D&D Dungeon Master's Guide Fails Saving Throw, Release Date Delayed

[IanDavis]

D&D Dungeon Master's Guide Fails Saving Throw, Release Date Delayed

The campaign guidebook slips to December.

So, you and your group have already torn through the campaign in the [a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/tabletop/reviews/11897-Dungeons-Dragons-Starter-Set-Review-Dice-Dice-Baby]Starter Set[/a] and you've rolled up weird class combinations using the [a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/tabletop/reviews/12103-D-D-Player-s-Handbook-Review-A-Greatest-Hits-Collection]Players Handbook[/a]. While the 5th Edition of Dungeons and Dragons remains completely playable, you'd be forgiven for wanting more. If you're still waiting on the Dungeon Master's Guide before creating your own campaign, you'll have to wait a little while longer, as it's been [a href=http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/dmg-release-date]delayed until December 9th[/a].

"We know that people are eager to get their hands on all three core rulebooks, but we cannot compromise our commitment to excellence at this time," lead designer Mike Mearls wrote. "We examined a number of possibilities, but none gave us the additional time we needed to put into the DMG without sacrificing content or quality. Therefore, the only choice we had is to push back the release date by three weeks."

According to Mearls, the reason for the delay is aesthetic polish. "We added an entire additional cycle of design and editing to ensure that the books were as close to perfect as humanly possible. The layout and visual design was the result of hours spent carefully handcrafting the books. That extra time proved to be a huge boon, as the designers had the chance to go through each book page by page to make sure everything fit perfectly." To make the wait a little more bearable, he posts some preview art depicting [a href=http://media.wizards.com/2014/images/dnd/articles/LL_20140915.jpg]The Great Modron March[/a], which looks amazing. That's the kind of stuff that gets the imagination flowing!

Source: [a href=http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/dmg-release-date]Wizards of the Coast[/a]

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[Basement Cat]

Considering how cheaply made the 4th edition books were I admire their restraint.

Some people who snatched up copies of 4-ed books found that the print smeared if you spilled liquids on the pages. I don't know if later copies were that badly made but my copy of the 4-ed Players Handbook was.

Off Topic: Has anyone else noticed the lack of alignment requirements in 5-ed? Maybe I've missed it but after paging through the Classes repeatedly I've found no references to paladins being required to be Lawful Good or monks being required to be Lawful Something.

I'm not complaining if they have lifted the alignment restrictions; I'm just curious.

 

[Issurru]

Considering how cheaply made the 4th edition books were I admire their restraint.

Some people who snatched up copies of 4-ed books found that the print smeared if you spilled liquids on the pages. I don't know if later copies were that badly made but my copy of the 4-ed Players Handbook was.

Off Topic: Has anyone else noticed the lack of alignment requirements in 5-ed? Maybe I've missed it but after paging through the Classes repeatedly I've found no references to paladins being required to be Lawful Good or monks being required to be Lawful Something.

I'm not complaining if they have lifted the alignment restrictions; I'm just curious.

That was the first thing I noticed when I finally got to read the books, seeing as how monk is my favourite class I wanted to see how they had changed, after that I dipped into Paladin and Barbarian as well as the Warlock since they all used to have alignment restrictions. Kinda glad they lifted them, they hampered options for players since nobody I knew ever like playing Lawful Good, or really Lawful anything.

Also the section on alignments got cut down I think compared to 3.5, its like a one sentence blurb about what the people of the alignments do, instead of the hilarious "X alignment is the best because of Y" that they had in 3.5

OT: I also am somewhat annoyed by the staggered release of the books, this only makes it worse since the dmg is so crucial to you if you care to write something and have it work out nicely instead of just winging it.

 

[castlewise]

Considering how cheaply made the 4th edition books were I admire their restraint.

Some people who snatched up copies of 4-ed books found that the print smeared if you spilled liquids on the pages. I don't know if later copies were that badly made but my copy of the 4-ed Players Handbook was.

Off Topic: Has anyone else noticed the lack of alignment requirements in 5-ed? Maybe I've missed it but after paging through the Classes repeatedly I've found no references to paladins being required to be Lawful Good or monks being required to be Lawful Something.

I'm not complaining if they have lifted the alignment restrictions; I'm just curious.

You can thank the playtest for that. Early versions of the monk had alignment restrictions and people didn't like them.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Failed the reflex! Fell down the stairs and dislocated a hip and collarbone, broke leg and foot as well. Poor DM guide. Anywho, I'm waiting for the core books to all be released before I buy this edition. I'm probably one of the few who liked the idea of 4th edition (though I did do some heavy house rule editing).

