D&D (2024) Are you going to buy the new 2024 D&D Core Books

[Corinnguard]

I disagree pretty strongly with @Ruin Explorer on how best to represent mixed ancestry in D&D, but . . . American exceptionalism is a thing. It is the belief that America is the best, and it pervades our society.

Certainly, other peoples throughout history have felt superior to others . . . . but it's a real part of American culture presently that harms our relationships with other cultures and nations.

Sad, but true. I consider exceptionalism in any form to be a mark of insecurity. There are certain people out there who feel we must be better than everyone else because they themselves don't want to be mediocre. To be one among many of differing beliefs, values and viewpoints.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Hasn't every world power throughout human history felt that their way was superior to everyone else's at one point? Each one of them must have felt exceptional, and tried to export their version of how things must be done without considering how it may not fit with another culture's values and beliefs. The US is merely doing what other world powers have done before it.

Sure!

Britain certainly did, up until say, the 1940s! (And to some declining extent beyond, even to the present day.) The Romans absolutely did, back in the day - it was central to a lot of their excuses for their own behaviour (which is a whole other fascinating discussion). We could go back into BC times even and find all sorts of cultures regarding themselves as superior and beneficent (various Persian dynasties clearly had some insecurity about it).

That doesn't mean we should be blind to it when a new nation or imperial power does it. And it's certainly not just the US "at it", China has similar attitudes for example. India kind of does but the complex internal situation nuances that a bit - hilariously though I have seen Americans attempt "helpfully simplify" Indian internal politics based on narrow and simplistic American understandings of Indian politics (which usually amounts to "let's just ignore hatred of Islam and mistreatment of Muslims!" in practical terms).

What is kind of interesting and funny though is to see how this attitude even impacts people who do strongly oppose colonialism/imperialism, whilst essentially pushing quite imperialistic attitudes of superiority to varying degrees. It's certainly not a constant, either - many US activists, especially after seeing enough of the world, do lose this attitude - others do not.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Mod Note:

What have we here?

Uh huh, and I'd say your response is laughable, incredibly high-handed, and fundamentally exactly the kind of "who cares about the message, just think about the page or two a different system might take!" attitude I'm describing.

Making it personal.

To be clear, this whole "pick one race thing" starts but doesn't end with the one-drop rule. Racial thinking in the US has profoundly been based on "pick one race", "pick one identity" and so on.

Politics.

It's not really how most of the world thinks, I would suggest, but I guess American exceptionalism leads one to the belief that the American way is obviously superior. You see this culture clash in human rights activism a lot when US activists attempt to export US versions of how things should be without considering that the non-US cultures may not fit well with that (and may in fact be less oppressive or restrictive in many cases than the US). Even in the UK, a relatively similar culture to the US, it's caused culture clashes with US activists and ideas.

More politics.

Methinks you need a vacation from this thread to reconsider your rhetorical choices.

 

[Starfox]

I'll definitely get the PH. Maybe the DMG. Monster Manual... perhaps.

 

[Moorcrys]

I’ll be buying them yes. Whether that’s just in DND Beyond or both physical and digital…

I’ve mostly stopped buying the physical books but might make an exception for these three.

I’ll also be taking a harder look at the Monster Manual than the other two books considering there are a couple other fantastic monster compilations out there that I find more compelling mechanic-wise than the WotC take on them (A5e, Flee Mortals! to name two).

 

[Weiley31]

When all three 2024 books are out and are released in a Slipcase set.

Till then I have:
My Current 5E WoTC books.
The Current 2024 playtest UA packets that I can take the good/positive changes of classes and patch onto their 2014 PHB classes.
Tales of the Valiant versions of the classes if they are better.
And my vast number of 3PP stuff.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

When all three 2024 books are out and are released in a Slipcase set.

Till then I have:
My Current 5E WoTC books.
The Current 2024 playtest UA packets that I can take the good/positive changes of classes and patch onto their 2014 PHB classes.
Tales of the Valiant versions of the classes if they are better.
And my vast number of 3PP stuff.

There is no slipcase planned

 

[Vael]

There is no slipcase planned

There isn't? That's disappointing, I've stored up some store credit at my LGS, was planning on the alt-cover combined package that I just sorta guessed they'd do.

 

[Kobold Stew]

There is no slipcase planned

How do you know this? There is no slipcaese announced.
I'm 90% confident a slipcase edition of the core texts for Christmas 2025 will happen.

 

[Micah Sweet]

How do you know this? There is no slipcaese announced.
I'm 90% confident a slipcase edition of the core texts for Christmas 2025 will happen.

What's the draw of the slipcase?