WotC: Character Builder's effect on Third Party Publishers

[fissionessence]

I don't really use the character builder, despite having a DDI subscription. That's mainly because it doesn't support 'house rules' (read: 3PPs) very well/at all.

Scanning over some D&D games starting up, many DMs allow 'anything in the character builder.' Though none spelled it out, I'd expect many who might have otherwise accept third party products would no longer do so because it's not accessible in the character builder!

So what effect does this have on third party products? Granted, the phenomenon may not be as widespread as I'm fearing, but nonetheless I think as the character builder grows in success, it will continue to negatively impact DMs' and players' interest in products that they can't use with their character builder of choice.

I have suggested this in other threads in the past, but I think there needs to be a fuller support for 'house rules'. Publishers or DMs should be able to create 'house rule packages' that can be put in a 'house rules' folder in the character builder, passed around between players/consumers, etc. Different packages would be able to sit next to each other in the same folder and be used, until they were removed from said folder. This would make it potentially easy for publishers to create a method by which users could use their products and the character builder, and DMs and players alike would have a feature that people have already been asking for (that is, more house rules support).

Any feedback or comments? If you represent a third party publisher, do you feel that this has affected you, and would you release 'house rule packages' for your products given the opportunity?

~ fissionessence

 

[Piratecat]

You know, I'd totally believe this. I think I limit my 3rd party support because it isn't CB-compatible. Interesting; I hadn't given it much thought before.

 

[Scribble]

I was thinking about that one myself, mostly from the standpoint of a DM- that it would be nice to be able to just hand my players a file of my house rules that they can easily use.

I did notice you can import them from a character or something... Could someone load up a bunch of house rules into one character and use that to transfer them to someone else's CB?

I do agree they should allow for house rule "packages."

 

[Glyfair]

One thing I hope for in the future is better 3rd party support. That being said, I haven't really played with the ability to create house rules yet. What can be done with 3rd party products now? How far can I go with implementing a new class or race?

Still, I have to admit, this does point out one thing I've noticed. 4E support from 3rd parties seems to be very heavily player oriented. I personally don't need another race, and am not too interested in new classes right now (haven't explored what is there right now).

I am far more interested in new monster books. Besides Goodman's monster support, and one book from Fantasy Flight, monster books have been getting the short end of the stick.

 

[DarkMasterBR]

Well, to be honest, I just wish that the CB will be updated to be easier to implement House Rules on it. For example, I just give everyone twice the number of utility powers and we use the powers in WotBS Player's Guide, and we still do our characters on CB. It's more work, sure, but it's doable. So while I can see your complains and it may actually happen, it didn't happen to me. I just wish future patches will make the CB more robust.

 

[alleynbard]

I hadn't thought of this either. I have some 3rd party material but the players haven't selected anything from it. Part of that might have to do with the fact they don't have it right in their faces while working with the CB. If I could just send out a file to them, that would be very helpful.

Good point. Thank you for bringing this up. This has really gotten me thinking.

 

[Morrus]

Any feedback or comments? If you represent a third party publisher, do you feel that this has affected you, and would you release 'house rule packages' for your products given the opportunity?

I'm about to find out the hard way.

Yes, it has occurred to me. WotBS has new feats, powers, and so forth. None of these will be in the Character Builder; people will have to apply them manually.

If we could release a file which added those things to the Builder, I'd do it in a second.

 

[Agamon]

I don't even buy WotC crunch splats, and only allow stuff from them because the happen to be in the CB. So for me, anyway, it's a non-issue.

But I agree that the CB could negatively effect the number of 3PP splats being used. We could see a shift in what's offered by 3PPs (more adventures and setting books, less splats).

Edit: I did find it annoying that house rules are so limited in CB. I made up some powers for an item last session and can't create or edit a card for it. :/

 

[Harr]

This is a great point, and I think that there's an excellent chance that this is happening.

I have suggested this in other threads in the past, but I think there needs to be a fuller support for 'house rules'. Publishers or DMs should be able to create 'house rule packages' that can be put in a 'house rules' folder in the character builder, passed around between players/consumers, etc. Different packages would be able to sit next to each other in the same folder and be used, until they were removed from said folder. This would make it potentially easy for publishers to create a method by which users could use their products and the character builder, and DMs and players alike would have a feature that people have already been asking for (that is, more house rules support).

This on the other hand, will never happen.

We're talking about the company who still legally forbids Fantasy Grounds from developing an official 4e character sheet for their game table even after putting their own game table off development. (edit -> luckily the great fan community of FG gets around this by keeping its own fan-made 4e sheet which is freely available to everybody).

I'd love to see both things happen no doubt, but you have to be realistic about these things.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I just do not see this happening either. Asking WOTC to spend a lot of money coding in various options for 3PP into the CB is not in their best interests. Coding just their own stuff probably takes enough time and energy as it is.

I suppose if the format of the 3pp stuff was in the exact same format it would work better, but even still it would be a lot of work.

But how much is it needed? I normally play online (via Yahoogroups) and on most online games I have seen, 3pp are not allowed as it is hard to know who bought what, so most games are WOTC only, or even more restrictive core only. I know in all my 3E, 3.x and now 4E, I have never used any rules from 3pp.