Go away peacefully into history with love and light.
As most people in the TTRPG space are aware by now, a new edition of Dungeons & Dragons is coming in September 2024. (Provided Wizards of the Coast doesn’t find some way to royally screw it up.) Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins have basically told us the Player’s Handbook is going to be completely different than the one from 2014 that we all know and love. I often joke that this is the new/not-new edition because they continue to cling to the notion that this version is somehow retro compatible. (*Here, let me pull out my 3.5 or 1st Ed AD&D and see how true that is beyond the name.
I understand and respect that the game hit a crazy new all time high in popularity between 2014 and 2022. Let’s be honest with ourselves- the last couple of years have been a little rough despite the numbers being made to look impressive. The game has been in a creative content downturn since Strixhaven and worsened by the announcement of the new/not-new edition in 2022. (Go look at the discount prices on Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants on any site except D&D Beyond if you need proof. I actually saw it for 45% off MSRP on Amazon.)
This downturn happens Every. Freakin. Time!
In the 40 years I have been with the TTRPG hobby, more importantly D&D– Every time we have an edition change, even just a minor one (such as 3.0-3.5) things change just enough to make the game a chore to run the older edition with the new books. (*We are NOT engaging in edition wars again, but the point needs to be made about the transition from one to the other.) I know people online who still bemoan the transition from B/X Moldvay to BECMI. (*Personally, I grew up on BECMI and I still cherish it. I’ve also heard grousing about the difference between BECMI and Rules Cyclopedia recently.)
There’s almost inevitably a drop off in sales between the announcement of an edition change and the release of the shiny new books. I think WotC made a mistake when they told us the new/not-new, “forever edition,” One D&D, revised edition of 5E, or whatever it is this week was coming in 2024. They simply pulled the trigger too soon. The announcement in 2022 was like pulling back the curtain on the scene in Wizard of Oz only to reveal Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford pulling strings and levers.
I predicted sales would be less than stellar on anything released between then and now compared to what they could have been. So far, I think I’m right. Spelljammer, Planescape, and Dragonlance have all been met by the fans with a resounding “meh,” despite what any of the YouTube shills might say to the contrary. (*William, OG, I’m not talking about you guys. You’re genuine. Lots of love.) The sad part is, I low key wanted to be wrong about that.
Disclaimer: Statements expressed in this article are strictly my opinion. If you disagree or have a different opinion, that’s okay. I’m not an expert on everything. I’m not always right. I’m just writing from my experience as I know it. Your mileage may vary.
I want D&D the game to succeed.
D&D is the mother of all TTRPGs. It’s important to remember that the game has been the centerpiece of a beloved hobby for 50 years. Many, I dare say most, of us grew up playing D&D. Heck, most of the 5E crowd don’t really know much else unless they jumped ship during the great Wizards of the Coast D&D Open Gaming License Debacle of 2023, or they have a DM who pulled out a different game. D&D is so common and beloved that I think a lot of us still refer to whatever fantasy game night as simply “D&D night.” It’s also the game most regular, non-game playing folx recognize as a TTRPG.
Truth is, whether we like it or not, D&D, in whichever edition, has held the vast majority of the market share over the last 50 years. Yes, there have been a couple of games such as Vampire: the Masquerade and Pathfinder that rose to the top contender in TTRPG sales for a few short weeks or months, but overall it’s usually D&D. Despite all of the supposed “D&D killers” floating around right now, I have my doubts any of them will top the charts longer than previous contenders.
Wizards of the Coast spent most of 2023 screwing up everything and anything they could think of and the trend seems to be continuing this year. I think half the problem lies in them just needing to keep Jeremy Crawford, Kyle Brink, and others away from the damned microphone. Here’s the link to the latest D&D Beyond video talking about the new Player’s Handbook. What’s wrong with this video? Psionics among other additions.
