D&D 5E how many 5e supporters are upset about the possible $50 price tag

[pemerton]

two mostly incompatible versions of D&D, like in the 1980s...

Huh? Besides ACs counting down from 10 rather than 9, the two versions were mostly compatible, weren't they? That was my experience. Apart from the AC issue, the major difference are all on the PC build side, but once PCs have been built the that doesn't matter because you can interface a stat block from either one with the action resolution mechanics from either one and not notice any issues.

 

[delericho]

Huh? Besides ACs counting down from 10 rather than 9, the two versions were mostly compatible, weren't they?

Well, there were things like exceptional strength, weapon proficiencies and specialisation, and so forth. This meant that while BD&D characters could be used with AD&D materials (and a good thing too, when only the MM was out!), there was a significant power disparity between the two.

Plus, of course, Gary was always at great pains to make it very clear that the two were completely different games and no more similar than chess and draughts. Though it's possible he had an ulterior motive on that one...

 

[Zardnaar]

You could use BECMI critters in AD&D for the most part. AD&D classes were more powerful. Fighters had d10 hit

 

[pemerton]

Well, there were things like exceptional strength, weapon proficiencies and specialisation, and so forth.

As I noted in my post, those are all on the PC-build side. Once you have your PC generated, you can use the stat-block interchangeably in either game (subject to the AC issue).

This meant that while BD&D characters could be used with AD&D materials (and a good thing too, when only the MM was out!), there was a significant power disparity between the two.

But probably no greater than that between an AD&D party with an 18/00 STR fighter and MU with a couple of good wands, and a different AD&D party with a low-to-mid level thief and a monk in their place.

The power of AD&D PCs is highly variable based on vagaries of dice and class, and it is (at least ostensibly) a virtue of the game that it copes with this. I've run Keep on the Borderlands for AD&D PCs, for instance, without any trouble at all.

 

[billd91]

The power of AD&D PCs is highly variable based on vagaries of dice and class, and it is (at least ostensibly) a virtue of the game that it copes with this. I've run Keep on the Borderlands for AD&D PCs, for instance, without any trouble at all.

Not being particularly experienced with the upper levels of the BECMI line, it's entirely possible there's more similarity at low levels compared to higher levels. I do remember seeing either NPCs or canned PCs in a higher level adventure and thinking there were some pretty substantial differences between them and similarly-leveled AD&D PCs.

 

[Johnny Champion]

Tough to understand for a hobby evidently so engaging for us to write on forums like this, that paying $150 for the flagship product with fresh content and hopefully well thought out and tested rules, is too pricey.

"....They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for its money they have and peace they lack...they will play the game and it will be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters..."

 

[delericho]

Tough to understand for a hobby evidently so engaging for us to write on forums like this, that paying $150 for the flagship product with fresh content and hopefully well thought out and tested rules, is too pricey.

Yes, but we pretty much all have at least one, and probably multiple, previous versions of the game. Those previous versions are all still perfectly good and perfectly playable (they don't wear out).

All WotC are offering is another very minor variation on "here's how you can pretend to be an elf".

And it's not just that the price is high in itself. The price has to be stacked up against all the other things we could buy with it instead, and indeed against the benefits of just keeping the money in savings.

Faced with all that, it's really not unreasonable for some people to look at this higher-than-expected price and say, "no thanks."

 

[pemerton]

I do remember seeing either NPCs or canned PCs in a higher level adventure and thinking there were some pretty substantial differences between them and similarly-leveled AD&D PCs.

To me, that still seems just to be an instance of the point I noted upthread:

Apart from the AC issue, the major differences are all on the PC build side, but once PCs have been built the that doesn't matter because you can interface a stat block from either one with the action resolution mechanics from either one and not notice any issues.​

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

Not being particularly experienced with the upper levels of the BECMI line, it's entirely possible there's more similarity at low levels compared to higher levels. I do remember seeing either NPCs or canned PCs in a higher level adventure and thinking there were some pretty substantial differences between them and similarly-leveled AD&D PCs.

It is true. But it really didn't matter in the AD&D environment. There were many examples of NPC-only classes that were substantially different than PC classes. And not like 3E NPC classes. These NPC classes were created specifically to present a higher challenge.

 

[Giltonio_Santos]

I'd just like to point that I was right now shopping amazon.com for some books that I'll need for my academic research, and I found that a 506-page hardcover text-only book sells for $200 (fortunately, there's $50 paperback version). Other books I also need are selling for about $120-$130 each in their hardcover versions.

I got two conclusions from that: first, they should try selling paperback versions of the core rulebooks. Second, $50 for a full-color hardcover of 300 pages seems to be dirty cheap if you're selling for a niche market.

Now I see why some accomplished RPG designers create games on their free time instead of doing it as a job, and not even WotC manages to make enough money to call this a chief business.