D&D 5E Dungeons & Dragons Boom!

[Reynard]

The other aspect that I think gets forgotten is that DMs often shoulder not just most of the effort but also most of the expense. Even if players buy the PHB (many of whom dont) and some dice (ditto) that expense is all they ever need spend. DMs are at least on the hook for the DMG and the MM, and probably an adventure if they are just starting out. That can be a barrier of entry just as intimidating as the 900 pages of rules.

I have a number of FG players who still use the demo account while I have spent hundreds of dollars. I'm lucky, I can afford it and I like to run games, but I can imagine the cost of even running online being off putting to many new GMs.

 

[Hussar]

I do agree that being a DM is easier in 5e, however I just recently started playing D&D on Discord, while also using roll20 and D&D Beyond. What I have discovered is much more players looking for DM's than DM's looking for players.

To be fair, that was true fifteen years ago when I started running games online. Players have always been a dime a dozen. It's one of the nice things about playing online that you can be very, very choosey about who you play with. It's a nice perk.

 

[gyor]

The fact that a DM is needed at all is the single greatest weakness of D&D. If WotC developed an advanced DM AI that would rock.

For now BG3 will be the ones to benefit from this.

 

[Reynard]

The fact that a DM is needed at all is the single greatest weakness of D&D. If WotC developed an advanced DM AI that would rock.

For now BG3 will be the ones to benefit from this.

I can't speak for anyone else, but the level of AI that would be necessary for a satisfying experience as a player would basically be the singularity for me. You can program your Alexa to run a linear adventure for you, but not even Watson could simulate the 20 minute expedition to buy rope and flirt with the shopkeeper.

 

[JeffB]

The other aspect that I think gets forgotten is that DMs often shoulder not just most of the effort but also most of the expense. Even if players buy the PHB (many of whom dont) and some dice (ditto) that expense is all they ever need spend. DMs are at least on the hook for the DMG and the MM, and probably an adventure if they are just starting out. That can be a barrier of entry just as intimidating as the 900 pages of rules.

I have a number of FG players who still use the demo account while I have spent hundreds of dollars. I'm lucky, I can afford it and I like to run games, but I can imagine the cost of even running online being off putting to many new GMs.

Absolutely. I had intended to mention the investment piece as well. It's significant, despite all the value per $ vs. other forms of entertainment argument. DMing is work. A labor of love, for sure, but labor nonetheless and then factor in the $ expenditure on top of it.

The free online rules help, but there is nothing to really support it-DMs guild? DMsG is a mess just to navigate though product types and lines, and half or more the products look official. I feel WOTC would be doing themselves as favor by putting up some official free to download adventures on their website to go along with the Basic rules. Something to provide more initial support to DMs. There is massive gulf between $15 Starter Set, and $140-ish dollars of 3 rule books and a Adventure Path.

I thought the "NEXT" products were a fantastic idea- Things like Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle. Softcover, Starter set of rules, and a good amount of adventure material for an non-intimidating price, and non-intimidating presentation. Or the 4E red box, where after completing the box, they had a link to a Solo adventure. After awhile KotS became a freebie on DTRPG as well.

 

[MockingBird]

This one starter set doesn't cut it. Sure you can go find shorter adventures but you don't see WotC ones in store shelves for cheap.

Most APs don't seem to get completed either.

I agree with this sentiment. I love the big adventures but they arent always practical. Yeah you can buy the smaller old school adventures on DM guild, but will a brand new aspiring DM know to look there? Will he/she be discouraged because it will have to be converted? Having a selection of smaller adventures on store shelves would be wonderful. WotC could even have a range of more simple to more advanced adventures. Of course we have Ghost of Saltmarsh and Tales from the Yawning Portal. I personally think these formats are great, I have both. I also think and highly encourage WotC to have more visible smaller adventures sharing shelf space with the hardbacks. I particularly liked 4es adventures design. Everything in a usable folder with everything you needed, for the most part, to run the adventure.

 

[ad_hoc]

I do agree that being a DM is easier in 5e, however I just recently started playing D&D on Discord, while also using roll20 and D&D Beyond. What I have discovered is much more players looking for DM's than DM's looking for players.

There's going to be a different dynamic there as you aren't playing with friends.

The people who want to play D&D online will be its own demographic too. I think another huge contributor to 5e's success is the same reason why boardgames are becoming more and more popular. People want to have some social time unplugged from screens.

What % of the 5e player base plays online?

I would be interested to know. It can't be very much right?

 

[LordEntrails]

with it's appearance in Stranger Things being the highest contributor to it's rise in popularity

Huh? Where did you pull that opinion out of? Sure, D&D was mentioned in Stranger Things, and those of us into D&D already talked a lot about it. But it's not the first or last time such mentions have been made. Do you have any data to support such a claim? Or even any opinions from anyone in the know to support such a claim?

Most of the people that have recently started playing D&D have started playing as the players, not the DM.

This has ALWAYS been the case.

Sorry, but this opinion piece isn't very well researched or thought out...

 

[gyor]

I think D&D appearing in Big Bang was also useful. Plus the rise of streaming of course.

 

[Reynard]

I think D&D appearing in Big Bang was also useful. Plus the rise of streaming of course.

And Community, among other shows. D&D has always held a place in the cultural psychosphere, albeit with different connotations over time. The current exponential rise has more to do with the fact that many of the people considered cultural movers and shakers are right now of an age that they played as kids. Plus, the rest of us that did so are of an age where we generally have enough disposable income that we amount to a target market.