Dungeons & Dragons Unveils Full Product Line, Release Dates, and Details - Update

[sc1arr1]

I may not be able to get them the day they come out, but you can bet I'll be picking up at LEAST the player's guide. (I'm always a player, never a DM, so I don't need it.) I honestly don't care about the price either. If I'm happy spending $60 on a video game, I'm more than happy to spend it on something that will last MUCH longer.

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

Im just curious about how important minis are to the game system. I want to just pick up a pen some paper and dice and just start up with my friends. not worry about setting up a map and makiing sure everybody likes their mini and all that extra baggage

If it's like the 4th it's like.. the core principle to work with a map for fights/dungeons, 'cause you're using a grid to move/fight.
Basically you can use whatever you like. We were WH40k players once so we're using all the WH40k minis to play D&D which is pretty funny

And i've to say i prefer it over the abstract fighting system of say Shadowrun. It feels more like a ongoing boardgame with added story/fluff than a pure P&P-RPG.

If they're keeping the same design as the playtests, it's grid-compatible but not grid-required. Everything is measured in feet again, and it was easy enough to run a theatre-of-the-mind style game or to break out some grid maps if you feel like it.

With that said, they promised advanced tactical rules as an option, but apparently those modules aren't going to be available until the DMG drops in November, which means I won't buy any 5E products until then. The rules for the GM are the most important part of a game, because that's all the stuff that he/she takes care of so the rest of the players can have a good time. Until I know the quality of that, I don't feel like investing in the MM or PHB.

 

[Adeptus Aspartem]

If they're keeping the same design as the playtests, it's grid-compatible but not grid-required. Everything is measured in feet again, and it was easy enough to run a theatre-of-the-mind style game or to break out some grid maps if you feel like it.

With that said, they promised advanced tactical rules as an option, but apparently those modules aren't going to be available until the DMG drops in November, which means I won't buy any 5E products until then. The rules for the GM are the most important part of a game, because that's all the stuff that he/she takes care of so the rest of the players can have a good time. Until I know the quality of that, I don't feel like investing in the MM or PHB.

Uh, if they're keeping it the same how is it not grid-required? I couldn't fathom to play 4th without a grid.
I mean with all the pullin', pushing and shifting. And all the LoS spells and basically.. everything ranged needs the grid.

Jeah i guess you could write down the feet you're apart from each other but sofar i'd bet that that method would be way more time/brain power consuming than me creating those grids in .. maybe 5-15min per grid. Got 4 A3-laminated grid sheets and some felt pens.

Meh, whatever. As you said until the GM books hits it's more or less useless. How you're going to create adventures without the GMB + MM? Unless they put a little bit of everything in the PHB which would mean that they either duplicate some stuff or you've to shift between the books all the time. derp.

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

If they're keeping the same design as the playtests, it's grid-compatible but not grid-required. Everything is measured in feet again, and it was easy enough to run a theatre-of-the-mind style game or to break out some grid maps if you feel like it.

With that said, they promised advanced tactical rules as an option, but apparently those modules aren't going to be available until the DMG drops in November, which means I won't buy any 5E products until then. The rules for the GM are the most important part of a game, because that's all the stuff that he/she takes care of so the rest of the players can have a good time. Until I know the quality of that, I don't feel like investing in the MM or PHB.

Uh, if they're keeping it the same how is it not grid-required? I couldn't fathom to play 4th without a grid.
I mean with all the pullin', pushing and shifting. And all the LoS spells and basically.. everything ranged needs the grid.

Jeah i guess you could write down the feet you're apart from each other but sofar i'd bet that that method would be way more time/brain power consuming than me creating those grids in .. maybe 5-15min per grid. Got 4 A3-laminated grid sheets and some felt pens.

Meh, whatever. As you said until the GM books hits it's more or less useless. How you're going to create adventures without the GMB + MM? Unless they put a little bit of everything in the PHB which would mean that they either duplicate some stuff or you've to shift between the books all the time. derp.

I think you misread. I said if they are keeping the same design as the D&D Next Playtests, which were explicitly designed to allow for theatre of the mind combat, then grids aren't necessary. There are far fewer auras and other such things in Next, and forced movement is simplified. Plus, people made do without explicit grids in past editions, and in plenty of other games; when you get the knack of it, it's easy to turn "25-foot slide" into "the bandit slams into the back wall of the pub, that's near to you, Laurel." A quick sketch map is all that's needed if people need some help following events and locations; I've never seen a group that was playing TotM write down all the distances in a list, or do anything more than tossing some labelled scraps of paper on the map to track combatants and macguffins, if that.

 

[funksobeefy]

Im down with using the grid sometimes, my group used it for more complex battles in 3.5. I did not like how 4 required the grid, it felt like something was taken away from the story your were trying to tell when you didnt have the exact figure or map.

but if this edition did away with the grid requirement, then sign me up! I will however have to wait till the DM guide so I can start crafting my own adventures

 

[mattaui]

I know they staggered 3.x release, and if I'm not mistaken it's their usual tactic. The way I've heard it explained is that if they release them all at once, people will feel like they have to buy them all and because that's expensive, they don't buy any of them. But if all they can do is buy the PHB at first, a lot more people buy it and will then buy the later books.

