Topic pretty much says it all, I've heard 5.0 was going to be free, at least on some level, so I am interested.

I WILL GAZE UPON IT.

ALSO I THINK IT IS CALLED D&D NEXT.

IF IT IS GOOD I MAY USE IT.

IF IT IS CRAP I WILL SELL IT TO GYPSIES FOR MARIONETTES.

Well, I played the play test and thought it was pretty good. But I have yet to play the finished product. I am willing to give it a try, but I will have quite the competition to beat Pathfinder as my rule system of choice.

I still have not played 4.0, though I hear I'm not missing much. Anything super defining about 5?

*evaporates*

It had a fairly fancy character sheet, which was styled quite a bit differently than the other ones. It seemed to play out similarly to Pathfinder, but brought in some of the things from older editions and 4e. It seemed to balance the classes a bit. I only played it a couple times, so I'm not too sure about everything, but I'm going to download the 5e and try it out.( They may call it D&D next, but I like numbers. I'm a math guy.)

I'm an old geezer, I still prefer houseruled 2e... but I'll give it a look.

The fifth edition rules are being called D&D. WotC are really trying to underplay the edition number

The Starter kit is due out July 15th

The Players Handbook is due out Aug 19

Monster Manual - Sept 13

DMG is ...wait for it ....Nov 18

Yes, three months after the PHB.....

However, they are releasing a Basic D&D pdf free. the date is unknown (to me) but soon. The PDF will "put the rules in the hands of as many gamers as possible at no charge". much like a heroin dealer giving out drugs free, they want to hook you and then charge.

The books are $50 eacs (US) which means us non american will be looking at 65-75 per book.

The catch phrase for the new rules is "putting the dragons back into D&D" and the first modules involves ... wait for it ... Tiamat.

Yeah. I'm out.

The staggered release of the core ruleset is easily the most confusing marketing strategy I've heard of in a looooong time.

Unless they know something we don't.

Also Tiamat's alright, who uses modules anyway.

Yeah, I don't have a clue about staggered marketing strategies, but pen and paper's seem to be adopting them. At least they are within a couple of months instead of years with the new Star Wars ones.

From my playtest, 5th ed was definitely more like the older editions. It had some actual variety in equipment, unlike the highly limiting 4e stuff. I will be downloading the D&D next handbook, if only to read over the rules.

Eh, I'll at least check out the freebie. I do find the staggered releases on the core books are a little odd.

I dunno, I've just been on a rules-light bent for years. 3.x started okay but bogged down really quickly for me; 4E made a fine miniatures game but a lousy RPG...just my opinion, of course.

Having read a number of very positive reviews form some of the harshest RPG Bloggers, I have decided to download the free rules (tomorrow) and read them.

Here is a short but good review which sums up what I see in most of the blogs.

D&D 5e Review
Once I have read the rules I will create my own review.

That link was a ridiculous, Buzzfeed style clickbait post. Will the new D&D be the best edition yet? Don't read this article for that answer, as I'll just touch on a couple of very superficial items and fail to address anything related to the headline!

I mean, lifestyle, seriously?

Let me confirm my bias: I am very old school when it comes to D&D. As far as I'm concerned, 3e screwed up as least as much as it fixed, and 4e is an abomination (basically a MMORPG on paper) that does not deserve the name D&D (every class can heal themselves, okay).

To that end, I have really, really low expectations for D&D5 (D&D?).

Here's to hoping I'm surprised.

I had problems with the link only when I used my phone, which is a lousy way to read anyway.

I have decided to withhold judgement and read the rules first. I tell (lecture) my daughter to not dismiss something if you have not actually read it so I have to live up to my example.

Tell you what - I'll read the rules with as open a mind as I can manage. But you have to admit, so far Wizards/Hasbro has not exactly nailed it.

And regardless of how the actual game is, that "review" was awful. No substance at all.

The review, to me, summarized the rules and and covered what many of the other reviews have said. Sorry, but that is from my perspective and not a direct line of thought. A lot of people when in with the same attitude as Olan and are saying that the new rules are actually quite good. Seeing that, I decided to check them out instead of being stubborn for stubborn sake. After all, I just quit playing with my tabletop group because I was so dissatisfied with the 2e rules. So I am on a quest now. It maybe for not but I will take a chance on a free PDF.