Pretty much every book will be fine to buy now. The ones being retired are the Player's Handbook, Monster Manual and Dungeon Master's Guide. They'll be replaced next year.
Unfortunately, they're also the books you most need to play. You can substitute the Player's Handbook with the free Basic Rules (link is in my signature, if you're on mobile, put it on landscape and you'll see it at the end of my post), which doesn't have as much content, but plenty enough to see you through until the release next year. If you buy adventures on DDB, you get the monsters unlocked so you shouldn't need to buy any or the Monster Manual. You can get by without ever buying the Dungeon Master's Guide.
Alternatively, if you have a friend that has books on here, you could talk them into getting a Master Tier Subscription which would allow you to share their content (by having a character in one of their campaigns).
All other books should be be fine with either edition, so you can get those (although, other than the adventures, I'd recommend you hold off - you don't need them straightaway and they can just be added as needed). I wouldn't buy the Dungeon Master's Guide, just because you don't need it and so you can easily wait until the new release. I'd also hold off on the Monster Manual, since many are free on DDB anyway, so there's little need. That just leaves the Player's Handbook, which can be substituted in the short term with the free Basic Rules.
So yeah, feel free to buy an adventure or two (again, some free ones in my signature, I'd play a couple of those before splashing out on money, and if you like playing it, then spend money on better adventures). I'd wait until next year for the rest.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
You should be able to play just fine with the Basic Rules, which are free. Just buying the player's handbook will provide loads of more options. There's no reason to spend 100s when you are just starting out.
Next year's releases look like they will be reworked updates to D&D 5E - but they will need to be purchased separately on dndbeyond if you want to play the updated version.
Consider, when OneDnD is released the 2014 PHB will most likely stop being sold shortly after. So getting the book now (or when the next sale occurs) means you'll have the book in your account even after it stops being published/distributed.
So even if you get the new ODD materials, you'll then have both options to draw from going forward.
Just a quick note to point out that if you start a campaign and have the players and DM join, anyone in the group can have a Master Tier account, and if content sharing is enabled everyone will have access, it doesn't need to be the person who owns the digital copies of the books.
If you are a brand new player, my advice is to not buy anything. Try out all the free stuff first. There is no point spending money on a book that you might not even enjoy reading and only use once. D&D is an extremely niche hobby, and you are lucky if half your friends wants to try it, and even luckier if half of those who tried stuck around to continue to play. I would only start spending money once you have at least a short campaign or two under your belt.
While there will be some major rule updates and some old books will be phased out of production and sale, that does not mean you cannot use old books. There is no new edition. It is still 5e, and old and new materials are still compatible with each other. There is nothing stopping you from using old and new material together. If anything, having old and new books will give you more options. For example, I like elves and eladrin are cool, and if I am a player, whether I choose the old or new eladrin depends on the campaign and character build. If it is a low level campaign, I would pick the old eladrin since they regain their Fey Step on a short rest. If it is a higher level campaign, I would pick the new eladrin, since although they only regain their Fey Step on a long rest, they can use Fey Step multiple times between each long rest.
And if you are spending money on books, keep in mind physical and digital books are separate products, so you will have to purchase them seperately if you want both. If you want them both in a bundle, you can only get them from Wizard's website, and depending on where you live, it may or may not save you money due to shipping costs.
This is the major problem with not calling a new edition a new edition. Railroading is railroading. I am not buying or playing the new edition for this very reason.
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CENSORSHIP IS THE TOOL OF COWARDS and WANNA BE TYRANTS.
This is the major problem with not calling a new edition a new edition. Railroading is railroading. I am not buying or playing the new edition for this very reason.
There is no new edition. Everything is backwards compatible, and the new stuff are essentially just additional options. In my opinion, just having more options is not enough to rename 5e. No one is forcing anyone to use the new material, and you can continue to use the old books. The old books will still be supported on Beyond, the only difference is that they might not sell the old books once the new books come out.
