D&D (2024) Does anyone else think that 1D&D will create a significant divide in the community?

[DEFCON 1]

Actually, Paizo says PF2 is doing better than PF1 if you can believe that. All kinds of indie and D&D alternatives are doing very well right now. Of course, they pale in comparison to D&D and always have, but they are seeing a lot of desire for products. What it tells me is that a lot of folks playing 5E are likely also playing other games in addition to, as opposed to instead of.

It's the "floats all boats" theory and there's a lot of truth to it. As more and more new people find D&D and roleplaying for the first time... many of those people will discover they can play this game in other genres and in other styles and pick up more books across all different brands. Which of course then means those players need to find other players to play with them and thus introduce new folks to those other brands... which will make some of them then find their way over to D&D (and those grows the D&D audience further.)

It is never a bad thing when multiple types of a thing become a thing. Because it just means word of mouth to those outside the circle just expands and expands, and those who are on the outside might find reason to move in. And that makes all the things bigger.

 

[Marandahir]

Eh, there are already rifts between AL-legal rules and Core-Only rules, and Core+1 rules, and Core+Expansion rules, and anything-goes rules, and Pre-Tasha's rules only, and WotC+AL+DM's Guild Adepts rules, and WotC+AL+DMs Guild+ Keith Baker, Matt Mercer, and Ed Greenwood product rules, etc; the community is doing just fine defining which set of content is legal at each individual table. I doubt this will cause a serious rift.

The biggest thing here is that officially sponsored AL tables will be with One D&D Rules, and there won't be a separate running "official" League created by Fandom and/or DriveThruRPG just because WotC outsourced some of 5e to those companies (a la Paizo and the Pathfinder Adventures' Modules when 3.5e ended and WotC organized play was supporting 4e).

 

[Micah Sweet]

I played 5E and PF1 at the same time. I also played OSR games like DCC at the same time. What would you like to know?

What are you getting out of both systems that's it worth playing them at the same time? Do you have any of the same players in both games? Are you running either or both? Is it difficult for either you or the other players to keep the similar but different rules straight?

 

[payn]

I agree with all of that. Like, DCC has been a huge success, but when weighed relatively against D&D 5e? It seems insignificant.

As for PF2 I'm inclined to think that if PF2 was doing as well as they claim we wouldn't be seeing 5e conversions of adventure paths.

Its true, there has been a lot of shake up in the AP line over at Paizo. Some folks will point and say its proof things are going poorly, but going on 15 years now you'd expect so change regardless of success. Kingmaker was converted by third party, but Abomination Vault isnt. The second is half the size of Kingmaker and a pretty generic fantasy RPG concept. Perhaps, its the ease of conversion and mass appeal that makes it a good idea for some extra bucks. Or, its a test to diversify the AP line which is the real bread and butter for Paizo. I dont think it means the ship is sinking in any case though.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Eh, there are already rifts between AL-legal rules and Core-Only rules, and Core+1 rules, and Core+Expansion rules, and anything-goes rules, and Pre-Tasha's rules only, and WotC+AL+DM's Guild Adepts rules, and WotC+AL+DMs Guild+ Keith Baker, Matt Mercer, and Ed Greenwood product rules, etc; I doubt this will cause a serious rift.

None of those things are asking you to re-buy the core books. I think that will make a difference.

 

[John R Davis]

Absolutely it will

Internetland in 2024 will be even more unpleasant than internetland 2022.

 

[payn]

What are you getting out of both systems that's it worth playing them at the same time? Do you have any of the same players in both games? Are you running either or both? Is it difficult for either you or the other players to keep the similar but different rules straight?

A little of all of that. In my 5E and PF1 shake up, part of the group wanted a simpler streamlined ruleset that 5E offers. I'd say those folks are less hardcore in just about every aspect of the game. For old school stuff its to dip our toes in nostalgia from time to time and diversify the experience.

I have decades of experience with 3E/PF1 now, so its pretty easy to run it exactly as I like. Though, everyone in 5E games still confuses rules from time to time. I think that is only natural for older gamers as they have gone through numerous edition churns. That doesnt seem to be a big enough issue for us to stop experimenting and chasing new experiences. There is no ruleset to stop all future progress, there will never be one to rule them all for us.

 

[payn]

Absolutely it will

Internetland in 2024 will be even more unpleasant than internetland 2022.

On the bright side, I think internetland in 2026 will be a lot rosier.

 

[Marandahir]

None of those things are asking you to re-buy the core books. I think that will make a difference.

Are they asking us to rebuy?

I'm not sure they are, yet. They might just update the content for us in D&D Beyond, and provide errata, but if you WANT to buy the new books with the errata included, you can. MAYBE.

I'm not sure we know what this will entail, other than 3 new core rulebooks, and 1 new set of Basic Rules and SRD, existing. In fact, the very existence of the Basic Rules and the SRD means that you wouldn't need to buy ANYTHING. I imagine most players don't buy.

 

[Clint_L]

How many folks currently use DnDBeyond or will by 2024? Probably the majority of campaigns. So you will be heavily incentivized to go with the current edition.

But I am not seeing substantial changes that will cause a huge rift. Not so far. Seems more like tweaks.