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View Full Version : Where can I get a pdf version of D&D 5e?



Weimann
2014-08-02, 06:41 AM
I want to check the book out, but I don't want a physical copy. Can I get a pdf copy anywhere?

akaddk
2014-08-02, 06:46 AM
http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules?x=dnd/basicrules

Lokiare
2014-08-02, 06:50 AM
/thread

Too short.

Weimann
2014-08-02, 06:54 AM
Thanks! That looks neat.

Still, it looks like just a quick start summary. Where would I go if I wanted the full book?

Lokiare
2014-08-02, 06:56 AM
Thanks! That looks neat.

Still, it looks like just a quick start summary. Where would I go if I wanted the full book?

To www.amazon.com in a few months.

Weimann
2014-08-02, 07:08 AM
Huh, really? Is there any reason to not have a simultaneous digital release in 2014?

Oh well, thank you none the less.

Yuki Akuma
2014-08-02, 08:07 AM
It's not out yet.

1337 b4k4
2014-08-02, 08:53 AM
Huh, really? Is there any reason to not have a simultaneous digital release in 2014?

Oh well, thank you none the less.

WotC has refused to say one way or the other what their plans are for digital distribution of the new version of D&D. The only thing we know for sure is that the PHB is due to be released this month, with the MM and DMG to follow over the next few months and that the Basic version has been released as a PDF for free on WotC's website.

archaeo
2014-08-02, 03:06 PM
WotC has refused to say one way or the other what their plans are for digital distribution of the new version of D&D.

And just as a point of order, doesn't that seem insanely fishy? If they're just going to release PDFs, they could've told us months ago. There would be cheering in the streets. Lots of people want this, and WotC knows that. So why the silence?

The only two reasonable possibilities are that:
1) WotC is dumb.
2) WotC has something else planned for digital distribution, like an "app" store (where you buy individual components for free) or a subscription model or some other plan, which may or may not please people, but will definitely be some kind of digitally available rules.

Tholomyes
2014-08-02, 03:29 PM
One reason why I fear they won't try for PDF distribution is because apparently, there were piracy issues with 4e. However, I don't see that as a reason not to sell PDFs, since all it takes is one person with a scanner, and you've got the same issue. Possibly even worse, since a lot of people prefer PDFs, to the point that they may end up pirating not due to cost but convenience.

I think Morningstar will probably have some digital distribution to it, but I'm waiting to see a pricing model, and, more importantly what type of DRM, if any, it will entail. If there's a "Must check in every 24 hours" or "May only be used while connected to the internet" requirement, or anything like that, then count me out. Intrusive DRM (especially on content available in other forms) is one of the make-or-break issues for me, and a subscription model will likely turn me away, with how infrequently it appears that they will be releasing supplemental material, besides pregen adventures and modules, which are of next to no interest to me.

Secret Bard
2014-08-02, 03:40 PM
This is something that always confused me. Why would Wizards sell a pdf? Wouldn't that cause in a smaller number of sales? If I have a pdf copy and a friend wants one, we're not going to buy another copy, we'll just copy the files and share between us.

wolfstone
2014-08-02, 03:54 PM
And just as a point of order, doesn't that seem insanely fishy? If they're just going to release PDFs, they could've told us months ago. There would be cheering in the streets. Lots of people want this, and WotC knows that. So why the silence?

The only two reasonable possibilities are that:
1) WotC is dumb.
2) WotC has something else planned for digital distribution, like an "app" store (where you buy individual components for free) or a subscription model or some other plan, which may or may not please people, but will definitely be some kind of digitally available rules.

Yeah, but not everyone has a f*****g ipad or smart phone. PDFs would be very nice.

Sartharina
2014-08-02, 04:07 PM
This is something that always confused me. Why would Wizards sell a pdf? Wouldn't that cause in a smaller number of sales? If I have a pdf copy and a friend wants one, we're not going to buy another copy, we'll just copy the files and share between us.If you don't have a PDF copy, you can just scan your book into a PDF, and give that to a friend. Then you can set it up to be pirated - and the Pirates will have full monopoly on digital distribution, so that the only option for people who want digital versions of the books is to steal them from the internet.

