D&D 5E Dragons of Stormwreck Isle: New D&D Starter Set Is Coming This Year

Hasbro has posted a short video which highlights its 2022 portfolio of brands, including toys and games, and in it can be seen images of a D&D Starter Set called Dragons of Stormwreck Isle. The cover feature a blue dragon breathing lightning.

Critical Role's Call of the Netherdeep also appears briefly.

In this press release, Hasbro lists the boxed set with a retail price of $49.99, which seems very high for a starter set.

 

[Rabulias]

Material and logistics might have forced the price increases.

Yeah, no way have they increased prices 100%. Besides, look at Call of the Netherdeep still listed at $49.99 MSRP, the same price of D&D hardbacks for years.

 

[Stormonu]

A long time ago, in some D&D article, they stated that putting “Dragon” in the title (or demon/devil) caused more people to buy the product. Perfect to do that for a “starter” set to generate more interest/desirability.

 

[Rabulias]

Cunningly hidden in plain sight in the article you’re replying to.

Thanks! I see now. In my defense, when I started reading the thread it was not an article, just @Weiley31's post with the video.

 

[Parmandur]

While that figure can be a typo, I think we should be prepared to see an increase in costs across the board. Over the past year especially, the costs have increased significantly, especially with more publishers going to local book printing shops rather than China.

For sake of illustration (not real $ numbers):

Book cost to manufacture, China: $5 per book, $2 for shipping per book, $1 customs per book = $8
Book cost to manufacture, US: $8 per book, $2 for shipping = $10.

So everyone used Chinese manufacture

Now, price to ship from China increased from $2 to $5, and added a month or two to ship time. Both manufacturers increased base cost by $1 due to rising costs. So now it's:
China: $12, US: $11.

Real cost difference from $8 (previously used China) to $11 (current US) is $3 increase per book.

Those few dollars per book might not seem like much, but if your profit margin after all costs is $2 a book, it becomes a no brainer that you have to increase costs as well.

*Again, these aren't real numbers. I suspect the % of cost increase is more than $3 per book (6% for a $50 book) based on what I've seen. In some cases, I've seen cost of manufacturing increase by up to 20%.

WotC actually has an advantage, at least, in that they were always using U.S. printer's for their books sold here. However, they have frozen their costs since 2014, and something will have to give eventually because inflation has been a bear in the past 8 years.

I think itnis bottle that the MSRP of the old Starter Set and the Essentials Kit combines is $45: a box that offers the amount if content of voth combined would be fair at $50. We don't know enough about the product offering yet to make a final judgement, bit $50 could be reasonable if the contents are right. I think the box sets have sold well enough to graduate from loss leader.

 

[Jer]

Despite the term "Dragon" being in the name of the roleplaying game itself, it's interesting that the Essential Starter Kit and now this one both have "Dragon" in the title. Dragon of Icespire Peak and now Dragons of Stormwreck. And then we had Venomfang before but that lacks it being in the title and not being a main focus of the set.

So still find it interesting how there is a dragon theme going on in these Starter kit/sets.

Well, these boxed sets are meant to sit on the shelf of a gaming aisle at a big box store and to a large degree be "impulsive" purchases rather than heavily researched ones. A big old dragon on the cover sells the idea that this is Dungeons and Dragons. And a box with a big old dragon on it is going to pique the interest of a wide variety of kids who are likely to be dragged to the big box store by their parents.

Also an argument for keeping the cost low - it's a lot easier for a parent to justify dropping $20-$25 bucks on a game than $50 while going down the aisle of a big box store. Though Target and Meijer have been selling more gamer-oriented boardgames recently they're still usually lower cost versions of the bigger games (Like their version of Gloomhaven...)

 

[Parmandur]

Well, these boxed sets are meant to sit on the shelf of a gaming aisle at a big box store and to a large degree be "impulsive" purchases rather than heavily researched ones. A big old dragon on the cover sells the idea that this is Dungeons and Dragons. And a box with a big old dragon on it is going to pique the interest of a wide variety of kids who are likely to be dragged to the big box store by their parents.

Also an argument for keeping the cost low - it's a lot easier for a parent to justify dropping $20-$25 bucks on a game than $50 while going down the aisle of a big box store. Though Target and Meijer have been selling more gamer-oriented boardgames recently they're still usually lower cost versions of the bigger games (Like their version of Gloomhaven...)

It's worth noting that Tarhet doesn't sell D&D books at MSRP (the PHB at Target is $27.93 for example), and they not that on the price notice in store. If this is a bulkier box, which I suspect is possible, then Target can sell it at a "discount" like they do the books (price matching Amazon).

 

[Jer]

It's worth noting that Tarhet doesn't sell D&D books at MSRP (the PHB at Target is $27.93 for example), and they not that on the price notice in store. If this is a bulkier box, which I suspect is possible, then Target can sell it at a "discount" like they do the books (price matching Amazon).

That's possible, but the attached photo above makes it look about the same as the Essentials Kit in size. They could be hiding elements to build hype but if that's the actual photo of the product I suspect a mistake in the press release.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Looks like they will at least have a new adventure in it with a blue dragon, but I wouldn't be surprised if it collects material from the original starter and essentials kit as well.

 

[darjr]

WotC has confirmed the pricing listed is incorrect.

@Morrus

 

[Retreater]

Now that we know the price is incorrect, we can start debating important questions: If the moon were made of BBQ spare ribs, would you eat it then? Would you go back for seconds?