This is in response to yet another adventure announcement, which comes after the Ghost of Saltmarsh announcement and product being made available.
Is WotC scared to publish a book about a campaign setting as they might hurt some fans? Why do we have only 2 monster books (MToF, VGtM), 1 crunch book (XGtE) and 1 semi crunch/semi setting (SCGA). Don't even get me started about Ravnica - a bone thrown to the MtG and DnD fans. Show me the money!
5 years since the release of 5e and nearly everything published is an adventure, with DDAL tie-ins. Virtually nothing crunch except through Unearthed Arcana, and don't get me started about the last 12-18 months of UA. During the build up to 5e WotC said that a new archetype or crunch for a specific setting would lend itself to another setting easily. Except we have seen virtually nothing. Why? Scared to upset the fans?
One of the great things about 2e and 3e is seeing the passage of time in campaign settings and what is happening in that world. Where is that in 5e? What has happened in FR or GH or RV or DL (the list could go on …) Why not put up a blog post or something as a bone to say: This has occurred in x campaign setting. Now nothing is known except for what happens in a published adventure.
Honestly I am starting to get sick and tired of the hype, the move to streams and constant adventures. Give us something that DMs can use without railroading us into what you want us to do.
Some of your information is incorrect: Storm King's Thunder reference Hoard of the Dragon Queen, Dragon Heist has actually a book in-game, talking about what has happened in Tyranny of Dragons. Later adventures are acknowledging what has happened in the early ones.
"Show me the money." There is likely your answer. WotC publish Dungeons & Dragons for one reason, and one reason only, to make money. If what makes the most money for them is publishing adventures, then they will publish adventures.
Also from the beginning WotC have said that one of the design goals of 5e is to avoid the supplement and rules creep that plagued previous editions. In other words, do not expect shelves of books with new crunch and new rules.
I just want a planescape setting book. Sigil, the outrealms, the inner and outer planes, and more celestial and fey monsters (there are so many fiends now). It may not be possible to fit it all in one book, but all the more reason to start getting started on it.
But at least there are even more adventures I'll never get to play.
They are publishing an Eberron Campaign Setting hardcover in 2019 (I believe November, but haven’t seen that for certain). So, no, it’s not just adventures.
If you don't like the book, don't buy it. As I said WotC publishes adventures because adventures sell. They provide a good return on investment for the company. Especially adventures like Ghosts of Saltmarsh where much of the material has been written and play tested decades before. Much less cost to produce an updated version than to produce a similar length book of all new content, especially if that content is new rules which in addition to design require extensive play testing. WotC is in this as a business, the product development is going to be driven by business decisions, not hobby decisions.
Um, are you asking about crunch in relation to a book that was announced to have at least a chapter or more dedicated to fully customizable hellish war machines and Fury Road style chase rules as well as drop and play stats for a multitude of outlandish vehicles?
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
Wizards has been fairly clear from the beginning they are trying to avoid the 3.x style of mechanics bloat. Currently you can play most every fantasy trope, especially if you get creative with re-themeing things of existing material.
The latest two books both seem to have special mechanical rules for niche genre's (sailing...and post-apoc vehicle chases?) which I think is a good route to go.
I would much rather have the Sailing and other vehicle rules all in one comprehensive rule book than tucked away in a hundred or more pages of content I won't use. However this is WotC's business and they can publish what they like.
If we get enough special rules and genre specific rules to make up a full book I would support such a volume being published to combine the rules into one place. I don't really want to see such a book published for its own sake, just to add more rules.
Some of the adventures also have good setting information. The first half of Out of the Abyss functions as a Underdark setting guide. Dragon Heist has a bunch of useful information on Waterdeep.
Some of the adventures also have good setting information. The first half of Out of the Abyss functions as a Underdark setting guide. Dragon Heist has a bunch of useful information on Waterdeep.
Yep, and Storm King's Thunder expanded the updated setting details of the Sword Coast, and on and on. I think WotC is doing this very smartly by mixing setting info, rules additions and adventure into each book. A little something for everyone. The complaining seems mostly due to the (rightly) slow release schedule, IMO. It sucks to wait yet another year for (maybe) the next book being about your preferred setting, or rules/classes you are hoping to see - I get that.
They might be modules but there is bound to be a ton of basic info you can use in any campaign. For instance I am running a game set in Greyhawk where the group is dealing with the Blood War, and I am willing to bet there is good stuff the upcoming Decent into Avernus. I am also about to get another campaign going set underwater in the Sea of Falling stars and I know there is stuff I can use in Saltmarsh.
They even explicitly stated during the weekend events that you can use the info on Baldur's Gate and Avernus that is presented in the September release to create your own campaigns set in that world. There will be character options presented for making a character who hails from BG. It honestly makes more sense for them to add stuff like this to the world as it is needed rather than throwing it out there in a UA or some other such.
My big question after the weekend is whether the Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron will go away entirely or if it'll remain as a supplement to the new Eberron book in the fall? I know the WGE was a charity thing not a UA so that's why I'm uncertain as to what its fate might be.
Where is the crunch?
This is in response to yet another adventure announcement, which comes after the Ghost of Saltmarsh announcement and product being made available.