They can call it what they want, it is what it is, same as 3.5e. Everything may be backwards compatible, but is everything forward compatible? When it isn't it takes away from the game causes hesitation both at the table and at the store. See the OP.
For long term campaigns started before this change it will add confusion when new players want to play in an older campaign. For me and my group of friends and players anything after the new core books will not be allowed in our games until we start a new campaign.
It has already caused confusion and it is not even here yet, people do not know what to buy nor do players know what to recommend for new players for the next ~year. My groups have discussed it and made our decision. I am not against the new books, I just don't understand why the old ones are going to be unavailable to new players if they want them.
So long as WotC keeps up with the way they are treating the old books on dndbeyond.com. I am fine with whatever they want to call this change though they are needlessly over complicating things for many new players.
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CENSORSHIP IS THE TOOL OF COWARDS and WANNA BE TYRANTS.
This is the major problem with not calling a new edition a new edition. Railroading is railroading. I am not buying or playing the new edition for this very reason.
There is no new edition. Everything is backwards compatible, and the new stuff are essentially just additional options. In my opinion, just having more options is not enough to rename 5e. No one is forcing anyone to use the new material, and you can continue to use the old books. The old books will still be supported on Beyond, the only difference is that they might not sell the old books once the new books come out.
Everything may be backwards compatible, but is everything forward compatible? When it isn't it takes away from the game causes hesitation both at the table and at the store.
I do not see how it is not forward compatible either. There is nothing stopping people from mixing old/new species, classes, backgrounds, feats, epic boons, and spells. It is literally still the same character creation method. Hell, you can pick old species and new backgrounds to get two sets of ASIs if you want to, or pick new species and old backgrounds if you want the opposite and have less ASIs for whatever reason.
In the core three books alone, characters of different levels, different rest rules, and different level progression can all still play together, and those three things have more impact on how people play than what is essentially glorified OCFs in the 1D&D UA.
Currently, if you do not like the original ranger, you can use the TCOE ranger. All 1D&D UA did was expand that to every class, albeit with less flexibility since you cannot mix and match features. Besides Artificers, every class now (or will) have two options, and rangers essentially have three. This is like freaking amazing. You want a wizard bursting with pure raw power? Stick with the old one with unlimited access to epic boons and feats. Want a wizard that tinkers with the arcane? Pick the new one that allows you modify and create spells. Want to break the game and be an absolute bad ass with the new wizard and still have unlimited access to epic boons and feats, and have two sets of ASIs from old species and new backgrounds? Go right ahead and have a blast; Hasbro is not going to knock down your door and tell you no.
When people homebrew their games, their changes can be far more drastic, and no one would tell them they are not playing 5e. This is like French fries and ketchup, and now you have the option to mix and match it potato wedges with it along with ranch and barbecue sauce. This is not super loaded nachos with ground beef, bacon, jalapeño, and pico de gallo on tortilla chips with a bowl of guacamole on the side.
There will always be people who complain about changes. I see them as additional options, and they are fun and exciting, and you know, not mandatory because they are optional.
My groups have discussed it and made our decision. I am not against the new books, I just don't understand why the old ones are going to be unavailable to new players if they want them.
I do not think it is confirmed that they are going to stop selling the old core three books, but it seems like they will based on how they handled MP:MOTM, VGTM, and MTOF.
I agree it is absolutely stupid to stop selling books when people still want to buy them, and the person who made that decision should be ridiculed and shamed in front shareholders. Like, people will literal hand you money for it. All I can think of is that the sale of those two books are declining and it might not be worth it to keep them in production. But I do not have access to those figures, so it is hard to say, but at the same time, I really cannot imagine adventures like JTTRC or KFTGV outselling an old source book like VGTM or MTOF. GMs spend a lot of money, and GMs like me love options. If they sold UA on Beyond, I would have bought it for the convenience.
