New D&D Consumer Survey is Up

[P. G. Macer]

A new D&D consumer survey can be found here (https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6841150/dnd) (hope link works, I had to try and dig it up again after taking the survey).

[Kurt Kurageous]

Apparently "Consumer" = players.

Wonder what we DMs are? "Afterthoughts."

[Keltest]

Apparently "Consumer" = players.

Wonder what we DMs are? "Afterthoughts."

Also players? If you aren't playing the game as the DM, you're doing something wrong somewhere.

[Pildion]

Apparently "Consumer" = players.

Wonder what we DMs are? "Afterthoughts."

DM's are the "whales" who buy everything! =p

[KorvinStarmast]

Apparently "Consumer" = players.

Wonder what we DMs are? "Afterthoughts."
Neglected by the WoTC staff.
DM's are the "whales" who buy everything! =p Giggled, I did. :smallsmile:

WoTC is still trying to fuse the two properties into a new game called Cards and Castles

[Saelethil]

Also players? If you aren't playing the game as the DM, you're doing something wrong somewhere.

Yes to this.

But also, I got a bunch of DM related questions so I’m not sure what survey Kurt Kurageous took.

[JackPhoenix]

Yes to this.

But also, I got a bunch of DM related questions so I’m not sure what survey Kurt Kurageous took.

The questions are dependant on previous answers. If you haven't answered you're a DM, you won't get the set of questions for the DMs.

[Saelethil]

The questions are dependant on previous answers. If you haven't answered you're a DM, you won't get the set of questions for the DMs.

Ah, I see. Thanks for the info.

[Kurt Kurageous]

The questions are dependant on previous answers. If you haven't answered you're a DM, you won't get the set of questions for the DMs.

Thank you for telling me! I stopped at the end of the first screen. The questions were 100% player Cosmo Quiz.

I will try again.

[animorte]

Thanks for this very much! I enjoyed it thoroughly.

[Psyren]

Done.

The D&D Beyond questions were interesting. They listed it alongside VTTs more than once.


Also players? If you aren't playing the game as the DM, you're doing something wrong somewhere.


The questions are dependant on previous answers. If you haven't answered you're a DM, you won't get the set of questions for the DMs.

These.

[Jervis]

Neglected by the WoTC staff. Giggled, I did. :smallsmile:

WoTC is still trying to fuse the two properties into a new game called Cards and Castles

What about combining the names into some kind of Dungeons the Dragoning or something like that? Nah, no one would make that

[Warder]

Finally a survey with a natural question where I could explain why I don't enjoy their design direction, that made it all worth it.

[Ganryu]

This was a long one!

[Tanarii]

If you haven't bought products in the last year, there's an "Other" category that you can fill in a short few words reason. Very handy.

There's also a free text box at the end where they ask why you think the game is trending down.

[Kane0]

Made sure to note that I got my D&D news here, I'm doing my part!

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Kane0
Made sure to note that I got my D&D news here, I'm doing my part!

Likewise. I listed giantitp.com as my only source of D&D news.


Originally Posted by JackPhoenix
The questions are dependant on previous answers. If you haven't answered you're a DM, you won't get the set of questions for the DMs.

My questions weren’t divided one way or the other; they covered the whole experience, player and DM together.

If only we could see the aggregate results, especially the written responses to whether D&D was “on its way up” or not.

[Imbalance]

The cringe I feel admitting how much I've spent on miniatures...

[Psyren]

I wrote in GitP as well, though not as my only source. Maybe we'll get on the board for the next one!

[animorte]

I wrote in GitP as well, though not as my only source. Maybe we'll get on the board for the next one!

I also did this! It is my primary source for community and communication on the topic. Have all you folks to thank for that!

[Xervous]

I’m a little sad there was no write in for me to say roll20 is the Netflix of VTTs.

Of course I got GITP listed as my one source for news.

[KorvinStarmast]

I also did this! It is my primary source for community and communication on the topic. I did as well. Interesting survey.

