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Which 5E books are most free from the woke agenda?

Started by Monero, August 08, 2022, 08:24:34 PM

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Monero

August 08, 2022, 08:24:34 PM
I'm wanting to pick up at least the first three core set of books, but I'm what other books escaped the woke agenda? Is xanathars guide to everything safe?

Which adventures are written for normal human beings?

And outside of the core 3 books, which others would be considered "must have"?

Hzilong

#1
August 08, 2022, 08:36:13 PM
I think there's always been a hint of it, but I think it really ramped up around the time that the Theros sourcebook was released. I remember that's when I started noticing public statements from their staff and even from the company itself. Then you had Tasha's which pretty much had explicit modern politics in the book itself. The core three are relatively safe, in my opinion, but I wouldn't buy them anymore because I don't want to give my money to a company that hates me.
Resident lurking Chinaman

THE_Leopold

#2
August 08, 2022, 08:40:23 PM Last Edit: August 09, 2022, 06:58:12 AM by THE_Leopold
off topic
NKL4Lyfe

Monero

#3
August 08, 2022, 08:57:48 PM
Is the 5E Eberron book worth picking up?

Jam The MF

#4
August 08, 2022, 10:02:15 PM
As far as books published by Wizards of the Goat; I would recommend the earlier printings of:

The Core 3 Books, plus:
Xanathar's Guide
Tasha's Cauldron
Volo's Guide
Mordenkainen's Tome

Adventures:
Tales from the Yawning Portal
Dungeon of the Mad Mage

The Yawning Portal sits on top of Undermountain; the Dungeon of the Mad Mage.

And then I jumped off the 5E carousel.....
Let the Dice, Decide the Outcome.  Accept the Results.

Monero

#5
August 08, 2022, 10:05:06 PM
Quote from: Jam The MF on August 08, 2022, 10:02:15 PM
As far as books published by Wizards of the Goat; I would recommend the earlier printings of:

The Core 3 Books, plus:
Xanathar's Guide
Tasha's Cauldron
Volo's Guide
Mordenkainen's Tome

Adventures:
Tales from the Yawning Portal
Dungeon of the Mad Mage

The Yawning Portal sits on top of Undermountain; the Dungeon of the Mad Mage.

And then I jumped off the 5E carousel.....

Why the early printings? I just ordered the first 3 books off Amazon, says they're the 2018 printings.

I HATE THE DEMIURGE I HATE THE DEMIURGE

#6
August 09, 2022, 12:33:14 AM
None of them. If you want non-woke stuff, go back to anything before 5e.

Jam The MF

#7
August 09, 2022, 12:42:49 AM
Quote from: Monero on August 08, 2022, 10:05:06 PM
Quote from: Jam The MF on August 08, 2022, 10:02:15 PM
As far as books published by Wizards of the Goat; I would recommend the earlier printings of:

The Core 3 Books, plus:
Xanathar's Guide
Tasha's Cauldron
Volo's Guide
Mordenkainen's Tome

Adventures:
Tales from the Yawning Portal
Dungeon of the Mad Mage

The Yawning Portal sits on top of Undermountain; the Dungeon of the Mad Mage.

And then I jumped off the 5E carousel.....

Why the early printings? I just ordered the first 3 books off Amazon, says they're the 2018 printings.

Good question.  I didn't criticize your choice of 5E.  I just tried to help.  Some members will try to talk you out of 5E.  I won't.

#1. WOTC removed due credit acknowledgements to content contributors, at some point; but the earlier printings gave those people credit.  It's only fair to give them credit. 

#2. WOTC got paid for the old printings, long ago.  You wouldn't be contributing to their current budget.

I don't hate 5E.
Let the Dice, Decide the Outcome.  Accept the Results.

SHARK

#8
August 09, 2022, 01:12:34 AM
Quote from: Jam The MF on August 08, 2022, 10:02:15 PM
As far as books published by Wizards of the Goat; I would recommend the earlier printings of:

The Core 3 Books, plus:
Xanathar's Guide
Tasha's Cauldron
Volo's Guide
Mordenkainen's Tome

Adventures:
Tales from the Yawning Portal
Dungeon of the Mad Mage

The Yawning Portal sits on top of Undermountain; the Dungeon of the Mad Mage.

And then I jumped off the 5E carousel.....

Greetings!

Excellent recommendations, Jam The MF!

Monero, these selections recommended here should get you good to go. Whatever printing you want. Order them from Amazon and you are good.

I have almost all of the books by WOTC, and especially these earlier books are all fine. The woke nonsense doesn't get too much into the rule books--but you see more and more of it in adventure books, such as Nu Ravenloft and afterwards.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK
"It is the Marine Corps that will strip away the façade so easily confused with self. It is the Corps that will offer the pain needed to buy the truth. And at last, each will own the privilege of looking inside himself  to discover what truly resides there. Comfort is an illusion. A false security b

Steven Mitchell

#9
August 09, 2022, 07:48:57 AM
If you are going to buy 5E stuff anyway, better to skip Tasha's and get a Kobold Press monster book instead.  Better monsters than the Monster Manual, and far more useful than another set of WotC bit and pieces.

Of course, if I had it do over again (and I wouldn't now), I'd skip everything from WotC except the core 3 + Xanathar's, and then go with Kobold Press for several monster books and their adventures.  Full disclosure--even before WotC went off the rails, I wasn't impressed with their hyper-focus on adventure path hardbacks instead of something built to be used at the table by a GM.

S'mon

#10
August 09, 2022, 08:52:42 AM Last Edit: August 09, 2022, 08:54:32 AM by S'mon
Pre 2018 is pretty safe. But as noted, the campaigns are pretty weak. I would get core 3 plus Xanathar's.
Volo's is mildly useful for variant races plus some monsters. Stick to Kobold Press for monster books and adventures.
Original Mordenkain's has demon Lords and arch devils, but I have only ever used 1 monster, the Grey Render. Kobold Press monster books are vastly cooler IME.

GhostNinja

#12
August 09, 2022, 09:24:07 AM
I have and I am going to run Ghosts of Saltmarsh and it looks like it's pretty non-woke.

But then its just a reprinting and organizing (with some updates) of old adventures.
Ghostninja

Jam The MF

#13
August 09, 2022, 01:21:46 PM
Quote from: Steven Mitchell on August 09, 2022, 07:48:57 AM
If you are going to buy 5E stuff anyway, better to skip Tasha's and get a Kobold Press monster book instead.  Better monsters than the Monster Manual, and far more useful than another set of WotC bit and pieces.

Of course, if I had it do over again (and I wouldn't now), I'd skip everything from WotC except the core 3 + Xanathar's, and then go with Kobold Press for several monster books and their adventures.  Full disclosure--even before WotC went off the rails, I wasn't impressed with their hyper-focus on adventure path hardbacks instead of something built to be used at the table by a GM.

I have the first Tome of Beasts, by Kobold Press.  It's pretty darn good.
Let the Dice, Decide the Outcome.  Accept the Results.

Effete

#14
August 09, 2022, 02:31:11 PM
Here's the thing: 5e is a fine system, it's WOTC that sucks.
If you're going to buy anything 5e, I would suggest looking for used books. Not only are they cheaper, but you aren't directly giving money to a shitty company.

As for which books are "woke" or not, why would that matter? You can always ignore anything you don't like. What really matters is the use you'll get from the book for the price you paid. Outside of the Core books, Xanathar's, and maybe Mordenkainen's, I haven't found the other sourcebooks to be worth the cover price. (Thankfully, I paid much, much less for all my copies. ;) )
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