And on Beyond, I cannot imagine not selling VGTM and MTOF will cut any cost. They are already spending money maintaining them on here. Might as well sell them to recuperate some of those ongoing expenses. Customers are not that stupid with confusion (okay, some of them absolutely are, and are also super entitled and vocal, and D&D does seem to have more Karens compared to other brands and hobbies, but they are still in a minority).
Adding nothing more than new options—new classes and new races and non-weapon proficiencies—saw the transition from 1st ed. to 2nd ed. But suddenly making even more changes doesn't justify calling it a new edition? Why? Because Wizards say so? Because those who just conform to their every impulse say so? If they turned around tomorrow and said it will be a new edition just how many people insisting otherwise would reverse their opinion?
I think it is probably more comparable to the shift from 3.0 to 3.5. But the decision to market what is coming next year whatever it might be as just an extension of the current edition is still a transparent attempt to get people—particularly newcomers to the hobby—to continue to buy the current set of core books. The core mechanic will remain the same. But there will be enough changes to make people feel as if they were lied to and ripped off.
What rule changes are so significant that it makes 5e feel like a different game? And the rules are so modular you can take your pick whether you want to use the old or new one and it would not interfere with mechanics from the rest of the game. This is not like trying to import Pathfinder's Magic Missile into D&D and wondering how to translate the three action system in PF into D&D.
The two most obvious changes I see are the D20 rolls and death saving throws, and they are both minor, modular, independent, and optional from the rest of the game mechanics. If you do not like critical failures or messing around with inspiration, then stick with the old rules on rolls. For DSTs, whether you are stable at 0 or 1 HP might make a small difference at level 1 when your HP pool is really small, but it is largely cosmetic from level 2 onwards; and starting a short rest part can still be interrupted, and it really does not change how people play unless they are using heroic rests, and even then, that only makes a difference if the GM is hammering the party really hard on time limits where every single minute and second counts, like in a rescue mission or something. And just like the D20 rolling rules, whether you use the old or new DSTs does not really impact the rest of the game mechanics.
Compared to rest and level progression rules in the DMG, these two new optional rules have a very minor impact on the game. At most, players will pick a different feat or spell from what they would otherwise normally do. Additionally, just like rest and level progression rules, you can run characters operating under different rules in the same game at the same time. There is absolutely nothing stopping one character from using the old rules on rolling and DSTs while another character uses the new rules, just like how there is nothing stopping from one character operating on a heroic rest from playing and forming a party with a character operating under gritty realism rest. Is it recommended to run games where characters with differences in levels, rest rule, rolling, and DSTs play together? That would be a hell no for most groups, but it is an option that exists. And these optional rules can also be leveraged individually on a case by case basis to further customize characters or balance power levels. For example, if you want martials and half casters to feel more significant at level 20, you can let them operate under heroic rest and let them use the new rolling rules with inspiration, while full casters stick with regular rest and the new rolling rules with critical failures.
I'd ue the free Basic rules to start playing and see if you like it. Then decide how much you want to invest but even if D&D gets a revision next year WoTC said it will still be 5E compatible and not only will it still be of use but having nice illustrated D&D is always fun in and of itself. I started playing D&D in the 80's and boy did i had fun just checking my books and they were not anywhere near the beauty that they are now!
Honestly, I would buy what is existing (after trying out the free stuff), and not bother with anything they put out under their new plan unless its an adventure.
Even if you have no skin in the game for some of the more dramatic topics, I've heard nothing but bad things with how class changes feel (especially for druid); and nothing will become obsolete. You will still be able to use all of your old (and frankly, better books).
I know the general marketing spin is that it isn’t a new edition, but if the company is putting out playtests for new rules that they aim to implement after feedback, then it pretty much....is.
It isn’t just the PHB, the DMG and the MM that are becoming updated but, by extension, the supplements dealing with expansion rules (in the form of Tasha’s and Xanathar’s Guide) are also probably being superseded also. They may be worth something to collectors in a few years, but they won’t be entirely compatible with new changes coming I think.
What ought to be compatible are the various adventure and campaign books.