[Postmodernist]

Looks like they're seeing who spends money, on what, and what settings to release. Also, how the DM/player/store ecosystem works, pre and "post" Covid.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Xervous
I’m a little sad there was no write in for me to say roll20 is the Netflix of VTTs.

…what does this mean, exactly?


Originally Posted by Postmodernist
Also, how the DM/player/store ecosystem works, pre and "post" Covid.

I’ve been into bookstores and hobby stores, but haven’t had a single in-person gaming session since Covid began.

Much of that is due to a lack of hosting space, owing to life issues from everyone in our group, so it’s not entirely due to Covid. But there’s certainly some impact.

[Psyren]

I'll be curious to see how a larger convention like GenCon or DragonCon 2022 compares to 2021 from a tabletop perspective. Most mask mandates have been lifted, social distancing requirements have been eased etc.

[Xervous]

…what does this mean, exactly?

When they asked about whether roll20 is rising, holding steady, or declining, I’d have liked to detail the similarities it has with Netflix. Being a big name due to first-to-market status and all the support that being the only/main game in town drew for a time. Now with more names on the market we have seen users adopting newer services/utilities for reasons among price, performance, and general quality of features.

I wouldn’t say the VTT market is saturated yet. For the purposes of the survey they specifically asked how roll20 was doing. WotC wants to move into the VTT market and I would have liked to highlight why other VTTs are pulling people off roll20. MTGA, like it or hate it, is a very refined digital product. I’d like to see that kind of graphical fidelity and performance optimization in an official VTT. I might not use it a whole lot, but it would be a one of a kind attraction on the VTT market that could retain users.



I'll be curious to see how a larger convention like GenCon or DragonCon 2022 compares to 2021 from a tabletop perspective. Most mask mandates have been lifted, social distancing requirements have been eased etc.

PAX East was mandatory mask + vax and ended up packed. People want out, they’re going out.

[Willie the Duck]

Interesting survey.

Definitely. Hard not to try to glean extra information from the questions they ask. They are doing a better job of including TSR-era stuff in what you started with, played, play, or prefer (oD&D and all the basic/classic sets are rolled into one, but for a consumer survey, it makes sense). Nentir Vale/Points of Light isn't listed as a campaign setting. Did anyone catch the household-income bracket breakdown*? I know they asked age, but I'm wondering if they are also trying to capture spending groups 'high schoolers; college age; young, struggling adults, single, married households, dinks, etc.' but without directly asking intrusive questions**.
*it might change based on other information you provide, but I'm going to assume not for the moment.
**other than income itself.

[Segev]

Finally a survey with a natural question where I could explain why I don't enjoy their design direction, that made it all worth it.I did the same. It was towards the end, but while I really wanted to say "D&D is on its way up," with the design decisions (and their motivations, including but not limited to a lack of respect for the intelligence of their customers) they're making, I'm pretty sure they're going to stifle interest in it in the next few years. And I told them as much, and why, with suggestions for how to do some of their goals better and why other of their goals are self-defeating.


I wrote in GitP as well, though not as my only source. Maybe we'll get on the board for the next one!I listed it as my only source, because here and youtube are the only places I SEE anything about D&D, and youtube doesn't tend to be where I get news about it. I tend to watch review stuff there, not news and speculation stuff.

[Psyren]

I did the same. It was towards the end, but while I really wanted to say "D&D is on its way up," with the design decisions (and their motivations, including but not limited to a lack of respect for the intelligence of their customers) they're making, I'm pretty sure they're going to stifle interest in it in the next few years. And I told them as much, and why, with suggestions for how to do some of their goals better and why other of their goals are self-defeating.

I listed it as my only source, because here and youtube are the only places I SEE anything about D&D, and youtube doesn't tend to be where I get news about it. I tend to watch review stuff there, not news and speculation stuff.

I definitely get news from YouTube, particularly the official channel (the Spelljammer announcement debuted there before it showed up anywhere else for instance, and the UA would have flown under the radar for me if not for that.) But there are also content creator things like the MPMM leak.

