Don't understand pricing/costs, please help

[A Social Yeti]

I can't seem to get my brain around the costs to use this product.

If we are 5 people, and we want to play DnD 5e using this app, what is our base out of pocket cost minimum going to be?

I see here it claims on this page that all three levels of accounts get this exact same thing:

" Rulesets
2E, 3.5E, 4E, 5E, FATECore, PFRPG, PFRPG2, Numenera, SFRPG
Data Libraries
D&D 5e SRD , D&D 5e Basic Rules , D&D 3.5E SRD, FATECore, Pathfinder SRD Libraries"


But then if that is "included" in what is paid for, why are they offing to spend $30 to have the 5e player handbook and another $30 for the DM guide?
Is that not what the rule sets are? Is a "data library" of "D&D 5e basic Rules" not the player's handbook and GM's guide?

If not what is it, what do you get that leaves you spending another $60 to get access to what's in those books?


Also i do not understand this:

If i just pay whatever the highest amount asked for the top tier access is, can i host(GM) for my play group now without any of them needing to spend any money on all the books too?
Or if they want access to what is in the player's handbook do they also have to pay for both the engine and the books?


If a group of 5 people were going to play 5e and over the course of the next 10 years take turns GMing different campaigns. AND let's just say ignore all extra rule book sets and just want access to use players, GMs, and monster manual.

Do all of them need to pay at least the $40 + another $90 each? Or as long as all of them have the $40 engine and the GM host has the three books, they can all use them? So only the GM needs to pay more for access to whatever for other paid users? Or the GM needs the top tier account use, to then allow access to their source materials to free players?

I been going over the store page and the FAQ, but i just can't figure out what the out of pocket would be in the first place for us to be playing with this. Assume cash up front no sub fees.



thanks for any time and help you can offer,
A Social Yeti.

[LordEntrails]

Welcome!

Min cost is going to depend. If you have a fixed DM it is the simplest. That person can get the Ultimate one-time license or the Ultimate subscription license. Depending upon if you get Classic or early access Unity and various sales plus if you live outside the US and purchase via Steam with Regional pricing (as well Steam has a 4 pack of Standard licenses for the price of 3) ...

A game hosted by a Standard license means all players need a Standard license.
A game hosted by an Ultimate means no one else needs a license.
Host must be the DM.

The prices right now are (Unity subscription have a first three months for the price of one right now);
FG Class Standard 3.99/month or $39 one-time
FG Classic Ultimate $9.99/month or $149
FG Unity Standard $3.99/month or $35.10
FG Unity Ultimate $9.99/month or $134.10

You don't need any more than that to play, but you might want. (more below)

Rulesets are not the text of the books. A ruleset is the mechanical knowledge of how things work, it is also a character sheet, and some in built automation. But, a ruleset does not includes any text, it does not include the list of classes, races, spells, etc. BUT, you can enter it all manually if you want.

The D&D Basic Rules and SRD are included free, and these can be used to play, BUT, they do not have all the content of the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, or Monster Manual. In general they have the base races, the 4 core classes and one-sub class each. The PHB has much more than that. They also have limited to no artwork, tokens, etc.

You can get a good idea if you will want the various 5E books by reading this post; https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?32987-What-do-I-need-to-play-5e

[LordEntrails]

Oh, and on sharing books/DLC. The DM can share their books with as many players as they want. So only the DM needs the PHB and all players can access it while connected to the DMs campaign (no offline access). (Players can not share books to other players or the DM)

So, if you wanted to get started with out manual entry and full automation / ease of use; the DM gets;
- The Ultimate license
- The PHB and other player resources (Xanathars, SCAG) as desired
- The adventure module (LMoP, PotA, etc)
Player need nothing but to download and install the client (and a free forum account for Unity)

[A Social Yeti]

Ok I think i get it. More or less a tool from the GM's POV more than player's in terms of who has to have paid for what and to GM/host at all.
But in all games of paid/unpaid whatever mix is allowed, only the GM host has to have paid for the in engine access to all the stuff in PBH, GM's, monster manual, etc. for everyone in the game.