I do not see how it is not forward compatible either. There is nothing stopping people from mixing old/new species, classes, backgrounds, feats, epic boons, and spells. It is literally still the same character creation method. Hell, you can pick old species and new backgrounds to get two sets of ASIs if you want to, or pick new species and old backgrounds if you want the opposite and have less ASIs for whatever reason.
In the core three books alone, characters of different levels, different rest rules, and different level progression can all still play together, and those three things have more impact on how people play than what is essentially glorified OCFs in the 1D&D UA.
While you're right in theory, I think it's going to be a lot messier in practice.
When we refer to our race or our class, that title is shorthand for all the abilities and features of that race or class. Mixing editions muddles that communication in a way that intra-edition options don't, because you have one word that has two definitions.
PC: "I'm a kobold."
DM: "Legacy kobold or new kobold?"
PC: "New"
Only took a second, right? But multiply out those seconds across every race, every class, most rules mechanics, and you've added a level of complexity and confusion that is very likely not going to be worth whatever you gain from compatibility.
This is not to mention all the times that one party will think the new rules are being used while the other party doesn't, so a scene is confused for a while before they realize they had misaligned expectations on how something was going to work. And you could have bad actors trying to exploit this confusion as well - one session the kobold player uses Pack Tactics, the next they use Draconic Cry. So now the DM needs a spreadsheet to source every players class, race, background, and whatever else changes between now and then. And they need to know the differences between all those things.
I'm not saying there's not compatibility, but it's going to be a mess. I would guess that most people are just going to go with one or the other within the first 6 months of release.
It reminds me of the D&D Essentials during late 4E that was somewhat backward compatible in theory but was a parrallel line of game elements in practices. I wonder if it's that they have in mind again.
It reminds me of the D&D Essentials during late 4E that was somewhat backward compatible in theory but was a parrallel line of game elements in practices. I wonder if it's that they have in mind again.
Didn't WotC say 4e would be compatible with 5e, and that it wasn't a new edition back then too?
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CENSORSHIP IS THE TOOL OF COWARDS and WANNA BE TYRANTS.
It reminds me of the D&D Essentials during late 4E that was somewhat backward compatible in theory but was a parrallel line of game elements in practices. I wonder if it's that they have in mind again.
Didn't WotC say 4e would be compatible with 5e, and that it wasn't a new edition back then too?
No i don't recall them ever saying that, in fact WoTC were really aiming to make 5E very different and closer to how 3E worked to my memory.
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Hey, so DnD One or DnD 6 (5e) I dont know what its realy called, will be released next year.
I don't want to spend hundrets coins on books which will be obsolete next year.
My questions is, are they or is it just a reworked rule book and thats it?
I dont own any DnD Book so far because I never played it.
Pretty much every book will be fine to buy now. The ones being retired are the Player's Handbook, Monster Manual and Dungeon Master's Guide. They'll be replaced next year.
Unfortunately, they're also the books you most need to play. You can substitute the Player's Handbook with the free Basic Rules (link is in my signature, if you're on mobile, put it on landscape and you'll see it at the end of my post), which doesn't have as much content, but plenty enough to see you through until the release next year. If you buy adventures on DDB, you get the monsters unlocked so you shouldn't need to buy any or the Monster Manual. You can get by without ever buying the Dungeon Master's Guide.
Alternatively, if you have a friend that has books on here, you could talk them into getting a Master Tier Subscription which would allow you to share their content (by having a character in one of their campaigns).
All other books should be be fine with either edition, so you can get those (although, other than the adventures, I'd recommend you hold off - you don't need them straightaway and they can just be added as needed). I wouldn't buy the Dungeon Master's Guide, just because you don't need it and so you can easily wait until the new release. I'd also hold off on the Monster Manual, since many are free on DDB anyway, so there's little need. That just leaves the Player's Handbook, which can be substituted in the short term with the free Basic Rules.
