Grumbling Dwarf

Armchair Expert Comments on Dungeons and Dragons

I bought the basic and expert sets, but we really only played 1st ed Advanced Dungeons and Dragons when I was growing up. Noticed how I didn’t say that I have been playing D&D since I was 13?  Our DM, as well as some of our players, acquired many of the popular modules of the 80′s to include Pharaoh, Keep on the Borderlands, Ravenloft, Tomb of Horrors, Vault of the Drow and many more. We’d just play them over and over hoping to forget enough of the details over time so that we could re-play them without it us experiencing the adventure as just another rerun months later. They were good times. Sneak around, find a monster, maybe attempt to kill it, and take it’s loot. Rinse repeat.

Since then our same group has turned to d20, 3.0, 3.5 and now Pathfinder. We don’t change much. We’re not adverse to change, but d20/3.0 just made sense to us and Pathfinder was more ‘business as usual’ than the alternative – 4th Ed D&D.

This is not a post on which edition is best or what game is best. I’ll be getting to my point here in a second.

You see, I worry about Dungeons & Dragons. I worry about the longevity of the game that I have known and love for a long time. I also feel that the community has been fractured a bit. The consumer base has been split. Not all folks care for the 4th edition ruleset and have chosen to go with Pathfinder. In the past you could talk to a lot of gamers and you’d have something in common –  d20 and D&D. Though maturity can triumph over the bickering that we may assume takes place when two people on each side of the fence come into contact with each other, it can still be an awkward moment.

Keep in mind, word on the street is that Pathfinder has taken over 4th Ed D&D in sales. Since both companies are privately held, it’s hard to determine the hard facts, but there may be little reason to dispute this statement should you consider feedback from distributors, game stores and other notable industry insiders.

Hang in there….

Paizo embraced their customers. They opened up their game, Pathfinder RGP, to the biggest playtest in RPG history, and they listened. Like it or not, 4th edition D&D was a product announcement at GenCon.  D&D 4th Edition was pitched as the cool, upcoming, new, shiny. Not necessarily a wrong approach, but certainly very different than what Paizo would later do. Could these two different strategies played a role in the destiny of each product? It’s hard to say for sure, but my heart says yes. Even Mike Mearls, now head of D&D, admitted at GenCon 2011 that they could have done things differently. At one point he says that you cannot simply change a product, launch it to the masses, and expect your customer base to simply embrace it. I have met Mike. I wouldn’t say I ‘know’ him, but he seems very approachable and genuine. I gotta hand it to him for telling people at the GenCon 2011 seminar that they may have made some mistakes. That’s not easy. I don’t envy his position. He has a lot weighing on his shoulders. I can’t honestly say if D&D has ever been out sold by another RPG. It’s frakin D&D for christ’s sake!

There are other things that Paizo is doing that WotC is not. One big one is the digital releases. Paizo offer electronic pdf versions of their products. WotC does not. Paizo offers subscriptions. WotC does have D&D Insider, so there may be exclusive content and the character builder, but that offers additional value and not necessarily cost savings on product.

Moving on…

So what do you do? How do you keep D&D alive? Should another edition be considered? What would happen if 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons came along?

Would it be possible for Wizards of the Coast to tug at the nostalgic heart strings of D&D grognards everywhere by rereleasing their vast library of previous editions, modules and supplements? Could they incorporate this into their online subscription services and would it be enough to keep D&D alive?! Would people buy the Tomb of Horrors and a new copy of the Advanced D&D Players Handbook? I have to think that some of us older, career-oriented, income-receiving, gamers would drop money to relive our childhood adventures. Is it economically viable for Wizards to do this?

Don’t get me wrong. Paizo has Pathfinder, but Lisa Stevens has to wonder what to do after Pathfinder turns 5.  I think they have a bit more time only because it seems their hardcover rule book release schedule is more conservative than that of WotC’s during the era of D&D 3.5. Don’t think people aren’t going to complain about the 5 different Beastiarys, plethora of Ultimate <insert term here>, and other such splat books that Paizo will have to release in order to keep afloat.

Like I said, I don’t envy Mr. Mearls’s or Ms. Steven’s positions. They have to be forward thinking enough to keep the products alive and profitable while not alienating their customer base that vehemently holds onto the key elements of tabletop role-playing games; pen, paper, and face-to-face interaction. Elements that have not really changed in over 30 years.

What do you think? Maybe this is already happening.