[Frogreaver]

How long was the quiz.

[Segev]

I definitely get news from YouTube, particularly the official channel (the Spelljammer announcement debuted there before it showed up anywhere else for instance, and the UA would have flown under the radar for me if not for that.) But there are also content creator things like the MPMM leak.

Oh, sure, I know that stuff is out there. I just don't go looking for it, and don't have it in my feed. I'm not that interested in it, because it usually is so far out that it isn't worth me worrying about when it's announced on those sources. Heck, I've seen people comment about such news bits and later express disappointment when it turned out the forecast was not accurate.

But my answer was referring to myself only: I get my D&D news here, since I generally don't see it until it filters through here.

I definitely understand others getting it from youtube.

[Warder]

I did the same. It was towards the end, but while I really wanted to say "D&D is on its way up," with the design decisions (and their motivations, including but not limited to a lack of respect for the intelligence of their customers) they're making, I'm pretty sure they're going to stifle interest in it in the next few years. And I told them as much, and why, with suggestions for how to do some of their goals better and why other of their goals are self-defeating.

I told them much of the same, but it was in response to "why don't you spend money on D&D products anymore :( :( :(". As for whether D&D is on the decline or not, I guess we can only guess, but public perception is what they're looking for I suppose. I told them that I believe that it is, but it has more to do with the hype of Critical Role and Stranger Things dying down a bit in the public eye, combined with people trying out other systems as D&D gets stale for them.

[JackPhoenix]

I told them much of the same, but it was in response to "why don't you spend money on D&D products anymore :( :( :(". As for whether D&D is on the decline or not, I guess we can only guess, but public perception is what they're looking for I suppose. I told them that I believe that it is, but it has more to do with the hype of Critical Role and Stranger Things dying down a bit in the public eye, combined with people trying out other systems as D&D gets stale for them.

Same here. In fact, I've wrote pretty much the same thing to both questions.

[Segev]

I actually have bought stuff in the last six months, so I guess I didn't get the "why don't you buy our stuff anymore?" question. It's older stuff I've bought, but that doesn't actually matter to the way the questions trigger, I guess.

[Xervous]

My answer there (y u no buy stuff) was “release stuff that’s sufficiently inspiring or good enough for me to drop in unchanged.”

I was intrigued by the “how much do you value X in new books “ questions asking about Classes AND subclasses separately. Could they be daring enough to attempt... something?

[Psyren]

My answer there (y u no buy stuff) was “release stuff that’s sufficiently inspiring or good enough for me to drop in unchanged.”

I was intrigued by the “how much do you value X in new books “ questions asking about Classes AND subclasses separately. Could they be daring enough to attempt... something?

I maxed out both. New classes and new subclasses would both be an automatic purchase.

[Xervous]

I maxed out both. New classes and new subclasses would both be an automatic purchase.

I’d given up hope on seeing new classes, anything in that realm would be oh so refreshing.

[KorvinStarmast]

I’d given up hope on seeing new classes, anything in that realm would be oh so refreshing. It already has too many classes ... yeah, guess we'll not agree on this.

[Psyren]

I’d given up hope on seeing new classes, anything in that realm would be oh so refreshing.

To be clear, I don't really want new classes per se, that would increase the burden on the design team exponentially as now all of those classes need base features, subclasses, lore/fluff (baseline and by setting) etc.

Rather I think a much more lightweight way of "adding new classes" would be to greenlight official rules that allow us to:

a) Swap the main ability modifier a given class uses/needs to multiclass to a different one (e.g. Dex-based Barbs, Int-based Bards, Cha-based Clerics etc.)
b) Swap out certain class and subclass features with feats or with features from another class/subclass
c) Multiclass two subclasses within a given class as opposed to multiclassing two different classes/subclasses entirely.

With rules like that, you could suddenly have all kinds of new permutations within the existing system like a "Favored Soul" or "Savant" without needing to actually do a lot of brand new design work.