 

[Silvianoshei]

They playtested the hell out of this version, and I can safely say after playing the starter kit...it's fantastic. Far and away the cleanest DND I've played, and the fastest to pick up (barring the travesty that was 4th ed AKA World of DND)

THAC0? GET OUT MY HOUSE

 

[spartandude]

As a DM in two groups, one 4th soon changing to 5th, and a new 5th because the only other guy with RP experience is too lasy to dm (and in truth only read the players rules when i threatned to kick him out if he wouldnt),i have to feelings on this matter.

1. AGAHAGSDKJAHDJSAGFHJHSAJKFGSKADJKLASJDKA! God damn it i need this book to come out. Im managing but it is bluddy difficult.

2. Well atleast it will probably be of higher quality and i like to think they are taking in feed back and or using the extra time to include some requested features.

3(bonus). AAHGSAHJGASYUDOUHNUJCIS!

 

[Ranorak]

I've got the PHB and Wizards of the coast have released a few pdf's with the very basics of adventure building, so I've already started to play DnD 5 with my group.

And when I say, started to play, I mean the players made their characters. No actual adventuring has happened yet.
But so far, the rules seem to aim to speed up the clutter during combat. Everything can be resolved nice and quick, without really losing out on anything big.

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

As a DM in two groups, one 4th soon changing to 5th, and a new 5th because the only other guy with RP experience is too lasy to dm (and in truth only read the players rules when i threatned to kick him out if he wouldnt),i have to feelings on this matter.

1. AGAHAGSDKJAHDJSAGFHJHSAJKFGSKADJKLASJDKA! God damn it i need this book to come out. Im managing but it is bluddy difficult.

2. Well atleast it will probably be of higher quality and i like to think they are taking in feed back and or using the extra time to include some requested features.

3(bonus). AAHGSAHJGASYUDOUHNUJCIS!

I don't know if they're doing much in the way of including new features; it seems a little late for that, and a lot of the stuff in the playtest that people responded positively to or requested didn't make it into the final cut (from what has been released).

 

[spartandude]

As a DM in two groups, one 4th soon changing to 5th, and a new 5th because the only other guy with RP experience is too lasy to dm (and in truth only read the players rules when i threatned to kick him out if he wouldnt),i have to feelings on this matter.

1. AGAHAGSDKJAHDJSAGFHJHSAJKFGSKADJKLASJDKA! God damn it i need this book to come out. Im managing but it is bluddy difficult.

2. Well atleast it will probably be of higher quality and i like to think they are taking in feed back and or using the extra time to include some requested features.

3(bonus). AAHGSAHJGASYUDOUHNUJCIS!

I don't know if they're doing much in the way of including new features; it seems a little late for that, and a lot of the stuff in the playtest that people responded positively to or requested didn't make it into the final cut (from what has been released).

God damn it, a man can dream.

But still i would prefer to wait a few weeks for a better end result/

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

I just took a closer look at the Great Modron March and noticed something: That dwarf is wearing eyeshadow. 5E lady dwarves confirmed for having beards, at least somewhere in the multiverse.

 

[Invariel]

I really want to be playing a proper game of 5e with my group, and I must admit a level of frustration due to the staggered release of the three core books required to do things properly. Having to wait an additional two weeks for the DMG to come out isn't that big a deal, but having to wait three months from PHB to DMG is incredibly frustrating.

I really don't care as much about the aesthetic appeal of the tome when compared to the content within, as it is difficult to populate a homebrew world with monsters and trappings when those monsters and trappings -- that will be codified -- are not yet available to me.

I feel that Wizards of the Coast seriously dropped the ball with this release schedule, but I am still holding out hope that the finished product is worth the wait.

 

[Rituro]

As a DM in two groups, one 4th soon changing to 5th, and a new 5th because the only other guy with RP experience is too lasy to dm (and in truth only read the players rules when i threatned to kick him out if he wouldnt),i have to feelings on this matter.

1. AGAHAGSDKJAHDJSAGFHJHSAJKFGSKADJKLASJDKA! God damn it i need this book to come out. Im managing but it is bluddy difficult.

2. Well atleast it will probably be of higher quality and i like to think they are taking in feed back and or using the extra time to include some requested features.

3(bonus). AAHGSAHJGASYUDOUHNUJCIS!

This. This right here. I'm just scraping by with the starter kit's "Lost Mines of Phandelver" since it has monster stat blocks and the basest of magical items but good grief I need more. I can only throw goblins and spiders at my PCs for so long! I have no doubt the MM will alleviate some of the stress but I was pinning my hopes on the DMG. Well, at least a product delay tends to mean making it better... I suppose I can wait... hrmph.