Get Rid of Splatbooks Altogether

[FireLance]

Frankly, it seems like a pdf or ebook model of distribution would be able to cater to both the modular and offline consultation aspects, while the paper format would require an additional step, cost and effort.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

Those are DM books (adventure hooks), not player books. Like I mentioned, players outnumber DM's at least 4 to 1 (probably more), so putting out just stuff for DMs cuts their market by a whole whole lot.

They're both player and DM books. They cover adventure and campaign types and provide player options relevant to that.

 

[Janaxstrus]

They're both player and DM books. They cover adventure and campaign types and provide player options relevant to that.

In my experience, only the DM's buy the Libris Mortis, Manual of the Planes, Heroes of Battle or Cityscape type books. The player of the current cleric tends to go for Complete Divine, the guy who wants to play a Illumian buys the Races of Destiny, etc.

Heck, I DM and the only reason I have some of the books you mentioned is that I found them on Amazon's warehouse site for under $10....but I do own all of the Complete and Races of books.

 

[the Jester]

Frankly, it seems like a pdf or ebook model of distribution would be able to cater to both the modular and offline consultation aspects, while the paper format would require an additional step, cost and effort.

There are a number of us who have NO INTEREST WHATSOEVER in offerings that are electronic only.

Again, no thanks.

 

[Lanefan]

There are a number of us who have NO INTEREST WHATSOEVER in offerings that are electronic only.

Again, no thanks.

Hear hear to this.

What everyone's been ignoring up till now is that back in the 1e era much of what we now see as "splat" came out in bits and pieces each month in Dragon Magazine; and you could choose whether or not to buy each issue. You could then choose whether or not to include anything therein in your game.

Later, some of the highlights (well, what TSR thought were the highlights, anyway) became the first splatbook: Unearthed Arcana; and one expansion book every 5 years is a rate I can live with.

Problem is, Dragon is now hidden behind a subscription paywall.

Unfortunately for the OP, I think 5e is being designed in such a way as to make splatbooks unavoidable: there's no way they can possibly include all the various modules and dial settings in the initial releases. What I'm hoping is that the splats are organized in a way that makes sense - each one dealing with something specific (e.g. The Book of Exploration Rules and Modules) is far preferable to each one covering a smattering of all kinds of stuff (e.g. the Book of Compiled Ideas From 2014) - so I can buy what interests me and ignore the rest.

Regardless, adventures outrank all of these in importance as far as I'm concerned; and I hope they can design some good ones. 5e's success depends on it.

Lan-"whether or not I adopt 5e I'll take a good adventure wherever I can find it"-efan

 

[DMKastmaria]

Those are DM books (adventure hooks), not player books. Like I mentioned, players outnumber DM's at least 4 to 1 (probably more), so putting out just stuff for DMs cuts their market by a whole whole lot.

Do you guys really want the endless splatbook treadmill?

I'd prefer something like... oh, I don't know.

Maybe a monthly print magazine, that featured optional content for campaigns. I bet some people would really like that!

 

[Janaxstrus]

Do you guys really want the endless splatbook treadmill?

I'd prefer something like... oh, I don't know.

Maybe a monthly print magazine, that featured optional content for campaigns. I bet some people would really like that!

Would I rather have a dozen books I can access, full of feats and skills (in hardcover) or 36-60 magazines to keep track of and try and track down where I found something in particular (in softcover)...yes, yes I would.

 

[johnsemlak]

No, legally they can't photocopyit. And it's not about having Internet, is about having a DDI subscription, two completely different things.


.

Is that true? Surely copying a page or two for use in your own campaign is ok, if not outright legal?

 

[steeldragons]

I'm seeing and find myself agreeing with both sides of the coin.

I love the idea presented by the OP. It reminds me of Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth which came with an entire second "module" practically, just of the "new/unique" monsters, new spells, magic items, etc. Practically a whole mini-Monster Manual just for that module.

Throw in a few individual NPC creations with unusual theme and/or background combo's (like the Pirate Wizard, someone mentioned up thread) which can be used whole hoc as an NPC(s) but also understandable/usable for a potential PC creation...maybe an "optional rules module" for something in the adventure that hasn't been covered in the DMG (or just a different optional way of handling something that has been covered in the DMG).

I don't know about whole "new" classes, but a combo of class/race/theme that might not be readily evident or meet a whole separate archetype of their own and/or optional rules modules that one can easily incorporate or ignore would work for me...and I think we're definitely on to something.

Not every adventure module, certainly, but the occasional "here's an extra buncha pages with some idea stuff you might not have seen yet." LCoT style.

Yes, almost certainly, the monsters, spells and magic items will find their way into being re-published in a themed splat book, MM2, Complete Magey Mage Stuff Handbook or something at some point. But that doesn't strike me as a reason to dismiss the whole idea. The Bodak, the Behir, the Pech and Derro, the "Forcecage" spell, (even "Valley Elves", I think, iirc) etc. were all in LCoT before (or maybe "along side" for some of them) we ever saw them elsewhere.

That said, I also see the convenience and interest of splat books in general. Having everything you might need to reference on a particual topic in one place is certainly useful. I, personally, do not buy them often/have many myself, unless they are a theme/collection of topic I think I'll like or want to use...which I assume is how most people do their shopping.

So, I think, the "argument" here is pretty...moot. There's no reason not to do/we can't have both...extra tidbits built into adventure modules and separate whole splat/theme/topic books.

--Steel Dragons

 

[am181d]

Is that true? Surely copying a page or two for use in your own campaign is ok, if not outright legal?

If it's just being used at the table, there's no difference between printing it out and pulling it up on your laptop/iPad.

If it's illegal, it's only illegal in the "obscure law from the 1800s that everyone forgot was still on the books" sense.

But I think the previous poster may have been talking about the scenario where the person with the DDI subscription prints out and makes copies of all of the material and redistributes that material to all of his/her players for their personal, long term, take-home use, which is certainly against both the letter and the spirit of the law.