D&D 5E The Physical D&D Next Books

[ChainSawHobbit]

No one seems to have brought up the subject of what the D&D Next books will look like, physically. Not just in terms of graphic design, page layout, and art; but in terms of binding, paper, and price.

I really like boxed sets. They are handy, and fun. I would like to see the "core" experience not in three books, but in a box. This simplifies things for new players, is fun, and provides a handy compartment for carrying around one's D&D stuff.

I also think the books should be soft-cover, and perhaps even have greyscale interiors. This would knock a double-digit number of dollars off the price, and save paper.

Ideally, American McGee should be hired to work on the art. This would be really cool. I would like to see his takes on some of the monsters.

 

[Mark CMG]

Pop-up books with 3D terrain?

 

[Reynard]

Pop-up books with 3D terrain?

Holy cow. I wish I could XP you. I know you were joking but a big book up pop up 3D terrain -- or even single maps that fold out to be C or D sized -- battlefields would ROCK.

 

[Keldryn]

I like boxed sets, especially for the "starter set." The entry point to the game can be a single product, but still have separate player and DM books, as well as dice and any other appropriate accessories.

I don't think that the "starter set" needs to be a separate product. I still have a fondness for the BECMI approach of adding options and complexity as you gain experience with the game, and the Basic Set never became obsolete.

I've never been involved in a campaign that went on long enough to get past 10th level in 25 years of gaming, and I suspect I'm not the only one who has never (or only very occasionally) had use for the higher level content. The inclusion of character options for progressing through to level 20 (or 30 in 4E) is a major reason for the huge pagecount of the core rulebooks, and it's a major accessibility issue for new players.

There was also something cool about buying the next set when your characters were ready for it and discovering what new horizons were available to your character, versus seeing it all laid out in the book when you first created your character. Yeah, this might be just me, and it's an experience that you can only really have once, but it was very cool.

To use 4E terms, if the rules were to be released in boxed sets for Heroic (1-10), Paragon (11-20), and Epic (21-30) tiers, then you could have more streamlined books that didn't have 100+ pages of spells or powers. If the players were more interested in a "low-magic" or "gritty" campaign, then nobody needs to purchase anything beyond the Heroic rules, and there is a natural stopping point to the campaign.

I really like the Essentials DM's Kit, with a DM's guide, counters, poster maps, DM's Screen, and a sizable adventure all included. It would be a great way to get started as a DM.

The Essentials Monster Vault was also a great product, with all of the counters, the maps, and an adventure in addition to the monster book. I love the idea of including all of the appropriate monster tokens with a monster book, although if 5E is moving away from using minis and a battle grid in the core rules, it isn't as big an issue.

I also think back to older boxed sets, such as campaign settings, that would often include two books, four poster-size maps, transparent grid overlays, and a stack of full-page "cards" that had adventure ideas, player handouts, compiled tables, and other visual aids (such as gods' holy symbols). I love all of that stuff, and hardcovers make it very difficult to include such items.

 

[Mark CMG]

Holy cow. I wish I could XP you. I know you were joking but a big book up pop up 3D terrain -- or even single maps that fold out to be C or D sized -- battlefields would ROCK.

Joking? Perhaps.


It could be a coffee table book, two foot by 1 1/2 foot, and open to lie flat as a 24" x 36" battlemap. At the thickness it would need, it might hold a half dozen maps. Maybe even keyed as a single adventure setting. We could call them . . .


Battle-Ups!

 

[kmdietri]

I hope there is an all electronic version of whatever they decide.

 

[Greg K]

I refuse to buy boxed sets. I was burned enough times by TSR products and WOTC supplements and products have a very high tendency to miss the mark with me.

 

[Sammael]

I predict...

...a Player's Handbook, covering the first two complexity dials and core races and classes (160 pages, $20 loss leader for the first year, upped to $25 after)

...an Advanced Player's Handbook, covering the second two complexity dials and more races but hopefully not classes
(200 pages, $30)

...an Essential Monster Manual to begin with (120 critters on 120 pages, $20)

...a Monster Compendium Annual (I'd *really* love to see a return of the binder system - I'd be prepared to pay a premium price for that format; however, it will likely be just 300 pages, $40)

...a Dungeon Master's Kit (Screen, Guide, Dice) (cardboard screen, 120 pages, 7 dice, $30)

...a Forgotten Realms Campaign Boxed Set (Old Grey Box II, three books with a total of about 400 pages, poster map, premium quality materials, $60)

 

[kitsune9]

If they do a box set, I'd like to see:

1. A players rulebook that's 64 pages and a DMG that's 96 pages.
2. A module
3. tiles
4. dice
5. tokens

Later box sets will just have two rule books, a module, tiles, and tokens.

If they do a hard back, I'd like to see:

1. 128 pages for the basic rules--PH and DMG
2. MM of about 128-256 pages depending upon how big each stat block is (about 300 monsters).

 

[Dragonblade]

I want lots of books. Big thick books so I feel like I'm getting my money's worth. The Pathfinder core book is a little too big, but thats kind of what I want.

I dislike boxed sets for anything but campaign setting material or super adventures.