D&D (2024) D&D Player’s Handbook (2024)

FitzTheRuke said:

Nope. Just most people can't buy houses.

You want to know the sad truth? It might sound like a conspiracy theory but it is very likely true, at least in part?

I once read a book on the subject written by an RCMP police investigator who explained this: Our housing market (For the record, this is Vancouver, BC, Canada) is artificially jacked up by the Pacific Rim drug and human trafficking trade. The criminals, if this book is to be believed, launder their money through the purchase of real estate. The more they spend, the more they launder. The sky is the limit.

Officially, we call them "Foreign Investors" - but they're not really investors, and not all of them are foreign.

This is, of course, on top of the fact that it's the only place in Canada that doesn't freeze in winter.

... The PacRim crime thing might apply to @Zardnaar's NZ too, come to think of it.

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FitzTheRuke said:

Nope. Just most people can't buy houses.

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mamba said:

or rent, because as you said, the rent has to cover the mortgage and then some... but yes, for a market like Vancouver I can see that working, with foreign investors.. For a market like all of Canada not so much.

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mamba said:

ok, that does work to a degree... foreign investors then, because most people in the country cannot really afford to buy. Not sure how much investors buy as a percentage of the available houses however. I would be surprised if it were significant (outside of some major cities), not sure how much that affects the average, but might be a matter of where you live / how large the country is.

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Oofta said:

There's a lot of issues and causes of high housing costs, everything from the tax code to local zoning ordinances and NIMBY to hedge funds buying up houses to rent them out.

But is this really the proper forum for that discussion? I don't care - chat about it all you want - but this is a D&D forum not a "the world sucks" forum.

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Zardnaar said:

It's related to buying the books though. Outside of America one might be looking at $70--100 usd each.

Depending on final price, exchange rate, price of fish in China etc.

In America one can use Amazon. Her the postage alone is similar to the Amazon price.

I live in a student city. The current 5E books are close to a full week's student allowance.

And if you think America is bad with housing it's worse in Australia, Canada, New Zealand. Your property prices are cheap for us and you get better deals on mortgage.

Just pointing out reality for some older upper middle class Americans. Claiming D&D is still cheap per hour doesn't help if you dont have the money to begin with or the opportunity cost is high (eg it's competing with Magic, PS5 or whayever).

And yeah as I said student city. Last week I gave away a print out of a PHB. Think I had 5 or 6 copies.

Another example one of my (ex) older players would come stay with us for the weekend. He would leave 6 weeks later mum fed him.

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Oofta said:

I've been flat broke unable to afford a haircut. So I empathize. Even now there are a lot of things I'd like that I have decided I can't afford. I simply don't see the point of complaining about it on this forum. It's not WOTC's responsibility to ensure that everyone that wants to play the game can afford it.

Compared to other activities a group of people can participate in, D&D is cheap. It may not be cheap enough for you and that's too bad, it really is. So rant away if it makes you feel better.

But it changes nothing, including my opinion that D&D has a great return on my investment. Even if some people can't afford it.

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Zardnaar said:

Not really no. D&D usually cones down to DM skill, player engagement, story etc.

I run OSR games for modern players. Filled up one game no problem alongside my 5E game.

Retro games are dirt cheap but even slightly older games think late ps3/360 games or 5 year old PS4 games are deeply discounted.

And sone are huge or infinitely replayable.

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UngeheuerLich said:

I did not ask you. I asked him because I used the laugh smiley. I did not want it to look like mocking. So I asked.

To the topic. I tried to play 2e again, once. No thanks.

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