D&D 5E L&L Basic Dungeons & Dragons

[Sadrik]

Hopefully this can generate a play style. The add in the PHB and that creates a play style then add DMG and that creates a play style or multiple ones and then finally add in some supplements for miniatures and you get a further play style. Point being, I hope that this is enough info in the PDF to play a whole concept of the game without missing parts, where the other game books are needed.

 

[the Jester]

Don't forget more traffic to their website means more Dungeon and Dragon subscriptions

Which brings up the question of what they intend to do with the magazines. Will they even return? God, would I love it if they came back in printed form! But so far I don't believe we've heard anything on the subject, have we?

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I think there will always be an incentive to get the PHB, even if there's a group where there's a group of newbies with starter DM and most of the players just using the basic rules, I'm sure they'll get one player who has the PHB and says something like "I want to play a Monk or maybe a Warlock". And while that character could be dropped in or not, it'll already show the others that there's more to the game then just the basic stuff.

 

[delericho]

Which brings up the question of what they intend to do with the magazines. Will they even return?

Back when they went on hiatus, WotC definitely said they'd return.

God, would I love it if they came back in printed form! But so far I don't believe we've heard anything on the subject, have we?

Again, WotC did say they were looking into that option. However, back when the print mags were cancelled, the guys at Paizo indicated that it would be exceptionally difficult to bring them back - as soon as they missed an issue at the newsstands it was effectively a case of launching a new magazine. Given that the magazine industry generally is really suffering it doesn't really seem wise for WotC to go down that route.

Still, stranger things have happened. Today, in fact.

 

[dd.stevenson]

Which brings up the question of what they intend to do with the magazines. Will they even return? God, would I love it if they came back in printed form! But so far I don't believe we've heard anything on the subject, have we?

I keep having this recurring fantasy where Kobold Games takes charge of the the mags just like Paizo did way back when. Just a fantasy probably, but god it's a good one.

 

[DMZ2112]

Stop future quoting me.
At least without attribution.
I was just opening up this thread to type the above.

What's the matter, Thaumaturge, did I scoop you on your own feelings?

*high-fives @Talath *

You best save versus sick burn, bru!

When I was just getting into RPGs, twenty plus years ago, I would peruse the RPG sections of toy stores, stumble across a cool looking adventure, take it home, and marvel at it. But I would, ultimately, be unable to play it. A twelve year old, a year from now, who stumbles across a D&D adventure won't have that same problem.
And that's so cool.

It is the coolest!

 

[DEFCON 1]

Which brings up the question of what they intend to do with the magazines. Will they even return? God, would I love it if they came back in printed form! But so far I don't believe we've heard anything on the subject, have we?

I would imagine that if they keep the two magazines active... they would follow in the footsteps of the Basic game-- PDF only so far as WotC's efforts are concerned. While there probably is a segment of the population that would like the Basic game and Dungeon and Dragon mags in printed form... the costs on WotC's end to have those made would probably not justify doing it. When you have absolutely no idea how many people would actually buy a printed product of something they can download and print themselves for free... its not something I'd expect them to dangle their feet into.

That being said... I would not be surprised in the least if Wizards formulated a licensing agreement with a Print On Demand service (the same way they have an agreement with DriveThruRPG to be their PDF sales service). A company that would be their official representatives to print, bind and ship Basic games and the two magazines to those who want them. WotC has never wanted to be their own retailer and shipper (which is why they use DriveThruRPG), and I'd expect this situation to match that.

 

[gweinel]

Thinking on this, it would seem to explain the $50 price point for the "big three". Those books have just been downgraded - even the PHB isn't a "Core Rulebook"; it's a supplement.

WotC must know that this is going to hit sales of those books hard. So they'll most likely have ordered a much smaller print run to compensate, and that in turn means a higher unit cost. Hence the higher price for the books.

But more than that, this move would appear to make the D&D RPG as a whole a loss-leader for the overall brand. Because over the past two years they've invested significant amounts in developing a new edition, and they've just chopped the legs off sales of their biggest selling item (indeed, possibly their only big selling item). I fail to see how they could imagine adventure sales could possibly make that up.

This strategy have many resemblances with that of MMOs. Right now the vast majority of the MMOs offer their game for free in order to attract as many people as they can. When they are there they offer em many big and little things that will make the gaming experiance more colorful, more intersting and more detailed. The same logic runs behind wizards move.

 

[Agamon]

Thinking on this, it would seem to explain the $50 price point for the "big three". Those books have just been downgraded - even the PHB isn't a "Core Rulebook"; it's a supplement.

WotC must know that this is going to hit sales of those books hard. So they'll most likely have ordered a much smaller print run to compensate, and that in turn means a higher unit cost. Hence the higher price for the books.

But more than that, this move would appear to make the D&D RPG as a whole a loss-leader for the overall brand. Because over the past two years they've invested significant amounts in developing a new edition, and they've just chopped the legs off sales of their biggest selling item (indeed, possibly their only big selling item). I fail to see how they could imagine adventure sales could possibly make that up.

I don't think sales will be hit hard, but the core game will be seen by a lot more eyeballs than if they just sold the rules. I'm in a lot of OSR circles on G+ and many sceptical grogs that poked fun at Mearls and WotC over he past 2 years have suddenly changed their tune.

People that were buying into the core 3 still will. The basic rules will help spread the rules to those that wouldn't normally buy the core books, but might after reading or playing with the basic rules.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Why hello, SRD, I've missed you.

This is good. I know *I'm* gonna spend way too much money on D&D noise, but I'm glad I can point newbies to a URL and say "go wild" and they'll have everything they need.

This is the Core Rules. This is D&D. Everything else is cherries on your sundae.

...it also strikes me that this is Free to Play....so I wonder if us premium users are going to experience some marketing ickiness....but even if that's true, the core game being released for free is a great move.

It sets them up to go OGL -- they just make Basic D&D OGL, and everything else is closed content. OGL not required in that instance, of course, they could just get some d20STL-esque easy-peasy liscence for folks to use.

Writing my first adventure....now.