D&D (2024) Dungeons & Dragons 2025 Monster Manuals show up in the wild.

[dave2008]

So, you seem to be misunderstanding my point, which probably means I was a little too loose with my response.

I am not telling game stores what to do. I am not even telling people what to do. I am just saying that people should not place moral judgements on how and when folks buy products produced by megacorporations, because the economic impact of those things are so far beyond the individual consumer that its literally does not matter. BUT, buying products produced by small companies and individual creators does, in fact, matter. Convincing FLGSes to carry those items helps everyone: consumers, creators, and stores. I make a concerted effort to support companies and stores that support Bits and Mortar, for example.

Yep, didn't catch that - thanks for the clarification. From my point of view you were talking to a store owner, not an individual purchaser, so the dynamic is a little different and colored how I understood your response.

 

[Reynard]

Yep, didn't catch that - thanks for the clarification. From my point of view you were talking to a store owner, not a individual purchaser, so the dynamic is a little different and colored how I understood your response.

No, I totally hurried and wasn't clear. My bad.

 

[Charlaquin]

Nevermind, there’s no reason to keep harping on this. Sorry.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

One could add: even if person X is not buying from a LGS, it helps all the LGSes out there for Amazon not to break street date, such that person X can probably suck up having to wait for their Amazon order to arrive.

This is the only point I was trying to make.

I wasn't speaking of any kind of moral fight. Just that Amazon ought not be able to get away with breaking street date when the rest of us don't get that luxury.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

So, you seem to be misunderstanding my point, which probably means I was a little too loose with my response.

I am not telling game stores what to do. I am not even telling people what to do. I am just saying that people should not place moral judgements on how and when folks buy products produced by megacorporations, because the economic impact of those things are so far beyond the individual consumer that its literally does not matter. BUT, buying products produced by small companies and individual creators does, in fact, matter. Convincing FLGSes to carry those items helps everyone: consumers, creators, and stores. I make a concerted effort to support companies and stores that support Bits and Mortar, for example.

This is all fine, but it's a departure from where the conversation started without much of a clear path for the segue. I think we might be closer to the same page by now, though.

 

[Dire Bare]

My individual purchase choices aren't going to impact Bezos one bit. He'll, Anazon's income doesn't even come primarily from selling physical objects.

I am not sure that the megacorporation ecosystem benefits from the nuance you are suggesting. Honestly, if people care about their FLGS, they shouldn't buy D&D at all and they should get their game stores to stock other games. You can't buy WotC and claim any sort of moral high ground, regardless of where you get it.

So, you seem to be misunderstanding my point, which probably means I was a little too loose with my response.

I am not telling game stores what to do. I am not even telling people what to do. I am just saying that people should not place moral judgements on how and when folks buy products produced by megacorporations, because the economic impact of those things are so far beyond the individual consumer that its literally does not matter. BUT, buying products produced by small companies and individual creators does, in fact, matter. Convincing FLGSes to carry those items helps everyone: consumers, creators, and stores. I make a concerted effort to support companies and stores that support Bits and Mortar, for example.

You seem to be misunderstanding folks pushback on your posts.

While it was likely flip and just an expression of eagerness for the new book, your wish that Amazon would break street date on the MM is, of course, a selfish one. One that, if realized, has a very negative impact on local gaming stores. Regardless of whether you, personally, have an FLGS to support or not.

You then shifted goal posts and chastised folks for being concerned about the little guy, their local game store, yet purchasing the MM at all as WotC too is a corporation. Nobody was seeking moral high ground, folks were just concerned about the survival of their local gaming stores. And . . . while WotC is a large corporation that plays corporation games . . . they don't play in the same league as Bezos and his impact on our society.

You imply that folks are hypocritical for wanting to purchase a D&D book from their local brick-and-mortar game shop and not from the corporation that is Amazon. Which is pretty gross, IMO. Also insulting, as if we do not understand that D&D is produced by a large corporation and need this explained to us.

It's not about wanting to punish or reward Amazon or WotC, it's about wanting a degree of fairness in the marketplace and for the survival of the local game store.

Sheesh.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

It's all probably moot at this point anyhow, as the entire North American Comic and Game market is unlikely to survive the new tariff war. I don't mean to speak on politics, but more on current events that are important to this industry.

As I understand it, the USA is not in a position to produce print books (other than B&W novels) without Canadian or Mexican paper, and Board Games, Dice, and other games are usually made in China. So, in the absolute very least, things in our entire hobby are about to get drastically more expensive to produce, sell, and buy.

Make no mistake folks. Our hobby is in deep, deep trouble as of today.

Sigh. And I was doing quite well for the last 24 years, too...

 

[MonsterEnvy]

It's all probably moot at this point anyhow, as the entire North American Comic and Game market is unlikely to survive the new tariff war. I don't mean to speak on politics, but more on current events that are jmportant to this industry.

As I understand it, the USA is not in a position to produce print books (other than B&W novels) without Canadian or Mexican paper, and Board Games, Dice, and other games are usually made in China. So, in the absolute very least, things in our entire hobby are about to get drastically more expensive to produce, sell, and buy.

Make no mistake folks. Our hobby is in deep, deep trouble as of today.

Sigh. And I was doing quite well for the last 24 years, too...

With luck the tariffs won't last long, cause they are pointless attacks and as far as I know no one but one person wants them. And hopefully their advisors help them see sense and not wreck the NA Economy for literally no reason.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Hasbro has very particularly gone out of their way to do something behind the scenes (exactly what is unclear, but it is clear theybhave done something) so that Amazon cannot undermine MSRP in the USA for them.

One thing Amazon does in the UK is ship through the Channel Islands to avoid tax. A large enough supplier could probably put the kybosh on those sorts of shenanigans.

 

[This Effin’ GM]

Once you can answer questions, I am curious if the monster subgroups in the Appendix have little write ups. Like are the Demons and Devils just listed together on a list there, or is there a little explanation of what Demons and Devils are in addition?

This is my biggest complaint.

They stopped grouping monsters together (dragons -> all the dragons; devils -> all the devils; demons -> all the demons) and instead have individual alphabetical entries.

This makes them each feel unique, sure. BUT. I have 28 years of reading by category, and now I have to adjust when I go to reference it. UGH.