D&D 5E So what's the scoop on D&D in PDF Format?

[Staffan]

My memory is muddy on this but I'm going to say it was 2000 or 2001, couldn't have been any later than 2003. I think I was still on the FR email list at that point, and that croaked around the same time. It's probably on the Wayback machine but I'm not going to bother looking for it, although it would be funny for a laugh to read the article. They were looking for AD&D 2E books and back, nothing after 3E, I think at that point they were probably creating books digitally so there probably wasn't a need to scan them afterwards.

I'm pretty sure it was actually pre-3e. I believe the original plan was to use them for sequels to the 2e Core Rules CD, and I have a vague recollection that those sacrificing their books would be compensated with a copy of said CD. Then Wizards changed their minds and started selling them via an online store – originally only to US customers and in some weird DRM:ed format, but later via RPGNow/DTRPG.

 

[Alzrius]

I seem to recall the term ESD, for "electronic shell download" if I recall correctly, being thrown around then.

 

[Nikosandros]

I seem to recall the term ESD, for "electronic shell download" if I recall correctly, being thrown around then.

Yes, I remember it as well. Back then, those PDF files were somewhat large for current connections.

 

[Echohawk]

I bought my first AD&D PDFs in 2001. I don't remember if it was first directly from WotC and then from a company called SV Games or if it was the other way around.

Jim Butler started the ESD project while he was still as WotC, then left and formed Bastion Press and entered into an agreement with WotC to continue the scanning. I think that the first PDFs went on sale in 2001. According to an early snapshot of the Bastion Press website, ESDs could initially be purchased directly from the WotC online store. I think that SVGames also started selling them in late 2001 or early 2002, and according to this ENWorld thread by 2003 the PDFs were also available from RPGNow.

Also, this thread made me feel old, so thanks for that ​

 

[R_J_K75]

I'm pretty sure it was actually pre-3e. I believe the original plan was to use them for sequels to the 2e Core Rules CD, and I have a vague recollection that those sacrificing their books would be compensated with a copy of said CD.

You could be right, this sounds like a pre-cursor to what Im thinking of, I owned the core rules but dont think I was online until late 1998 or early 1999. I also rember there being talk of a Forgottens Realms encyclopedia CD at one point that became vaporware.

Also, this thread made me feel old, so thanks for that ​

You're welcome

 

[Nikosandros]

You could be right, this sounds like a pre-cursor to what Im thinking of, I owned the core rules but dont think I was online until late 1998 or early 1999. I also rember there being talk of a Forgottens Realms encyclopedia CD at one point that became vaporware.

Fascinating. Do you remember more? It would have been a companion to the FR Atlas CD that was published.

 

[R_J_K75]

According to an early snapshot of the Bastion Press website, ESDs could initially be purchased directly from the WotC online store.

That was basically the "ALL CALL" I was referring to but I dont recall WotC offering donators a CD. Its funny how time really does distort your memory, this is the first I remember of WotC making .pdfs available, 6/3/2003. Guess i was off a bit, but I do recall coming home from work that day and checking their site and seeing this and being shocked. Though I think it was only the first group of pdfs and the list was added to over time.

Previous Edition Dungeons & Dragons Downloads

Previous Edition Dungeons & Dragons Downloads

wayback.archive-it.org

 

[Nikosandros]

Regarding free CDs, I recall that they offered a CD with the scanned PDF of the product that you "sacrificed", which seemed to me like a terrible deal.

 

[Echohawk]

You could be right, this sounds like a pre-cursor to what Im thinking of, I owned the core rules but dont think I was online until late 1998 or early 1999. I also rember there being talk of a Forgottens Realms encyclopedia CD at one point that became vaporware.

I think you might be conflating two vaporware products: A planned print Forgotten Realms encyclopedia and a planned CD containing out of print products.

 

[R_J_K75]

Fascinating. Do you remember more? It would have been a companion to the FR Atlas CD that was published.

I think it was supposed to be a CD linked as a wiki is now. I don't remember where I read it, but I do recall it being vague, but George Krashos may have been attached as I think he was a pretty prolific FR historian, and pretty active on the email list. If memory serves, which it probably doesn't, I want to say that it was just deemed too big of a project and was scrapped. There was very little ever said about it that I saw.