D&D 5E Is 5E Special

[Parmandur]

As Minigiant said, it was three classes in PHB3, followed by several subclasses later on. Technically there were some Essentials classes and subclasses that still had Daily powers, but by and large they were Encounter-focused.

I don't think it is entirely fair to expect anyone to remember the PHB 3 happened, let alone what was in it.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I don't think it is entirely fair to expect anyone to remember the PHB 3 happened, let alone what was in it.

...why not? The 4e Monk was a lovely class, Hybrids were an interesting (if often ineffectual) concept, and it had gith and minotaurs. The Power Point classes were an interesting experiment that provides a lovely demonstration of why common pools of powers with specialized augments can actually be very un-fun design despite being aesthetically pleasing.

I don't see why this is some horrible eyesore everyone was actively avoiding. It contributed plenty of good things to 4e, and even its weaker parts were still interesting or useful.

 

[Oofta]

Late?
2 years after release. 3 of the original 15 classes then all the Essentials ones.

I think i stopped caring about new classes after PHB II. I got the essentials books because of store credit for running games, but sorry to say I don't have a mnemonic memory for a book I may or may not have glanced at a decade ago.

 

[Parmandur]

...why not? The 4e Monk was a lovely class, Hybrids were an interesting (if often ineffectual) concept, and it had gith and minotaurs. The Power Point classes were an interesting experiment that provides a lovely demonstration of why common pools of powers with specialized augments can actually be very un-fun design despite being aesthetically pleasing.

I don't see why this is some horrible eyesore everyone was actively avoiding. It contributed plenty of good things to 4e, and even its weaker parts were still interesting or useful.

Because nobody [alert, this is hyperbole, I know somebody did, that's not the point] was paying attention by 2010. I had stopped even playing D&D by the time PHB3 came out, let alone even paying attention to what was in it.

 

[MockingBird]

I don't think it is entirely fair to expect anyone to remember the PHB 3 happened, let alone what was in it.

Yeah, we never made it that far in 4e. The whole powers thing turned us off fairly early on. I don't think I ever made it to the PHB 2. I didn't pick up 4e again until Essentials came out and even with that it was still not what I wanted from DnD.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I AM NO MAN, Wielder of the 3 Player's Handbooks, who hath combined the two halves of the Adventurer's Vaults! I am the sole wielder of the Lost Good D&D.

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah, we never made it that far in 4e. The whole powers thing turned us off fairly early on. I don't think I ever made it to the PHB 2. I didn't pick up 4e again until Essentials came out and even with that it was still not what I wanted from DnD.

I only ever bought the PHB 1. I had intended ahead of time to buy the MM and DMG, but changed my mind after reading the PHB and flipping through them.

 

[Parmandur]

I AM NO MAN, Wielder of the 3 Player's Handbooks, who hath combined the two halves of the Adventurer's Vaults! I am the sole wielder of the Lost Good D&D.

So the Legends say, but who can ever know for sure...? Lost in the mists of time.

 

[Ogre Mage]

One change from previous editions is that 5E has become more measured in the release of supplements. During 2E, 3.X and 4E, they ran out splatbooks like a bad case of diarrhea. It's highly questionable if that approach was good for the long-term health of the game. I doubt it was even good for TSR/WotC from a production costs/profit standpoint. So that may be another factor in the success of 5E.

 

[Oofta]

One change from previous editions is that 5E has become more measured in the release of supplements. During 2E, 3.X and 4E, they ran out splatbooks like a bad case of diarrhea. It's highly questionable if that approach was good for the long-term health of the game. I doubt it was even good for TSR/WotC from a production costs/profit standpoint. So that may be another factor in the success of 5E.

Funny thing is that if I understand it correctly, the reason we had such a slow release was because there were such low expectations. They explicitly stated that there would never be a PHB/DMG/MM II because it confused people new to the hobby.

I agree that it was the right call no matter the reason.