D&D 5E So, I kind of want to stay with 2014 rules. What are my longterm options?

[Stormonu]

I gave a 5E14 PHB to someone a few years back and within a few months whole sections of pages fell out. He left it in my house about 2 years ago and I just threw it out. I'm suspecting he was pretty rough with it. Though it may have been a 1st printing, which IIRC weren't there issues with the binding on some of those early print runs? But yeah, I agree some Gorilla Glue and Duct Tape can do wonders to repairs battered copies, you should see the surgery I did on some of my 2E books with duct tape, still holding up to this day and that was close to 30 years ago.

Ugh, yeah that first printing of 5E ... our original 5E PHB fell apart in months and I've still got my 1E books that I used to lug around to school daily in a backpack that are just slightly scuffed. Luckily, our later printings seem to be holding up.

Though I would say as cheap as the 2014 books are - and loads of folks start dumping their books come the next few months - picking up an extra copy or two would probably be a good idea if you aren't planning to move to the newest books.

 

[Reynard]

I don’t have to start from a place where I invite confusion by choosing two sets of rules, either.

Of course you don't, but the question was essentially "My players want to use the 2024 PHB and I want to stick with the 2014 rules. What do I do?" And I say just give that a try. It's no different than allowing 3rd party stuff in your game. Generally speaking, PC material is mostly siloed off from GM facing stuff (with the exception of spells, but there's no reason you can't just use the 2014 spells for monster and NPCs).

It is a solution to the problem presented. I wasn't suggesting it was the ideal way to play.

 

[TwoSix]

Of course you don't, but the question was essentially "My players want to use the 2024 PHB and I want to stick with the 2014 rules. What do I do?" And I say just give that a try. It's no different than allowing 3rd party stuff in your game. Generally speaking, PC material is mostly siloed off from GM facing stuff (with the exception of spells, but there's no reason you can't just use the 2014 spells for monster and NPCs).

It is a solution to the problem presented. I wasn't suggesting it was the ideal way to play.

Really, the idea that rules elements have to harmonize across characters, or between players and NPCs, is at its core a narrative/worldbuilding requirement, not a mechanical one.

Like you said, PC stuff functions fine if it's siloed off from DM overview, as long as the player can explain the impact of their character stuff in terms of shared concepts (hit points, AC, saves, d20 checks, etc.) once the rule is invoked. Nothing in the game breaks if player A uses one version of bless, player B uses a different version, and an NPC uses a third.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Further down the road you guy, the harder it will be to find players.

Welcome to the Grognards.

 

[MoonSong]

Of course you don't, but the question was essentially "My players want to use the 2024 PHB and I want to stick with the 2014 rules. What do I do?" And I say just give that a try. It's no different than allowing 3rd party stuff in your game. Generally speaking, PC material is mostly siloed off from GM facing stuff (with the exception of spells, but there's no reason you can't just use the 2014 spells for monster and NPCs).

It is a solution to the problem presented. I wasn't suggesting it was the ideal way to play.

I'm seeing I wasn't very clear. That's not the problem. The problem is, I want to stay with 2014 rules or move to a ruleset that is an improvement without falling into the 'sins' of 2024. As a DM I need a reliable source for rules to keep giving to future players. As a player, I need a safe harbour to keep playing. "Learning to love 5.2" is not a solution.

 

[Imaro]

There's always [REDACTED]

This is part of the reason why its so heinous that wotc has dndbeyond as the only option for digital 5e. Anything on d&d beyond can be taken away from you at any moment.

Even if they let you keep legacy content you've purchased previously, you won't be able to buy any legacy content you don't already own, and any new players won't be able to buy it either.

Hasn't WotC released PDF's of every past edition up to this point? Why is the assumption that they won't release PDF's of the 2014 core in the future?

 

[Reynard]

I'm seeing I wasn't very clear. That's not the problem. The problem is, I want to stay with 2014 rules or move to a ruleset that is an improvement without falling into the 'sins' of 2024. As a DM I need a reliable source for rules to keep giving to future players. As a player, I need a safe harbour to keep playing. "Learning to love 5.2" is not a solution.

I think your only real option while sticking with 5E without getting more complicated is to adopt ToV. It should remain in print.

 

[MoonSong]

I think your only real option while sticking with 5E without getting more complicated is to adopt ToV. It should remain in print.

I wanted ToV to be that solution, but it isn't. For one, it also moves subclass choice. And from what I see, it is too focused on exotic new classes.

 

[MoonSong]

Hasn't WotC released PDF's of every past edition up to this point? Why is the assumption that they won't release PDF's of the 2014 core in the future?

One, I'm they won't cannibalize sales of their new edition. Two, they don't consider 5.2 a new edition so they won't offer 5.0 as legacy content. Just like you can buy 3.5 books or revised 2e as pdfs, but not 3.0 or OG 2e.

 

[SpellObjectEnthusiast]

Hasn't WotC released PDF's of every past edition up to this point? Why is the assumption that they won't release PDF's of the 2014 core in the future?

WOTC doesn't view 2014 d&d as a previous edition. Its the "same edition", but an older version which needs to be purged to avoid new player confusion.

5e is in WOTC's walled garden. They aren't going to release it.