WotC Spring 2009 Catalog

[Shemeska]

Yikes. Virtually everything on that release schedule is crunch or prepackaged modules or books of prepackaged modules.

It's like late 3.x's run of the "Complete X, Y, Z and the kitchen sink" redone with a different ruleset. They've read my mind, seen what things and playstyles I don't care for, and published it all. Yikes indeed from my perspective.

 

[lkj]

Not necessarily. It could be "official" DDI-only. Which probably ticks some folks off like the Arcane book supporting an FR-only (book-wise).

I suppose it might be. Or it might be released in the printed dragon compilation they mentioned. But given that they seem to be keeping the limited DDI material free for now and that they appear to be well behind schedule, if it's a DDI exclusive, maybe the Bard will be free!

Still guessing it's in PHII, but I wouldn't be surprised if I'm wrong.

AD

 

[lkj]

Yikes. Virtually everything on that release schedule is crunch or prepackaged modules or books of prepackaged modules.

It's like late 3.x's run of the "Complete X, Y, Z and the kitchen sink" redone with a different ruleset. They've read my mind, seen what things and playstyles I don't care for, and published it all. Yikes indeed from my perspective.

You know, it's funny. I completely understand your aversion to the heavy loading of crunch and modules. I'll likely be skipping on most if not all of the modules myself (as well as the cards). However, I'm kind of glad that they are frontloading a lot of 'complete' type books-- meaning books filled with powers for existing classes. One of the concerns some of the folks at my table had when trying out 4th was the lack of options for character builds available in the PH. Putting out books with 100 extra powers for each class-- while not 'sexy'-- could go a long way to solving that concern.

Now, if they end up releasing a million books per power source, then I'll not be so happy.

Out of curiousity-- is it more fluff type stuff that you are interested in? Fiendish Codex type stuff? I like that as well.

AD

 

[ProfessorCirno]

I withhold judgement on the cards until after we see them.

The fact that we're already being hit with the "Complete X" books does not bode well. At all.

 

[Shemeska]

Out of curiousity-- is it more fluff type stuff that you are interested in? Fiendish Codex type stuff? I like that as well.

Flavor text heavy books that are inspirational and can be pillaged for campaign elements. Monster books with more flavor text and ecology (and a knowledge check chart with one line per range of numbers is not a good ecology section, it's a cheap way out of writing one). Setting books and supplements with lots of world elements, history, etc.

Anything but more classes, feats, powers, PrCs, etc etc

 

[lkj]

Flavor text heavy books that are inspirational and can be pillaged for campaign elements. Monster books with more flavor text and ecology (and a knowledge check chart with one line per range of numbers is not a good ecology section, it's a cheap way out of writing one). Setting books and supplements with lots of world elements, history, etc.

Anything but more classes, feats, powers, PrCs, etc etc

Fair enough. I'm quite fond of that material as well. I just don't have the same aversion to the 'crunch' books.

AD

 

[Baumi]

About Arcane Power: It seems there will be more Arcane Classes than Martial ones (no problem with that), I'm just surprised that Sorcerer is Arcane and not Primal.

Also what is with the Artificer, isn't he an arcane Class too?

 

[CharlesRyan]

BTW, does anyone remember the spell cards from 3rd edition? Do you really think 3rd edition was designed to force you to use spell cards? How is this different?

It's different because people have noticed that these cards are actually useful. Which means people feel more compelled to get them. And somehow that makes them more offensive . . . .

 

[Draksila]

Re: the powers added by the 'Power' line of books, I honestly don't see the new abilities being a huge imposition. After all, the classes as they are in the PH, paragon paths and all, have around 90 powers apiece. They're basically doubling the options. In fact, depending on the basic powers to paragon paths ratio, it's quite possible that the better chunk of the new power cards will only apply to a percentage of the purchasing players; we'll just have to see how that turns out.

 

[Ginnel]

I withhold judgement on the cards until after we see them.

The fact that we're already being hit with the "Complete X" books does not bode well. At all.

I'm thinking the opposite, but then again you are a critic/cynic of 4th edition and I am a fan/optimist of it.

the PHB is fuller than ever with powers this time as all class get these neat things to do, now in the PHB there are 4/3 options at each level including paragon paths, while this is playable, I as well as many others would like even more options, which is what these complete power books will hopefully provide I imagine an extra 3-4 powers per level + 4-5 paragon paths and 4-8 epic destinies.

It seems also they are only releasing them when the Power Source has reached its full complement of classes, 4 from what I can see. This would leave me to believe the Divine Power coming out in autumm(fall)/Winter next year and the Primal Power coming out in spring next year, with the PHB 3 which will contain the Shadow and Psionic and hmm another source, with 4 of one source and 2 each of the other two leading to a Power book of one of those sources in autumn that year.

So I see the release list a bit like this (in terms of PHB's and Power books):

2008 Summer: PHB
2008 Autumn/winter: Martial Power
2009 Spring: PHB 2
2009 Summer:Arcane Power
2009 Autumn/winter: Divine Power
2010 Spring: PHB 3 [for Psionic, Shadow and Ki? heroes]
2010 Summer: Primal Power
2011 Autumn/winter: [Something Power] the source which has 4 classes from PHB 3
2012 Spring: PHB4
2013 Summer: [Something Power] one of the 2 sources which has 2 classes from PHB 3 and 4
2014 Autumn: [Something Power] the remaining of the 2 sources which has 2 classes from PHB 3 and 4