It's not what I would do, but I can understand their reasoning, and I imagine it must be why they're doing it this time, too.

That being said, I'm having a hard time getting particularly jazzed up about this new edition. But since I've at least bought the core books of every edition since the later printings of 1e, I'm sure I'll at least get the three core books for this, too.

 

[Oroboros]

Looks like they are going with the 'Games Worskhop' pricing model there. After the 4th edition fiasco, I didn't think I'd ever move past 3.5, and everything I have heard about 5th-hearing mixed impression of mechanics, and the sack of half-measures that is the Sundering-and now this? I think it's probably safe to say It'll stay that way and I won't touch this edition either.

 

[wordsampersand]

Mike Mearls, who is the lead designer for the new edition, tweeted today that "You will not need the MM or DMG to run a campaign. Or the PH or Starter Set to make a character."

And as far as staggered release dates go, isn't there a prescient for this already? I know the two AD&D editions had staggered releases too, as did 3.0.

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

As long as the PHB is a "Complete System" the staggered releases don't really matter... but if like every previous edition you need the DMG and MM in order to say... create your own monsters, create traps, create magic items... then the staggered release dates are really horrible.

But if all you need the MM for is prebuilt monsters and all you need the DMG for is optional stuff like towns, prestige classes and expanded dungeon options then I guess it's not a big deal.

 

[wordsampersand]

Mearls's second sentence is what really interests me. Are they going to put basic character creation tools online or something? I guess we'll find out.

 

[Adeptus Aspartem]

I think you misread. I said if they are keeping the same design as the D&D Next Playtests, which were explicitly designed to allow for theatre of the mind combat, then grids aren't necessary. There are far fewer auras and other such things in Next, and forced movement is simplified. Plus, people made do without explicit grids in past editions, and in plenty of other games; when you get the knack of it, it's easy to turn "25-foot slide" into "the bandit slams into the back wall of the pub, that's near to you, Laurel." A quick sketch map is all that's needed if people need some help following events and locations; I've never seen a group that was playing TotM write down all the distances in a list, or do anything more than tossing some labelled scraps of paper on the map to track combatants and macguffins, if that.

Ah yes, i read it again. Thanks for clarification.

 

[Rawbeard]

Vaporware slowly turns into shovelware.

 

[OverEZ]

$150 for the basics? $150 to test a new system I don't even know if I'd like or not? Pass.

 

[wordsampersand]

$150 for the basics? $150 to test a new system I don't even know if I'd like or not? Pass.

You could always try playing with some folks who do have it first. Every system is "new" to people at least once.

 

[Objectable]

"Rise of Tiamat"
So, she's not a goddess of Evil Dragons anymore?

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

"Rise of Tiamat"
So, she's not a goddess of Evil Dragons anymore?

WotC is running an event called the Tyranny of Dragons this year. Having not done anything with it myself, I can't say for sure, but it seems like the general gist of the story is that Tiamat is making a bid to take over all the Realms. She's still a goddess, she just wants more under her control. It makes sense that the modules they are releasing for Next (Hoard of the Dragon Queen sounds related) would tie into this, as it provides potential players old and new with both dungeons and dragons.

 

[scotth266]

I shall repeat what I said in the other thread: [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/6.850538-The-New-Dungeons-Dragons-Mistakes-Missteps-and-Masterstrokes#21015469] the 150 dollar price tag to buy all three books is dumb and reeks of "Games Workshop mentality." Yeah, you might be able to get away with it because you're a recognized brand, but you're swiftly going to destroy your reputation.

 

[Therumancer]

$150 for the basics? $150 to test a new system I don't even know if I'd like or not? Pass.

I have similar thoughts, it's just become too expensive to take risks, or endure system-wide reboots. $50 a pop for RPG books is crazy, and yes I know "publishing costs have gone up" and the publishers have a million ways to justify this, while ignoring the state of the economy. Even PDFs for RPG books tend to be fairly outrageous and they don't have to worry about publishing costs.

I'm a big PnP RPG fan, but I don't actually play much anymore. At those prices I'm not sure when if ever I'll be looking to pick these up for my collection.

This is right after the big announcement that another publisher wants to pretty much redo "Dark Heresy", one of the big "Warhammer 40k" RPG settings, which means the others are likely to be similarly revised and replaced in order. Let's just say those books aren't exactly cheap either.

As a general rule I think RPG publishers need to get away from this habit of doing another edition whenever they want a quick cash infusion or to change some things. Create an official errata or something and sell it cheaply. I mean gadzooks...

I know, I know, predicable whining. I just can't get all that psyched up about something like this though.

 

[The Great JT]

I hope D&DN does well, but I'm gonna be over here playing Pathfinder. Anyone want to join me?

(Seriously, looking for a Pathfinder game here.)