So I’ve picked up a copy of the new Players Handbook. Even a cursory examination revealed that this is NOT the “5th Edition” that some people were afraid it might be. However, I have to admit that I’m a little concerned about the $50 cover price – not so much because I think it’s out of line for a book like this, but that it continues a pattern for roleplaying games of having entry-level products which are much more expensive than related leisure activities, such as Magic: the Gathering, etc.
It’s also worth noting that you can get Labyrinth Lord, Basic Fantasy Role Playing Game, and Swords & Wizardry for much less than the cover price of this one volume. – and all of those are complete games; this is not. I’ve advocated for some time that what this hobby needs is a good $10 roleplaying game – and possibly the free PDF of the Basic D&D rules is supposed to fill that niche. We’ll see.
My initial take on the rules is that they are well-written, with a lot of cautions about not thinking there is “one true way” of doing things. I’ve not read that far into the book, but I am cautiously optimistic about it, generally speaking. I retain my doubts that I would shift to 5e from Original D&D (or a retro-clone), but I suspect that I would enjoy playing in a 5e game much more readily that I did in the 4th Edition game I played in three years ago.
More to follow as I continue reading.
I feel like Swords & Wizardry is already a "good $10 roleplaying game". And there are lots of other ways to get similar basic, reasonably complete, rules for $10 or less, as long as you're talking about PDF. Do you mean $10 or less for a physical version of some kind, though?
Yep; $10 for a physical version. Right now, the best fit for that for any RPG is the Savage Worlds Deluxe Explorers Edition.
More enjoyable that 4E? Damning with fain praise?
This may very well have been the DM of the game; it wasn't bad, it just wasn't very good, either.
TNGR for the win.
They need to actually get Gaslight Press to revamp and re-release Everway and this time not try to sell it as a 'card-game'. I would think it could be done and be affordable and an easy to pick up and go learning curve too.