So yeah, feel free to buy an adventure or two (again, some free ones in my signature, I'd play a couple of those before splashing out on money, and if you like playing it, then spend money on better adventures). I'd wait until next year for the rest.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
You should be able to play just fine with the Basic Rules, which are free. Just buying the player's handbook will provide loads of more options. There's no reason to spend 100s when you are just starting out.
Next year's releases look like they will be reworked updates to D&D 5E - but they will need to be purchased separately on dndbeyond if you want to play the updated version.
Consider, when OneDnD is released the 2014 PHB will most likely stop being sold shortly after. So getting the book now (or when the next sale occurs) means you'll have the book in your account even after it stops being published/distributed.
So even if you get the new ODD materials, you'll then have both options to draw from going forward.
Just a quick note to point out that if you start a campaign and have the players and DM join, anyone in the group can have a Master Tier account, and if content sharing is enabled everyone will have access, it doesn't need to be the person who owns the digital copies of the books.
edit: for clarity
If you are a brand new player, my advice is to not buy anything. Try out all the free stuff first. There is no point spending money on a book that you might not even enjoy reading and only use once. D&D is an extremely niche hobby, and you are lucky if half your friends wants to try it, and even luckier if half of those who tried stuck around to continue to play. I would only start spending money once you have at least a short campaign or two under your belt.
While there will be some major rule updates and some old books will be phased out of production and sale, that does not mean you cannot use old books. There is no new edition. It is still 5e, and old and new materials are still compatible with each other. There is nothing stopping you from using old and new material together. If anything, having old and new books will give you more options. For example, I like elves and eladrin are cool, and if I am a player, whether I choose the old or new eladrin depends on the campaign and character build. If it is a low level campaign, I would pick the old eladrin since they regain their Fey Step on a short rest. If it is a higher level campaign, I would pick the new eladrin, since although they only regain their Fey Step on a long rest, they can use Fey Step multiple times between each long rest.
And if you are spending money on books, keep in mind physical and digital books are separate products, so you will have to purchase them seperately if you want both. If you want them both in a bundle, you can only get them from Wizard's website, and depending on where you live, it may or may not save you money due to shipping costs.
Check Licenses and Resync Entitlements: < https://www.dndbeyond.com/account/licenses >
Running the Game by Matt Colville; Introduction: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YZvLUXcR8 >
D&D with High School Students by Bill Allen; Season 1 Episode 1: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52NJTUDokyk&t >
This is the major problem with not calling a new edition a new edition. Railroading is railroading. I am not buying or playing the new edition for this very reason.
CENSORSHIP IS THE TOOL OF COWARDS and WANNA BE TYRANTS.
There is no new edition. Everything is backwards compatible, and the new stuff are essentially just additional options. In my opinion, just having more options is not enough to rename 5e. No one is forcing anyone to use the new material, and you can continue to use the old books. The old books will still be supported on Beyond, the only difference is that they might not sell the old books once the new books come out.
Check Licenses and Resync Entitlements: < https://www.dndbeyond.com/account/licenses >
Running the Game by Matt Colville; Introduction: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YZvLUXcR8 >
D&D with High School Students by Bill Allen; Season 1 Episode 1: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52NJTUDokyk&t >
They can call it what they want, it is what it is, same as 3.5e. Everything may be backwards compatible, but is everything forward compatible? When it isn't it takes away from the game causes hesitation both at the table and at the store. See the OP.
For long term campaigns started before this change it will add confusion when new players want to play in an older campaign. For me and my group of friends and players anything after the new core books will not be allowed in our games until we start a new campaign.
It has already caused confusion and it is not even here yet, people do not know what to buy nor do players know what to recommend for new players for the next ~year. My groups have discussed it and made our decision. I am not against the new books, I just don't understand why the old ones are going to be unavailable to new players if they want them.
So long as WotC keeps up with the way they are treating the old books on dndbeyond.com. I am fine with whatever they want to call this change though they are needlessly over complicating things for many new players.
CENSORSHIP IS THE TOOL OF COWARDS and WANNA BE TYRANTS.
