Café de Nuit

Jester of the FoS wrote:The release dates have been announced.

Starter Set in July

Player's Handbook in August
Monster Manual in September
Dungeon Master's Guide in November.
320-pages each, $50 MSRP

Zilfer wrote:Yeah not sure i'll be pulling away from Pathfinder any time soon, however if Ravenloft does come out for it I will definitely grab at it.

There’s a lot to talk about with the new game, but I’d like to take this week to focus on a piece of the puzzle we haven’t talked about yet: Basic Dungeons & Dragons.

Basic D&D is a PDF that covers the core of the game. It’s the equivalent of the old D&D Rules Cyclopedia, though it doesn’t have quite the same scope (for example, it won’t go into detail on a setting). It runs from levels 1 to 20 and covers the cleric, fighter, rogue, and wizard, presenting what we view as the essential subclass for each. It also provides the dwarf, elf, halfling, and human as race options.

But the best part? Basic D&D is a free PDF. Anyone can download it from our website. We want to put D&D in as many hands as possible, and a free, digital file is the best way to do that.

If Basic D&D is the equivalent of the classic Rules Cyclopedia, then the three core rulebooks are analogous to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Want more character options? Pick up a Player’s Handbook. Looking for more critters for your campaign? The Monster Manual has you covered. Want to sculpt a unique campaign? Pick up the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Still, Basic D&D is the true heart of the game and could easily provide a lifetime of gaming.

At the launch of the D&D Starter Set, Basic D&D will include the material needed to create characters and advance to 20th level. In August, with the release of the Player’s Handbook, Basic D&D will expand to include the essential monsters, magic items, and DM rules needed to run the game, along with the rules for wilderness, dungeon, and urban adventuring. (The Starter Set already covers the aspects of these rules that you need to run the included campaign.)

As we introduce new storylines like Tyranny of Dragons, we’ll also make available free PDFs that provide all the rules and stats missing from Basic D&D needed to run the adventures tied into the story. The adventures released as part of Tyranny of Dragons are playable without requiring any of the core rulebooks or the Starter Set. With just the Basic Dungeons & Dragons rules, you can play D&D for years.

Gonzoron of the FoS wrote:very nice to hear! not as comprehensive as an SRD, but enough to "try before you buy" (or for someone who doesn't plan to play these rules to get the gist so they can back-convert any new material...)

alhoon wrote:

Gonzoron of the FoS wrote:very nice to hear! not as comprehensive as an SRD, but enough to "try before you buy" (or for someone who doesn't plan to play these rules to get the gist so they can back-convert any new material...)

Obviously, we won't see as comprehensive an SRD as for 3.5 D&D soon. Pathfinder taught WotC to be more mindful of giving out free accesses to their products. The OGL is killing D&D sales, based on an updated version of their own rules.

With the free basic set, WotC gives Core D&D to people for free BUT they keep the rights so that there can't be a product that will steal their sales in the future.