D&D (2024) What can WotC do in OneD&D to make the DM's Guide worth buying?

[darjr]

Yes. It is consistently in the top five, and usually the third-best seller, among D&D books. Even right now it is #3.

Heck, it is regularly in the top 500 in overall books. It's practically a license to print to money.

The core books still sell very well. In fact if these numbers persist and no one who already owns the 2014 PHB buys the 2023 PHB it would still be a smash hit and possibly the second best selling PHB.

 

[MNblockhead]

Maybe I'm one of the few people who DON'T want the DMG to have this whole big section on "How To DM". Because quite frankly... learning how to DM and what to focus on while DMing is such a personal and personal preference kind of thing that I in no way wish to see a single way proscribed as "here's the way to do it."

I've read how a lot of you people run your games here on EN World and know for a fact I would NEVER want to play in a lot of your games, LOL! If the DMG was then giving us instructions on how to DM in the styles that some of you DM? That would be horrible for someone like me! The last thing I want is for more people to think that your ways of DMing are the "proper" ways to do so, heh heh! We've already got worshippers at the altars of The Alexandrian and the Angry DM... to have any one of their styles of DMing possibly become the "instructions" of how to do it in the DMG? No thank you!

And by the same token... if the DMG was to be all about MY methods (and folks like Matt Mercer, Matt Colville and the like) of narrative and story and throwing out the "board game rules" of D&D combat and mechanics even more than it does already (with the 'Rulings, Not Rules' mantra)... I think a whole crap-ton of you folks would absolutely FREAK. You wouldn't want new players to learn to treat the game in my way either, because that would basically stomp out your preferred ways of playing the game over time too, players thinking your ways are "wrong" because those aren't what the DMG has taught them.

Learning to DM well is a personal thing that you only get better at and figure out your particular preferences as you do it. Thus I am wholeheartedly in favor of what we have... which is the Starter Set (of whatever type it is) showing players the very generic and baseline instruction of what the DM needs to do to run the game... but any additional instruction on "how to do it" should be left to the DM's own devices, or websites, or YouTube videos, or whatever. Let the DM who wants more info go out searching for it on their own... rather than proscribe a single way to do it in the Dungeon Master's Guide.

I don't think that those of us who have indicated a preference for the DMG having DM advice are arguing for a one-true-wayist approach. The opposite. I would like the basics of how to run the game to be in the PHP so folks can pickup a book and a starter adventure and just play. For those who really get into it, the DMG should be a tool guide to help them up their game or try other options and flavors. I would hope the General Advice on Running games section would describe various approaches, both the more wargames-inspired gamist approach, as well as the more improvisational, thespian approach--an other approaches as well!

Personally, I like playing in a variety of styles. And even with my gaming group, I may change approaches from one campaign to the next or even for certain sessions in a campaign. There is certainly a market for "How to DM Guides" and articles. WotC would be remiss if they ignored that demand.

 

[MNblockhead]

I'm beginning to move to the idea that there should be a beginner DMG, that is much shorter (and much longer than the starter sets), and that most of that should be outside the "advanced DMG." Of course, that gives them more products to sell, which might be good or bad....but it goes with my thought that magic items and foraging and stuff should be in a different book (which would sell, no problem).

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of a starter DMG and advanced DMG (which, ya, I already said that, but I like it even more as I type it out).

The starter sets and the PHB already address this. I think the new PHB could address it better.

 

[MNblockhead]

If the new edition isn't changing much, what would make you buy the next DMG?

More options. Consolidating rules-options content from their various other books into the DMG; more options for down time; better and more fleshed out stronghold, downtime, and faction options; rules for crafting, alchemy, and components; more combat variant rules; well written advice on playing theater of the mind and other styles of play; more advice and rules options for running different genres; more options for customizing and creating monsters; more world-building advice and tools; advice on running D&D on-line. Basically, a well stocked tool box of well though-out, well written, and much better organized tools and material to run games.

 

[Catolias]

If they took magic items out of DMG completely and sold a fourth Book of Treasure...with lots more magic items, tables for generating unique magic items, expanded Artifact and Sentient Weapon information, rules or at least guidelines for crafting magic items (and harvesting components from dead monsters?), etc...who would buy it?

I would.

