D&D 5E Mike Mearls on D&D (New Interview with James Introcaso)

[Jester David]

Just on this, I think the strategy is attempting to cover both - I suspect adventure paths are just as much about attracting older players with less time as with making the early experiences of the game accessible for newbies.

Right. Exactly.
Everyone benefits for the ease of being able to ask for feedback and advice on an adventure. From being able to watch a stream of people playing the campaign. Not just new players.

 

[discosoc]

You mean like the bit in the back, where it specifically instructs you how to use the crunch for a variety of different worlds? The SCAG furnished me with several different Solamnic Knight options for Dragonlance.

That section is fine, but maybe he's complaining about the other half of the book detailing FR-specific things like regions and deities? It's really not a smart purchase unless you are interested in the whole bit.

Side question: When 3rd ed came out, was anyone bothered the assumed setting was Greyhawk? I'm just curious but it never occurred to me before.

I wasn't. Back then we were seeing a constant stream of 1st and 3rd party products, so it never felt like anything was missing. SCAG, on the other hand, is a product that wouldn't be so bad if it was simply one of several such offerings. But when we're really only seeing 2 to 3 products per year, it definitely stands out as a disappointment if it's not what you were wanting.

 

[The Myopic Sniper]

Good interview. I am looking forward to hearing more from this Podcaster.

I wish they would break the 3 books a year mould once and release a FR Campaign Guide, just because I am tired of hearing complaints about it not being there in 5E. If it was an all fluff, history and no game mechanics affair that would be even better, an evergreen product that you can use for any edition or even with another game entirely.

 

[LordEntrails]

I really like the edition and don't mind the release schedule. The only additional material beyond the core 3 are adventures and monster books and that is what we are getting. What I really want is electronic versions of everything. That is the only thing this edition is missing IMO.

Uh, there are electronic versions of everything... have been for years now. They get released on the same day as preferred stored get to sell them. All the 5E products I have bought have all been electronic copies.

Electronic versions of;
- Player's Handbook
- DMG
- MM
- VGtM
- VGtM alternate
- Lost Mines
- Lost Mines alternate

You can figure out the links for the rest of them.
Yes, these are NOT pdfs. They are effectively database versions of the products. They have at least twice the usability of a printed version or a pdf. Yes they can only be used inside of a VTT application. But they exist.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Good interview. I am looking forward to hearing more from this Podcaster.

I wish they would break the 3 books a year mould once and release a FR Campaign Guide, just because I am tired of hearing complaints about it not being there in 5E. If it was an all fluff, history and no game mechanics affair that would be even better, an evergreen product that you can use for any edition or even with another game entirely.

The huge error they made for the setting was to do the 100-year leap going into 4e. Before that, even with edition changes and world-shattering events to mark those changes, the date in the setting only advanced 17 years, from 1358 DR to 1375 DR, so much of the fluff information from even the original 1e Gray Box was for the most part still relevant even in late 3e. Had they not decided to do the century leap (and, in the process, radically change the setting's geography and population twice), we could all still be using all the old campaign setting books from way back. I'm all for a mostly-fluff FRCS, just as long as the setting timeline advancement never gets such a huge skip again...

But it is a good point that a huge setting book like that might be intimidating when drawing new players to the game, so it would have to be handled in such a way that it's shown to be an optional, instead of a necessary, purchase.

 

[Demetrios1453]

You mean like the bit in the back, where it specifically instructs you how to use the crunch for a variety of different worlds? The SCAG furnished me with several different Solamnic Knight options for Dragonlance.

I do get where you are coming from an the SCAG, specifically, is a better example of that argument than Volo's. I've only ever been in Realms as a player where I've DM'd a lot of different established and homebrew settings and could find LOADS in Volo's to use in my stuff. Even my not-used-since-3rd-ed caveman setting.

I know that some of your argument about this is about it being the FR as standard setting and marketed as such but the DMG makes it pretty clear that you can make your own world off the bat and gives you load off stuff for doing that. I mean all of the lore specific stuff sometimes jars with me too (I hate the new Barghest/Gnolls lore, for example. In my most played homebrew world, Barghest already have a very specific role and Gnolls aren't mindless killers but a clever race who fill a 'Bounty Hunter' niche.) but as it's fluff it tends to be the easiest thing to ditch. If you literally bought Volo's for the crunch and never read the fluff, you could still be reasonably happy with it as a purchase.