Is WotC scared to publish a book about a campaign setting as they might hurt some fans? Why do we have only 2 monster books (MToF, VGtM), 1 crunch book (XGtE) and 1 semi crunch/semi setting (SCGA). Don't even get me started about Ravnica - a bone thrown to the MtG and DnD fans. Show me the money!
5 years since the release of 5e and nearly everything published is an adventure, with DDAL tie-ins. Virtually nothing crunch except through Unearthed Arcana, and don't get me started about the last 12-18 months of UA. During the build up to 5e WotC said that a new archetype or crunch for a specific setting would lend itself to another setting easily. Except we have seen virtually nothing. Why? Scared to upset the fans?
One of the great things about 2e and 3e is seeing the passage of time in campaign settings and what is happening in that world. Where is that in 5e? What has happened in FR or GH or RV or DL (the list could go on …) Why not put up a blog post or something as a bone to say: This has occurred in x campaign setting. Now nothing is known except for what happens in a published adventure.
Honestly I am starting to get sick and tired of the hype, the move to streams and constant adventures. Give us something that DMs can use without railroading us into what you want us to do.
Some of your information is incorrect: Storm King's Thunder reference Hoard of the Dragon Queen, Dragon Heist has actually a book in-game, talking about what has happened in Tyranny of Dragons. Later adventures are acknowledging what has happened in the early ones.
"Show me the money." There is likely your answer. WotC publish Dungeons & Dragons for one reason, and one reason only, to make money. If what makes the most money for them is publishing adventures, then they will publish adventures.
Also from the beginning WotC have said that one of the design goals of 5e is to avoid the supplement and rules creep that plagued previous editions. In other words, do not expect shelves of books with new crunch and new rules.
I just want a planescape setting book. Sigil, the outrealms, the inner and outer planes, and more celestial and fey monsters (there are so many fiends now). It may not be possible to fit it all in one book, but all the more reason to start getting started on it.
But at least there are even more adventures I'll never get to play.
There's already WAY WAY more options than I can ever see myself using, so... I'm good with the state of things. YMMV.
You can always make your own adventures. That's what I did back in the day (1E and 2E) when I didn't have enough money for modules.
They are publishing an Eberron Campaign Setting hardcover in 2019 (I believe November, but haven’t seen that for certain). So, no, it’s not just adventures.
I, for one, love the current release paradigm.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
― Oscar Wilde.
Same here.
Yep, agreed. As someone who almost never runs modules, I still love the way they're releasing content.
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If you don't like the book, don't buy it. As I said WotC publishes adventures because adventures sell. They provide a good return on investment for the company. Especially adventures like Ghosts of Saltmarsh where much of the material has been written and play tested decades before. Much less cost to produce an updated version than to produce a similar length book of all new content, especially if that content is new rules which in addition to design require extensive play testing. WotC is in this as a business, the product development is going to be driven by business decisions, not hobby decisions.
Um, are you asking about crunch in relation to a book that was announced to have at least a chapter or more dedicated to fully customizable hellish war machines and Fury Road style chase rules as well as drop and play stats for a multitude of outlandish vehicles?
Wizards has been fairly clear from the beginning they are trying to avoid the 3.x style of mechanics bloat. Currently you can play most every fantasy trope, especially if you get creative with re-themeing things of existing material.
The latest two books both seem to have special mechanical rules for niche genre's (sailing...and post-apoc vehicle chases?) which I think is a good route to go.
I would much rather have the Sailing and other vehicle rules all in one comprehensive rule book than tucked away in a hundred or more pages of content I won't use. However this is WotC's business and they can publish what they like.
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If we get enough special rules and genre specific rules to make up a full book I would support such a volume being published to combine the rules into one place. I don't really want to see such a book published for its own sake, just to add more rules.
Some of the adventures also have good setting information. The first half of Out of the Abyss functions as a Underdark setting guide. Dragon Heist has a bunch of useful information on Waterdeep.
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Yep, and Storm King's Thunder expanded the updated setting details of the Sword Coast, and on and on. I think WotC is doing this very smartly by mixing setting info, rules additions and adventure into each book. A little something for everyone. The complaining seems mostly due to the (rightly) slow release schedule, IMO. It sucks to wait yet another year for (maybe) the next book being about your preferred setting, or rules/classes you are hoping to see - I get that.
They might be modules but there is bound to be a ton of basic info you can use in any campaign. For instance I am running a game set in Greyhawk where the group is dealing with the Blood War, and I am willing to bet there is good stuff the upcoming Decent into Avernus. I am also about to get another campaign going set underwater in the Sea of Falling stars and I know there is stuff I can use in Saltmarsh.
They even explicitly stated during the weekend events that you can use the info on Baldur's Gate and Avernus that is presented in the September release to create your own campaigns set in that world. There will be character options presented for making a character who hails from BG. It honestly makes more sense for them to add stuff like this to the world as it is needed rather than throwing it out there in a UA or some other such.
My big question after the weekend is whether the Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron will go away entirely or if it'll remain as a supplement to the new Eberron book in the fall? I know the WGE was a charity thing not a UA so that's why I'm uncertain as to what its fate might be.
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