[Tanarii]

It already has too many classes ... yeah, guess we'll not agree on this.
While I generally feel there are too many classes already, I wouldn't object to a Warlord (martial healer/tactical commander), Warden (tank with forms), Swordmage (teleporting Gish tank), and Avenger (Dex-based teleporting/mobile 2H weapon wielders).

Some of those could be subclasses probably. For subclasses, I'd also like to see a Primal Barbarian with rage forms.

I miss 4e sometimes. Not, like, a lot. But it had some cool class concepts that didn't make it to 5e.

[Jervis]

To be clear, I don't really want new classes per se, that would increase the burden on the design team exponentially as now all of those classes need base features, subclasses, lore/fluff (baseline and by setting) etc.

Rather I think a much more lightweight way of "adding new classes" would be to greenlight official rules that allow us to:

a) Swap the main ability modifier a given class uses/needs to multiclass to a different one (e.g. Dex-based Barbs, Int-based Bards, Cha-based Clerics etc.)
b) Swap out certain class and subclass features with feats or with features from another class/subclass
c) Multiclass two subclasses within a given class as opposed to multiclassing two different classes/subclasses entirely.

With rules like that, you could suddenly have all kinds of new permutations within the existing system like a "Favored Soul" or "Savant" without needing to actually do a lot of brand new design work.

New classes would mean that the development team would have less time to dedicate to wizard subclasses, and that would be a disaster.


While I generally feel there are too many classes already, I wouldn't object to a Warlord (martial healer/tactical commander), Warden (tank with forms), Swordmage (teleporting Gish tank), and Avenger (Dex-based teleporting/mobile 2H weapon wielders).

Some of those could be subclasses probably. For subclasses, I'd also like to see a Primal Barbarian with rage forms.

I miss 4e sometimes. Not, like, a lot. But it had some cool class concepts that didn't make it to 5e.

For my money I have and always will say that Barbarian could have been a fighter subclass. It’s the most anemic class in the subclass department. A lot of the stuff people want Barbarian to do with its rage in subclasses, shapeshifting, elemental power, etc, could be accomplished by a Druid and in some cases more thematically by it. Yes yes Druid is already powerful i’m just saying that Barbarian as a class to me has little reason to exist as it’s own thing mechanically. Heck if it was a fighter subclass the problems it has at high levels wouldn’t be as pronounced.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Xervous
When they asked about whether roll20 is rising, holding steady, or declining, I’d have liked to detail the similarities it has with Netflix. Being a big name due to first-to-market status and all the support that being the only/main game in town drew for a time. Now with more names on the market we have seen users adopting newer services/utilities for reasons among price, performance, and general quality of features.

I wouldn’t say the VTT market is saturated yet. For the purposes of the survey they specifically asked how roll20 was doing. WotC wants to move into the VTT market and I would have liked to highlight why other VTTs are pulling people off roll20.

Very interesting, thanks.

Any VTTs you’d recommend in place of Roll20? I can't stand it and would love an alternative.


Originally Posted by Segev
I actually have bought stuff in the last six months, so I guess I didn't get the "why don't you buy our stuff anymore?" question.

I’ve never bought a single 5th edition book, but I have bought just enough minis to qualify for the expanded set of questions.

But then I wasn’t shy about telling them I mainly play Pathfinder, so they’ll probably disregard my answers anyway.


Originally Posted by Frogreaver
How long was the quiz.

If you’re thinking carefully about the answers, expect to spend at least 15-20 minutes. There’s a lot of pages, and they clearly put some thought into their survey.

[Psyren]

New classes would mean that the development team would have less time to dedicate to wizard subclasses, and that would be a disaster.

Why wizard specifically?



For my money I have and always will say that Barbarian could have been a fighter subclass.

And I will always disagree.

[KorvinStarmast]

For my money I have and always will say that Barbarian could have been a fighter subclass. Yep. A lot of wasted ink for WoTC not getting that.

[elyktsorb]

I do enjoy being asked what games I've enjoyed recently, only to answer with stuff like.

