Would you compare do a cost per page analysis of a core rulebook to a cost per panel analysis of a GM screen?
That’s a loaded question which we’ll get to in just a bit. First, here’s R Talsorian Games’ own unboxing of The Witcher expansion Lords and Lands.
You can buy Lords and Lands from retailers around the world and from RTG’s own webstore.
There’s a four-panel GM screen (called The Shield by RTG) that’s packed with tables for GMs on the back.
Also, there are stats and information in ‘everyman’ NPCs so you can whisk one up quickly. Lords and Lands introduce the Noble professional and Halflings as a playable race.
Lastly, there’s a selection of new alchemical items, general gear and new weapons. You might catch a mention of Rodolf’s Wagon in the video. That’s a handy NPC mechanic or just a bit of flavour in which to introduce the new goodies.
The GM screen costs $25.
Digital controversies
You can also get a purely digital download of the new rules and the GM Shield, complete with art and tables.
The full price of the PDF is $25 at DriveThruRPG.
One student going by the name “Even N” missed the page count (20 pages) that appears, as standard, for every DriveThruRPG. They wrote;
Seriously, you are paying $1.25 per page, of a digital document! There’s no mention as to how short it is in the description of this product.
Another customer, Cody P, has to check that Even is familiar with the concept of GM screens. Cody asked;
You do realize this a game master screen and not a book per say right? This is a digital scan of the four panel screen and booklet that came with it. The screens are a 40 year rpg tradition of having covenant tables & rule charts in front of you and hiding your notes + dice rolls from the players.
However, even experienced players might be used to paying substantially less for a digital GM screen than they would expect to pay for a hard cardboard one.
That’s a fair question. Right now, there’s a 50% discount on the digital edition which brings the cost down to $12.50.
That changes the equation dramatically. Over at the DM’s Guild standalone books for new classes or new races for D&D cost anywhere from Pay What Your Want to a few dollars. The Avenger – Character Class download is 10 pages long and costs $5.00 and The Sculptor Class download is 9 pages long and costs $4.95.
R Talsorian Games confirmed to Geek Native that the 50% price reduction is expected to stay in place. The standard practice of digital downloads is 50% off the cover price, and that’s what they’ve done here. However, the product may sometimes be cheaper if offered in sales or special offers.
However, it remains the case a digital-only version of a necessarily physical product like a GM screen is a specialist buy. It should be considered carefully.
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