D&D (2024) The 2024 Core D&D Rulebooks Are Coming In May

21st May 2024 is the official release date!

Update--WotC has taken down the promo image and replaced it with one without a release date. See more here.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

It is. They dropped the word "advanced", but the numbering clearly marks it as AD&D, since AD&D was 1e and 2e, then came 3e which by numbering made it the next edition of "advanced."

I think there was some explanation back then, IIRC, tgat they dropped the advanced, because people thought, you need to learn D&D first before you go to advanced. So yes. It is an edition of AD&D.
But on the other hand, both games share enough similarities to each other, that you won't find a correct answer there.
D&D 3e and above stat bonuses are more like OD&D stat bonuses than AD&D ones.

 

[Maxperson]

You sure seem to be enjoying picking and choosing what's allowed to "count" and what isn't.

There is no picking and choosing. It was chosen for us by how editions work. New editions are all new core three books. Half editions put out new core three books with significant changes. The core rules change. Absent the core rules changing, it's not an edition change or half edition change. They are simply splat books that are optional to use.

At any rate, the part that WotC feels is significant to them (and ultimately to us) that makes 2024 "not an edition" is that most of the previous 5e books will remain in print without needing to be updated. This is not a small thing. It's never been done before. Heck, usually all (or nearly all) the old books are out-of-print LONG before they publish a "new edition".

That doesn't work, though. I could(and did) use 3e stuff with 3.5. I could(and did) use 1e stuff with 2e. I could have used 1e stuff with 3e. I mean, I would have had to use different stat blocks(3e) for the monsters, but other than that 1e modules would have worked quite well.

Simply being able to use old stuff doesn't prevent it from being a half edition change. In fact, if you couldn't use the older stuff, then it would be a full edition change and not a half. That you can still use the older 5e stuff means that it is only a half edition change despite the drastic changes to all the core rules

 

[Maxperson]

I think there was some explanation back then, IIRC, tgat they dropped the advanced, because people thought, you need to learn D&D first before you go to advanced. So yes. It is an edition of AD&D.
But on the other hand, both games share enough similarities to each other, that you won't find a correct answer there.
D&D 3e and above stat bonuses are more like OD&D stat bonuses than AD&D ones.

There were a lot of similarity there, which is why I say different version of the same game. It's also why I point to the BECMI stuff as running concurrently with AD&D and being supported concurrently as proof of them being different games or iterations, rather than sequential editions.

I guess since WotC didn't continue on with BECMI, it can be argued that some of the basic stuff was merged into the new AD&D edition, but that still wouldn't make the older basic stuff editions of AD&D.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

There were a lot of similarity there, which is why I say different version of the same game. It's also why I point to the BECMI stuff as running concurrently with AD&D and being supported concurrently as proof of them being different games or iterations, rather than sequential editions.

It is possible to support different editions at the same time. But I understand your reasoning and do agree tgat D&D is the successor of AD&D, not D&D. So the numbering is somewhat correct.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

There is no picking and choosing. It was chosen for us by how editions work. New editions are all new core three books. Half editions put out new core three books with significant changes. The core rules change. Absent the core rules changing, it's not an edition change or half edition change. They are simply splat books that are optional to use.

That doesn't work, though. I could(and did) use 3e stuff with 3.5. I could(and did) use 1e stuff with 2e. I could have used 1e stuff with 3e. I mean, I would have had to use different stat blocks(3e) for the monsters, but other than that 1e modules would have worked quite well.

Simply being able to use old stuff doesn't prevent it from being a half edition change. In fact, if you couldn't use the older stuff, then it would be a full edition change and not a half. That you can still use the older 5e stuff means that it is only a half edition change despite the drastic changes to all the core rules

Like I started this conversation with: Clearly I'm not going to change your mind on anything.

But you're making that above definition up. THERE IS NO HALF EDITION. Except 3.5. They made it up then, too! Your definition WORKS, but that doesn't make it a universal truth. You've just got it in your head that it's true because it works for you. That's fine, you do you, but don't expect anyone else (certainly not WotC) to have to adhere to your chosen definition of what makes a half edition vs what makes a whole edition vs what makes a non-edition. Heck, by your own chosen definition, 2e was a HALF EDITION. Was it a gimmick to call it 2e instead of 1-point-five? Of course not.

The whole thing is a mess. You can pick-and-choose how to define it to give yourself some sort of sense of "control" if you need to, but you're not objectively "right".

But again, there's clearly no point in telling you any of this. You can have fun with your 5.5 if it makes you happy. I'll play Dungeons & Dragons 2024, myself. Have fun gaming!

 

[Maxperson]

Like I started this conversation with: Clearly I'm not going to change your mind on anything.

But you're making that above definition up. THERE IS NO HALF EDITION. Except 3.5. They made it up then, too! Your definition WORKS, but that doesn't make it a universal truth. You've just got it in your head that it's true because it works for you. That's fine, you do you, but don't expect anyone else (certainly not WotC) to have to adhere to your chosen definition of what makes a half edition vs what makes a whole edition vs what makes a non-edition. Heck, by your own chosen definition, 2e was a HALF EDITION. Was it a gimmick to call it 2e instead of 1-point-five? Of course not.

It actually probably should have been. The changes were minor and it was compatible with 1e. 3e should have been 2e, but TSR chose to make 2e an entirely new edition. I think to push out the influence of Gygax. That meant 3e had to be 3e.

But again, there's clearly no point in telling you any of this. You can have fun with your 5.5 if it makes you happy. I'll play Dungeons & Dragons 2024, myself. Have fun gaming!

You too!!

 

[Parmandur]

The couldn't be the same game. They ran and were supported concurrently with AD&D and I think even 3e(not positive on that). That makes them different games or at least different forks in the "software." AD&D began with 1e and went on from there.

Yeah, that's the marketing double-speak that I find it fascinating thst you buy, along with a "half edition" being a thing. Those are both blatant corporate double-speak gimmicks.

 

[Parmandur]

There is no picking and choosing. It was chosen for us by how editions work. New editions are all new core three books. Half editions put out new core three books with significant changes.

That's not hie editions work in publishing, and is not consistent in D&D history. In publishing, when a book gets enough changes that a new ISBN is needed, that's an edition. And thst is a more regular standard than anybody TSR or WotC BS has been. So by "how editions work," it's nearly impossible to judge a numbering for D&D because TSR mangled it so badly, then WotC decide D to make it worse.

 

[Maxperson]

That's not hie editions work in publishing, and is not consistent in D&D history. In publishing, when a book gets enough changes that a new ISBN is needed, that's an edition. And thst is a more regular standard than anybody TSR or WotC BS has been. So by "how editions work," it's nearly impossible to judge a numbering for D&D because TSR mangled it so badly, then WotC decide D to make it worse.

RPGs are not the same as book publishing, though. They're a different beast. There are definite similarities, but you can't expect them to line up perfectly like that. Editions in RPGs are when the companies say they are, not when they get a new ISBN.

 

[Parmandur]

RPGs are not the same as book publishing, though. They're a different beast. There are definite similarities, but you can't expect them to line up perfectly like that. Editions in RPGs are when the companies say they are, not when they get a new ISBN.

On the one hand...maybe. On the other hand, going against that grain isn't "how editions work", particularly when the deviations are inconsistent and self-contradictory.

Even the broadest "stream of game" interpretation of Editions that I can think of, 5E still isn't the fifth edition of the game...I can see whybWotC tried to avoid the term "5E" by and large, it's also BS.