$o$ or not?

[Ipissimus]

Latest blogs from DnD experience set me to calaculating. I wanted to figure out how much 3e had cost my group vs. how much 4E will cost for similar services.

3e, I've had for 8 years. I bought the 3.0 core books, costing me a total of $240AUS.
After that, I bought about 2 expansion books a year, at approx $60AUS. 16x60= $960.
As you can imagine, I didn't buy 3.5.
e-Tools cost me $60, and I count that as one of the singular most bone-headed purchases I ever made in my entire life.
My players all like to have their own books at the table. Every player needed a DMG and a Monster Manual for magic items, summoning spells and pets. 5x240=$1200AUS.
I bought Dungeon and Dragon Magazine, sporadically depending on content and availability, but I tried to get every issue I felt worthwhile. Say 8 of each a year. 16x$20AUSx8=$2560AUS.

Total: $5020AUS approx.

And I was being generous with the expense of Dungeon and Dragon, some of them cost me $30AUS. Most of my players also bought 3.5 but I'm not adding that to my calculations.

So, what will 4E likely cost me?

I'm a DM, so 3 core rulebooks. The gift set is approx. $66US from Amazon, with an exchange rate of .9 currently plus shipping of about $30AUS, I'll say $100AUS for the sake of convenience.
My players don't need the DMG or MM in 4E, so they get 5 PHBs at once to combine shipping costs at $35US. I'll Approx that as $250AUS.
I'll subscribe to DDI because I'm a content junkie, 12 month subscription. $10US, assuming .9 exchange rate. I'll extend that to 8 years, to be fair to 3e. But I never have to buy Dungeon, Dragon or any other rules expansion books ever again. Nor will I have to buy e-Tools or rules sets for e-Tools. $11AUSx12x8=$1056.

Total: $1406 approx.


What? I mean, WHAT?!? Someone pinch me, 'cause I swear I'm dreamin'!!!

 

[Hunter In Darkness]

dont forget to add the 4e expasion books your gonna get em and u know it . that at lest 3 per year PHDx,DMGx,MMx...other then that may be good prob gonna need the power book or want em anyhow. may be cheaper to get in this time around i dont know i got all my 3e books for 19.95 each so i was 60 bucks going in skipped the 3.5 i dont know aus prices so cant convert but your not getting off as cheap as u think my friend

 

[Ipissimus]

Am I?

If I can get all the rules from the Character Creator and the searchable Rules Compendium, or whatever they call it, like thay're saying I'd have to be crazy to buy the books wouldn't I?

Ok, lets say I go totally insane and decide to buy a book. I get a discount on the .pdf.

IF what they're saying is true. It certainly does sound too good to be true.

-chants- WOTC is a money-grubbing corporation. WOTC is a money-grubbing corporation...

I'm trying so hard to believe that...

 

[Moon-Lancer]

are you going to buy digital minis too? I hear copy and past operations have gone up because of the economy.

 

[Ipissimus]

are you going to buy digital minis too?

I doubt it. I don't buy real DnD minis at all, for two reasons.

1. I like painting them.
2. Randomized packs.

My group doesn't use them, so we get along just fine.

That being said, will I see a need to use the digital minis? Probably even less, since I doubt we'll use the virtual tabletop at all. Why do that when we prefer to exercise our brains? I do like that the digital minis aren't randomized, that would be worse than the physical mini situation.

Oddly, I might be provoked into buying more Ral Partha, Reaper, etc. minis and actually use them with the battlemats. Not that I don't already spend a little on those for my collection each year.

 

[MaelStorm]

Hey, I understand you. Me too I don't have a lot disposable income and was very angry lately about how expensive 4E was shaping up.

But there is one thing that changed from the 3.0. All the new classes will only be featured in core material. Martial Powers is mostly new powers (there are 100 powers in PHB1, so you don't really need it), Tome of Treasure is mostly new magic items and new weapons (there are 250 magic items and same thing for weapons PHB1, so NEXT!). The only thing you really need to play will be the three Core Books as I understand it.

 

[Hunter In Darkness]

i hope for your enjoyment your right i just cant help but wonder about a few classes and gnomes that seem to have been misplaced however so if u want to play them i dont think just core is gonna cut it my friends

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Also who knows if they do get the subscriptions numbers they want they could lower the price. People like compare DDI to MMO's well what is one thing that MMO's do as they succeed? Lower the price.

 

[Incenjucar]

are you going to buy digital minis too? I hear copy and past operations have gone up because of the economy.

Minis are for people who like minis.

Go see how much Warhammer costs its fanatical players.

Heck, people in the MUD days used to pay hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars for little text descriptions, so this really isn't that big a deal.

Heck. WoW Gold Farmers. Doesn't stop people with saner incomes from enjoying the game.

 

[MaelStorm]

i hope for your enjoyment your right i just cant help but wonder about a few classes and gnomes that seem to have been misplaced however so if u want to play them i dont think just core is gonna cut it my friends

The only thing really missing is the Primal power source from the start. That was a bad move. The Druid class not in PHB1 is a big turn off for me.

But Gnome, never played it and never will!