D&D 5E The cost of D&D 5E (it ain't so bad!)

[jbear]

Actually, my income level is on the high end of middle class, and I live<br>
in an affordable part of the United States. I have a lot of disposable income, and own close to 200 rpg systems (core books), not to mention all the splatbooks, supplements, etc. I have been buying rpg materials since the 70s.<br>
<br>
i expect value equivalent to what I'm paying, though. If Paizo can deliver a full game (minus the bestiaries) for $49, so can WotC. Why would I spend an extra $50 because WotC is getting greedy? That's money I can put in the bank, or use to buy a core rule book for another game that is a complete package.

Paizo didn't have to do much developing to come up with their core game. At best they merely tweaked a game that was already created, repacked it and sold it. So there is that or you. I would imagine that is a much cheaper process than creating a new system or trying to amalgamte 4 editions into a new system.

Also, on the news page there is a comment that Mike Mearls has said that you will be able to play a full campaign with just the PHB. So there you go ... the full game will cost you $50. The other books in that case could be considered supplementary non-essential products that you can acquire if you WANT to expand your game (which you will only need to do if you are really loving the system).

It has been amusing to read how this point has been brought up 3 times and completely ignored.

Coming from a point of view of someone who is not even interested in buying 5e at this stage whatsoever it seems that the prices are ok to me.

Don't want it: Don't buy it: Cost= $0
Curious enough to try it but don't want to invest: buy Starter Set: Cost= $20
Want to see the whole game and be able to play the whole game if I choose to do so but I don't have/don't want to spend a whole lot: Buy PHB: Cost= $50
Money is no concern, I know I want to play 5e and I want a fully expanded game with lots and lots of options available to me some of which I may or may not actually use: Buy PHB, DMG, MM: Cost = $150
Want all 3 books because I know I want to play 5e but $150 is too much: Buy PHB. Start playing. Save up. Buy DMG. Save up. Buy MM: Cost= 3 installments of $50 payable whenever you have managed to save up enough.

 

[GrahamWills]

So, I am fortunate and have a fair amount of disposable income. And I have some interest in D&D. I am unlikely to play it, but would like a copy in case my friends play and also for general interest. It might also hook me, who knows?

But for this the starter set is no use, so I'm looking at $50-$150 for curiosity and interest. That's a little high for my level of excitement. If I was definitely going to run or play a few sessions, sure, I'll drop the cash. But if i'm not committed, the price point is offputting.

Example: I was pretty much in the same boat for FATE. Sounded fun, but I didn't expect to play much. However I thought that for (I think I paid) $10 I could try it out. So I did, liked it, and then bought physical copies and have probably ended u with about $100 of stuff. It hooked me.

With 5e, I think the starter set is intended to do that. But I have never liked the "limited rules" idea of having a product that doesn't give you the info you need to know if you can run a long-term campaign, so it doesn't excite me. At the moment, I'm thinking I'll see if there is a price drop / second-hand copy / cheaper PDF version of the player's handbook around later. If not, I'm likely not to try it.

So, bottom line -- for an edition supposed to draw fence-sitters in, this doesn't do it for me.

 

[Halivar]

I am unlikely to play it, but would like a copy in case my friends play and also for general interest.

But for this the starter set is no use, so I'm looking at $50-$150 for curiosity and interest.

Why so? Seems to me the Starter set is aimed squarely at you.

 

[GrahamWills]

I've never had any good feeling with any limited version of rules. Apart from the annoyance of wasting twenty bucks if I do like the system, the limited rules never give me a good feel for the system. Basically I cannot use them to decide on a system. For d&d it is particularly an issue as higher level play had never been great. I cannot imagine anyone really screwing up levels 1-5. So the starter set will answer no questions or give me any help

 

[ShadowDenizen]

Curious enough to try it but don't want to invest: buy Starter Set: Cost= $20

And that's about where I'm at.

