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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DaffCon1" data-source="post: 8825890" data-attributes="member: 26627">I was a huge fan of the original Spelljammer, despite its flaws (and I'll admit, there were a fair number of them).I got this set for $40 from Amazon.I spent way too much, for what I got. The rules were sparse and created new issues, and there's barely a framework in place for doing anything, here. One of the many changes they made, with simplifying the rules, is that these magically-propelled flying ships now move at walking speed. Sure, I get that real-world sailing ships were slow, but they were also dependent on wind. 5E Spelljammers are powered ships and they can't outrun an angry halfling. (Obviously, this refers to being on a world and not in wildspace or the Astral, but making planetary envelopes bigger means ships will spend way more time landing/taking off than they did before -- weeks instead of hours! Rules as written, you could land your ship way faster by letting it fall from the sky and then powering up for a controlled landing, instead of making a controlled descent the entire way)One description I saw (perhaps elsewhere on these forums) was that this set was a campaign setting without the setting -- and I think that's a great description.If I ever run anything Spelljammer, I'm sticking almost entirely with the 2E rules. I like this version's cheaper prices for helms, but that's about the only improvement on the old material.Also, this new version has evil space clowns with ray guns. That's a painful idea before you find out it's pretty much a direct ripoff of a cheesy 80s/90s horror flick. I can't stand how the current "design" team loves to reach for pop culture and old movie references and then beat us in the face with them. Others will likely disagree with me, but I personally feel this is insulting and shows WotC's lack of respect for their target demographic.This product also demonstrates something I've been saying about WotC for a while: they're not creating anything, anymore. They grab some existing property, update the rules for 5E, and throw it out there with little or no further effort. The upcoming Dragonlance book is an excellent example of that: we've already had adventures, novels, source material, and even comic books covering the War of the Lance -- and rather than doing something new with the setting, they're going right back to the War of the Lance.Once upon a time, the day a new WotC product was released, I would rush out on my lunch break and buy it, despite the fact that I'd only have a few minutes before the end of my work day to look at it. Now, WotC gets very little of my gaming money. Paizo gets more than WotC does, and Kobold Press and Kickstarter get more than either Paizo or WotC.Someone else said above that WotC is resting on their laurels. I very much agree. Name recognition has been a large part of D&D's success for a long time, now, and I feel the people at WotC are counting on that name recognition to make up for a lack of effort on their part.</blockquote>

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