If WotC Released D&D 3.75 Tomorrow....

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Why would WotC go to a smaller market to release in a niche they already abandoned for not being profitable enough (largely due to the OGL saturating the market with horrible quality splats)

Because WotC doesn't want the competition for horrible quality splats?

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Because WotC doesn't want the competition for horrible quality splats?

Right now I think WotC is trying to get out of that market... Horrible Quality Splats just aren't selling as well as they did in the late 3.5/early 4e era.

*Clarification* This was a back handed compliment - I have heard decent things about the last few splats. It looks like dropping the Splat-A-Month schedule has helped.

The Auld Grump

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I don't mean 3pp material added to the SRD. I mean is MM2-5 added to the SRD as they come out or as I stuck with only MM1? Is PHB2-5 added to the SRD or am I stuck with options from PHB1 and that's all? Psionics? Heroes of Shadow? Complete series? Writing for 3.5 with only able able to use the PHB was pretty damn hard when you had dozens of other books that could use some awesome support but aren't going to get it from WotC and can't get it from 3PP because it wasn't OGL. With the way Paizo is doing it, I"m not going back to being limited to "these few books and absolutely nothing else." I'll stick with Pathfinder or go some other system entirely before going back to that arrangement. I"m fine not having the setting books open, but if most of the core system books aren't open, its not worth it.

Since this is a bit of fantasy, let us say that they do not add the material themselves, but have no complaint when other people do so.

Depends, can I sell my own data file add-ons? I mean can I sell the PDF of a book and bundle it with the Character Builder datafile. If so, I'm fine with that. If I am barred from doing that, ignore the whole system.

You can add the files as a bonus for PDFs, but other people can add the material to their data files as well, as long as they give full credit. (In other words, the data files are treated as any other OGL content.) However, most people are willing to ask first, and to take 'no' for an answer. (Think PCGen.)

The Auld Grump

 

[dmccoy1693]

Since this is a bit of fantasy, let us say that they do not add the material themselves, but have no complaint when other people do so.

That doesn't make any sense. If WotC doesn't add a monster to the SRD themselves, then it has to be licensed out, Tome of Horrors style. TOH sold because WotC didn't publish those monsters previously. If they release MM2 and don't add it to the SRD, no 3PP is going to license those monsters just to add them to the breadth of open content. Why would a customer buy a 3PP book when they can get the exact same book with the WotC name (and presumably the WotC seal of quality) on it? That will be a considerable amount of work for nearly no money. It'll never happen.

Effectively a no.

 

[Barastrondo]

I'd be interested in a professional "hmm, let's look under the hood and see what they did with the design" sense, but not as a player or DM. My current games are going gangbusters.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

That doesn't make any sense. If WotC doesn't add a monster to the SRD themselves, then it has to be licensed out, Tome of Horrors style. TOH sold because WotC didn't publish those monsters previously. If they release MM2 and don't add it to the SRD, no 3PP is going to license those monsters just to add them to the breadth of open content. Why would a customer buy a 3PP book when they can get the exact same book with the WotC name (and presumably the WotC seal of quality) on it? That will be a considerable amount of work for nearly no money. It'll never happen.

Effectively a no.

No, I am suggesting that WotC begins putting the OGL in their own material, as they did with Unearthed Arcana, only with the monsters.... They do not need to add material to the SRD in order to make it OGL. Nice when they do, but not necessary. A publisher could then use, say, a Sootbelly Kobold in their setting, then add only the Sootbelly Kobold to their data pack.

As for 3PP adding the critters en mass, I don't think that they would, except in something along the lines of Monster Geographica. (Still my most used monster reference, outside of the PF Bestiaries.)

More likely 3PP would use them in adventures or add them to a terrain/environment/region book, sometimes as specific named creature, then add only the critters that they actually used to the data pack.

That said.... Let us instead say that WotC adds them to the SRD data packs, instead. That they find a way to use the stat blocks out of the files used for the books instead of adding critters by hand. (I believe that currently they do add things by hand, but I could be wrong.)

Sorry if this is sounding vague and disoriented - I played 24 hours of Skyrim, fell asleep, and just woke up.

The Auld Grump, and now I want to go to bed again....

 

[Walking Dad]

It's not that he had an opinion, it's that he wrapped it around a big black ball labeled "Edition Wars Bomb" with the fuse lit.

Not questioning the ban, but I think it was more the tone than 'edition war'. Just saying that one system is bad, but not saying another is better isn't really a war. He could have liked C&C instead for instance. No mentioning of another edition at all.

 

[marv]

And Golarion is good enough without the other D&D stuff.

what would be "taking the best of 3.5 and PF"? I thought Pathfinder is already "taking the best of 3.5".

By "taking the best" I mean the monters, settings, treasure, NPCs, etc. developed over the past 30+ years. Erik Mona's editorial in Dungeon #134 where he talks with fondness about including "Dragotha" into the Age of Worms Adventure Path as part of the rich mythology of D&D.

There is money to be made by both companies. PF Dark Sun anyone?

And I for one would be extremely happy.