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

[Distracted DM]

Found some answers re: the WotC call for old books etc:

So it was 2016 that WotC asked for scans- that's what I was thinking of. There are some links to old WotC/DMsGuild URLs that are sadly dead.

Previously, it looks like Paizo was selling digital PDFs of oldies in 2005. They were of questionable quality.

It looks like other folk found a couple other bits above.

Side note, WotC used to have a bunch of TSR stuff up for free. Unfortunately this particular treasure trove is dead.

 

[Wolfpack48]

This is all reminding me how so many software companies have moved to the sub model. You pay a monthly sub now for MS Office and Adobe. There is no "ownership" anymore of digital content, only the ability to have access to it (for a fee). I hope DriveThru isn't listening.

 

[R_J_K75]

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

Looks like you are right, but it appears an FR Encyclopedia was planned that never came to fruition.

 

[Echohawk]

Side note, WotC used to have a bunch of TSR stuff up for free. Unfortunately this particular treasure trove is dead.

Not so much

 

[R_J_K75]

Side note, WotC used to have a bunch of TSR stuff up for free. Unfortunately this particular treasure trove is dead.

I just linked it above from the Wayback Machine looks like its still there, as long as the downloads still work

Yep they still work

 

[SlyFlourish]

I'm guessing the large concern is piracy and sharing, so I'm wondering if they'd require some sort of login and a dedicated reader of some kind. For the record, I'd be fine using a dedicated app and login.

WOTC has a history of killing their digital platforms and taking all of the products within away. They did this with pretty much everything in 4e and then just recently with Dragon+.

I would never trust them to keep a digital platform up indefinitely. PDFs, however, as long as I care for them, can last the rest of my life.

 

[Distracted DM]

I just linked it above from the Wayback Machine looks like its still there, as long as the downloads still work

Yep they still work

You know whenever Wikipedia does those fundraisers I kick in a few bucks- I should do the same for Wayback Machine

 

[R_J_K75]

You know whenever Wikipedia does those fundraisers I kick in a few bucks- I should do the same for Wayback Machine

I should too but usually dont. I find the Wayback Machine a bit hard to find stuff but I only use it to go Wayback so that may be the problem.

 

[Staffan]

Previously, it looks like Paizo was selling digital PDFs of oldies in 2005. They were of questionable quality.

The first few waves (Forgotten Realms, Al-Qadim, Dark Sun) were pretty good. A lot of care went into the OCR and getting the layout the same as in the actual print books. But at some point some bean counter decided that that was too expensive, so they switched to basically making the files into just scanned images with the text OCR:ed behind the scan (so you could still search it), because that way they didn't have to get the OCR:ed text to actually look right. As a side effect, the file sizes ballooned by quite a lot (the whole grey box FR set is 11 MB for 230 pages including a bunch of maps, while Realmspace is 106 pages including maps and 28 MB).

 

[Reynard]

I would never trust them to keep a digital platform up indefinitely. PDFs, however, as long as I care for them, can last the rest of my life.

Until the readers change to the degree you can't open them. Best print them out.