Dungeons & Dragons Set to Jack Up Prices on Physical Books

Dungeons and Dragons enthusiasts are up for some bad news as the company recently announced an upcoming price increase for their physical books. The price hike will take effect starting with the release of their next sourcebook and will apply to all Dungeons and Dragons products moving forward.

In a recent post on the D&D Community Update page, the company stated that they have been able to keep their sourcebooks' prices relatively stable since the start of 5th Edition. Since the release of the core rules in 2014, new D&D books have been priced at around $50 upon initial release.

However, the financial burden of being a Dungeons and Dragons fan is about to increase. With the upcoming release of Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants sourcebook in August, the physical editions of major 5th Edition sourcebooks, including the digital PDF, will now cost $60 for pre-order. Unfortunately, once the pre-order window closes, the price will skyrocket to $70. This unwelcome news means that purchasing physical copies of Bigby Presents: Glory of Giants in August, Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk in September, Sigil and the Outlands in October, and The Book of Many Things in November will cost players a hefty $240 - or $280 if they miss the pre-order window. It's important to note that while digital-only PDFs and older products are not currently affected by this price hike, fans may still feel the impact of this change in the future.

Fans are expressing their discontent towards Wizards of the Coast's forthcoming price hike. Although a significant amount of effort goes into creating a 5th Edition product, many argue that these books should not be priced as high as AAA games. Additionally, recent Dungeons and Dragons products have left a lot to be desired in terms of length and quality even before the price increase. The Glory of Giants, for example, has a modest bestiary and collection of magic items, but only one subclass, two backgrounds, and is less than 200 pages long.

Despite the backlash, D&D is not slowing down in 2024, as revamped versions of the Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual are already in the works, in addition to several new adventure paths. Some Dungeons and Dragons enthusiasts have yet to forgive Wizards of the Coast for their recent questionable business practices, and only time will tell how players will react to this new era of expensive D&D.

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