Secret Bard
2014-08-02, 04:10 PM
If you don't have a PDF copy, you can just scan your book into a PDF, and give that to a friend. Then you can set it up to be pirated - and the Pirates will have full monopoly on digital distribution, so that the only option for people who want digital versions of the books is to steal them from the internet.

I guess I didn't think about that, good point.

Tholomyes
2014-08-02, 04:14 PM
This is something that always confused me. Why would Wizards sell a pdf? Wouldn't that cause in a smaller number of sales? If I have a pdf copy and a friend wants one, we're not going to buy another copy, we'll just copy the files and share between us.You could essentially do that with a physical copy too. The only difference is that with a physical book, one person looks through and gets all the information they want, then the other person does the same, and gives it back to the first person. I've known groups (mostly in college) that have community copies of one or two PHBs, and get by just based on that. If PDF sales would cause lower sales numbers, then so will Physical books. And as I mentioned before, PDFs will wind up on the internet no matter what, so wizards could at least try to get people to buy the PDF, rather than download a scanned copy, if they're going to want to share a digital copy of the rules between friends.

akaddk
2014-08-02, 04:35 PM
This is something that always confused me. Why would Wizards sell a pdf? Wouldn't that cause in a smaller number of sales? If I have a pdf copy and a friend wants one, we're not going to buy another copy, we'll just copy the files and share between us.

Because contrary to popular belief, not everyone is an ass.

hawklost
2014-08-02, 04:45 PM
This is something that always confused me. Why would Wizards sell a pdf? Wouldn't that cause in a smaller number of sales? If I have a pdf copy and a friend wants one, we're not going to buy another copy, we'll just copy the files and share between us.

I think you might want to talk to Book publishers then. Considering they have started selling most of the books online in some form at the same time as releasing a Hard Bound of it. It seems to be doing well for those authors and publishers no matter how many extra copies seem to be given away.

rlc
2014-08-02, 06:46 PM
Yeah, but not everyone has a f*****g ipad or smart phone. PDFs would be very nice.

Most people do, but...nobody said anything about smart phones or iPads. It's not like they can't make it so that you can access it on a computer, too.
But they probably will use pdfs anyway.

oxybe
2014-08-03, 01:33 AM
My personal group is rather varied in how we use digital tools.

At our table, me and one other player use laptops. One guy and the FLGS's owner use tablets. One guy has a mix of printouts and books. Two guys are pretty much books only. Most of us have cell phones.

Now, i'm going to preface this with the comment that I'm not the biggest fan of .pdfs, mainly because most of them are made to be read like a book rather then used on a computer. Many are hard to navigate.

To use an example, the 5th ed playtest documents were horrible for me to look and find information within at times on my laptop. even using shortcuts and my mouse, the screen was too small to have a full page shown and the dual column formatting often meant i needed to scroll up/down to get the full gist of a piece of information. this is why most of my group sticks to online SRDs for our references, these are formatted to have all the information on any given subject on screen at once without much hassle.

Give me an searchable, tab-able SRD over a .PDF version of a book any day.

Now, for most of my group though, digital content would be ideal. I know the guy who uses a mix of printouts and books would love to have everything digital, so he could just print out exactly what he needs in his clipboard/folder and have minimal clutter at the table. The guys with tablets would both love having a portable version of books as they currently primarily reference SRDs and the tablet format works much better for reading a book-style PDF then a laptop. As for me and the other lappy guy, give us a good, SRD-like document we can tab, favourite and whatnot to our heart's content and we won't need to look elsewhere.

As for the guys who only use books, one of them does use his phone occasionally to keep statblocks of things at hand if pageflipping would be inconvenient, so even then we could see use.

Digital stuff is fantastic as many users do use them and prefer in some form, be it at the table of off the table.

archaeo
2014-08-03, 01:50 AM
Most people do, but...nobody said anything about smart phones or iPads. It's not like they can't make it so that you can access it on a computer, too.
But they probably will use pdfs anyway.

As a matter of fact, Morningstar will be usable in any browser, apparently.

The people making Morningstar, Trapdoor, have previous experience in ebook publishing too. I imagine it'll be slick and nice and it'll be priced in a similar way to DDI, which wasn't wholly unsuccessful for 4e. Maybe it'll be cheaper. Who knows.

Suffice it to say that it's 2014, and we will have electronic access to 5e materials, and they'll be usable on a broad array of devices. The only question now is the price point and the release date.