Do I need to buy the books (if I subscribe to DDI)?


4th Edition


I am thinking of not buying the 4th Edition books. I just want to subscribe to the DDI. Is this allowed? I have searched the boards to no avail.
- Signed Cheap Bastard


Duncan & Dragons wrote:

I am thinking of not buying the 4th Edition books. I just want to subscribe to the DDI. Is this allowed? I have searched the boards to no avail.

- Signed Cheap Bastard

I think that would be alright (and I'm not sure how they'd prevent you from doing so anyway), but I'm not sure how useful it would be without the core books. 4E isn't going to have an SRD like 3E had, and I'm not sure if you'd be able to get all of the core rules.

To be honest though, the DDI is still rather hazy when it comes to a lot of stuff, so you're best bet is likely to just wait and see.

Cheers! :)


Bump.

So does anyone know when DDI is really coming out?

-Signed Still A Cheap Bastard

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

October and yeah you do kinda need to buy the core books or well what's the point?


SirUrza wrote:
October and yeah you do kinda need to buy the core books or well what's the point?

There was a speculation that all rule content (core + supplements) would be published online via DDI. So, a person who is signed to DDI wouldn't strictly need the core rulebooks.

There are no news about that, so I guess they haven't decided yet.


David Marks wrote:
To be honest though, the DDI is still rather hazy when it comes to a lot of stuff, so you're best bet is likely to just wait and see.

Many months after the public announcement. I wonder when they're going to actually make these decisions :/

But I'd be really surprised if you could get along without the printed rules. Among other things, WotC wants you to buy a rulebook -- it'd be foolish to give you a way out. And printing things out on your own printer is far more expensive (mostly in toner costs) than many people realize.

For what it's worth -- I don't know any more than anyone else :)


Tatterdemalion wrote:
David Marks wrote:
To be honest though, the DDI is still rather hazy when it comes to a lot of stuff, so you're best bet is likely to just wait and see.

Many months after the public announcement. I wonder when they're going to actually make these decisions :/

But I'd be really surprised if you could get along without the printed rules. Among other things, WotC wants you to buy a rulebook -- it'd be foolish to give you a way out. And printing things out on your own printer is far more expensive (mostly in toner costs) than many people realize.

For what it's worth -- I don't know any more than anyone else :)

I bring a laptop to the table, so I do fine without any printed manual (although a printed PHB really helps since players also need it all the time).

Of course, WotC wants you to buy a rulebook. But WotC also wants you to sign to DDI, and "sign to DDI/don't buy rulebook" is probably more profitable than "buy rulebook/don't sign to DDI".


Pathfinder Maps Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Keep in mind that as a player, you only need the Player's Handbook. It will have everything you need (including magic items). You would only need to buy the DMG and Monster Manual if you will be running the game.

My understanding is that they've scrapped the plan of making full book content available through DDI. You should be able to look up the individual feats, powers, etc., but you'd probably be lacking the useful charts (like those that tell you what to do when you level up). This is speculative, however, since they haven't given a formal announcement explaining it all - and it will probably be several months before the DDI is in a condition that is usable and lets us know the answer to this for sure.

Dark Archive RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32

If I recall correctly, aren't the 4e books supposed to have a code contained within them that you can enter on the website to gain access to a digital version of the book? Without that code, you wouldn't be able to access the content of the core books.

Unless, of course, you've already gotten a digital copy of the core books through some infernal pact.....


I heard that it won't be until 2011 before DDI is up and ready to do everything they promised and intended for them to do. To rephrase that, I mean as DDI begins and moves forward, DDI will continue to have new features but it won't be until 2011 when the list of those features available is complete.

Don't know the source, my local hobby shop owner told this to me so wherever he got that from is anyone's guess.


Krauser_Levyl wrote:

I bring a laptop to the table, so I do fine without any printed manual (although a printed PHB really helps since players also need it all the time).

Of course, WotC wants you to buy a rulebook. But WotC also wants you to sign to DDI, and "sign to DDI/don't buy rulebook" is probably more profitable than "buy rulebook/don't sign to DDI".

I also don't use my rulebooks at the table. I just have my Piazo adventure and a PC. Also with the 'compact' format of powers and stat blocks, the digital inteface should work fine. In other words, most descriptions will fit in a window.

My theory on why they should allow it is that I 'have' to continue to subscribe. Else my previous money is wasted. I become a customer for life unless I quit 4th Edition. I figure they should bank on some only buying books, some only buying DDI and some buying both. The problem is I want to know if they are going to give me 'core' rules only and I have to enter a book code to get the add-ons like PHBII or Magic Items.

Ultimately, the answer I am hearing is nobody knows because it has not been announced. Sigh.

P.S. I am really not cheap. I just want to become Super Subscriber.


Razz wrote:

I heard that it won't be until 2011 before DDI is up and ready to do everything they promised and intended for them to do. To rephrase that, I mean as DDI begins and moves forward, DDI will continue to have new features but it won't be until 2011 when the list of those features available is complete.

