D&D 5E In Search Of: The 5e Dungeon Master's Guide

[FrozenNorth]

I expect every game I play or run to have differences from every other. I find it worth my while to read the rules before playing. I find it worth my while to read them thoroughly before running. Occasionally some writer will come up with a way of looking at things I haven't previously considered and I am happy to take a couple of hours and read the book to make sure I do not miss such an instance.

Same. Really good writers can also include system-specific insights that would be a shame to miss.

Also, I bought the damn thing. Why would I buy a book to not read it?

 

[pointofyou]

Same. Really good writers can also include system-specific insights that would be a shame to miss.

Also, I bought the damn thing. Why would I buy a book to not read it?

Clearly you bought it for the magic items list.

 

[hawkeyefan]

I think there’s a difference between being sufficiently prepared and being as prepared as possible. This post seems to be confounding the two.

How so? I was just acknowledging how different people will want different amounts of preparation. It’ll depend on personal preference, experience, scope of play, and other factors.

Some people probably feel a comfort in being more prepared than others. What’s sufficient is subjective… if it helps someone feel more prepared to do X even if it’s not strictly necessary, I wouldn’t tell them not to do X.

 

[Imaro]

If they really want to be "fully" prepared and have no experience with D&D whatsoever... they really should begin with a starter set.

EDIT: Strangely enough the newest one has a URL for official reference videos to help new DM's included in it.

EDIT 2: You can disagree with it... and maybe it will be changed in the revision of 5e but for now it's pretty clear WotC intends for their starter sets to be the on ramp for new players not the 3 core rulebooks.

 

[Cadence]

If they really want to be "fully" prepared and have no experience with D&D whatsoever... they really should begin with a starter set.

In the world of the internet and practically infinite resources for anything popular, I'm not sure what "fully prepared" means

I completely get that for some people "adequately prepared for their comfort level" includes reading all of the official instructions before starting (whether a board game, assembly instructions for furniture, or TTRPG).

 

[pointofyou]

If they really want to be "fully" prepared and have no experience with D&D whatsoever... they really should begin with a starter set.

I am sure WotC would like it if every new DM would spend that extra twenty dollars. That doesn't mean it should be or seem like a requirement.

 

[Imaro]

I am sure WotC would like it if every new DM would spend that extra twenty dollars. That doesn't mean it should be or seem like a requirement.

If that's the model they have chosen to on ramp brand new players and it seems to be working (based on player growth) not sure your argument holds much water.

EDIT: To further expound... WotC has determined this is the best way to serve brand new players and while they could be wrong, I would give more credence to claims of it should be the DMG doing this if there was some actual data to show the model wasn't working well... but everything points to the opposite.

 

[Imaro]

In the world of the internet and practically infinite resources for anything popular, I'm not sure what "fully prepared" means

I completely get that for some people "adequately prepared for their comfort level" includes reading all of the official instructions before starting (whether a board game, assembly instructions for furniture, or TTRPG).

Yeah well I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this multitude of players who are having the hardest time ever just getting into 5e but also that the game continues to grow and expand faster than any other edition. Can the DMG be improved? Sure anything can... but this narrative where players are falling in droves by the wayside due to the difficulty of learning 5e is just ridiculous when I look at the reality of adoption for this edition.

 

[Cadence]

I am sure WotC would like it if every new DM would spend that extra twenty dollars. That doesn't mean it should be or seem like a requirement.

Making them buy three $49.95 rule books to DM (PHB, DMG, MM) already makes it seem like the caring-about-affordability ship already sailed... especially when lots of other D&D adjacent games manage to put the PHB and DMG material in one book without cranking the price through the roof.

I do think it would be nice if the intro things (minus miniatures or cardboard figures and the dice obviously) were available free for download.

 

[pointofyou]

If that's the model they have chosen to on ramp brand new players and it seems to be working (based on player growth) not sure your argument holds much water.

I think their model for new players is watch liveplay stream then buy books then find table.