While I can afford $50 for a book, (or even $150 for the set), I have to think if there's something I want more with that cash. The D+D branding, while important to me, isn't enough on it's own to compel me to slavishly buy things anymore as I did in the 70's & 80's. (And there's already existing RPG's I'd like to pick up, but haven't had the chance to yet.)

And it's not just RPG's competing for my cash; I'm also an avid comic-reader, video-gamer and cinephile, which is an inmportant point to the market nowadays, I think. Consumers have THOUSANDS of choices in entertainment available to them.

The entry to D+D (in terms of new players, anyway) is not JUST the price-tag (which IS high, but not entirely unreasonable, IMO), but also the willigness to read and become conversatn with a 320+ page book of rules.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Why so? Seems to me the Starter set is aimed squarely at you.

The issue is that for the cash-poor, it's a wasted $20 if they DO like the game, because they'll want the full deal, and it's kind of wasted if you don't like it, too (but could be seen as a saving over buying the $50 version and not liking it).

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

The issue is that for the cash-poor, it's a wasted $20 if they DO like the game, because they'll want the full deal, and it's kind of wasted if you don't like it, too (but could be seen as a saving over buying the $50 version and not liking it).

From everything said in the other thread, it really sounds like the Starter Set is an adventure and campaign book first and foremost. It sounds like it is $20 for an adventure that takes PCs from 1st through 5th with some monsters, DM and world information. It also contains the rules and some precons if you need them. However, the game expects you to find the rules on creating characters elsewhere(wherever that happens to be at the moment).

So, it sounds like the PHB is the actual core game.

I would kind of expect that if someone is hard core enough that they really want to get into the game IF they do play but aren't sure if they will play that the entry point is $50 for a PHB.

 

[sunshadow21]

Why so? Seems to me the Starter set is aimed squarely at you.

It's a short term product, not a campaign long product, and so by itself is of limited usefulness to those who don't want to fully commit to all three core books eventually. If WotC can publish a lot of high quality adventures, than it could very well be part of an alternative path, where someone could buy it, the PHB, and whatever adventures catch their fancy, and have enough material for a solid campaign, but by itself, it's not going to do much to sustain long term interest. WotC needs people to keep buying something, so they are not going to make it that useful beyond level 5.
---
As for the being able to run a campaign with just the PHB, I suspect that means that just like with other editions, there will be supplementary material available until all the core books are released, not a permanent arrangement that would allow people to not have to buy the later core books or product. Thus the price point for playing the full game is still going to eventually be all three books, which while probably a fair enough value, are still pricey for those looking for a secondary campaign and not all that interested in playing it all the time. 4E already showed that for these people, brand name doesn't trump personal value, so the base cost will be a notable factor, even if it isn't a instant major problem.

 

[Dannager]

Actually, my income level is on the high end of middle class, and I live
in an affordable part of the United States. I have a lot of disposable income, and own close to 200 rpg systems (core books), not to mention all the splatbooks, supplements, etc. I have been buying rpg materials since the 70s.

i expect value equivalent to what I'm paying, though. If Paizo can deliver a full game (minus the bestiaries) for $49, so can WotC. Why would I spend an extra $50 because WotC is getting greedy?

I wonder if you can think of some possible reasons why one book might cost more than another book, aside from "greed"?

 

[ShadowDenizen]

I wonder if you can think of some possible reasons why one book might cost more than another book, aside from "greed"?

To be fair, while "Greed" may be a factor (and I wouldn't put it past WotC [or more appropriately "Hasbro]), there's likely many other factors/variables that could be involved. We don't know what their operating costs are, what the print-runs are, what printers they use, what their expected profit margins from corporate ownership is, etc.

While I don't think we, the customers, should shoulder that entire burden, it's expected that at least some of it is bound to trickle down, regardless of the publisher.

That said, $50 seems heavy, but not entirely unreasonable to me. BUT, is definitely not a "Point-of-Purchase"'/"Sight Unseen" sale for me (while a $25-$35 book might be), it's more of a "Wait and See" proposition.