Sorry that you're not excited about the current release paradigm. I wonder if you're waiting on anything in particular that we can help point you toward? After all, the Unearthed Arcana IS available and is often very cool, there's tons of stuff on the DM's Guild, and as others have pointed out there are lots of crunchy rules and fluffy setting info in the published adventures. But I'm guessing you're looking for something specific and you can tell it's unlikely to come any time soon, which sucks, but maybe we can help?
Well with the way the books are going and on what we know of each, Saltmarsh's water vehicles, Balders Gate land vehicles, and D&D Essentials box set having the sidekicks. I can see like the next Xanthars type book containing those rules with new PC class listings and potential Artificer stuff. With the points I stated maybe being updated more than what we are getting already.
For me it comes down to paying $50 for 10-20% of a book. I don't want the adventures so those pages have zero value to me. The only things I want are things that are specifically rules such as the Ship rules, character options and maybe the monsters from Ghosts of Saltmarsh. Decent will basically be the same thing. Books like Volo's and Xanathar's are infinitely more valuable to me, thus I gladly pay the price, not so for the adventure modules.
For me it comes down to paying $50 for 10-20% of a book. I don't want the adventures so those pages have zero value to me. The only things I want are things that are specifically rules such as the Ship rules, character options and maybe the monsters from Ghosts of Saltmarsh. Decent will basically be the same thing. Books like Volo's and Xanathar's are infinitely more valuable to me, thus I gladly pay the price, not so for the adventure modules.
If you just want the rules part then make your purchase through D&D Beyond. They have the option of getting specific parts of books.
That would look great on the shelf next to my other books :)
All kidding aside, I do purchase monsters on D&D beyond so that I can print them out and write on the pages for game sessions and I buy the magic items so they can be printed and handed out to the players. Other than that, I don't use this service (I am interested in the encounter builder though). We don't allow devices at the table and enjoy our pencils, papers and books. If I could actually purchase a chapter of a book on here then I might do that and print it out and keep a binder of miscellaneous rules, but that is not actually an option on here.
I also am a little surprised, because given the release cycle the last few years, we knew that the Descent event was going to be a new adventure/campaign launch. Usually the "rules" books are New Years announcements with spring releases.
I agree with the majority here who support the trend of flavor/setting with rules/crunch. I was intimidated in 3.5 by the sheer clout of two or even three rules books to supplement the basics. The current model makes it easy for new players to be involved in any campaign since they only really need at most PHB and, say, Xanathar's to really be able to jump in for the long term.
And as mentioned, not only do we know that this will have "supplemental" rules a la Ghosts having ships and nautical backgrounds, we also know they'll have a gazetteer for Baldur's Gate a la the Waterdeep Gazette in Dragon Heist.
Counterpoint: I'm loving this.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Sorry that you're not excited about the current release paradigm. I wonder if you're waiting on anything in particular that we can help point you toward? After all, the Unearthed Arcana IS available and is often very cool, there's tons of stuff on the DM's Guild, and as others have pointed out there are lots of crunchy rules and fluffy setting info in the published adventures. But I'm guessing you're looking for something specific and you can tell it's unlikely to come any time soon, which sucks, but maybe we can help?
Well with the way the books are going and on what we know of each, Saltmarsh's water vehicles, Balders Gate land vehicles, and D&D Essentials box set having the sidekicks. I can see like the next Xanthars type book containing those rules with new PC class listings and potential Artificer stuff. With the points I stated maybe being updated more than what we are getting already.
For me it comes down to paying $50 for 10-20% of a book. I don't want the adventures so those pages have zero value to me. The only things I want are things that are specifically rules such as the Ship rules, character options and maybe the monsters from Ghosts of Saltmarsh. Decent will basically be the same thing. Books like Volo's and Xanathar's are infinitely more valuable to me, thus I gladly pay the price, not so for the adventure modules.
She/Her Player and Dungeon Master
If you just want the rules part then make your purchase through D&D Beyond. They have the option of getting specific parts of books.
That would look great on the shelf next to my other books :)
All kidding aside, I do purchase monsters on D&D beyond so that I can print them out and write on the pages for game sessions and I buy the magic items so they can be printed and handed out to the players. Other than that, I don't use this service (I am interested in the encounter builder though). We don't allow devices at the table and enjoy our pencils, papers and books. If I could actually purchase a chapter of a book on here then I might do that and print it out and keep a binder of miscellaneous rules, but that is not actually an option on here.
Thanks for the advice though.
She/Her Player and Dungeon Master
I also am a little surprised, because given the release cycle the last few years, we knew that the Descent event was going to be a new adventure/campaign launch. Usually the "rules" books are New Years announcements with spring releases.
I agree with the majority here who support the trend of flavor/setting with rules/crunch. I was intimidated in 3.5 by the sheer clout of two or even three rules books to supplement the basics. The current model makes it easy for new players to be involved in any campaign since they only really need at most PHB and, say, Xanathar's to really be able to jump in for the long term.
And as mentioned, not only do we know that this will have "supplemental" rules a la Ghosts having ships and nautical backgrounds, we also know they'll have a gazetteer for Baldur's Gate a la the Waterdeep Gazette in Dragon Heist.
Toremar, Paladin 6 / Dez, Gnome Wizard 5 / Perios, Elf Wizard 10 / Skadr, Dwarf Pugilist 7