D&D comes to Middle Earth (from Cubicle 7)

I have high hopes that the 5E OGL will really start to open up the game...and this would seem to qualify! Very excited for this.

 

[SilentWolf]

No "D&D" on the cover, then!

I'm a little sorry about that.
Not only with a regular OGL they cannot use some of the most interesting D&D 5e rules (Fighter's Maneuvers and the various Optional Rules and Variants provided by PHB, MM and DMG), but an official D&D license given to Third Parties would have meant an extraordinary opportunity to have some good quality, non-iconic D&D materials.

A practical demonstration of the D&D 5e modular potential...
The OGL products are also able to show that potential, but there's a difference when a book has the brand "D&D" written on it.

Anyhow, a Lord of the Ring 5e OGL remains a remarkable news.

 

[Morrus]

I'm a little sorry about that.
Not only with a regular OGL they cannot use some of the most interesting D&D 5e rules (Fighter's Maneuvers and the various Optional Rules and Variants provided by PHB, MM and DMG),

To be honest, I would hope that a setting book wouldn't waste time reprinting material from the core rule books. The players use those rules, not the setting designer.

 

[Polyhedral_Columbia]

Let's not forget

Sea Elf (sailors, not the kind that live underwater) from the Grey Havens

Fair Elf (also known as Vanyar) from Valinor

Yes, thanks - I just added them to the list. I was in a hurry and forgot to include the peoples of Aman.

Also, I updated the list to include the other Avari, the Men of Nurn, the seven houses of the Dwarves, the Men of the New Lands, and of the Dark Land (i.e. Australia).

 

[SilentWolf]

To be honest, I would hope that a setting book wouldn't waste time reprinting material from the core rule books. The players use those rules, not the setting designer.

Yes, I firmly agree with that.
But look at the other side of the coin....

With the actual SRD Third Parties cannot experiment with a lot of D&D 5e rules, in order to build new game opportunities. They cannot design a new Class using Maneuvers, they cannot design a new Fighter's subclass that uses Superiority Dice in a new way. Third Parties cannot design an OGL book focused on Madness and Sanity rules or where this rules are used in a new experimental way. They cannot release an OGL Book where the DMG Downtime Activities are fundamental for the game purpouse (just think about a setting based on feudal management or another based on city building).

The Third Party companies cannot, also, mention the D&D books to save space and refer to specific D&D 5e rules.

I'm not complaining about the new SRD: I understand the reasons for which it was created and I agree with them.
An official license, however, it would have allowed some selected Thir Party company to design some new experimental D&D material, with the freedom to take inspiration from all the D&D 5e rules. A LotR D&D? A D&D 5e Modern? A Science Fantasy D&D? Just thinking....

I'm ok also with good 5e OGL products. As long as they will be of good quality, I've nothing to complain and, instead, I'm really happy for having them.
I'm only a little sorry about what an official license could have been and what would have allowed.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Well it hasn't been published yet! Maybe enough clamoring and yammering from the peanut gallery will encourage MM to reach out to Dom and make a deal.

 

[Reynard]

To be honest, I would hope that a setting book wouldn't waste time reprinting material from the core rule books. The players use those rules, not the setting designer.

I think an OGL 5th Edition ME game has a greater potential to do interesting, "Tolkienesque" things with the rules, so that's good. But I have to admit to being a little disappointed that it is not in fact an official D&D Middle Earth game/setting, because that was just plain more exciting.

 

[Morrus]

I think an OGL 5th Edition ME game has a greater potential to do interesting, "Tolkienesque" things with the rules, so that's good. But I have to admit to being a little disappointed that it is not in fact an official D&D Middle Earth game/setting, because that was just plain more exciting.

I don't really care whether there's a D&D logo on the cover or not. It doesn't affect my excitement one jot! I think there is a greater than 50% chance that this is going to be my default D&D setting going forward.

 

[Reynard]

I literally don't care whether there's a D&D logo on the cover or not. It doesn't affect my excitement one jot! I think there is a greater than 50% chance that this is going to be my default D&D setting going forward.

I think that D&D on the cover would have brought an order of magnitude greater number of players to it, is all. I will still enjoy it as much I am sure, but I don't think it will be much of a game changer as an OGL product. The D&D brand has power, still.

 

[Morrus]

I think that D&D on the cover would have brought an order of magnitude greater number of players to it, is all. I will still enjoy it as much I am sure, but I don't think it will be much of a game changer as an OGL product. The D&D brand has power, still.

I don't need it to be a game changer to enjoy it. I'm sure it would benefit Cubicle 7, but I just need the book!

 

[SilentWolf]

I literally don't care whether there's a D&D logo on the cover or not. It doesn't affect my excitement one jot! I think there is a greater than 50% chance that this is going to be my default D&D setting going forward.

It's not merely a logo issue.
I think the questions are:

- how much the 5e SRD will limit their work or how much it will force them to work more, only to design something already existing?

- Can they omit some rules from their book, implying that players can find them in the original D&D (without quote directly the D&D books, because OGL does not allow it), or must they rewrite all the missing rules only to give players a whole standalone book?

A limited SRD imposes some hard questions.
The bad thing is maybe they must work more to obtain something already existing in D&D rules. The good thing is, trough this way, maybe they will obtain something better than the rules designed from D&D team (creative work generates new ideas and solutions).


That said, I totally agree with you: the Cubicle 7 announcement is one of the most exciting news since the D&D 5e books came out.