Master Tier Subscription pre-paid for one year (to share PHB w/players) $54.99 / 12 = $4.58
$4.58 + $2.19 = $6.77
So, OP's requested subscription price is $6.77 per month to do what she/he wants. Individual players can use free accounts with 6 character limit.
If I understand OP's post correctly, the goal is to affordably teach new players D&D with character creation, and since they are new, the options in the PHB should be more than enough to start.
If, after that, those players get more involved (rather than casual players) and want more options, those players can buy the options they want from the other books (ie. new classes/sub-classes, etc).
EDIT: In case I'm not being clear, I'm suggesting that the purchase be made upfront, instead of amortized over one year. Since a strictly month-to-moth subscription is always more than paying upfront (in almost every industry), OP actually saves money by buying upfront, and just thinking about it as a "subscription".
I mean, I guess that's true if you didn't at all read what the OP wants.
I'd be happier with a higher priced subscription service that just gave me access to all the character creation services. I don't want to devote so much of my life and time to DnD but I do want to know all my options, most of my players are the same.
Also adding in that the OP has around 20 kids and often has a high churn rate among them and the Master's Tier subscription can only share information with 12 of them at a time and the information disappears when those characters leave the campaign to make room for more people.
So I guess you can keep peddling the idea that people who want access to a full character builder only need to price out a PHB and a Masters subscription, but if you are not going to actually address their needs, I don't see the point other than to argue with bad math.
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
OP is likely never going to get that because of the ownership. DDI was owned and run by WotC, no? DDB is not.
There is no incentive for DDB to do what OP wants unless that subscription price is the same or higher than the cost of buying all character option books and a Master Tier subscription.
So...
PHB: $29.99 DMG: $29.99 SCAG: $29.99 (really it should be less, since it is much smaller than PHB, but, that's an argument for another time). XGtE: $29.99 Master Tier Subscription (pre-paid one year): $54.99 TOTAL: 174.95 / 12 = $14.60 per month at least.
Since it doesn't make sense for DDB to price it lower than this (or everyone would just do that), it means that the OP could do exactly that right now by making the purchase I have outlined.
There is no incentive for DDB to offer the above for a price lower than that. None.
As for more than 12 people in a campaign, DDB have said they've already heard that, and I believe they may be working on options? Don't quote me though, I'm sure Badeye can chime in if he likes on that one.
The thing you keep forgetting about subscription services is that they are long-ranging revenue generators. You only do the math for a single year, without understanding that the average person will likely be subscribed to the service for five years or more. At that rate, DDB could easily afford to cut the subscription fee down to anywhere from $10 per month to $7.99 for people to subscribe in multi-month or yearly batches and still end up making free money over the life of the subscription. It’d be like offering the Legendary Bundle with a monthly payment plan and any payments after the initial price of the bundle is just free money.
In fact, let me math that out for you real quick:
Current Legendary Bundle: $335.21.
Let’s assume an average five year lifespan of the subscription and see if we can start making pure profit at about the halfway point. So let’s divide by 36 moths (three years).
335.21/36 = ~$9.31 per month as a subscription fee.
Now let’s multiply $9.31 by the remaining 24 months to see our pure bonus profit.
9.31x24 = ~$223.47 in pure free money over the average life of the subscription.
Now multiply that free money over the number of people you think would like this service.
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
And when a new book comes out? And another new book? And another?
And 6th edition?
I would disagree that most people would subscribe for multiple years at that cost, it doesn't make sense for any user to pay wayyy more than just buying it outright!
By your logic, a person would choose to spend 558.68 for something they can buy for $335.21? Why?
You also forgot to include the Master Tier subscription cost to share that content with all the players. DDB isn't going to all you to share it with players without an added cost.
Besides, the Legendary Bundle isn't required to do what OP wants, just my list above which comes to $174.95. If we use your math, that $4.86 / month over 36 months. Then $4.86 x 24 months is an extra $116.64. So this imaginary person pays $291.59 over the course of 5 years for something they could have got for $174.95. And my calculation includes Master Tier subscription to share with players.
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You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
And when a new book comes out? And another new book? And another?
I mean, I am making ~$225 in pure profit. At $20.00 to $25.00 a year in the cost of new yearly releases, I think my free money pays for eight to ten years worth of content before costing the company money again.
Also, I know I left out the Master Tier. I was just showing you that even with the cost of such a large purchase like it, you could easily charge people less than $10 a month and give them what they wanted, even though it is far more than they want. Your final math with what is actually wanted proves my point even further as even $5.00 a month is a reasonable price to pay for what the OP and I would want and would still leave DDB with a surplus profit over the average life of the subscription that could easily absorb the costs of another four years worth of yearly content.
