Why re-release 3.5?

[Desdichado]

Agreed, and an interesting point. I've only used a couple of things that even loosely qualify as dungeons in over ten years of DMing. I tried one as a beginner and didn't like it. I like the idea less now. Seems a very limiting trope for a game to hang its hat on when that game is played in the mind.

I read a lot of Pathfinder setting material, and I've almost gotten to the point where I literally laugh out loud when they make a casual reference to the huge dungeon complex that... of course... lurks underneath any and every city in the entire setting.

 

[TheObserver]

Really? The Hypertext d20 SRD (v3.5 d20 System Reference Document) :: d20srd.org

You can get them for free online. I never bought the PHB or DMG either. I still feel--after, what nearly ten years? a big gypped that my 3e versions of the rules were "obsoleted" so quickly.

I did end up buying the new Monster Manual, though. Of all the books, I thought that one was one I'd find convenient to have in hard copy. But as a player, I can look classes and races up on the SRD, and as GM, I can mostly use my older stuff if I really need to.

I know I can use the SRD but I wanted a book with artwork etc. I'm with you in how quickly they updated to 3.5 from 3.0 as well. It's my own fault for not really getting back into D&D until way after 4th was release.

 

[haakon1]

We still play 3.5 in my group, and I've come (somewhat grudgingly, I admit) to prefer it to 3e, or any other version of D&D.

Same here, except I'm not grudging about it.

I don't have a problem with Pathfinder, but I don't see a compelling reason to switch. Especially not if 3.5e books come back in print!

 

[haakon1]

My question, why is 2E being snubbed?

I like AD&D and I love 3.5e. I'm not a 2e fan.

AD&D was the high water mark of D&D. D&D's popularity peaked around 1983-1984 (I asked Gygax once on here), the heart of AD&D's reign. It's also got tons of classic IP -- all those classic Gygax adventures.

3e/3.5e was the revival. Many people came back to the game in the 3e era -- myself included and many of my friends. At the time, I remember WOTC giving the average age of a D&D player, which was the right age to have played AD&D as a kid. And 3/3.5 has tons and tons of 3rd party material.

2e was at the time when D&D was in decline, not growing, and it's just not as geeky old-school head-banging as AD&D and 3e -- no demons, no evil PC's, no Greyhawk. It does have Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance and the novels and computer games based thereupon.

So I think they may republish 2e, but that's why it's not as high a priority as true old school and new old school -- they are going where the people were.

 

[haakon1]

My "fixed" 3.5 has houserules from all kinds of sources.

I run almost pure RAW, using just the PHB, DMG, Deities & Demigods, MM1-3, Living Greyhawk and Fiend Folio.

The only "additional" rules we have are:
1) Selected feats from the Net Book of Feats -- player asks, DM reviews & allows.

2) Unearthed Arcana rules allowing stacking of Divine Caster Levels from different Divine casting classes + same rule for Arcane Caster Level.

3) House rules on Rangers to allow dropping class features like Favored Enemy and animal companion that don't directly related to the "outdoor fighter with skills" idea, with some of the alternative choices based on Pathfinder.

4) Leveling up allows for limited "editing" of old character build choices (a rule from UA or PHB II).

5) House rule that everyone starts at 1st level, or by taking over an NPC. No building a high-level PC. Related house rule that a Warrior NPC can "convert" old Warrior levels to Fighter levels on gaining a level as a PC.

It's got a chase system (mine is borrowed from Five Fingers; written by Wolfgang Baur.)

I've never seen good rules for chases, so I may need to track this down.

But the point, I think, is that WotC recognizes that there's a lot of folks that never stopped playing 3.5, and also didn't necessarily migrate to Pathfinder or any other system. While maybe reprints of books these guys probably already have isn't the best way to sell to them again, I dunno, maybe it is a good way to reach out to them. One way or another, I'm sure WotC wants to reach them again.

Some of my players have joined since 3.5e went out of print. It would be nice to get new books for them.

 

[The Red King]

With "print on demand" services at such a low cost, why would they not??