D&D (2024) Why are you still playing D&D?

[Ath'kethin]

I play DCC RPG almost exclusively these days. 5e/Next brought me back to D&D in 2012 after a multi-year hiatus, and I played it for years; I love many aspects of the system, the way the rules are written, and how the edition interperets the game's history.

Eventually, though, I kind of felt it was just too much, and I moved on. Aside from an occasional squeak from a player (like my stepdaughtera sking if we could maybe use the advantage/disadvantage mechanic in DCC because she really likes it), it doesn't seem sorely missed.

 

[Doc_Klueless]

My wife retires in three months.

Congratulations to her! That's an awesome milestone in life.

 

[mamba]

ME! We enjoyed 4e. Stopped playing 3.5 immediately. Didn't go back, nor did we go into Pathfinder. I always abandoned the previous editions from D&D BX to 5.5.

They did say ‘not everyone’, not ‘not anyone’

 

[mamba]

5.0 isn’t going to receive support from WoTC any more, it’s 2024 all the way.

given that they are compatible, that will be hard to pull off

 

[mamba]

Some is good. But a lot isn’t and small 3pp simply won’t fill the gap left by WoTCs 4-5 hardcover books a year. Who is producing a full length campaign, an adventure anthology, a rules supplement and a campaign setting every year? Nobody.

It does not need to all be one company, in the aggregate 3pps outpublish WotC easily. WotC cannot produce more than 10% of each of those categories, and that is being generous.

 

[Umbran]

I have never been a player or GM dedicated to one game. Rules sets are nice, but the thing I love about RPGs ultimately, are the players' interactions and moments. So, I pick the ruleset that supports genre and playstyle that'll make the moments we currently want. Sometimes that's D&D, sometimes it is something else.

 

[TheSword]

given that they are compatible, that will be hard to pull off

Not everything. There is a 2024 monk and a 2014 monk and monk subclasses are going to be designed the 2024 one not the 2014. Monsters will be 2025 monsters etc etc. Sure people will get 90% out of the adventure anthologies and campaigns but as time goes on and the next Tasha’s comes out that gap will grow.

It does not need to all be one company, in the aggregate 3pps outpublish WotC easily. WotC cannot produce more than 10% of each of those categories, and that is being generous.

3pp is a drop in the ocean of D&D sales. Monster books are dime a dozen, but there are in truth, relatively few sizeable good quality adventure anthologies or full campaigns. Unfortunately… I wish there were more, I’ve played some of the best of them.

 

[Corinnguard]

Beware, someone may throw that "fastest selling" statistic WotC provided right at your face.

They still need to roll a d20 to see if they can hit @Micah Sweet 's AC.

Pretty sure that's what 3pp is for.

And homebrewers such Laser Llama and Kibblestasty.

You will not convince me on any of those points (IMO 3pp is at least as good as WotC, and official is irrelevant), but to each their own.

Sometimes 3pp and homebrewers can do a much job than WoTC.

My players have a much easier time managing and leveling up their characters as opposed to using a stack of books, paper sheets and pencils

The character sheets on D&D Beyond are a lot better than the fillable D&D character sheet PDF I used in my first 5e adventure. Easy to use.

 

[Clint_L]

Not everything. There is a 2024 monk and a 2014 monk and monk subclasses are going to be designed the 2024 one not the 2014. Monsters will be 2025 monsters etc etc. Sure people will get 90% out of the adventure anthologies and campaigns but as time goes on and the next Tasha’s comes out that gap will grow.

That is pretty much the process that WotC described when originally launching "One D&D": that they wanted to move away from big edition breaks (i.e. where players felt forced to choose between distinct versions of the game, replacing all their stuff immediately if they made the switch), and a new publishing model in which the game gradually evolves with no clear line between editions.

So this sounds like "working as intended." Right now, you can easily use your older books with the newest books, but that might not be the case in another decade or so. If they stick to that plan.

 

[TwoSix]

Sometimes 3pp and homebrewers can do a much job than WoTC.

"Official" versus using 3pp is pretty similar to the "iPhone vs Android" debate. Do you want a curated walled garden of apps, or something more open with the risk and reward that entails?