PDFs 20 years from now than DnD Beyond, but that is why I buy the books. For digital content, I want something that is easy and pleasant and convenient to use. I don't really worry about whether I'll be able to use it years from now.

 

[orial]

Plus the discount price on Amazon for the DM screen, so $106. Plus however much you think the case is worth that it all comes in. So if this set gets the usual Amazon discount that all other 5E stuff gets, it should sell for between $110-120. That is a small enough difference that this would make a great present for someone new to the game and who wants to DM.

These "alternate" covers will not be available via Amazon (see article) as with the other alternate covers, they will be brick and mortar exclusive.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

These "alternate" covers will not be available via Amazon (see article) as with the other alternate covers, they will be brick and mortar exclusive.

And like I said my my previous comments, I was only referring to the normal covers, not the special covers.