The Actual Table of Contents for Xanathar's Guide to Everything

A lot of good stuff there.

Of course, on the DM side, a lot of stuff is not there, but I like what I see.

Actually, one of the most useful things will be the appendix of sample names.

 

[Kobold Boots]

I'd definitely agree with you here, WoTC has turned into being a brand manager rather than a brand producer. I'd be very happy with the current release schedule if they put out a Dungeon and Dragon magazine on alternating months, but as it stands they are leaving it to their customers to generate content and taking a nice cut on top of it. That's brand licensing if I ever saw it.

I agree with the general sentiment of brand licensor vs. content publisher. However, both magazines (at least in my time) were always about 75/25 or at the least 50/50 fan generated content. Granted, those fans were rather passionate, well-edited by TSR and put out stellar content if they were published, but it was still fan content. (ex. 1Ed Unearthed Arcana content all originally saw print in Dragon and was about 40-50% fan content that went through submission and publication)

So, I guess the best thing to say is.. if you don't like Wizards.. carry on as they've got plenty of warts to talk about - but at least recognize that in a system where there's always more fan content then there's ever going to be publisher created content, it wouldn't be wise for Wizards to not try to leverage it. Not doing so would (eventually) kill the hobby.

 

[Azzy]

And now for a third post in a row. lol

I am surprised that people are treating this as the "major mechanical expansion" book that has been hinted at. I think that is still coming next November and will include the Mystic and Artificer and many more character option than this book contains. There is not enough in this book for it to be "major" in any way.

I'm sorry, but that doesn't seem like sound view. Xanathar's is the major mechanical expansion—new subclasses, feats, spells, downtime expansion, and DM stuff. There's no way that this couldn't be it.

 

[Guest 6801328]

I agree with the general sentiment of brand licensor vs. content publisher. However, both magazines (at least in my time) were always about 75/25 or at the least 50/50 fan generated content. Granted, those fans were rather passionate, well-edited by TSR and put out stellar content if they were published, but it was still fan content. (ex. 1Ed Unearthed Arcana content all originally saw print in Dragon and was about 40-50% fan content that went through submission and publication)

A couple years ago I was doing a "crap I don't need anymore" purge, and digging through a box of papers I found a rejection letter from Roger E. Moore, editor of Dragon Magazine in the early 80's, for a submission I sent in. I was 15 years old. Good times.

 

[DM Howard]

Isn't that largely what Dragon/Dungeon we're, though? Not much different from DMs Guild.

I agree with the general sentiment of brand licensor vs. content publisher. However, both magazines (at least in my time) were always about 75/25 or at the least 50/50 fan generated content. Granted, those fans were rather passionate, well-edited by TSR and put out stellar content if they were published, but it was still fan content. (ex. 1Ed Unearthed Arcana content all originally saw print in Dragon and was about 40-50% fan content that went through submission and publication)

I'd agree with what you both are saying, very good points, I guess I'd simply enjoy a Dungeon and/or Dragon format that can cut through the garbage and show me the gems, with all those articles (or what have you) in one place and in one document per month.

So, I guess the best thing to say is.. if you don't like Wizards.. carry on as they've got plenty of warts to talk about - but at least recognize that in a system where there's always more fan content then there's ever going to be publisher created content, it wouldn't be wise for Wizards to not try to leverage it. Not doing so would (eventually) kill the hobby.

I'm certainly a WotC fan, 5E is the best edition, IMO, by far! I also think there is room for constructive criticism, as a fan and customer, all with the aim of creating a better brand experience for us the customers.

 

[Li Shenron]

It seems that of all the countless RPGs out there to choose from, you are playing (or, at least, participating in the forums of) one that you intensely dislike....

Mmm... how did I manage to deliver you that idea... D&D is my favourite RPG and 5e is my favourite edition! I love everything in the PHB except the Guidance cantrip... go figure I just can't stand the idea of 18 pages of names.

 

[Li Shenron]

Honestly I don't care enough to go through the trouble of finding 3e books. I skipped 3rd and 4th editions.

Ok no problem. See below why I think there were better tables.

They probably found in surveys that more people prefer straight alphabetical order is Timon: easier to find quickly in play.

Yes that's true, alphabetical is easier. Mostly I was referring to the format and the short description. Maybe that option got lost when they chose the font and layout for 5e books... the 3e core books had a lot more text in a page.

 

[Jay Verkuilen]

Isn't that largely what Dragon/Dungeon we're, though? Not much different from DMs Guild.

The problem with DMs Guild is that there's no curation and you have to pay to even see it. Dragon and Dungeon were professionally curated and edited content. A good bit of it was fan-generated or submitted but quite a lot was written by pros. For a long time the content was excellent. Some of DMs Guild is like that but there's a huge amount of wading through content that really isn't and the recommendation engine is not fantastic.

 

[Jay Verkuilen]

I'd agree with what you both are saying, very good points, I guess I'd simply enjoy a Dungeon and/or Dragon format that can cut through the garbage and show me the gems, with all those articles (or what have you) in one place and in one document per month.

Agreed, totally. Dungeon and Dragon were both really useful. I haven't looked at it in a long time but Dragon+ was mostly marketing hype or interviews last time I checked. Sad days for what was once a really useful source of game material.

I'm certainly a WotC fan, 5E is the best edition, IMO, by far! I also think there is room for constructive criticism, as a fan and customer, all with the aim of creating a better brand experience for us the customers.

IMO my favorite "edition" is my house ruled 2E but 5E is solid. I also agree that constructive criticism is relevant. My options are exit or voice. I've been pushed more towards exit by virtue of WotC not releasing much content that I actually want, but for a lot of reasons I'd really prefer to use their content over third parties, unless I'm playing something like Cubicle 7's Adventures in Middle Earth where the 5E ruleset is being used for a different game. They seem to spend most of their effort on hyping their limited releases rather than generating content, so I'm not sure I'd call myself a fan. I have been a loyal customer for years though, but now mostly what I get isn't even close to what I want so they don't get much $$$ anymore. (No I don't want a return to the excessive release grind.)

 

[Kobold Boots]

Going slightly off-topic here.

Do folks think there's a market for a fanzine in the light of the old Dragon mag? I thought there were other D&D things out there other than Dragon and Dungeon? (Gygax mag rings a bell.) edit - Gygax has been learned to be dead. Kobold Quarterly too. Damn.

-KB.

 

[Jay Verkuilen]

I'd definitely agree with you here, WoTC has turned into being a brand manager rather than a brand producer. I'd be very happy with the current release schedule if they put out a Dungeon and Dragon magazine on alternating months, but as it stands they are leaving it to their customers to generate content and taking a nice cut on top of it. That's brand licensing if I ever saw it.

Absolutely, they've pretty much just become a rentier, spending most of their efforts on social media marketing and licensing. I guess that makes business sense, but it's mostly cashing in on contrived scarcity.

If I recall right, Dragon was monthly and Dungeon was bimonthly. Some of the adventures in Dungeon were really, really good and material originally written for Dragon represented a useful testbed for content. Ideally DMs Guild would do this, but there's just way too much to wade through, IMO.