D&D 5E (2024) What will the impact of 1D&D be on 3PP material?

[Eyes of Nine]

I do not think it is up to them to ensure the compatibility with 3pp stuff.

Of course not - hard agree - it's even in the OP. My post was more on what would be the impact on 3PP since WotC won't be ensuring compatibility

 

[Micah Sweet]

I don't think it will make any difference. Unless the new D&D is such a divergent product that the very terminology has changed, 3PPs already have all the tools they need to make compatible products.

The thing that will affect 3PPs is the DDB-focus and walled garden approach. It's not that 3PPs won't be able to make the stuff, it's whether people will buy it if it isn't on DDB. Right now that's a small issue--but that has the potential to turn into a major hurdle as D&D moves more online and more dependent on WotC controlled digital platforms.

Agreed that's a real concern. Best to cut ties with WotC now as far as their future plans are concerned.

 

[TheSword]

I think a bigger risk than 5.5e diverging from 5e will be 3pp fragmenting and diverging themselves - each in different directions or overlapping and not in concert with the direction 5.5 goes.

I think this will be very dangerous for 3pp. Already we’re seeing a new 3pp 5e clone advertised seemingly every month.

In sales we always try and find a unique selling point (USP) that would make me pick Tales of the Valient over Level Up or D&D. I’ll be honest I’m struggling to see them. That may be a failure of my comprehension or a failure of marketing to explain it… or there just may not be one.

Multiple companies offering different flavors of spaghetti sauce is good. Multiple companies doing tiny variations of the same thing with little or no differentiation is bad for everyone.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

Agreed that's a real concern. Best to cut ties with WotC now as far as their future plans are concerned.

Interesting suggestion. Is that your suggestion for yourself? Or for ENPublishing? Or for everyone? Cutting ties with Wizards is a pretty serious thing when it is compatible with other clones, and is bigger than all those clones combined. Other fans may find value in being able to buy products that work with both rulesets. A D&D player may purchase LevelUp for supplemental rules and ideas. In fact, I bought LevelUp only because it is compatible with D&D. (Great work, @Morrus!)

What does it look like for you to cut ties with WotC's future plans? Are you confident you're not going to buy the 5e24 books? Are you still going to playtest? Are you still going to invest your time in a game that is divergent from your preferred game? It sounds like you are confident that they can't win you back, so I'm curious about what impact you want to have, if it's not for your own personal experience going forward.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Interesting suggestion. Is that your suggestion for yourself? Or for ENPublishing? Or for everyone? Cutting ties with Wizards is a pretty serious thing when it is compatible with other clones, and is bigger than all those clones combined. Other fans may find value in being able to buy products that work with both rulesets. A D&D player may purchase LevelUp for supplemental rules and ideas. In fact, I bought LevelUp only because it is compatible with D&D. (Great work, @Morrus!)

What does it look like for you to cut ties with WotC's future plans? Are you confident you're not going to buy the 5e24 books? Are you still going to playtest? Are you still going to invest your time in a game that is divergent from your preferred game? It sounds like you are confident that they can't win you back, so I'm curious about what impact you want to have, if it's not for your own personal experience going forward.

I am confident that I'm not buying WotC core book reprints, and have been for a while now. I have other core books I like a lot better (Level Up) and what WotC 5e stuff I currently have and want to use (mostly pieces of proprietary IP I like) doesn't require anything new from them.

WotC's work recently isn't all bad, to be fair. Turns out I liked Planescape and the Book of Many Things (because I like the IP mostly) when I had a chance to skim them, but I still don't see either as being worth what they're trying to charge for them and so haven't purchased.

I understand why EN Publishing cares about compatibility with WotC, but I wish they weren't in a position where they felt they had to. Their work is more than good enough to stand on its own.

 

[mellored]

I think a bigger risk than 5.5e diverging from 5e will be 3pp fragmenting and diverging themselves - each in different directions or overlapping and not in concert with the direction 5.5 goes.

It's not a problem. It's basically a Players Handbook 2.

12 new classes and a few new spells for the 5e system.

Brute, Singer, Priest, Shaman, Warrior, Martial Artist, Holy Knight, Wanderer, Rascal, Incarnate, Mage, Occultist

 

[Micah Sweet]

It's not a problem. It's basically a Players Handbook 2.

12 new classes and a few new spells for the 5e system.

Brute, Singer, Priest, Shaman, Warrior, Martial Artist, Holy Knight, Wanderer, Rascal, Incarnate, Mage, Occultist

Sounds cool. Where's that book?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I don't think it will make any difference. Unless the new D&D is such a divergent product that the very terminology has changed, 3PPs already have all the tools they need to make compatible products.

The thing that will affect 3PPs is the DDB-focus and walled garden approach. It's not that 3PPs won't be able to make the stuff, it's whether people will buy it if it isn't on DDB. Right now that's a small issue--but that has the potential to turn into a major hurdle as D&D moves more online and more dependent on WotC controlled digital platforms.

Of course, that will be somewhat mitigated by 3PP becoming the obvious go-to for anyone who doesn't want to follow D&D to a digital platform. At least initially.

 

[Epic Meepo]

I doubt the rules changes in 1D&D will invalidate existing 3pp material or otherwise disrupt the 3pp ecosystem. Importing 3pp material into a game powered by a 5e clone plus house rules is usually pretty easy, and 1D&D is essentially just a 5e clone plus house rules.

On a smaller scale, I will say 1D&D has slightly disrupted my own personal work on 3pp content for the DMs Guild. The book I’m writing is compatible with both legacy 5e and 1D&D, so that’s not a problem. I just need to know what options will still be in the PHB and DMG so I know when my text can and can't refer the reader to the core rules for additional information. For example, at the end of the year, will the Death domain be a cleric subclass described in the most recent printing of the DMG? At the moment, I have no way of knowing if that statement will be accurate.

 

[Clint_L]

Of course, that will be somewhat mitigated by 3PP becoming the obvious go-to for anyone who doesn't want to follow D&D to a digital platform. At least initially.

It's not like you can't still play D&D like you always have. No one's forcing you to give up analog. You just now also have a digital option.

Digital is already here, and has been for ages. You can completely play D&D through DDB. Or you you can play it through Roll20. Or you can keep playing at home with pencil and paper. Or a combination of things, like we do.

I don't understand this idea that it has to be all or nothing, that by adding digital options WotC is abandoning traditional ways to play the game. They patently are not. You can buy their books from a zillion sources.

To the contrary, 3PP will probably only survive if they too develop digital options. Which is the whole point of Demiplane: a digital alternative to DDB for 3PP.