As for what happens when we hit 6th ed? The same thing that happened when we hit 5th. DDB closes out it's 5th Ed content and starts selling 6th Ed stuff. Subscribers keep giving them money and keep getting new stuff while people that paid for old content can maybe keep it and start buying new stuff too?
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
By your logic, a person would choose to spend 558.68 for something they can buy for $335.21? Why?
Because they're human.
Human beings pay more for subscription services for a combination of convenience, budgeting, and ease of mind. Why do people pay Netflix so much yearly when waiting for the shows to come out on DVD and purchasing whole seasons is cheaper? They want the access to a variety of content and a cheaper up-front price that can be factored into their monthly budget.
EDIT: Also, why is supporting DDB by giving them more money so controversial if they are providing a good service?
Netflix is not a good comparison. For only $12/mo I can watch the equivalent of hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of shows each month. Their model is different.
If you want to spend more, go ahead, but as far as I am concerned, what the OP wants is already available.
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You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
If you want to spend more, go ahead, but as far as I am concerned, what the OP wants is already available.
You can choose to believe that, but until DDB offers some form of subscription model that allows full access to all content in the character builder, then no, what the OP wants isn't available.
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
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Also adding in that the OP has around 20 kids and often has a high churn rate among them and the Master's Tier subscription can only share information with 12 of them at a time and the information disappears when those characters leave the campaign to make room for more people.
So I guess you can keep peddling the idea that people who want access to a full character builder only need to price out a PHB and a Masters subscription, but if you are not going to actually address their needs, I don't see the point other than to argue with bad math.
OP is likely never going to get that because of the ownership. DDI was owned and run by WotC, no? DDB is not.
There is no incentive for DDB to do what OP wants unless that subscription price is the same or higher than the cost of buying all character option books and a Master Tier subscription.
So...
PHB: $29.99
DMG: $29.99
SCAG: $29.99 (really it should be less, since it is much smaller than PHB, but, that's an argument for another time).
XGtE: $29.99
Master Tier Subscription (pre-paid one year): $54.99
TOTAL: 174.95 / 12 = $14.60 per month at least.
Since it doesn't make sense for DDB to price it lower than this (or everyone would just do that), it means that the OP could do exactly that right now by making the purchase I have outlined.
There is no incentive for DDB to offer the above for a price lower than that. None.
As for more than 12 people in a campaign, DDB have said they've already heard that, and I believe they may be working on options? Don't quote me though, I'm sure Badeye can chime in if he likes on that one.
You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
The thing you keep forgetting about subscription services is that they are long-ranging revenue generators. You only do the math for a single year, without understanding that the average person will likely be subscribed to the service for five years or more. At that rate, DDB could easily afford to cut the subscription fee down to anywhere from $10 per month to $7.99 for people to subscribe in multi-month or yearly batches and still end up making free money over the life of the subscription. It’d be like offering the Legendary Bundle with a monthly payment plan and any payments after the initial price of the bundle is just free money.
In fact, let me math that out for you real quick:
Current Legendary Bundle: $335.21.
Let’s assume an average five year lifespan of the subscription and see if we can start making pure profit at about the halfway point. So let’s divide by 36 moths (three years).
335.21/36 = ~$9.31 per month as a subscription fee.
Now let’s multiply $9.31 by the remaining 24 months to see our pure bonus profit.
9.31x24 = ~$223.47 in pure free money over the average life of the subscription.
Now multiply that free money over the number of people you think would like this service.
And when a new book comes out? And another new book? And another?
And 6th edition?
I would disagree that most people would subscribe for multiple years at that cost, it doesn't make sense for any user to pay wayyy more than just buying it outright!
By your logic, a person would choose to spend 558.68 for something they can buy for $335.21? Why?
You also forgot to include the Master Tier subscription cost to share that content with all the players. DDB isn't going to all you to share it with players without an added cost.
Besides, the Legendary Bundle isn't required to do what OP wants, just my list above which comes to $174.95. If we use your math, that $4.86 / month over 36 months. Then $4.86 x 24 months is an extra $116.64. So this imaginary person pays $291.59 over the course of 5 years for something they could have got for $174.95. And my calculation includes Master Tier subscription to share with players.
You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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Meta, the part I'm not getting is why you would willingly pay more?!?!
You and OP could pay upfront cost and over the course of 3 to 5 years save money! Does not compute.
You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
Netflix is not a good comparison. For only $12/mo I can watch the equivalent of hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of shows each month. Their model is different.
If you want to spend more, go ahead, but as far as I am concerned, what the OP wants is already available.
You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?