Fallout New Vegas
Pokemon
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
5th Edition dnd
Team Fortress 2

I look forwards to whatever information they think they can gleam from that.

[clash]

When you boil it down all the martials could have been a fighter subclass which is why the real problem is fighters. Fighters like wizards should not be a class anymore. But I digress.

The surgery is interesting. Glad for the short answer responses on this one. Less narrow in focus I found than previous ones.

[Kane0]

I do enjoy being asked what games I've enjoyed recently, only to answer with stuff like.

Fallout New Vegas
Pokemon
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
5th Edition dnd
Team Fortress 2

I look forwards to whatever information they think they can gleam from that.

Heh my answers were TF2, Skyrim and Mechwarrior 5. That said Mass Effect rereleased was on special so thats going to be my next binge.

[Jervis]

Why wizard specifically?



And I will always disagree.

Mostly just unmarked sarcasm, I should probably start making my text blue.

As for barbarians they just come off so half baked as printed. They’re a tank that tanks worse than a Druid subclass. They’re a melee fighter that has worse melee damage at high levels (disregarding feats) than some caster subclasses. And it has exactly two more official subclasses than Mystic had subclasses total, and that class got exactly two UA articles before fading into the mists of time. They just feel so unfinished.

[Kane0]

As for barbarians they just come off so half baked as printed. They’re a tank that tanks worse than a Druid subclass. They’re a melee fighter that has worse melee damage at high levels (disregarding feats) than some caster subclasses. And it has exactly two more official subclasses than Mystic had subclasses total, and that class got exactly two UA articles before fading into the mists of time. They just feel so unfinished.

Too many eggs in too few baskets if you ask me. Rage/reckless attack and everything that hangs from them just eat up so much design space.

[Leon]

I do enjoy being asked what games I've enjoyed recently, only to answer with stuff like.

Fallout New Vegas
Pokemon
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
5th Edition dnd
Team Fortress 2

I look forwards to whatever information they think they can gleam from that.

Mine were the 4 other RPG systems I'm playing in atm and a MMO

[Cheesegear]

- I don't want more feats, I want more access to feats. Currently the class that gets the most access to Feats is the one least likely to use them.

- I don't need roleplaying tools. If you want to learn how to roleplay or how to make a certain character act; Watch more movies and definitely read more books. Books have characters with internal monologues - movies don't.

- There should be at least one campaign setting for all environments in the DMG. I don't care if they're all in Faerun*, just give me some more desert campaigns, sea-faring campaigns, island-hopping around the coasts, etc.

- *While we're at it...I love Faerun...I hate The Sword Coast. Can we go somewhere else, yet? Let's go to Rasheman, Calimshan, Tymantha, Shaar...'Member Athkatla? Given [real world] wouldn't it be great to have an adventure where everyone gets to dunk on Szazz Tam in Thay? Y'know, the Evil Place of Evil that somebody really needs to look into?

- The Random Encounter Generators in Xanathar's don't account for creatures that can be found 'anywhere' (that is, they have no fixed environment, and thus aren't in the DMG tables, and thus aren't included in Xanathar's RETs). It would be neat to throw some Undead or Demonic or...Slaadi (?) encounters into any environment. But the way Xanathar's is set up, players will only ever randomly encounter, well, non-random things. 'A Bear!? In the forest!? Well this is very random!' ...Not really. Wake me up when a random encounter table includes lost Tridrones on the list and we'll talk.

- Speaking of random; WTF are Thri-Kreen? The only reason I know what they are is because I'm old...This could probably tie into a desert campaign that doesn't currently exist that could include them as a major ally and/or antagonist.

- Levelling up monsters; Goblins fight a Tier 1 party. Can we find a way to make Goblins fight a Tier 3 party? What does a CR16 Goblinoid look like? Yeah, yeah, there's a section where a DM can just make any monster they want...But it's not the same. Also...I don't want to do that. I would, however, pay someone for their work, if they were to make it.

- Just turn the word 'Race' into 'Species'...I promise you a bunch of problems will go away almost immediately if you do that. That being said, Race is still a thing. High Elves and Wood Elves aren't the same, but they are, both Elves...But they aren't Human.

