General RPG DiscussionDiscussion of all RPGs and non-system-specific topics. DM/GM/player issues, settings, etc. Rules discussion belongs in one the forums below.
The others seem to me more likely to have wide appeal in the context of a scenario. Is 4E really so rules-heavy as to make a rules-set-specific book of traps a good seller? How much really is there to say about generic terrain and hazards?
Traps/hazards are treated like monsters. If you have a book of monsters, it makes sense to have a book of traps. I routinely skim Dungeon adventures for new traps/hazards/terrain. There is also a constant request for more traps in the Houserules board, and on the WotC board.
I personally think terrain is something that is missing. Interesting terrain is something that the DM can forget about when designing an encounter. I particularly love all the terrain in the DMG (The mirror crystals? HELL YEAH). Seeing a whole book of them to pluck ideas from, damn straight. In fact, a book of terrain is my first suggestion on page 1 of this thread.
The issue is not "It's rules heavy". The issue is "Here's an idea you can drop into an encounter to mix it up".
The issue is not "It's rules heavy". The issue is "Here's an idea you can drop into an encounter to mix it up".
Folks playing a lot of other games get a lot of useful ideas from (e.g.) the Grimtooth's Traps series. System-specific material is obviously less widely useful. There's a limited demographic interested in buying such works in the first place, I think much less than for bestiaries. The issue is whether the special importance of rules in 4E would boost appeal enough in that segment to make up for losing the segment of the market turned off by the inclusion of what's just gibberish to them.
Sorry, Rechan. I thought that if one "would like to see" something, then one might be interested in what could increase the chances of seeing it.
Perhaps it is true of more than one toiler that it would make the appearance of a given product more likely if more than one potential user were to express interest in it, and if it otherwise appeared that it would not be disastrous to go for a narrower rather than a broader market.
Being of such a practical bent myself, I did not think it off topic to go from purely idle woolgathering to gathering a sense of whether the project was worth pursuing -- by inviting more answers to the question. If wishing that someone else would do something is to have any chance of making it so, then it is certainly not by keeping the wish secret!
If something happens to be on your wish list as well, then please do not be too bashful to offer a "me, too!".
Last edited by Ariosto; 21st June 2009 at 11:25 PM..
I'm not sure if I replied before or not, but what I most would liek to see if some kind of sub-stystem for generating the fluff behind the 4E characters. Information on non-combat skills, non-combat feats, using combat powers out of combat and the like. Perhaps even some looking at the realities of life in the 4E universe, where low-level NPCs have better hit points, and most people would have some kind of ability, however minor.
That would be something worth having. Of course it is something I could probably do myself, for my own game, but other people could do it better, I am sure.
I just want to chime in and say that, having just bought the first instalment of War of the Burning Sky 4E, I want to congratulate Morrus and everyone in ENWorld Publishing for an excellent job...
It is one heck of an adventure...
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Last edited by Amphimir Míriel; 23rd June 2009 at 05:09 AM..
I'd like to see the Book of Erotic Fantasy 4th-ed-ified.
Adult campaigns are too fun. =^.^=
Ooo, Would erotic (or eros) be a new power source? Just think of the classes: Dominatrix/er (erotic controller), Doxie* (erotic striker), Courtesan (erotic defender) and Madam (erotic leader). And then there's that at will abilities..... Sorry, Grandma.
* Yes, thank you, EGG for that chart in the 1e DMG.
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I want 3PP to put stuff out that will make people will stop complaining about how 4E doesn't do something. "A Complete Roleplayer" designed to enhance roleplaying in 4E might help in that department.
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Others have already said this, but what I'd really like to see is an exciting, new, creative and detailed campaign setting built to showcase 4E, and not just the ret-cons of older settings that are being published these days. Something other than crunch (which WotC is already pumping out) to get my imagination and gaming juices going. IMHO this is the weakest part of the 4E gaming experience, and with the odds of DL being the setting for 2010, its not looking like its going to get any better anytime soon.
During the 3E and AD&D time frames we had numerous creative and even iconic settings. Dark Sun, Ravensloft, Planescape, Eberron, Midnight, and IK to name but a few. But so far in 4E's reign we've seen nothing (rien, niente) from WotC that is new and precious little from 3PP's.
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Here's something I just realized I should mention.
Book of Objectives.
Based on this thread, I want to see these encounter designs fleshed out with very solid rules, tested and getting the kinks ironed out. I think these things are bad ass, and I want it so bad.
Namely because I ran such a scenario, and it fell apart because I didn't iron it out properly. So I'd like to see what a designer who hammered it out could do.
Edit: I was hoping I wouldn't have to say this. If you aren't interested in 4E, please don't post how you want something that isn't for 4E. Start a thread about what 4e products could do to make them interesting for you, if you need to.
Please.
I was scanning through the 4E products on RPGNow and I noticed a distinct lack of variety. Just counting non-free prodcuts, there are about 20 different products that just give players a new race to play. That is close to the total number of adventures that appear on the site (including collections of encounters as adventures).
Then we have a large number of books that enhance classes or introduce new ones (about 15-20). Five of them are Adamant's series giving new pacts for warlocks.
There are about 6 books that focus on magic items, but they are all in the "buck-a-batch" series that, while cool and cheap, is hardly substantive.
Monster books are there, but outside of Goodman Games, only Fiery Dragon has a real presence and that's because of the massive Creature Collection. Strange for what I consider one of the main markets for 4E - monster statblocks.
So, what do you want to see third parties publish for 4E?
For me...
1) Monster collections - 4E does allow you to make a monster on the fly easier than in 3E. However, the design still rewards DMs with a wide selection of monsters and monster statblocks to choose from. I really could use these.
2) Artifacts - The changes to artifacts are among the most interesting 4E changes. I am very surprised that a third party hasn't jumped on a 4E book of artifacts. That book would be rich in both fluff and crunch, and set up many campaigns. Even WotC has barely scratched the surface here.
3) Adventures - Goodman has done a decent job here. I have to admit, I am not a huge fan of their adventures. They do the job, but rarely inspire me like works from such companies as Necromancer Games, Fiery Dragon or the like. I really want more choices and variety in adventures.
What about you? What do you want to see done for 4E?
I was really interested in Necro Games idea of producing a variant rulebook that would make 4E play like "First Edition Feel". I love variant rulebooks like Unearthed Arcana (1st and 3rd Ed), and Player's Options (2nd ed).
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