D&D 5E Should You Buy The Setting Books Regardless?

[cbwjm]

Even if you have the money, if the setting book doesn't interest you, don't buy it. I don't think that will impact books for other settings being released though it might mean that any plans for an expansion book for that setting is scrapped if the numbers are low enough.

 

[Zardnaar]

Even if you have the money, if the setting book doesn't interest you, don't buy it. I don't think that will impact books for other settings being released though it might mean that any plans for an expansion book for that setting is scrapped if the numbers are low enough.

I don't think they will do follow in support books regardless.

 

[Vael]

I don't buy things for meta reasons, ie, to encourage more of those things to be made. I buy them because I want them or will use them. So I haven't bought the Ravnica book, but if my group starts a Ravnica campaign ... I will. I bought Eberron because I love Eberron.

What I will do is alter my schedule to encourage things, and will even pre-order sometimes. So, I would consider pre-ordering a Dark Sun book, because it's a book I'd likely get regardless because I like Dark Sun and would probably find that book useful. I didn't get around to pre-ordering Eberron, but I did pick it up on release day.

 

[cbwjm]

I don't think they will do follow in support books regardless.

Maybe not, but if they were contemplating doing that, poor sales might make them think again leading them to take whatever mechanical options they've already created and fit them into a different book. Otherwise, I don't think the sales of a single setting book will affect them in terms of what other setting books they choose to release.

 

[Legatus Legionis]

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[Beleriphon]

Is that because you don't find the style of writing in setting books difficult to translate to the game? Or because you feel the novels provide important setting information? If it's the latter, the Eberron novels aren't canon, but if you were to pick up a series the general consensus is that Don Bassingthwaite's books are the best Eberron books (Everyone loves Keith's worldbuilding but Don is a better novelist)

I concur, the six Don Bassingthwaite books are awesome. The first three capture the feel of kalashtar, and shifters, while the next three really grab hobgoblins and the politics of Darguun really well.

 

[tetrasodium]

I purchased a couple copies of rising (one for myself, one for a christmas present to nephew, & have purchased several 5e books that I've not run because they had enough useful stuff in them to justify the purchase. Although I might never run a darksun game, i'd love a darksun book to steal mechanics/inspiration/etc from. I'm curious about crawford's 2020 hinted ravenloft book. FR & Greyhawk setting books hold little interest to me because of how messy & quick they are to use plot armor & handwaving as justification for things.

 

[ccs]

It depends, limited funds no, if you have a reasonable amount of money to burn then yes.

I have a better solution. Burn that $ on products you actually want/like.

 

[tetrasodium]

@toucanbuzz It seems like you are big on Darksun, A lot of the eberron stuff can be adapted into Athas in horrific ways that lean into the themes of both settings, this but of theory crafting might help you visualize a perspective on how

 

[Manchurian]

I have bought the Eberron book even though I am not a massive fan of the setting. I enjoy reading but never really ran it except using Stormreach once.

I don't actively dislike it either though.

My logic was it encourages WotC to make more settings books. Settings I do care about. Assuming you care about other settings.

Now I would also apply this logic to settings I actively dislike those being Ravenloft and Dragonlance. There's no point where I expect WotC to change those settings to fit my tastes because that would lose them their current fans. There's probably something in them I can use.

Now I don't use this logic on everything of course. I'm not going to buy a bad game to support a franchise just because. The difference here is I care about some of the old settings and a few haven't been updated since the 90s.

Settings books good cause most time they have info that is not republished