D&D 5E - What's Published?

Neurosis · Post by **Neurosis** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 5:17 pm

So besides the OH MY GOD SERIOUSLY THIS IS 2016 AND I HAVE TO BUY THREE ahem...core rulebooks...what's been published for 5E and how is it?

Grek · Post by **Grek** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 5:32 pm

There's the three core rulebooks, the starter set, like a half dozen adventure modules of various quality and the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, AKA How To Faerun in 5e. They're all very high on page count. The art's decent. The fluff is plodding. The rules are sparse, where they exist at all.

There's supposed to be a new monster book coming out this year. If you're going to buy anything for 5e, I guess you might as well get that - it's the only real new rules they actually do write at this point. Supposedly it'll have stats for playable orcs and goblins, but I give it 50/50 odds of being a Savage Species-style "fuck you" to anyone who wants to go green.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 5:52 pm

There are two Rules Supplements:

Elemental Evil Player's Companion
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

There is supposedly going to be a third rules supplement: Voloth's Guide to Monsters. Note that the "rules supplements" aren't really all that rulesy. WotC had no problem submitting the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide to the Ennies as an Adventure Module, so whatever.

There are also six Adventure Modules which are produced partially out of house (like how the first two were mostly made by Kobold Press but then given a formatting overhaul to make them official WotC products).

So we're basically at the point of seeing one rulebook per year, and those rulebooks have a lot of setting and filler in them. Even counting adventure modules as releases there were only 4 books in 2015 and there are only 3 on the docket for this year.

-Username17

Neurosis · Post by **Neurosis** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 7:15 pm

Anyone have a link to the free starter set?

Also, what IS the Elemental Evil Player's Companion? Is it a splat for Evil players, kind of like BoVD? Are they planning on releasing a splat for GOOD PLAYERS, kind of like BoED?

There is supposedly going to be a third rules supplement: Voloth's Guide to Monsters. Note that the "rules supplements" aren't really all that rulesy. WotC had no problem submitting the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide to the Ennies as an Adventure Module, so whatever.

Delta Green: Agent's Handbook won silver "Best Supplement" in spite of clearly being the "Core Rulebook".

I asked Scott Glancy what he thought about this and he told me "I don't care, we'll take the medal". I asked Dennis Detwiler what he thought about this, and he told me about the time that they had a sourcebook win "Best Adventure" even though it did not have AN adventure ANYWHERE IN IT.

To wit: the ENnies are retarded.

So we're basically at the point of seeing one rulebook per year, and those rulebooks have a lot of setting and filler in them. Even counting adventure modules as releases there were only 4 books in 2015 and there are only 3 on the docket for this year.

That is quite the stately pace for such a big company, but it also gives me some hope that it's not all CGL-quality shovelware.

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 7:25 pm

Schwarzkopf wrote:Anyone have a link to the free starter set?

Okay so technically it's the Basic Rules that are the free thing. The Starter Set is an adventure with pregen characters and a majorly cut-down rulebook specifically for new DMs to run that adventure. It also includes dice and isn't free.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 9:18 pm

Schwarzkopf wrote:Also, what IS the Elemental Evil Player's Companion? Is it a splat for Evil players, kind of like BoVD? Are they planning on releasing a splat for GOOD PLAYERS, kind of like BoED?

Wizard's site has both a pitch blurb and a link to a free download, so you may inform yourself pretty easily. Basically a bunch of vaguely elemental-themed races and spells.

Grek · Post by **Grek** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 9:38 pm

Schwarzkopf wrote:Also, what IS the Elemental Evil Player's Companion? Is it a splat for Evil players, kind of like BoVD? Are they planning on releasing a splat for GOOD PLAYERS, kind of like BoED?

This thing. 25 pages, introducing 4 new race sand a bunch of new elements-themed spells. The balance is dubious at best. Aarakocra get 50' flight at level one; Svirfneblin get +2 Int (normal races get +1 at best); Gensai get resistances and Goliath are just kind of ass. There's lots of new evocations (including several save or sucks), which is a small plus.

I personally don't count it as a published book. It's a free PDF available on the wizards website or as a print on demand product.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Sat Aug 20, 2016 9:52 pm

If you aren't going to count books just because they spectacularly fail to meet design specifications and/or are simply terrible, then 5e doesn't exist at all.

-Username17

Neurosis · Post by **Neurosis** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 12:14 am

Wait, Aarakocra, the obscure Kyrie clan from Draygunlance, get to be in a 5E product at all?

Well that's...random as fuck.

Rawbeard · Post by **Rawbeard** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 3:29 am

I guess there is an air element connection. or something.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 3:29 am

Aaracockra are from the original Fiend Folio. They've been written up as a PC race in every edition.

Grek · Post by **Grek** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 4:45 am

FrankTrollman wrote:If you aren't going to count books just because they spectacularly fail to meet design specifications and/or are simply terrible, then 5e doesn't exist at all.

-Username17

It's not a published book. Print on Demand doesn't count as publishing.

ETortoise · Post by **ETortoise** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 3:29 pm

I just started playing 5E (it's serviceable!) and the lack of material is kind of ridiculous. Between spells, feats, backgrounds and character paths there are plenty of areas to expand even before making new classes. Also, since the paradigm seems to be hardback adventures that players make new characters for, not having corresponding character options seems like a missed opportunity.

The Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide could actually be a good template for these kinds of books. It has maps and regional information that PCs would be expected to know, and character options that fit the setting. Really, they should put out a similar book to coincide with each of their big modules. Instead of each group buying just one book to play Curse of Strahd, they'd be selling two or more as players picked up the Ravenloft Adventurer's guide or whatever.

