D&D 5E MUSING: An Evergreen, static Fifth Edition...

[Jester David]

I think there's room for a campaign setting and one or two accessories, and perhaps a compilation of Unearthed Arcana material.

But even if they don't, I'm fine. I'm totally okay never buying another sourcebook. I'm decent at making my own content. I have a bajillion settings already.

For the very small percentage of brand new players who want a setting, there's a craptonne of system neutral ones available, and plenty more on Kickstarter every year. Ditto adventures and even new sourcebooks.

 

[Zaran]

I'll be the first to say no. Not because I can't handle doing stuff on my own. It's because I think it's not a perfected system. It's a great start but I would like them to make it better. Having Unearthed Arcana article bandaids will never be enough. I am hoping that they are taking the surveys and what they read in these forums and working on ways to make it the perfect system. Once that's done I will be happy to live with D&D being abandoned by the devs.

 

[Ibn Khaldun]

I'd be okay with that. I'd rather get a trickle of material that's well thought out, balanced, worthwhile, than an avalanche of junk that is poorly written, unbalanced, and ridiculous.

 

[ninjayeti]

I would be totally fine with that. I have never been a big fan of splatbooks and the power creep they inevitably create. With the existing PHB rules you can play until 6E without running out of new options.

And as others have noted there are a ton of existing campaign settings that can easily be used in 5E. So no, I am not dying to drop $50 on a new Forgotten Realms hardcover just so I can have a bunch of recycled material plus 5E stats for Elminster and rules for a Red Wizard arcane tradition.

What I enjoy most is adventures and it seems like WotC (plus 3PP) are going to continue to put those out, so I have no complaints.

 

[GobiWon]

The psionics and Mearls' tweets thread made me think...

What if what D&D is now is all we're ever getting?

Three core books, two modules per year, and that's it. No supplements, no rules expansions, no campaign settings. New monsters, spells, races, etc come in the appendixes of those storyline modules. Some additional (use at your own risk) support via Unearthed Arcana.

Would you be happy with that? Would you continue to play knowing there would be no Forgotten Realms Campaign book, no Monster Manual 2, no Psionics Handbook, no Eberron, Dark Sun, or Dragonlance setting guides? Just two mega modules per year? That is 2017, the same general options would exist as in 2015 (save your choice of storyline to play)?

Can D&D exist on a "Boardgame" support system: One main game, two scenario packs per year, and nothing else?

I think we will see setting expansions (a la board games like Talisman) with new rules and spells and monsters, but they will be self-contained and not eat away at the core. This cordoned off approach will keep the system from getting bogged down and allow game masters to pick and choose easier what to include. It also keeps the game approachable for new enthusiasts. If I was new to the hobby. I wouldn't pick up a Pathfinder book. I would say to myself, "how many of these $50 books am I going to need?"

In my mind ...

An expansion book for each of the major settings
An Unearthed Arcana about halfway through the life cycle (for rule tweeks and new options)
Two more Monster Manuals
... and of course the obligatory two APs per year.

That would satisfy me.

 

[Lojak]

I think it can continue to exist just fine. I mean there are plenty of people who play lots of RPGs which have very modest support.

However, I think it will lose a lot of its drive and energy without more robust support than it is getting now. A steady stream of releases fuels the hobby by creating new excitement, new campaigns, new classes, new monsters, etc. All of this feeds the imagination of players and DMS alike and also creates buzz and discussion which, in and of itself, is healthy for the game. Further, half the point of game store events and hosted games is to sell product . . . no product means no incentive for stores to host games. Without significant support in the form of releases, I worry that the hobby will retreat back into the basement. This is not the end of the world but its not my personal preference.

 

[Mistwell]

The psionics and Mearls' tweets thread made me think...

What if what D&D is now is all we're ever getting?

Three core books, two modules per year, and that's it. No supplements, no rules expansions, no campaign settings. New monsters, spells, races, etc come in the appendixes of those storyline modules. Some additional (use at your own risk) support via Unearthed Arcana.

Would you be happy with that? Would you continue to play knowing there would be no Forgotten Realms Campaign book, no Monster Manual 2, no Psionics Handbook, no Eberron, Dark Sun, or Dragonlance setting guides? Just two mega modules per year? That is 2017, the same general options would exist as in 2015 (save your choice of storyline to play)?

Can D&D exist on a "Boardgame" support system: One main game, two scenario packs per year, and nothing else?

For us, yeah no problem. I'm converting material from other versions of the game to 5e, and have an essentially infinite amount of material to use. The core system is the important element, and it's rock solid and we like it.

I'd prefer some additional material, but no I don't need it and I would not stop playing if I didn't get it.

 

[Remathilis]

I think we will see setting expansions (a la board games like Talisman) with new rules and spells and monsters, but they will be self-contained and not eat away at the core. This cordoned off approach will keep the system from getting bogged down and allow game masters to pick and choose easier what to include. It also keeps the game approachable for new enthusiasts. If I was new to the hobby. I wouldn't pick up a Pathfinder book. I would say to myself, "how many of these $50 books am I going to need?"

In my mind ...

An expansion book for each of the major settings
An Unearthed Arcana about halfway through the life cycle (for rule tweeks and new options)
Two more Monster Manuals
... and of course the obligatory two APs per year.

That would satisfy me.

I'd like to see one major book NOT tied to the current storyline per year. A campaign guide, a rule book (psionics, Monster Manual, etc) something. I'm afraid we're not even getting that.

 

[Doctor Futurity]

Totally cool with this. Although I'd like them to pop out a MMII and eventually do some new class stuff for players, I can see running this edition into perpetuity. Admittedly, I'm a more mellow gamer who knows what I want now than I did 20-30 years ago.

 

[Shiroiken]

I would be fine with this. I seldom buy splatbooks anyway, and I only buy the campaign books that interest me (so nothing post 3E Greyhawk Gazetteer). I would buy adventures, but I don't like Adventure Paths, so unless they return to things like Murder in Baulder's Gate, I probably won't be buying them either. I'm perfectly fine making up my own stuff, including: races, sub-races, classes, sub-classes, backgrounds, feats, equipment, spells, magic items, monsters, etc.

Newer players (i.e. the WotC era) would have a harder time with it. Splatbooks have been the order of the day for so long that some have a hard time drawing on their own imagination. The RAW nut-jobs will have the hardest time, since there will be VERY little new crunch for them to play with.

The D&D product would do well, but probably not well enough. IIRC, market value is based on total sales, so while it would be a very successful product (solid profit margin), it wouldn't topple Pathfinder long-term. Because of this, I figure they will slowly expand their product release as time goes on. Besides, some settings (such as the Forgotten Realms) need periodic updates, since they're based on ongoing events.