Forwards compatible - not backwards compatible.
I do not see how it is not forward compatible either. There is nothing stopping people from mixing old/new species, classes, backgrounds, feats, epic boons, and spells. It is literally still the same character creation method. Hell, you can pick old species and new backgrounds to get two sets of ASIs if you want to, or pick new species and old backgrounds if you want the opposite and have less ASIs for whatever reason.
In the core three books alone, characters of different levels, different rest rules, and different level progression can all still play together, and those three things have more impact on how people play than what is essentially glorified OCFs in the 1D&D UA.
Currently, if you do not like the original ranger, you can use the TCOE ranger. All 1D&D UA did was expand that to every class, albeit with less flexibility since you cannot mix and match features. Besides Artificers, every class now (or will) have two options, and rangers essentially have three. This is like freaking amazing. You want a wizard bursting with pure raw power? Stick with the old one with unlimited access to epic boons and feats. Want a wizard that tinkers with the arcane? Pick the new one that allows you modify and create spells. Want to break the game and be an absolute bad ass with the new wizard and still have unlimited access to epic boons and feats, and have two sets of ASIs from old species and new backgrounds? Go right ahead and have a blast; Hasbro is not going to knock down your door and tell you no.
When people homebrew their games, their changes can be far more drastic, and no one would tell them they are not playing 5e. This is like French fries and ketchup, and now you have the option to mix and match it potato wedges with it along with ranch and barbecue sauce. This is not super loaded nachos with ground beef, bacon, jalapeño, and pico de gallo on tortilla chips with a bowl of guacamole on the side.
There will always be people who complain about changes. I see them as additional options, and they are fun and exciting, and you know, not mandatory because they are optional.
Name change because of having more options just seems like a marketing gimmick to me to generate hype.
I do not think it is confirmed that they are going to stop selling the old core three books, but it seems like they will based on how they handled MP:MOTM, VGTM, and MTOF.
I agree it is absolutely stupid to stop selling books when people still want to buy them, and the person who made that decision should be ridiculed and shamed in front shareholders. Like, people will literal hand you money for it. All I can think of is that the sale of those two books are declining and it might not be worth it to keep them in production. But I do not have access to those figures, so it is hard to say, but at the same time, I really cannot imagine adventures like JTTRC or KFTGV outselling an old source book like VGTM or MTOF. GMs spend a lot of money, and GMs like me love options. If they sold UA on Beyond, I would have bought it for the convenience.
And on Beyond, I cannot imagine not selling VGTM and MTOF will cut any cost. They are already spending money maintaining them on here. Might as well sell them to recuperate some of those ongoing expenses. Customers are not that stupid with confusion (okay, some of them absolutely are, and are also super entitled and vocal, and D&D does seem to have more Karens compared to other brands and hobbies, but they are still in a minority).
What rule changes are so significant that it makes 5e feel like a different game? And the rules are so modular you can take your pick whether you want to use the old or new one and it would not interfere with mechanics from the rest of the game. This is not like trying to import Pathfinder's Magic Missile into D&D and wondering how to translate the three action system in PF into D&D.
The two most obvious changes I see are the D20 rolls and death saving throws, and they are both minor, modular, independent, and optional from the rest of the game mechanics. If you do not like critical failures or messing around with inspiration, then stick with the old rules on rolls. For DSTs, whether you are stable at 0 or 1 HP might make a small difference at level 1 when your HP pool is really small, but it is largely cosmetic from level 2 onwards; and starting a short rest part can still be interrupted, and it really does not change how people play unless they are using heroic rests, and even then, that only makes a difference if the GM is hammering the party really hard on time limits where every single minute and second counts, like in a rescue mission or something. And just like the D20 rolling rules, whether you use the old or new DSTs does not really impact the rest of the game mechanics.
