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

[Remathilis]

I'm going to gaze into my crystal ball here.

WotC isn't going to release an OGL per se, but I have a feeling they won't go after fan-modules too harshly. If some talented ENWorlder creates a module and puts it on his website (or on DTRPG for a few bucks) I don't think WotC will care unless it tries to reprint sections of the rules. I will even suspect they MIGHT pull a Paizo and have a fan-kit with some special graphics and formatting for such things. Don't try to reprint the Monster Manual, but if you want to release some fan monsters, an adventure, or some new feats/spells, go for it.

Likewise, WotC might work with more companies on a case-by-case basis (akin to what they did with Kobold Press) to make modules and supplements. I'm sure WotC has Goodman, Paizo, Frog God, and Green Ronin's numbers in the rolodex.

What they will try to crack down on is rules made to replace, rather than augment, their sales. It might take a while, but I suspect something like this will happen.

 

[AmerginLiath]

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.

With luck, we'll see some free adventures (or more free conversions of classics like was done during the playtest) on the website when DRAGON and DUNGEON come back -- it makes proper sense, just as they're offering a free taste here of the rules, that they'll give us a free taste of what the newest iteration of the magazines look like before they vanish behind a paywall again.

 

[SavageCole]

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.

I couldn't agree more!

 

[Gentlegamer]

This is the perfect plan to create a new "Keep on the Borderlands" as an introductory product that can act as a mini campaign setting and give novice players immediate context for the rules.

 

[Rygar]

I'm going to gaze into my crystal ball here.

WotC isn't going to release an OGL per se, but I have a feeling they won't go after fan-modules too harshly. If some talented ENWorlder creates a module and puts it on his website (or on DTRPG for a few bucks) I don't think WotC will care unless it tries to reprint sections of the rules. I will even suspect they MIGHT pull a Paizo and have a fan-kit with some special graphics and formatting for such things. Don't try to reprint the Monster Manual, but if you want to release some fan monsters, an adventure, or some new feats/spells, go for it.

Likewise, WotC might work with more companies on a case-by-case basis (akin to what they did with Kobold Press) to make modules and supplements. I'm sure WotC has Goodman, Paizo, Frog God, and Green Ronin's numbers in the rolodex.

What they will try to crack down on is rules made to replace, rather than augment, their sales. It might take a while, but I suspect something like this will happen.

I disagree. There will be an OGL, but it'll be very different from what people are expecting.

WOTC is going to go the Steam or App store route and let people sell their works through their own webstore for a cut of the profits. It'll give visibility to products that otherwise never would've been seen by anyone, "Crowd" source adventure development so that TPP's and creative individuals can easily get their product in front of players, and then WOTC won't have to worry about budgeting writers saving alot of money. It would plug the only hole in the original OGL, that WOTC didn't receive any revenue from it, while being a huge benefit to TPP who traditionally have trouble with visibility, and invests some number of users as content creators.

I think we'll also see WOTC leverage its extensive printing contracts to offer a print on demand service for the above material and Dungeon/Dragon.

A *really* smart WOTC would cut a contract with Paizo that treats them as a special tier partner with a higher percentage of sales, giving them back Dungeon/Dragon duties, and letting them sell Pathfinder through WOTC's store as well.

There've been a number of clues that this is what is coming...

-They've said several times that there'll be an OGL and it is still being finalized.
-At GenCon last year they commented (paraphrased) "We know people want to sell or give away their creations, and we're looking into how to support that".
-They keep referring to D&D as a "Brand" not a product line.
-It looks like 5th edition will use something other than DDI given their recent comments about the 4th edition character builder and subscriptions. A 5th edition character builder is fairly useless since there's little complexity. So what is the online goal? What product is being made?

 

[Morrus]

Yup, Rygar has it. They were talking about their own store a year ago.

 

[DaveMage]

Interesting.

Makes perfect sense.

 

[lkj]

I disagree. There will be an OGL, but it'll be very different from what people are expecting.

WOTC is going to go the Steam or App store route and let people sell their works through their own webstore for a cut of the profits. It'll give visibility to products that otherwise never would've been seen by anyone, "Crowd" source adventure development so that TPP's and creative individuals can easily get their product in front of players, and then WOTC won't have to worry about budgeting writers saving alot of money. It would plug the only hole in the original OGL, that WOTC didn't receive any revenue from it, while being a huge benefit to TPP who traditionally have trouble with visibility, and invests some number of users as content creators.

I think we'll also see WOTC leverage its extensive printing contracts to offer a print on demand service for the above material and Dungeon/Dragon.

A *really* smart WOTC would cut a contract with Paizo that treats them as a special tier partner with a higher percentage of sales, giving them back Dungeon/Dragon duties, and letting them sell Pathfinder through WOTC's store as well.

There've been a number of clues that this is what is coming...

-They've said several times that there'll be an OGL and it is still being finalized.
-At GenCon last year they commented (paraphrased) "We know people want to sell or give away their creations, and we're looking into how to support that".
-They keep referring to D&D as a "Brand" not a product line.
-It looks like 5th edition will use something other than DDI given their recent comments about the 4th edition character builder and subscriptions. A 5th edition character builder is fairly useless since there's little complexity. So what is the online goal? What product is being made?

Wow. Accepting the fact that I am not a corporate business person (IANACBP?) and that I have little understanding of how their revenue streams work, this sounds very compelling. I really hope they are this smart. It seems like it would hit the sweet spot for almost everyone. Well, not for advocates of a completely open license or those wanting complete control over their own distribution. But still, it seems like it hits a nice zone.

Only minor quibble I have is that I think a character builder would still be useful, especially for the more advanced version of the game.

AD

 

[dd.stevenson]

Yup, Rygar has it. They were talking about their own store a year ago.

Would you happen to remember where/when this was?

I had completely missed this...

 

[GX.Sigma]

That's a cool idea. My first reaction is that I really hope WotC doesn't have control over who gets to make stuff and who doesn't. I'd rather the artists have complete freedom.

But, I suppose anything they wouldn't approve (eg. BoEF) can just be done with altered OGL rules and a little "5e compatible" winknudge.