- [+2 any, +1 any] is a mistake.

- It would be nice WotC said - overtly - that anything above a 14 in a stat just isn't that necessary (with a weird exception for Str 15, and Plate). The game is more or less balanced around (+2)s, and if your DM is playing fair, power-gaming is a waste of time. I can say that. But, the same with me homebrewing a CR 16 Goblin...It hits different when it comes from higher up. Like...Can WotC say that?
(This partially ties into the [+2 any] problem, where people feel if they don't have a 16 in their primary stat, at level 1, their character must suck...And it's just not true)

- 'Member hexcrawls? I 'member hexcrawls.

- I wish there was one page you could give a new player with the definitions of all the major terms in the game on it. Perhaps make a one-page, simple .pdf?

- Grappled and Restrained don't do what people think they do. Maybe think up new names for those conditions? Grabbed and Snared, maybe? I don't know. I'm not the desingers.

...I left the box where it says how much I spent on miniatures, blank. I've...Kind of lost count, and I feel as though if I were to check my bank statement and add it up for the survey, I would get real sad, real fast.

[Xervous]

Very interesting, thanks.

Any VTTs you’d recommend in place of Roll20? I can't stand it and would love an alternative.


I’ve heard Owlbear Rodeo is a clean and simple one. My preference is Foundry because 1. I’m a software developer so it’s a level of versatility I expect and 2. It’s one payment for a license.

The conversation went something like this with friends. “Foundry... 50$ ... programming” and we tried it out

Bare bones it has lighting. Then you drop in the massively supported 5e system, sprinkle on immersive stuff like monochromatic darkvision, add multi story buildings to your 2D maps, and more. You have to host the game on your PC/server, but that just means your HDD defines your storage capacity.

[JackPhoenix]

I do enjoy being asked what games I've enjoyed recently, only to answer with stuff like.

Fallout New Vegas
Pokemon
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
5th Edition dnd
Team Fortress 2

I look forwards to whatever information they think they can gleam from that.

I was offered general "Warhammer games" as an answer, and that's good enough for me.

[Gecks]

I’ve heard Owlbear Rodeo is a clean and simple one. My preference is Foundry because 1. I’m a software developer so it’s a level of versatility I expect and 2. It’s one payment for a license.

The conversation went something like this with friends. “Foundry... 50$ ... programming” and we tried it out

Bare bones it has lighting. Then you drop in the massively supported 5e system, sprinkle on immersive stuff like monochromatic darkvision, add multi story buildings to your 2D maps, and more. You have to host the game on your PC/server, but that just means your HDD defines your storage capacity.

I have to second Owlbear Rodeo if all you need is a clean, simple virtual table top. Absolutely has it's limits (since it uses the local internet cache to store assets, it is not a great option if you like to prep more than one session ahead, for example), but is very easy, very intuitive, and 100% free.

[Zevox]

I do enjoy being asked what games I've enjoyed recently, only to answer with stuff like.

Fallout New Vegas
Pokemon
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
5th Edition dnd
Team Fortress 2

I look forwards to whatever information they think they can gleam from that.
I'm sure I confused them by listing three different fighting games, one of which isn't even out yet (I played in its open beta a month or so ago). Though my other answers are probably more along the lines of what they're expecting.

(Zelda: Skyward Sword and Fire Emblem: Three Houses for the latter, and Guilty Gear Strive, BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle, and DNF Duel for the fighting games).

[Psyren]

As for barbarians they just come off so half baked as printed. They’re a tank that tanks worse than a Druid subclass. They’re a melee fighter that has worse melee damage at high levels (disregarding feats) than some caster subclasses. And it has exactly two more official subclasses than Mystic had subclasses total, and that class got exactly two UA articles before fading into the mists of time. They just feel so unfinished.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that high-level Barbarian needs work, but conceptually it still deserves to be more than a Fighter subclass. They have completely different approaches to martial prowess both mechanically an thematically, and the concepts you can hang off a barbarian base (like drawing power from your ancestors or totems or emulating beasts etc) are too varied and unique to just be slapped alongside swordmages and magic archers and samurai and the like.