For example:
a player that has not paid but wants to make a PHB listed class, would not be able to make them on their own and then have them moved into the game. As they would only be able to make characters from the free set. But their GM with the ult pack and PBH could host them and while "in game" with the GM make the character from options in the PHB.
The GM host would have paid for at minimum, the ult pack at $150+/- and the player's at $30+/-.
OR
both could be regular paid, but the GM host is the one that needs to have paid for PHB, same as above apples?

All in all a group as I described in the OP, over time everyone GMs and used to having the PBH, GM, MM on the table. Is reasonably looking at an estimated $130 each(+/- sales) minimum, for the regular one time pay license and the three book access in engine.



Thanks again for any time anyone has to let me know if i appear to get it, where costs and who all can play/GM with what resources works.

[LordEntrails]

If everyone wants to be able to DM and wants all the books too, then yes, they would need the Standard license ~$40 and the 3 books for about $90. Of course if you all sat around the table and you all wanted your own books, that cost is no different (unless you paid MSRP of $150) for the books and you each only have an additional $40.

Also, remember the books are not required, any person can enter everything their character needs from any source into their character sheet. What the books buy you is time savings.

[Granamere]

A Social Yeti Welcome!

First thing to do is take a free class at https://fantasygroundscollege.net/. I would recommend the New users class or Creating character class. This way you can talk to a teacher and get some good ideas before buying anything.

Think of the free 5e rules set that come with Fantasy grounds is like the Starter set rules. Just the rules from that box set. You can play the game and do everything with those. If you want a module well you either buy it or make it. 100% up to you which to do.

You also can make your own classes and races with just the free rules. So you could take the latest book you bought and convert it and use it just fine. Basically when you buy the book in Fantasy grounds think of it more as you are paying someone else to have done that conversion for you.

Also so if the DM buy's the players handbook and he shares it out with the group as long as they are connected to the campaign they can read the book in the game and use everything in it. If they launch a new campaign on their computer they would not have access to the player handbook unless they bought it.

[A Social Yeti]

Thanks so much for replying to clarify my understanding of who needs to own what to play with who or GM host.

I don't find the costs here too high for what appears to be the product. But i can't think of it quite like that. By my xp, something that has just enough function to get a feel for if you like it, but not enough of what it really is to satisfy if you do like it. Like the free from Hasbro 5e online basic rule set is. That's what a demo is.

But here to get the demo of GMing/GM tools, you gotta pay first, and then if it seems like you like it you pay more to actually get it to do what the point of paying for it kinda really is.

The cost value looks ok really, no shade on that. But the middle bell corporate pricing structure junk rubs me the wrong way a bit. Whatever, seems a decent product value so i'll probably wind up springing for the pack to GM for my buds without them needing to pay too.



If i may ask a bit more then, trying to understand what the options are on FGC and FGU, about one specific detail.

I see FGC is a stand alone app, they make real clear to spell that out "It is a peer to peer application" "32-bit application that runs negatively on Windows" totally unambiguous about it.
But FGU is not so crystal on that matter, with only this "Network lobby for easy hosting and joining of games (no port forwarding required)" giving the impression it might not be a stand alone app but a service.

Is FGU a stand alone app or an online service?

Thanks again for all the help in understanding the stuff.
Yeti

[LordEntrails]

FGU is also a client-server application (stand-alone app). The GM hosts and runs the server. But, SmiteWorks provides a connection facilitation server that allows players to connect to a GM using a brokering server. For many fokks, FGC required port forwarding, with FGU that is no longer needed, the brokering server does it for you.

FGU is also 64 bit, and has Windows, Macintosh, and as of this week a LINUX version.

Note that you can download FGC or FGU and run them in demo mode for free. With that you can load the 5E Basic Rules and see what you get. You will not be able to host players and run games, but you can load a campaign and create characters and get a feel for how it works.

Also be aware that if you buy through the FG Store, their is a no questions 30 day refund policy on all purchases, so if you do decide to buy and it doesn't work out, all you have to do is email support and ask for a refund.

[Granamere]

Also before you buy go take a character creation or new to fantasy grounds course at https://fantasygroundscollege.net/ which is free and you can connect in with your free demo. That way you can talk to people and see it action before you spend a dime and make a decision if it is right for you.

[A Social Yeti]

Thanks everyone for all the really useful info here. No questions left for me, just on to checking out the FGU demo now.