D&D 5E No winter/spring hardback for the first time in 5E history?

[eyeheartawk]

Yeah, putting out one book for a setting and then moving on isn't really cannibalizing sales from anything.

That being said, I wouldn't mind a more "classic" publishing model where you get a bit of support for a setting. Remember in 4e when the settings they did put out got a DM guide and a player's guide and that was it? I remember that not being well received at the time. Now with one book for everything, including one or more adventures inside, it's a bit of a wide as an ocean deep as a puddle thing.

Speaking of a more "classic" model I really wouldn't mind some dedicated dm/player books. Putting something in for everyone in every non-adventure book is good for WoTC but bad for my back.

 

[jayoungr]

That being said, I wouldn't mind a more "classic" publishing model where you get a bit of support for a setting.

There has been a bit of support for already-published settings in digital format. There are a few official WotC adventures set in Ravnica, for example.

 

[eyeheartawk]

There has been a bit of support for already-published settings in digital format. There are a few official WotC adventures set in Ravnica, for example.

True! I should have specified in print.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I suspect WotC's theory is that since many players in editions past were willing to blow $40 each and every month for a new book (of which they were lucky to even use 1/3rd of the stuff in it for their games)... enough players would be willing to spend $50 every four months for one in which they'd only use 1/3rd as well.

If you aren't willing to spend what is essentially $12.50 a month for the newest D&D stuff... you just don't really need new stuff that much apparently.

 

[Parmandur]

I suspect WotC's theory is that since many players in editions past were willing to blow $40 each and every month for a new book (of which they were lucky to even use 1/3rd of the stuff in it for their games)... enough players would be willing to spend $50 every four months for one in which they'd only use 1/3rd as well.

If you aren't willing to spend what is essentially $12.50 a month for the newest D&D stuff... you just don't really need new stuff that much apparently.

I think as we home on six years of 5E, this has moved from theory to practice pretty thoroghly.

 

[Retreater]

How do you figure just 1/3?

If you're playing in the setting, you (theoretically) want the fluff and the player options.

If you're DMing in the setting, you (theoretically) want the fluff and the monsters/magic items.

If you're just reading it for the setting information but never plan to run or play in that setting--well, first, I agree that the book isn't really aimed at you, as that seems like a small market. But second, surely there are still some spells or monsters you could borrow for use elsewhere?

I don't use fluff, so (for me), I'm never going to use more than 1/3 of a campaign setting book. I'm speaking only for myself here, but I expect I'm not in a minority that I'm a DM who has created his own campaign world.

 

[Retreater]

Yeah, I would purchase a la carte, but DnD Beyond just isn't an option for me. I like owning (not leasing) what I buy, the UI is just too clunky to be useful to me, and it's not fun for me to read on a mobile app.

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah, I would purchase a la carte, but DnD Beyond just isn't an option for me. I like owning (not leasing) what I buy, the UI is just too clunky to be useful to me, and it's not fun for me to read on a mobile app.

Well, the book is an option. If you only one 1/3, but get enough hours out of it, it's a sound deal. And you might be surprised what ends up useful.

 

[Stormonu]

As above, several things -

Adventures & Monster book - typically DM-only products. I’ve heard from past interviews that adventures in the 3E era ended up being loss leaders to entice interest in running a game (though this may have changed due to Paizo’s adventure path series). The recent monster books have PC races, so even they may have some advantage in being bought by players wanting those races.

Campaign Books - The DM will need the book, some players will buy as well so likely more $$$

Also, the DM’s guild and 3rd party vendors all contribute to produce a glut of adventures. However, you can’t legally publish material for TSR/WotC campaign worlds beyond current published campaigns (which would be FR, Eberron and maybe Ravnica), so there seems to be some incentive push by gamers there to expand to whatever favorite world of bygone games.

 

[gyor]

Disappointing that we'll have to go back to September 2019 for an original adventure from Wizards (or May 2018 for a monster book). Don't we have enough campaign settings? How many campaign worlds do DMs go through, anyway?

No we don't have too many settings