D&D 5E The Printers Can't Handle WotC's One D&D Print Runs!

One of the reasons why the three new core rulebooks next year will not be released together is because D&D is such a juggernaut that the printers can't actually handle the size of the print runs!

Jeremy Crawford told Polygon "Our print runs are pretty darn big and printers are telling us you can’t give us these three books at the same time.” And Chris Perkins added that "The print runs we’re talking about are massive. That’s been not only true of the core books, but also Tasha’s Cauldron. It’s what we call a high-end problem."

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

The 3e FRCS would actually be worth that, there is not a single 5e book that is half as good, except maybe Eberron Rising From the Last War, which is 2 thirds as good. If you could some how add the 3.5e setting expansion to the FRCG no 5e book would be even a third as good, except ERftLW which would be half as good.

5e does a medioce to outright naughty word job of settings, except for ERftLW or maybe Wildemount. The SCAG isn't bad, its just vastly too small.

And many of the rest are good enough to torment you with what they could have been had certain things had been done different.

Quality is subjective though. We have gotten more use out of and have more books from 5e than 3e. My DM in particular hated 3e/3.5e books (and 2e too).

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

They kickstart new products that are “ready to go”? I haven’t encountered that, but I don’t directly browse Kickstarter much.

I’m aware of biggish established hobby companies using kickstarter, but it’s still to fund products that aren’t finalized, certainly not “ready to go”.

Actually more and more RPG kickstarters are available immediately or within a month two. LevelUp products are always ready immediately and So was the recent $1,000,000+ Shadowdark KS. This is become so much of a trend I no longer back KS that have more than 6 month delivery time.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I guess that’s true in a sense. As I interpret those campaigns, the physical book is the product, and it needs the kickstarter to be realized. I wouldn’t consider the pdf content to be the “product”, but it’s semantic.

If you’re saying you save your money for campaigns where the content is ready to go, and they just need to fund the layout, printing and distribution of physical product, I can understand that, though I still think there are good projects that seek funding even before the content is finished.

Cortex Prime delivered in a reasonable timeframe and had no finalized content until long after the campaign funded.

I’m not attacking his choices, I’m just questioning why companies would use kickstarter when all they need to raise are printing costs. POD feels like a more efficient path. Kickstarter makes more sense when you need capital to to pay development expenses.

Upgrading dry rules text with color art and layout is a grey area.

Marketing. You get a lot more exposure on KS. @Morrus can say more, but I recall him saying that LevelUp will pretty much only use Kickstarter for future products because they get much better sales / ROI. And LevelUp products are always available immediately (like hours after the campaign ends).

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

TSR had alot of problems, lore wasn't one of them.

Depends - if you didn’t like that lore (like my DM), it becomes a problem to have so much of it!

 

[Micah Sweet]

Depends - if you didn’t like that lore (like my DM), it becomes a problem to have so much of it!

Can't they just stick with 5e then? It has the strong benefit of being (kinda) the current take as well.

 

[Parmandur]

And he has nothing at all to gain from WotC pricing D&D out of business, leaving pathfinder dominate?

Seriously I can't take that tweet seriously,may as well have said a billion dollars.

Actually, his main concern is that book prices continuing to be low impacts the ability of game designers to be able to make a living.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Unpopular opinion, but I don't disagree with him. I paid $50 for Abomination Vaults and my group will easily get 18 months of gaming out of it. Descent into Avernus took us 2 years to play through. That's crazy value for the money. I get far less playtime out of most video games I've bought.

Is that a tripple negative (Unpopular, don't, disagree), it confused me for a minute.

Actually, his main concern is that book prices continuing to be low impacts the ability of game designers to be able to make a living.

How much business will he have when no one buys it anymore.

 

[Oofta]

Our divergent views are quite clear, yes.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Depends - if you didn’t like that lore (like my DM), it becomes a problem to have so much of it!

Why would he buy setting books if he hates lore? its the whole point of them.

 

[Parmandur]

How much business will he have when no one buys it anymore.

That's why he's glad thar WotC is raising prices, it sets expectations for the industry so that Paizo can meet their costs like his own salary.