I’ve heard Owlbear Rodeo is a clean and simple one. My preference is Foundry because 1. I’m a software developer so it’s a level of versatility I expect and 2. It’s one payment for a license.

The conversation went something like this with friends. “Foundry... 50$ ... programming” and we tried it out

Bare bones it has lighting. Then you drop in the massively supported 5e system, sprinkle on immersive stuff like monochromatic darkvision, add multi story buildings to your 2D maps, and more. You have to host the game on your PC/server, but that just means your HDD defines your storage capacity.

There are also a ton of great Foundry tutorials on YouTube.

Thanks for the Owlbear Rodeo suggestion I'll definitely check that out!

[Telwar]

I have to second Owlbear Rodeo if all you need is a clean, simple virtual table top. Absolutely has it's limits (since it uses the local internet cache to store assets, it is not a great option if you like to prep more than one session ahead, for example), but is very easy, very intuitive, and 100% free.

Thirding Owlbear Rodeo. We use it, and it's great, easy to use, and free.

I was surprised it was listed as one of the VTT options, that's the first time I've seen it mentioned on an official source.

[Segev]

- I don't want more feats, I want more access to feats. Currently the class that gets the most access to Feats is the one least likely to use them.

- I don't need roleplaying tools. If you want to learn how to roleplay or how to make a certain character act; Watch more movies and definitely read more books. Books have characters with internal monologues - movies don't.

- There should be at least one campaign setting for all environments in the DMG. I don't care if they're all in Faerun*, just give me some more desert campaigns, sea-faring campaigns, island-hopping around the coasts, etc.

- *While we're at it...I love Faerun...I hate The Sword Coast. Can we go somewhere else, yet? Let's go to Rasheman, Calimshan, Tymantha, Shaar...'Member Athkatla? Given [real world] wouldn't it be great to have an adventure where everyone gets to dunk on Szazz Tam in Thay? Y'know, the Evil Place of Evil that somebody really needs to look into?

- The Random Encounter Generators in Xanathar's don't account for creatures that can be found 'anywhere' (that is, they have no fixed environment, and thus aren't in the DMG tables, and thus aren't included in Xanathar's RETs). It would be neat to throw some Undead or Demonic or...Slaadi (?) encounters into any environment. But the way Xanathar's is set up, players will only ever randomly encounter, well, non-random things. 'A Bear!? In the forest!? Well this is very random!' ...Not really. Wake me up when a random encounter table includes lost Tridrones on the list and we'll talk.

- Speaking of random; WTF are Thri-Kreen? The only reason I know what they are is because I'm old...This could probably tie into a desert campaign that doesn't currently exist that could include them as a major ally and/or antagonist.

- Levelling up monsters; Goblins fight a Tier 1 party. Can we find a way to make Goblins fight a Tier 3 party? What does a CR16 Goblinoid look like? Yeah, yeah, there's a section where a DM can just make any monster they want...But it's not the same. Also...I don't want to do that. I would, however, pay someone for their work, if they were to make it.

- Just turn the word 'Race' into 'Species'...I promise you a bunch of problems will go away almost immediately if you do that. That being said, Race is still a thing. High Elves and Wood Elves aren't the same, but they are, both Elves...But they aren't Human.

- [+2 any, +1 any] is a mistake.

- It would be nice WotC said - overtly - that anything above a 14 in a stat just isn't that necessary (with a weird exception for Str 15, and Plate). The game is more or less balanced around (+2)s, and if your DM is playing fair, power-gaming is a waste of time. I can say that. But, the same with me homebrewing a CR 16 Goblin...It hits different when it comes from higher up. Like...Can WotC say that?
(This partially ties into the [+2 any] problem, where people feel if they don't have a 16 in their primary stat, at level 1, their character must suck...And it's just not true)

- 'Member hexcrawls? I 'member hexcrawls.