The quality is almost beside the point, they're just leaving money on the table.

I'm assuming that the D&D books are profitable though. If they're taking a loss to service a trademark then fewer books is a better strategy. If they're taking a loss printing books however, they need to fire some people.

As far as 5e anecdotes go, I play at a gaming club/store that has a monthly membership fee and 5e is big. They do Encounters and Expeditions so on Wednesday nights there are usually six or seven tables of 5e, with other games throughout the week. I see occasional Pathfinder, OSR, and non-fantasy RPGs; but 5e is definitely the biggest there.

Krusk · Post by **Krusk** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 5:15 pm

What happened to their modular rules, dial a your own compelexity nonsense they were hyping before release? Did they ever officially give up, did that get released and i didnt notice, or did they just seriously say "feats are optional" and call it done?

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Sun Aug 21, 2016 7:08 pm

There sure are a lot of optional rules. Some are:

Action Options (DMG p271-272)
Alternatives to Epic Boons (DMG p230) (The Epic Boons are inherent to the edition, in a weird E6 sort of post-cap advancement way, but these are some optional boons)
Cleaving Through Creatures (DMG p272)
Crafting a Magic Item (DMG p128)
Customising Ability Scores (PHB p13) (Point Buy)
Encumbrance (PHB p176)
Equipment Sizes (PHB p144)
Experience Points Options (DMG p260-261)
Fear and Horror (DMG p266)
Feats (PHB p165)
Firearms, Explosives and Alien Technology (DMG p267-268)
Healer’s Kit Dependency (DMG p266)
Healing Surges (DMG p266)
Hero Points (DMG p264)
Hitting Cover (DMG p272)
Honour (DMG p264)
Initiative Variants (DMG p270)
Injuries (DMG p272)
Inspiration (PHB p125; DMG p240-241) (Maybe? The DMG posits Inspiration as a core rule, but then tosses out that some DMs just never give it out and that's fine, or you can have players give it or whatever man, so I'll include it I guess)
Loyalty (DMG p93)
Massive Damage (DMG p273)
Mixing Potions (DMG p140) (wow seriously?)
Morale (DMG p273)
More Difficult Identification (DMG p136)
Multiclassing (PHB p163)
Planar Effects (DMG p50-66) (Each plane apparently has base effects and optional effects but the whole thing is crammed together in there so yeah)
Playing on a Grid (PHB p192)
Plot Points (DMG p269)
Proficiency Die (DMG p263)
Renown/Piety (DMG p22-23)
Rest Variants (DMG p267)
Sanity (DMG p265)
Scroll Mishaps (DMG p140)
Skill Variants (DMG p263-264)
Skills with Different Abilities (PHB p175) (Somehow I missed that this was optional. Huh.)
Slow Natural Healing (DMG p267)
Spell Points (DMG p288)
Training to Gain Levels (DMG p131)
Unearthed Arcana (This is just the articles online with... dubious and contested levels of officiality and optionality.)
Using Miniatures (DMG p250-252)
Variant Human Traits (PHB p31) (This one gets a lot of keystrokes over on gitp, based on the few times I've popped into the 5e subforum)
Wands that don’t recharge (DMG p141)

There are probably more, tbh, but my main point is that they do in fact have a lot of toggles. It honestly looks more like GURPS-style "choose all your toggles before even pitching a game" than the advertized "The core game is basic but if you want to expand it you can!" but hey, it does have toggles. Can't argue that.

Neurosis · Post by **Neurosis** » Mon Aug 22, 2016 11:01 pm

The size of that list is causing my brain to bleed.

JonSetanta · Post by **JonSetanta** » Tue Aug 23, 2016 3:25 am

The books fall apart at the spine after a few months.

Krusk · Post by **Krusk** » Tue Aug 23, 2016 3:34 pm

I guess I heard their target originally as something where they say "these are the basic races ___, or if you want advanced races do this ___, and if you want complicated races do this___". for each module of the game. Races, skills, feats, stats, items, exploration, diplomacy, etc.

EX:
Basic Elf - +2 to some stat, +5 to some skill, pointy ears.
Advance Elf - +2 to some stat, +1 to another stat, +5 to some skills, some skill power, pointy ears.
Complex Elf - +2 to some stat, +1 to another stat, +5 to some skills, some skill power from this list, pointy ears. At level 4, you get an additional skill power from a new list, and the same at every 4 levels thereafter. In addition, you have a favored class giving you a BONUS for taking it.

momothefiddler · Post by **momothefiddler** » Tue Aug 23, 2016 3:57 pm

Yeah, no.

Closest we get is basic combat -> Playing On A Grid -> Using Miniatures.

It really is mostly just a pile of little switches... mixed in with some really big switches. Sure, you have the option of including Potion Miscibility, or firearms, or encumbrance levels, but you also have the same basic presentation of feats, multiclassing, and one or two new stats (yes, you could be playing D&D with STR/DEX/CON/INT/WIS/CHA/HON/SAN, and yes, that means you have eight saves to worry about), and it's all kind of whatever.

Now, as a fan of GURPS, I feel the need to point out that A) it's at least up-front about the need to figure out what game you're playing before you start, and that B) it's better about the massive banks of choices - for instance the options for punching whole chunks of your ticket (the supernatural/cinematic tags) and various discussions of what each choice means, along with clear default/option distinctions, as opposed to that whole fucking inspiration mess.