D&D 5E (2014) Will you pay $50.00 for the "standard" PHB?

[The Human Target]

Can't people share phbs in such a situation?

 

[frogimus]

And I'm sure the secondary market will be quite active as people ragequit. BTW, how many are buying it just to justify their indignance?

 

[Jester David]

Some are printed in Indonesia.

But if they're sticking with the local printer for this first run, then all that complaining about how they "are rushing it because it has to go to printers right away" is pretty hollow. A local printer can get the job done in a week.

Mearls has been quoted as saying it takes 3-4 month to get a book printed in the US, from the book being finished to arriving at their distributor. This likely includes the proofing stage where you get test copies printed and check colour, size, formatting, and the like. Depending on the printer's schedule that alone can take a couple weeks. And printing 100,000 copies is not quick.
Really, they have until mid-April to finish the books for GenCon. But since they also have to lay-out the books (not quick either) they need to be finished writing and designing any day now. After that they can correct words here and there, tweak some numbers, but cannot make any changes that is going to affect the pagination.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Really, they have until mid-April to finish the books for GenCon. But since they also have to lay-out the books (not quick either) they need to be finished writing and designing any day now. After that they can correct words here and there, tweak some numbers, but cannot make any changes that is going to affect the pagination.

That was my estimate as well. I figure that the final draft was either handed in this week or will be handed in next week.

This goes along with the timing of them starting to hire Administrators for the new Organized Play campaign for 5e. The decisions were made yesterday and I suspect that after sending out NDAs and getting them signed over the next week that the first step will be to send them all copies of the books in order to start planning out the details of the campaign in time to have adventures ready for Gen Con.

 

[Jacob Marley]

In the 1e days our group had a communal set of the core.

Can't people share phbs in such a situation?

I am digital. As are a couple of the other guys. I am assuming Wizards will have some digital tools for D&D Next. I am assuming Wizards will release the books in PDF format. Passing around laptops is not going to happen.

 

[frogimus]

I am digital. As are a couple of the other guys. I am assuming Wizards will have some digital tools for D&D Next. I am assuming Wizards will release the books in PDF format. Passing around laptops is not going to happen.

Ok, fair enough. I just figured that 3/8 in the group that cannot afford the book leaves 5/8 that can. So assuming 1) your group wants to play it and 2) the members of your group are friends, there are ways to help each other out.

I too am digital. But after 3 weeks without power, internet, or cell service from an ice storm in 2008, I make sure my entertainment works off the grid.

 

[The Human Target]

I am digital. As are a couple of the other guys. I am assuming Wizards will have some digital tools for D&D Next. I am assuming Wizards will release the books in PDF format. Passing around laptops is not going to happen.

It seems like it will be a much less elaborate game than 4e, so I assume depending in what you play you'll probably be able to get away without a book/copying things down from someone's book.

That also assumes there won't be a 4e style character builder to print guys with.

Any group only needs one PHB at the end if the day.

Not that I recommend that.

 

[Mistwell]

I hate to say "we should do another poll on this", but...we should do another poll on this. By failing to ask whether people were planning on buying the book anyway before they heard the price, the "no" answer is too prone to contain a lot of people who were already likely to not buy it in the first place.

 

[delericho]

I hate to say "we should do another poll on this", but...we should do another poll on this. By failing to ask whether people were planning on buying the book anyway before they heard the price, the "no" answer is too prone to contain a lot of people who were already likely to not buy it in the first place.

Given that the poll currently stands at 54% Yes vs 25% No, does it really matter? It's not like WotC are going to change the price based on our poll anyway.

 

[TarionzCousin]

I will buy it at my FLGS. Even though I have several friends who work at Amazon, I want to keep my local store in business. They're good people.