D&D 5E D&D Up 35% In 2020 While Virtual Play Rises 86%

In this article from the Los Angeles Times, WotC's Liz Schuh shared a couple of interesting statistics: D&D revenues increased 35% in 2020 over 2019; and online play is up 86% (for obvious reasons).

Turning to Dungeons & Dragons to escape a real-life monster — COVID-19

With little else to do, the COVID-19 pandemic has given D&D players a reason to gather virtually to go on heroic quests in the increasingly popular role-playing game.

www.latimes.com

The LA Times published a similar article a couple of months ago. See my big list of articles about D&D in the meanstream!

 

[dave2008]

I've been wondering what an updated version of 5e might look like, and I'm really not sure.

I see an updated 5e having little new material, so it wouldn't need much if any playtesting. I see it including their new lineage / culture character creation rules, adding stuff from XGtE & TCoE (not all the subclasses), maybe a revised ranger, and a few other tweaks. The errata and rules clarifications to make RAI more clear. Maybe clean up a few subsystems, but nothing that really changes the way the game is played.

 

[zedturtle]

bonus actions are gone.

Don't take my bonus actions away! It's really important for interesting monster design — it allows you to say the monster can do this interesting thing on its turn OR that interesting thing on its turn, but not both.

 

[Keefe the Thief]

If you`d told me that I could`ve easily and quickly shift a long-running campaign Online without much hassle I wouldn`t have believed you a year ago. THAT is how far we´ve come.

 

[Scribe]

www.levelup5e.com

But the important thing is, how is it handling Race and ASI?

 

[Morrus]

But the important thing is, how is it handling Race and ASI?

Download the Origins playtest document and find out. It’s been there for nearly 5 months now.

 

[MNblockhead]

"But Wizards is failing D&D and Hasbro is going to sell it!?"

It'll be interesting to see what happens with that massive increase in online play. I think it will decrease if we can ever get through the pandemic, but I don't think it will decrease as quickly or drastically as one might think.

I don't know. It may be more like what I expect you'll see with business. Many companies were skeptical about the feasibility and effectiveness of telecommuting and resisted the trend. COVID forced companies to adapt and many have learned that telecommuting can be as—or more—efficient and effective, and certainly more cost-effective, than paying for large amounts of office space.

Many gamers, myself included, resisted VTTs until that was the only way could continue our games. While I'm looking forward to running in-person games again, I will continue to run games remotely by VTT and integrate my VTT into in-person games.

 

[Scribe]

Download the Origins playtest document and find out. It’s been there for nearly 5 months now.

Done, so its on Background instead, with no tie to Heritage (Race) or Culture, and further ASI as you level (looking at Fighter and Rogue classes for example).

Oh well.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Don't take my bonus actions away! It's really important for interesting monster design — it allows you to say the monster can do this interesting thing on its turn OR that interesting thing on its turn, but not both.

Or you write: the monster can do one of the following things once per turn.

Actually I am a big fan of bonus actions, giving the rogue a meaningful choice each turn and a choice between one handed and two handed.
On the other hand they force choices between actions that are nit really related.
I don't have a great solution to that problem however.

 

[Dr Magister]

While I'm looking forward to running in-person games again, I will continue to run games remotely by VTT and integrate my VTT into in-person games.

This. I can't imagine going back to hand-drawn maps for face-to-face games now.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

There's a lot to be said for the convenience of online play and the advantages of some of the platforms. Another factor is that the anxieties of being around people in person aren't going to go away easily. I totally miss going to conventions, but the thought of being around that many people is just panic-inducing right now, and that sort of fear doesn't fade easily.

I don't know. It may be more like what I expect you'll see with business. Many companies were skeptical about the feasibility and effectiveness of telecommuting and resisted the trend. COVID forced companies to adapt and many have learned that telecommuting can be as—or more—efficient and effective, and certainly more cost-effective, than paying for large amounts of office space.

Many gamers, myself included, resisted VTTs until that was the only way could continue our games. While I'm looking forward to running in-person games again, I will continue to run games remotely by VTT and integrate my VTT into in-person games.