D&D 5E (2014) What belongs in a $50 PHB?

[Mistwell]

Can anyone confirm that the 1e AD&D Player's Handbook in 1978 was $15 cover price? If so, that's $54 in today's dollars.

If it was $10, that would be $36 now.

 

[Stormonu]

I can get Savage Worlds, a complete game, for $10. FATE costs $25, including the PDF. $50 rulebooks aren't a value to me, they're a rip-off.

For $50, I expect something akin to the BECM D&D Rules Cyclopedia. If it's going to be a PHB, DMG & MM trilogy, I'm not buying at over $20 a book - essentially $60 for the set.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Can anyone confirm that the 1e AD&D Player's Handbook in 1978 was $15 cover price? If so, that's $54 in today's dollars.

If it was $10, that would be $36 now.

15 sounds right.

According to Board Game Geek, $15 was printed on the back of the tenth printing (1984?).

 

[Stormonu]

A mini rant here ...

One of the things I'm afraid that will have have pushed this book to the $50 mark is "The Pretty". Pathfinder's core rulebooks suffer from it the most. All the designers have to do is look at the number of folks who downloaded the playtest packets, which had 0 art in them to realize that the value is in the rules themselves and that the shiny of the glossy page backgrounds and copious art isn't needed. Granted, I do like some art in my books, but I like it on the levels that we saw back in the 2E days of the rulebooks (better art, but about the same arrangement), and to a large degree the 4E core books.

The worst rulebook as far as layout that I can recall is WEG's Star Wars 2nd edition rulebook. Tiny font arranged in blocks on newsprint-like paper interspersed with poorly toned pictures from the movie. Contrast it to WEG's Star Wars 2nd edition Revised and Expanded book. I loved the layout of the latter and while there was a lot of color going on it wasn't on EVERY page.

 

[Jacob Marley]

I dunno, I'd question all those assumptions.

Lets start with that it is more convenient for the player to have magic items in the PHB.........

You quoted a line that was a summation of my original post. I engaged the OP's question from a very selfish point-of-view; that is, what works best for me. I am fairly certain that for me it is more convenient to have one book to access information from rather than three.

Generally speaking, if it is something that has a long-term effect on my character sheet, then it should be in the Player's Handbook. So, that includes races, classes, skills, feats, spells, alternate class features, alternate race features, familiars and animal companions, equipment, and yes, magic items. As a player, I want one book to access everything that I will need to run my character.

At a $50 price point, I'd like to see all the races and classes from the first 1e, 2e, 3e, and 4e Player's Handbooks. That includes Assassins, and Gnomes, and Warforged, and Warlords (or close approximations thereof). I'd like to see a lot of options to customize the character.

Mostly, what I want is one book. I don't want to have to access a Dungeon Master's Guide if I find a magic item. I don't want to have to access a Monster Manual if I buy a horse. For certain, corner case items, like a griffon, sure, Monster Manual; but for the most part one book.

 

[MichaelSomething]

The PHB should be a $20 book with just four races and classes.

Additional classes/races/whatever should come in $5 booklets. This is the best method since you only pay for what you want!

 

[Hussar]

How about a decent index? That would be nice.

 

[delericho]

Ideally, a $50 PHB would be the complete game - player's material, DM's material, bestiary. Everything else should be strictly optional.

Failing that, if the PHB is only going to be player-side materials (and one of 2 or 3 core books), then it should be very comprehensive in its contents - I expect to be able to play a wide range of characters (races, classes, etc) with good variation of each, right across the level range, without feeling the need for supplements because of the gaps that weren't covered.

One other thing, that I think should go without saying: I expect such a book to retain its value. I understand why it was done, but the 4e/DDI approach of ongoing errata/revisions is unacceptable. If the book is in need of so much change, then it really shouldn't be being published, never mind priced at $50.

 

[delericho]

15 sounds right.

According to Board Game Geek, $15 was printed on the back of the tenth printing (1984?).

It's perhaps worth noting that there's a big jump between 1978 and 1984.

$15 in 1978 is indeed $54 today. But $15 in 1980 is only $42.50 today, and $15 in 1984 is a meagre $34 today.

I did the price comparisons for 3e, 3.5e, and 4e over on the other thread. It does look like the price of D&D core rulebooks has been pretty close to stable right through the editions - $40ish.

 

[delericho]

Hmm. I saw a thread where someone did the math and pointed out that the price for a D&D hardback, adjusted for inflation, has cost about the same through the years.

I did the calculation for 3e, 3.5e and 4e here. (Post includes a link to the inflation calculator I used.)

I didn't go back to 1st or 2nd Ed books as I don't readily have the RRP values to hand.