D&D (2024) Will you buy 5.5e/6e PHB?

[ersatzphil]

Eh?

When 3.5 came out, I kept all my 3.0 books, but picked up the new PHB if only to see what the changes were. My group picked what changes we liked from 3.5, applied them to our ongoing game, and ignored the ones we didn't care for. I expect to do the same this time.

 

[OB1]

I expect 5eAE to be nothing more than an assimilation of the optional rules found in existing products like Tasha's with some of them becoming the new default state (and switching old rules to optional). It will simply replace the core 3 rule set as the default starting point, still fully compatible with all existing APs, GtEs and CSs. It will primarily be for new players, but also useful to existing players and groups as a way to consolidate those rules from across multiple books into one neat package. The original 5e core will continue to work just fine with new APs and CSs as well. So I guess I'm a yes if that's the case.

If this is an actual 5.5 or 6, and is not compatible with existing product and/or new product after isn't compatible with it, I'll probably stick with 5e until there is a compelling enough digital product (fully integrated VTT) that would make my life running games easy enough to switch.

 

[JEB]

The difference is that when the announced the 2024 update they said it would be play tested. They never said that about MOTM.

Sure, but they didn't say how much of D&D 2024 would be playtested. Technically about 1/15 of MOTM was playtested as well.

And I bring up MOTM because this is the first time such a massive amount of player-facing content was released without significant public playtesting, and because the changes in question affected such a large chunk of the game (nearly every previously published PC race). It may represent a philosophical shift, or at least a view that changes to existing content don't need public playtesting to the same extent as new material.

But again, we'll see, won't we?

 

[Talmek]

I'll have to pass. While I've enjoyed watching the hobby grow from 3e to today, I'm fully invested in 5e and have sunk a considerable amount of disposable income (along with my players) into the ecosystem. I think we're really happy overall with the system and it will take us a long time to play through all the adventures we've purchased over the years.

 

[dave2008]

Sure, but they didn't say how much of D&D 2024 would be playtested. Technically about 1/15 of MOTM was playtested as well.

And I bring up MOTM because this is the first time such a massive amount of player-facing content was released without significant public playtesting, and because the changes in question affected such a large chunk of the game (nearly every previously published PC race). It may represent a philosophical shift, or at least a view that changes to existing content don't need public playtesting to the same extent as new material.

But again, we'll see, won't we?

Sure, you could be correct. I guess I have two related thoughts:

1. I don't expect there to be a lot of content in the 2024 update that needs play testing. So I would expect significantly less play testing than we got with O5e.
2. I don't think the recent changes to races in Tasha's and MOTM needed play testing. They could have done a survey to ask if people want / like the change, but it is not like they need to play test the mechanical change, IMO.

 

[teitan]

Depends on the compatibility and right now I am leaning no. I am not all that happy about Mordy's Multiverse and all the little iterative changes to the rules they've been introducing through the books the last two years or so. Not lore changes, that's all on me. But the modifications that seem to render previous books null in some stat blocks and now a big book that essentially squelches previous monster books and is reprints. Consolidating races with updated mechanics, if it is the final form, I am down with, the whole reprint of two other books that I already own make the book seem superfluous and unnecessary. Before anyone goes off the handle about "not liking change"... I am fine with change, when it is time and makes sense, but we are seeing change like in the 4e era where it was a constant, fiddly change that was neverending except there it was patches to fix problems that showed system break downs. To me this whole book comes across as a Monster Manual 2 that should have come out in year 2 of the revised edition and not two years beforehand.

Will I get the revised edition though? That remains to be seen because I will be 48-49 when that comes out and have enough material to play for decades. I am fine with how 5e works now, no complaints with it so unless the revision is a blow my socks off in the way that 5e and 3e did, or my players wants to "upgrade" wholesale, I will probably wait or buy it out of curiosity.