- I wish there was one page you could give a new player with the definitions of all the major terms in the game on it. Perhaps make a one-page, simple .pdf?

- Grappled and Restrained don't do what people think they do. Maybe think up new names for those conditions? Grabbed and Snared, maybe? I don't know. I'm not the desingers.

...I left the box where it says how much I spent on miniatures, blank. I've...Kind of lost count, and I feel as though if I were to check my bank statement and add it up for the survey, I would get real sad, real fast.
I don't agree with everything here, but the parts I agree with, I was mentally going "yeah! YEAH!" to. :smallbiggrin:

More adventures in themed areas would be good. If you want to dry run Athas before you make Dark Sun, a desert campaign in Faerun wouldn't be a bad idea. Playtest some of your desert survival stuff there. Refine it for Dark Sun, where things are even harder.

[Phhase]

Good that they put an Other category on favorite classes. I'm still bitter about Mystic and intend for them to know.

And yeah, I think I was generous giving them a popularity score of "going steady". There was a big upswing, but baffling decisions have brought things back to even. It's hardly a lost cause yet though, things could easily be rescued.

[Warder]

Good that they put an Other category on favorite classes. I'm still bitter about Mystic and intend for them to know.

And yeah, I think I was generous giving them a popularity score of "going steady". There was a big upswing, but baffling decisions have brought things back to even. It's hardly a lost cause yet though, things could easily be rescued.

I can't believe I missed out on the opportunity to comment on Mystic, I'm so dumb! It's by far my favorite 5e class. Ah, this will bug me for days.

[Cheesegear]

I don't agree with everything here, but the parts I agree with, I was mentally going "yeah! YEAH!" to. :smallbiggrin:

Wait.
There are some things where I'm not crazy when I talk about them?

Oh my gawwwd.

[Kane0]

Wait.
There are some things where I'm not crazy when I talk about them?
Well yeah, most if not all of your list is downright reasonable.

Although i'd be inclined to keep calling races races, just clearly point out that genetics is not assumed to be a thing in D&D... just like physics.

[Eldan]

The survey seemed quite badly set up for my answers of "Yes, I played 5E, no I never bought any products for it". (For some inexpicable reason it also didn't have my preferred answer of "I illegally downloaded most of my D&D books in the early 2000s, because you didn't sell them in this country and the import fees were prohibitive")

[Kane0]

The survey seemed quite badly set up for my answers of "Yes, I played 5E, no I never bought any products for it". (For some inexpicable reason it also didn't have my preferred answer of "I illegally downloaded most of my D&D books in the early 2000s, because you didn't sell them in this country and the import fees were prohibitive")

I also found it funny they mentioned DrivethruRPG as if you could just... buy pdfs of 5e rulebooks. Bizarre.

[Eldan]

Well yeah. My group is mostly PDF now.

Heh. That reminds me that my group started playing "D&D" when none of us had the books. We knew the general tropes, had played some Baldur's gate and just improvised a d6 system we played for about a year. No surveyfields for that!

[Xihirli]

Sure there is. Knowing the fiction you're going for but not having the rules for it and making it up as you go is called 5e.

[KorvinStarmast]

Sure there is. Knowing the fiction you're going for but not having the rules for it and making it up as you go is called 5e. Actually, that's more like the original game.

[Phhase]

Although i'd be inclined to keep calling races races, just clearly point out that genetics is not assumed to be a thing in D&D... just like physics.

Funnily enough, I recently explained mendelian genetics to one of my players to explain to them why their character has more immediately recognizable physical features in common with their uncle than their immediate father.

[Psyren]

I also found it funny they mentioned DrivethruRPG as if you could just... buy pdfs of 5e rulebooks. Bizarre.

I wrote in Paizo as an additional desired source so that you could eventually sell watermarked PDFs through their storefront. I highly doubt they'll go for it but I wouldn't mind the option. (D&D Beyond is great, don't get me wrong, but I like knowing page numbers for things too.)