D&D 5E The implications of Basic 5E: An adventure-based approach?

[MerricB]

As we suspected, Wizards of the Coast are releasing a free version of D&D, which they’re calling Basic D&D. It will be distributed in a free PDF, which initially will only have the rules for character creation, but eventually will expand to allow a full campaign of 1st to 20th level, albeit without all the options you get in the full game.

Of particular note in Mike’s announcement is that the PDF will be updated with monsters, rules and magic items so that players are able to play any of the new adventure releases from Wizards of the Coast. Now, this is particularly interesting, especially given the news we’ve had on Organised Play. Mike also revealed earlier on twitter that the two Tyranny of Dragons adventures will cover about the same levels as the current Paizo Adventure Path – levels 1-17. For two 96 page adventures, that’s a lot of levels. (The Paizo adventures do it in six 96-page books, but have a lot of non-adventure material and the stat-blocks tend to take up space).

This gives a new take on how to get into D&D, which draws somewhat from the Paizo experience: Buying a full campaign adventure and having the (basic) rules thrown in. The D&D Encounters program becomes a teaser for the full adventure which is easily accessible for new players. D&D Expeditions provides an alternative way of finding players for these campaign adventures, whilst also giving access to shorter adventures.

I do not know how many of the traditional “short” adventures (32 pages) would be published by Wizards in this form. It should be noted that these adventures tend to be the least profitable – the overhead costs are quite high. The longer adventures have done very well for Paizo; one can only assume that, if they’re written well, they’ll also do well for Wizards.

And this is likely not all the news that will be coming from Wizards in the coming weeks…

(Reposted from my blog).

Cheers!

 

[Morrus]

That's my thoughts, too. New gamers can now buy a cool looking adventure as their hook product. Basically, D&D can now be accessed from a variety of directions. A starter set for the kids in Toys R Us. An exciting adventure product which points you to download the rules for free. Big core rule books for folks like us. Everything introduced you to D&D in it's own way, and everything is useable without extra purchases needed.

It's basically difficult to NOT get introduced to D&D now! You'd have to actively try not to. Everything you might buy, whether you spend $12, $29, or $150, works as a one-purchase introduction.

 

[DaveMage]

Yeah, it's a brilliant move.

Now the key will be to create those "attractive" adventures.

 

[Gargoyle]

Yeah, it's a brilliant move.

Now the key will be to create those "attractive" adventures.

They are off to a good start in this area too by getting companies like Kobold Press to help with that. Outsourcing / licensing D&D adventure creation means more adventures, a larger variety of adventure types, and probably higher quality.

 

[AmerginLiath]

The fact that they've put Kobold Press in charge of the actual adventure design and adventure writing working alongside them is a great sign that they want the folks making the adventures to be folks who make adventures instead of rules-writers trying to write them -- probably for this very reason!

How many folks have stories about discovering AD&D from picking up an awesome-looking adventure and trying to puzzle out the rules from the arcane language and diagrams inside? It looks like the design team of 5e might have found the solution to that! And, as I mentioned in the other thread, it solves the marketing problem to price-shock: you introduce the new edition through BD&D & adventures, then folks realize all the other options in every arena of a game they now know and play a campaign of available to them in the books and go purchase them!

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

This is the growth business model IMO. D&D *should* be like crack: the first hit is free!

 

[Thaumaturge]

How many folks have stories about discovering AD&D from picking up an awesome-looking adventure and trying to puzzle out the rules from the arcane language and diagrams inside? It looks like the design team of 5e might have found the solution to that!

This is exactly my experience when I was 12 and just getting into the hobby. An easy path to getting the rules, once a 12 year old finds an adventure is huge.

It also makes the barrier to entry much lower. I have some in-laws who are curious about the game, play it with me from time to time, but would never throw down $150 for the complete game. Might they download the free pdf and then slowly play enough to find a $50 PHB worth it? Yes they might.

Thaumaturge.

 

[Agamon]

The fact that they've put Kobold Press in charge of the actual adventure design and adventure writing working alongside them is a great sign that they want the folks making the adventures to be folks who make adventures instead of rules-writers trying to write them -- probably for this very reason!

Kobold Press is only designing the two Tyranny of Dragons adventures. They might continue outsourcing, but so far Kobold is only committed to those two.

 

[Sadrik]

Mike also revealed earlier on twitter that the two Tyranny of Dragons adventures will cover about the same levels as the current Paizo Adventure Path – levels 1-17. For two 96 page adventures, that’s a lot of levels.

I do not know how many of the traditional “short” adventures (32 pages) would be published by Wizards in this form.

I also want quality one-off adventures. 8 pages or less. This could be placed in a composite book. But one-night one-off adventures are a real selling point for me. Long campaigns are great too but the old slim 16 page modules were really nice to have lying around. Sometimes the smaller and lighter modules come off the best. Easy entry point for the DM and the ability for the DM to tailor it into the larger narrative of the campaign.

If it were me designing, I would set up my campaign books as sandbox games. I mean rules for running that setting as a sandbox and suggest overarching naratives that can be applied to that sandbox. Then individual adventures could be little rails in the overarching sandbox. Designing from this standpoint offers the best of both worlds. Long epic campaigns are nice and all... but they are typically railroad masterpieces that some like and some don't.

 

[vagabundo]

I hope they take a risk and produce some weird and wonderful one off settings too.