I realised that the reason I'm even pushing this is because I feel like by taking this stand, you've denied yourself a great product over a line drawn in the sand between granular levels of universes of fiction and that kind of makes me sad. But as long as you're enjoy the game you have from the three core books (I make an assumption there) then that's all good,it's the way the game was originally intended to be played. Maybe you're right, really D&D would have been better served if we'd never had Official Campaign Settings at all. But that bird flew a long time ago. Given that polls seem to indicate that a large majority of people homebrew, maybe it's a non-issue.

I was wondering this too. It's perfectly logical that if one doesn't like the setting, like the poster you are referencing, to skip SCAG as it does have a significant proportion of FR fluff. But to totally refuse to contemplate even opening, let alone using, VGtM due to that viewpoint seems to me to be taking that principled stand a step too far. VGtM is something like 95% setting-neutral, and of the parts that are FR-specific, 4% is given options on how to adapt the information to other settings, and the last 1% consist of Volo's and Elminster's post-it notes and the Xanathar Guild (which, if you change the name "Waterdeep", becomes setting-neutral as well). Heck, there's probably just as much Greyhawk (Raxivort, references to Expedition to the Barrier Peaks), Spelljammer (neogi, references to mind flayer nautilid ships), and Planescape (the discussion on the Rule of Three) stuff in the book as there is straight-out FR references. I have to wonder if the big crunch book that will be coming out is entitled "Volo's Guide to Adventuring", and the only FR-specific reference in the entire book is in the title, will some still skip it as "too FR oriented"?

 

[Azzy]

I'm an old grognard DM and I really appreciate this edition. And it's release cycle. I've seen quite a lot of lapsed players ve back to gaming along with the new folks.

Same. My current 5e group is all 40+ (with some who haven't played since 2e), and we're all having a blast with it.

 

[Xeviat]

I don't think there would be anything wrong with a monster/setting book with a little bit of character stuff coming out each year. The tough part is making products that appeal to both players and DMs. 3E and 4E seemed to do this by having separate player and DM products. If I were a 5E player, and not a DM, I don't think I'd be buying much in the way of products. I'm a penny pincher. I'd be trying to get my group to pitch in to buy the books for the group. As a player, I don't need Volo's, it's mostly a monster book. I wouldn't have needed the adventure paths, and I wouldn't have needed the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. As a DM, I have everything but the adventure paths; I bought the first path and didn't care for the encounter balance.

But without adding to game bloat, I can't think of what are good player products. A pack of spell cards is useful for a player who doesn't play in a group with extensive house rules. A miniature here or there. But if I was playing a Wizard, I wouldn't spend $40 bucks on a book just for 4 new cantrips or some new race options.

I hope they're truly doing well. I want WotC to keep going.

 

[MichaelSomething]

No one mentions the plan to produce stuff designed to help new DM learn how to actually DM? That's super important IMO

 

[The Myopic Sniper]

The huge error they made for the setting was to do the 100-year leap going into 4e. Before that, even with edition changes and world-shattering events to mark those changes, the date in the setting only advanced 17 years, from 1358 DR to 1375 DR, so much of the fluff information from even the original 1e Gray Box was for the most part still relevant even in late 3e. Had they not decided to do the century leap (and, in the process, radically change the setting's geography and population twice), we could all still be using all the old campaign setting books from way back. I'm all for a mostly-fluff FRCS, just as long as the setting timeline advancement never gets such a huge skip again...

But it is a good point that a huge setting book like that might be intimidating when drawing new players to the game, so it would have to be handled in such a way that it's shown to be an optional, instead of a necessary, purchase.

I would probably do it in a way to really distinguish it from the rest of the line maybe with different binding and a lot of art and maps, but thick with a lot reference information of nations, organizations, personages and history, everything anyone could possibly ask for in a FR guide except for game mechanics and stats. Have it serve basically as a setting bible and and as a art/coffee table style book with a higher price point to make up for the fact that it is a niche product and outside the normal cycle of releases with player content.

The 100 year leap was a critical error. I feel the same way about that when they did it with Star Trek: TNG from TOS. It limits storytelling more than it expands it, but that is all water under the bridge at this point. You can't reset without breaking everything else. Although I understand why creators do it. It almost never ends well.