Compared to rest and level progression rules in the DMG, these two new optional rules have a very minor impact on the game. At most, players will pick a different feat or spell from what they would otherwise normally do. Additionally, just like rest and level progression rules, you can run characters operating under different rules in the same game at the same time. There is absolutely nothing stopping one character from using the old rules on rolling and DSTs while another character uses the new rules, just like how there is nothing stopping from one character operating on a heroic rest from playing and forming a party with a character operating under gritty realism rest. Is it recommended to run games where characters with differences in levels, rest rule, rolling, and DSTs play together? That would be a hell no for most groups, but it is an option that exists. And these optional rules can also be leveraged individually on a case by case basis to further customize characters or balance power levels. For example, if you want martials and half casters to feel more significant at level 20, you can let them operate under heroic rest and let them use the new rolling rules with inspiration, while full casters stick with regular rest and the new rolling rules with critical failures.
Check Licenses and Resync Entitlements: < https://www.dndbeyond.com/account/licenses >
Running the Game by Matt Colville; Introduction: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YZvLUXcR8 >
D&D with High School Students by Bill Allen; Season 1 Episode 1: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52NJTUDokyk&t >
I'd ue the free Basic rules to start playing and see if you like it. Then decide how much you want to invest but even if D&D gets a revision next year WoTC said it will still be 5E compatible and not only will it still be of use but having nice illustrated D&D is always fun in and of itself. I started playing D&D in the 80's and boy did i had fun just checking my books and they were not anywhere near the beauty that they are now!
Honestly, I would buy what is existing (after trying out the free stuff), and not bother with anything they put out under their new plan unless its an adventure.
Even if you have no skin in the game for some of the more dramatic topics, I've heard nothing but bad things with how class changes feel (especially for druid); and nothing will become obsolete. You will still be able to use all of your old (and frankly, better books).
Most games are free to play for a player. The basic rules are free so you can learn before playing:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules
Just go over to the LFG channel here or Fantasy Grounds and you won't have to pay anything to play the majority of the time.
I know the general marketing spin is that it isn’t a new edition, but if the company is putting out playtests for new rules that they aim to implement after feedback, then it pretty much....is.
It isn’t just the PHB, the DMG and the MM that are becoming updated but, by extension, the supplements dealing with expansion rules (in the form of Tasha’s and Xanathar’s Guide) are also probably being superseded also. They may be worth something to collectors in a few years, but they won’t be entirely compatible with new changes coming I think.
What ought to be compatible are the various adventure and campaign books.
Is it a "gimmick" when regular books come out in new editions with little more than new forewords or introductions? What poppycock!
While you're right in theory, I think it's going to be a lot messier in practice.
When we refer to our race or our class, that title is shorthand for all the abilities and features of that race or class. Mixing editions muddles that communication in a way that intra-edition options don't, because you have one word that has two definitions.
PC: "I'm a kobold."
DM: "Legacy kobold or new kobold?"
PC: "New"
Only took a second, right? But multiply out those seconds across every race, every class, most rules mechanics, and you've added a level of complexity and confusion that is very likely not going to be worth whatever you gain from compatibility.
This is not to mention all the times that one party will think the new rules are being used while the other party doesn't, so a scene is confused for a while before they realize they had misaligned expectations on how something was going to work. And you could have bad actors trying to exploit this confusion as well - one session the kobold player uses Pack Tactics, the next they use Draconic Cry. So now the DM needs a spreadsheet to source every players class, race, background, and whatever else changes between now and then. And they need to know the differences between all those things.
I'm not saying there's not compatibility, but it's going to be a mess. I would guess that most people are just going to go with one or the other within the first 6 months of release.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
It reminds me of the D&D Essentials during late 4E that was somewhat backward compatible in theory but was a parrallel line of game elements in practices. I wonder if it's that they have in mind again.
Didn't WotC say 4e would be compatible with 5e, and that it wasn't a new edition back then too?
CENSORSHIP IS THE TOOL OF COWARDS and WANNA BE TYRANTS.
No i don't recall them ever saying that, in fact WoTC were really aiming to make 5E very different and closer to how 3E worked to my memory.