Do We Know (Officially) when Barbarians and Druids will be Released?

[The Little Raven]

I would have prefered a 600-page PHB instead of waiting a year.

What hardcore fans prefer and what makes sense for business do not always go hand-in-hand.

 

[Kzach]

Do I blame WotC for not trying to print a 700 page $55 dollar Player's Handbook? No. I woudn't want such an insane book.

I would.

In fact, if I thought that they would actually produce a 'compendium' edition of the PHB, I'd not buy either and just use DDI til they released it and buy that.

Think about it this way: you're going to buy both books. You're going to cart both books around to games. Why not have it as one book instead of two?

Sounds like a bloody great idea to me.

Although, having said that, I might just tear out the dragonborn and tiefling sections of the PHB I and insert the druid, barbarian, bard and sorcerer in their place and call it "Advanced 4e"

 

[hong]

You have 3 months to put your money in the piggy bank, that's not enough?

Don't talk to me. Talk to all those people whinging about the buy-in cost for D&D.

 

[Saishu_Heiki]

By weight, paper is more valuable than gold. And to that ink, binding, shipping, and extra time to edit, design the layout, and proof all that extra content and the costs are astronomical.

The PHB is not an incomplete product. It has everything one needs to run the game successfully. If it happens to not have your pet race or class, that is something that you can work with. WotC has not prevented you from playing the game by releasing a mere 320 page PHB.

 

[Insight]

Another consideration, in terms of what is official (and WOTC unfortunately, no offense, Clark) is the matter of the Living Forgotten Realms campaign. Going by what happened with Living Greyhawk, only WOTC sources could be used for characters, and only those in certain books. First, of course, it was the PHB. Later (much later), other books were slowly added as options.

One of my concerns with classes such as the Druid and Barbarian not being "core" is that it will delay the inclusion of these traditional classes in LFR. I'd hope that the RPGA either opens the door a bit wider to allow 3rd party products such as those produced by Necromancer and/or allow official WOTC web releases earlier than the actual paper books come out.

 

[MaelStorm]

By weight, paper is more valuable than gold. And to that ink, binding, shipping, and extra time to edit, design the layout, and proof all that extra content and the costs are astronomical.

To this I agree. That's why there are digital books.

The PHB is not an incomplete product. It has everything one needs to run the game successfully.

The strict minimum, yes.

If it happens to not have your pet race or class, that is something that you can work with.

Hardly possible now. You need to invent a list of 15-level of Attack and Utility powers for each class. Race, I agree though.

 

[keterys]

Or... and this may be a crazy solution... don't play that class, for a little while.

 

[MaelStorm]

Or... and this may be a crazy solution... don't play that class, for a little while.

That's the only situation possible, when the customer is held hostage and the company has the bigger end of the stick.
EDIT: Or switch to another company or try another game. The problem is that D&D is the easiest choice to start a new group and find new players. So, I'm back to square one.

 

[kennew142]

Bold type is mine, for emphasis.

That's the only situation possible, when the customer is held hostage and the company has the bigger hand of the stick.

This may be one of the most melodramatic things I've seen posted in this forum (not that MealStorm is the first one to post it). WotC is no more holding the customer hostage because Bards and Druids are not in PHB I than it is because Psionics, Favored Souls, Dromites and Goliaths are not in PHB I.

TSR wasn't holding the customer hostage when they decided to leave assassins, monks and half-orcs out of the 2e PHB. Nor when Psionics weren't in the AD&D PHB.

These omissions constitute design decisions. It's possible to disagree with those decisions, but resorting to hyperbole doesn't make the argument.

I will add myself to the group of players who doesn't want a 700 page PHB I. I wish psionics and the Eberron campaign book were coming out sooner, but I will get by.

 

[Dormain1]

Being that the Druid was a sub-class of cleric in 2nd ed it shouldn't be that hard to retcon a druid, sure it may not be official but who cares you can update when it comes out.

I do understand the feeling of being given the short end of the stick

try playing Drangonlance with gnomes being monsters, it's not my fault that WotC dont know what to do with gnomes

The reason why the Druid and Bard are being thrown into the PH2 is so people will buy it, if PH2 was filled with all new classes races etc people would not need to buy it, but now if you want to continue to use existing classes you need to buy it or rip it somehow

From the look of it WotC are trying to put all the various character types, controller striker etc, and that would mean that the Druid would be a double up