I swore up one side and down the other I wouldn’t get behind another official D&D product until certain people were gone from WotC. Cynthia Williams stepped down. That’s a great first step. But now I have to look sideways at some Third Party Publishers such as Ghostfire Gaming, Dungeon Dudes, and Kobold Press because they are getting endorsed by WotC and added into D&D Beyond. Like WtF guys? (*What did they sign behind the scenes?!?) I’m not sure if I should be warming back up to WotC D&D at this point or looking sideways at a bunch of companies who’ve apparently sold out to the evil empire.
All of that aside, I want the tabletop game of D&D to do well. Yeah, the company in charge of it are pretty screwed up at times, but maybe there’s a glimmer of hope. However, it brings more people onboard the hobby every day and then we can get them interested in other games. D&D is recognized, known, and played by over a million people. I respect that.
Third Party Publishers…
This is what started me off on this article. Family, friends of the TTPRG industry- it’s time to let D&D 5E go quietly into the long night. We’ve now seen three or four Kickstarters for 5E books breach the million dollar mark in 2024 alone. (*As of this writing.) Guys, this thing ain’t gonna last much into 2025. Crawford has even said the 2024 PHB looks nothing like the 2014 PHB. I know they stubbornly refuse to say, “new edition,” but that’s exactly what it’s going to be. All of that retro compatibility talk is going to go right out the window in September when the new PHB launches, and nothing looks the same except for the name on the cover. We’ve seen it before, and here it comes again.
I think 5E is going to get left behind in the dirt. It might be cool to put the 5E compatibility logo on a product now just to get it noticed, but that ship is going to leave the port in 2025 and never return. I said in 2022 that we should halt the 5E TPP bandwagon. I said in January 2023 during the Great OGL Debacle that it would just be best to stop making TPP just to be safe. Yes, I still support TPP, because I still want to be one for somebody. But it’s time for 5E to go.
Tinfoil Hat Society will now come to order.
Here comes the conspiracy part. Have we heard anything about the next edition and some kind of Open Game License? Yeah, the 5E OGL is safe. Hello, Crawford said WotC is putting out a “completely different D&D Player’s Handbook from the 2014 edition.” So, we’ll be able to make 5E stuff all day.
Nothing has been said about an OGL going forward. The hardcore WotC shills are directing attention away from it. Some companies seem to be cutting deals with WotC behind the scenes and they’re not talking about it. Mark my words now, I think WotC has a gaming license for D&D going forward with the new edition, but the word “open” is not on the page. We can still make/enjoy D&D 5E, but it won’t be the newest, shiniest game on the block. 5E will become just another edition of the game, much like the Old School Renaissance did.
It’s easy to tell where I stand because my 3.0/3.5 books share shelves with the D&D Rules Cyclopedia and my 5E stuff. I use, steal, and kitbash bits of all of these games. I love TTRPGs, especially TPP for any game. D&D is just one game I borrow from.
If the miracle happens and WotC gets rid of more idiots and starts making good products again, I’ll start buying them. Right now it’s looking a bit bleak for the new core rulebooks. Otherwise, I can still run a game with just about any ruleset (Yes, even 4th Ed D&D.) It’s a choice I think a lot of 5E players will be facing in September, too. Do we keep 5E rolling or jump on the new/non-new thing?
People are gonna do what they’re gonna do.
Obviously a lot of the D&D community aren’t as tuned into what’s going on as the die hard oldsters such as myself. I’m not going to say, “Don’t buy the new D&D.” I have my long-standing reasons for refraining from new official D&D purchases. I want everyone to use their own discernment.
In other words, if you and your players want to dive headlong into the new version of D&D regardless of what it’s called, cool. I support you. Do that. Have fun with it.
The same thing goes for 5E TPP content. If you want to rock the new Floral Dragons book on KS, then cool. Go for it. It hear it looks phenomenal. Lots of cool art. That’s great.
One of my many mantras is do what’s best for you and your group. Have fun with it. Enjoy whatever you’re playing and don’t let any old fartz on the Internet tell you otherwise. You can’t get it wrong.
Thank you for being here today with me. I appreciate you. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy.
Jeff's Game Box 