Don't know the source, my local hobby shop owner told this to me so wherever he got that from is anyone's guess.

Hmmm, 3 years from now? Seems unlikely that half of the new product line will not be available for 3 years....

DDI opens in beta on 6 June, when the new edition launches. The initial rollout will have Dungeon and Dragon online magazines and the online rules compendium. The rules compendium will be updated as new products are released. As they become available, other components like the Game Table and the Character generator will launch. Those will be client-based applications.

Source: Bill Slaviscek, Ampersand column on the Wizards site, 7 May 2008.


Razz wrote:

I heard that it won't be until 2011 before DDI is up and ready to do everything they promised and intended for them to do. To rephrase that, I mean as DDI begins and moves forward, DDI will continue to have new features but it won't be until 2011 when the list of those features available is complete.

Don't know the source, my local hobby shop owner told this to me so wherever he got that from is anyone's guess.

Well then it must be true! Lol.

Liberty's Edge

SirUrza wrote:
October and yeah you do kinda need to buy the core books or well what's the point?

I think it depends on what you plan to do--I had players who didn't own any books at all. But they read the magazines and were regulars at the old WotC site. If you plan to DM, then it goes without saying you must have all three core books.


SirUrza wrote:
October and yeah you do kinda need to buy the core books or well what's the point?
Andrew Turner wrote:
I think it depends on what you plan to do--I had players who didn't own any books at all. But they read the magazines and were regulars at the old WotC site. If you plan to DM, then it goes without saying you must have all three core books.

I am the DM. My desire to not own the books is a lesson learned from 3.5. I make adventures and characters using DM Genie. I own practically every book yet I don't touch them since I use the PC Generators. Some peoples styles supports this. I am just hoping that I am in WotC's customer demographics. I will pay $100 per year for a subscription. But I will resist spending four times that on all the stupid books. I will still buy Dungeon Tiles, minis and adventures but I don't want the dead trees. I think because of limited time I like using the computer tools to prep for games. Hence, I hardly ever touch the books.

Maybe I should start a D&D Players Eco-friendly group. Druid friendly D&D.


Fatespinner wrote:

If I recall correctly, aren't the 4e books supposed to have a code contained within them that you can enter on the website to gain access to a digital version of the book? Without that code, you wouldn't be able to access the content of the core books.

Unless, of course, you've already gotten a digital copy of the core books through some infernal pact.....

They scraped that idea since they couldn't figure it out. Now it seems that you'll get everything (or close to it) if you're a DDI subscriber.

That being said, the SRD is free like 3e, so in theory you don't need to buy books, but it's generally a good idea anyway, not to mention they'll probably do what they did with the last edition and omit certain things from the GSL, like experience.

Liberty's Edge

Duncan & Dragons wrote:
SirUrza wrote:
October and yeah you do kinda need to buy the core books or well what's the point?
Andrew Turner wrote:
I think it depends on what you plan to do--I had players who didn't own any books at all. But they read the magazines and were regulars at the old WotC site. If you plan to DM, then it goes without saying you must have all three core books.

I am the DM. My desire to not own the books is a lesson learned from 3.5. I make adventures and characters using DM Genie. I own practically every book yet I don't touch them since I use the PC Generators. Some peoples styles supports this. I am just hoping that I am in WotC's customer demographics. I will pay $100 per year for a subscription. But I will resist spending four times that on all the stupid books. I will still buy Dungeon Tiles, minis and adventures but I don't want the dead trees. I think because of limited time I like using the computer tools to prep for games. Hence, I hardly ever touch the books.

Maybe I should start a D&D Players Eco-friendly group. Druid friendly D&D.

You can get the three core books pretty cheap right now, but if you're trying to avoid the weight and physical product, I'm sure RPGNow will have digital versions available--but there probably won't be much of a discount. I don't think Paizo has ever offered digital versions of the newer books.

I think, if your players don't mind, or just aren't likely to notice, you could probably wing it with just the info given in the modules and DDI (along with the digital magazines)--but you'd never be able to DM a crunch-heavy group, because without the core books, I just don't think you'd be able to get all the rules. Now, I haven't seen an SDI for 4e; I guess there is one, and then that would be all you'd need. I would personally like to at least have access to the core books, even if it's only in a digital format.


Panda-s1 wrote:


They scraped that idea since they couldn't figure it out. Now it seems that you'll get everything (or close to it) if you're a DDI subscriber.

The wild, sourceless rumour that I heard was that the Rules Compendium would be more like a glossary. So in a sense you'd get the rules for everything, but in alphabetical order, not "readable" order. Don't quote me on that, though.


The Compendium was supposed to be up yesteday. I got this based on the Gamer Zero interview with Chris Young the Editor-in-Chief . The Compendium is not functional. I think WotC is trying to turn me from a pro-PRPG guy to an anti-4.0 guy.

I did not deserve this after I ran a 4.0 demo today for them. I should bycott the DDI website but they are making that insignificant.

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