D&D 3.5 had the book Weapons of Legacy that did this. I liked it and had fun with my players. It was at the tale end of the bloat with 3.5 before 4e hit. I know not many people agreed that it was a good book

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

Well, I would like to see a lot of the DMG moved into the PHB. New books that focus on advanced GM tips and campaign building would take the existing space of the DMG. Though, as Snarf points out, why rock the boat when it's full of cash?

What do you mean by wanting a full blown 6E?

A full blown 6E - by that I mean that I think the ambitions to have full compatibility with "old" 5E is pretty silly. Besides the mechanical changes WotC has been clear both in action and words that they want to change the value connotations of the game - see for example race vs heritage and "not all orcs". That in itself is a good thing, even if those moves of course are economically motivated.

So there will be a both mechanical and value-based divide between the old and new books, and of course their current target consumer groups will want the new books. Thats why I think the ambitions of backwards compatibility will just make the game worse, and I rather see that WotC make a new edition of the game as they want it for max sales to the target consumers.

We grogs and lore nerds still have older editions to play. Or other games, in my case.

 

[AnotherGuy]

If people are worried about space within the DMG, much of it could be moved online where it can be improved/updated on an offered for free - here me out. We have had several editions of the game most of the stuff in the DMG can be found online anyways - why not capitalise and take control of it. And really we need the space.
So all of this SHOULD be online (and maintained by WotC)

• Learning how to DM, various DM techniques/styles, session 0, players, discussing genre/themes....etc
• Tables - random dungeon generation, NPC generation (motives, appearance, names...etc), encounter options, Random encounter tables by terrain, tables upon tables...etc

In the DMG however you provide a summary overview, definitions and links to the sites.
Then you can focus on the real important issues and go into more detail

• Options/modular systems for low level/high magic, gritty, horror, pulp, gunpowder, item breakage, substitute magic systems/skill systems...etc
• Rewards and Treasures
• Traps, Poisons, Madness, Corruption, Diseases, Injuries,
• Exploration and Social Challenges
• Magical Items
• Combat encounter set-up
• Downtime (DM side) - and there should be Downtime in the PHB as well
• Special location rules - underwater, ethereal, astral, aerial...etc

Finally, I think monster generation should be in the Monster's Manual.

EDIT: Good layout and decent index should be standard; I shouldn't even need to mention it.

 

[delericho]

If people are worried about space within the DMG, much of it could be moved online where it can be improved/updated on an offered for free - here me out. We have had several editions of the game most of the stuff in the DMG can be found online anyways - why not capitalise and take control of it. And really we need the space.
So all of this SHOULD be online (and maintained by WotC)

My problem with that is that "online" means "on D&D Beyond", which is completely useless to me.

(And, yes, I know that that's an entirely self-centered position to take. But there it is.)

 

[AnotherGuy]

My problem with that is that "online" means "on D&D Beyond", which is completely useless to me.

(And, yes, I know that that's an entirely self-centered position to take. But there it is.)

Oh right, that is a good point.
I was not intending for it to be a closed off portion from the playerbase, rather the way I imagined it, the source material be it videos and tables should be accessible the same way the basic PHB is accessible for public consumption.
Really educating people how to play the game should not be something worth monetizing as well as wasting space in the book for. And most of the tables are really just updated tables of previous editions, they should be free.
We shouldn't be paying for names like we did in Xanathar's. These tools should just be made available for all.

Does that work for you or is there another reason I'm perhaps missing here?

 

[Bill Zebub]

I don't think that those of us who have indicated a preference for the DMG having DM advice are arguing for a one-true-wayist approach. The opposite. I would like the basics of how to run the game to be in the PHP so folks can pickup a book and a starter adventure and just play. For those who really get into it, the DMG should be a tool guide to help them up their game or try other options and flavors. I would hope the General Advice on Running games section would describe various approaches, both the more wargames-inspired gamist approach, as well as the more improvisational, thespian approach--an other approaches as well!

Personally, I like playing in a variety of styles. And even with my gaming group, I may change approaches from one campaign to the next or even for certain sessions in a campaign. There is certainly a market for "How to DM Guides" and articles. WotC would be remiss if they ignored that demand.

Yes.

I imagine example scenarios…a common RPG technique…but ending with three different ways the DM could handle it.