D&D (2024) So IS it a new edition?

[Vaalingrade]

The important thing is that we comply with the current BS marketing scheme.

When they try to tell us it's 'just D&D' again, we need to do that too.

 

[KYRON45]

The important thing is that we comply with the current BS marketing scheme.

When they try to tell us it's 'just D&D' again, we need to do that too.

What will happen if you call it something else?

 

[Azzy]

What will happen if you call it something else?

Pikertons will come for you.

 

[Blue]

3.5 was a new edition. 4e Essentials was not. The 2024 revised Core books lie somewhere in the middle. I say it's on the "no" side, but to each their own.

What makes it "in the middle"?

4e Essentials was completely mix-and-match with all previous 4e stuff, and did not invalidate anything from early 4e. Just like Tasha's or Xanathar's.

3.5ed Replaced a number of things from earlier, and but you could somewhat freely mix-and-match what was left from a rules perspective (until material was updated) without mechanical change.

2024 D&D not only replaced a number of things, but some of the things that haven't been replaced can't be freely mixed-and-matched, like you can't pick a 2014 feat for your 1st level feat, even though all of the prerequisites (none) are met.

If anything, 2024 D&D seems further than 3.5ed from 3ed.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I still feel it is overt bogus marketing speak to name it as they have done.

You're free to do that. I feel the opposite. They're correcting a mistake, years in the making.

Don't get me wrong, it's ALSO marketing, but it's smarter, better marketing than they were saddled with once they started playing games with edition numbering (which was pretty much always). Getting off that bandwagon is difficult (as we can see by all the opinions) but it's not a bad idea, IMO.

 

[Maxperson]

But I do agree that even small changes to that core tended to change more than small changes to 5e’s core do. I think it’s just diluting that reason down to simplicity on 3e’s part seems off.

It's also apples and oranges in my opinion. The changes to 5e are more drastic, but not interlinked like 3e was. That doesn't make them less than the 3.5e changes. It just makes them different.

3e didn't change classes, subclasses(prestige), feats and spells to anywhere close to the extent 5.5e has.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

You're free to do that. I feel the opposite. They're correcting a mistake, years in the making.

Don't get me wrong, it's ALSO marketing, but it's smarter, better marketing than they were saddled with once they started playing games with edition numbering (which was pretty much always). Getting off that bandwagon is difficult (as we can see by all the opinions) but it's not a bad idea, IMO.

Maybe I am too old to learn this new trick... maybe a HS kid getting into D&D today wont care...

I just need a way to relate what I want to play. 2e, 3e, 3.5, 4e, 4e+ess, 4e just ess, 5e, 5e with tasha mods, and now... what 5e with 2024 book?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Maybe I am too old to learn this new trick... maybe a HS kid getting into D&D today wont care...

I just need a way to relate what I want to play. 2e, 3e, 3.5, 4e, 4e+ess, 4e just ess, 5e, 5e with tasha mods, and now... what 5e with 2024 book?

Yeah. "New" 5e (will work for a few years, after which you can probably just say "D&D").

"Want to play D&D? We use the latest stuff." Is already what most people do (assuming that they even need the second sentence).

If you're someone who switches editions regularly (say, playing a 1e game occasionally, or whatever) you can say "2024" or just "24". A lot of people use "5.24" but that works better in the typing than it does in the speaking.

If you really have to, you could join those hooked on a marketing scheme from 20 years ago (like @Maxperson above) and call it 5.5. I mean, I hate it, but anyone familiar with 3.5 will at least know what you mean by it...

 

[Remathilis]

WoW expansions change the game enough to be considered a new edition as RPGs use the term.

No more so that Xanathar or Tasha does. I'd argue it's a far more aggressive level of change, but it's still not World of Warcraft 2.

 

[Remathilis]

There is no 4.5. Essentials is not a revision. Please, for the love of God, stop calling it that. It is not and never was.

Even if I'm willing to grant you that the Essential classes are just variant classes, how do you explain the changes to racial ASI (fixed to fixed/float) or powers like Magic Missile going from an attack roll to auto hit. Errata?