Jester David
Hero
Those lines are handy, but everything else hasn't changed since the 3.0 Tome of Horrors entries. So much more detail could have been added to some monsters. Especially with all the negative space on some pages.
D&D 5E Necromancer Games--What do you want us to make next?
Ravenheart87
Explorer
Now that you mention... A book of generic monster lairs, tombs, villages that people can use when suddenly a need arises would be awesome. Heck, this would be a good reason to reprint Book of Taverns as part of a series.
Our setting material is (or has been) all done so far in PFRPG and SW. I could not redo it. That being said, we could do something for it, although honestly SW converts pretty easily.
We do sandbox adventures as well as anyone I think. What I am seeing as a trend so far is Quests of Doom III or even the same plus some very short side lairs etc. maybe sets of 1-2 encounter adventures similar to book of lairs.
Most of our stuff is "think, hack, and slay", with my own writing heavy on think. The role players out there should read our "men and monstrosities" chapter. The puzzle folks should read ants and Oasis in the bugs and blobs set, as well as all the Demons and Devils series. Let me know what you think about QOD 1-2 so far.
I am hearing 1) variety of style
2) portability
3) low level/generic home base
4) more think and interact (there will always be a use for that sword too!)
5) keep PDFs cheap, and black and white ( I really insist on hardcovers, they really are cheaper for you and low cost as 6 module or 12 module compilations, and book quality is just my thing)
What did I miss?
And thank you for the input (and the praise). We do this stuff to support our hobby. Even though we have made over 200 books over the last 15 years, we are still a bunch of folks with day jobs and kids (Evil Hat got it right, our orders are packed by us and our kids in my garage).
We do sandbox adventures as well as anyone I think. What I am seeing as a trend so far is Quests of Doom III or even the same plus some very short side lairs etc. maybe sets of 1-2 encounter adventures similar to book of lairs.
Most of our stuff is "think, hack, and slay", with my own writing heavy on think. The role players out there should read our "men and monstrosities" chapter. The puzzle folks should read ants and Oasis in the bugs and blobs set, as well as all the Demons and Devils series. Let me know what you think about QOD 1-2 so far.
I am hearing 1) variety of style
2) portability
3) low level/generic home base
4) more think and interact (there will always be a use for that sword too!)
5) keep PDFs cheap, and black and white ( I really insist on hardcovers, they really are cheaper for you and low cost as 6 module or 12 module compilations, and book quality is just my thing)
What did I miss?
And thank you for the input (and the praise). We do this stuff to support our hobby. Even though we have made over 200 books over the last 15 years, we are still a bunch of folks with day jobs and kids (Evil Hat got it right, our orders are packed by us and our kids in my garage).
Mad Zagyg
Explorer
I'm the owner of Battleground Games & Hobbies (currently two stores in Massachusetts). For what it's worth, I can say the the climate is VERY different than when you were publishing softcovers in the 3 - 3.5 era. There were just too many things to choose from back then. It seemed that everyone with a color printer was producing D20 stuff.
As of this moment, people are really itching for adventures. There just isn't much out there, and Necromancer stuff was always at the top of the heap. How about another run at Rappan Athuk for 5e?
I don't think it matters much what form it takes (hardcover, softcover, box set, etc.), but adventures are what we need!
Why do you say "1st Edition feel"?
My suggestion would be to make books with stand alone adventures for new campaigns, levels 1-5. Put at least a dozen startup adventures in one book.
My suggestion would be to make books with stand alone adventures for new campaigns, levels 1-5. Put at least a dozen startup adventures in one book.
Ravenheart87
Explorer
'Cause they are old-school and try to capture the feel of AD&D1e with the current edition?
By doing what? How do they define old-school and 1st Edition feel?
Hopefully a brief summary of a scene from an adventure they publish.
The party finds themselves in the only inn catering to their type of people with empty rooms in the last town before a vast wasteland. The dinner served is overy salty and heavily spiced but the mead is thick and hearty. That night as they are asleep, one by one they start to get sick (making Con saves), the food it seems wasn't poisoned just spoiled. The first character to succumb to the sickness will find at the end of the hall are a couple small privy chambers. The innkeepers have decided to rob from these glory hound treasure laden adventurers as few notice when they disappear, in an alcove behind the privy they wait in hiding with garrott in hand. As the second hero succumbs to the uncontrollable diarrhea he finds only one empty privy, guess what happens to him? The innkeepers literally catch our heroes with their pants down, kill them in a way they can't yell out warnings, and have a secret hall way to drag the dead bodies in so they can continue doing this all night long.
Now is there more to it than that sure, there are magics involved in everything but the spoiled food, do the inn keepers have even more surprises and tricks up their sleeves, yes they do.
But I think you get the tone, to survive you have to roleplay. The cleric casting purify food and drink stops the ambush cold, one simple first level utility spell while saying grace before your comrades eat dinner and everyone lives. If not having a buddy system, or maybe being in a romantic relationship with a fellow party member and sleeping in the same bed makes you want to comfort them or check on them, stops it before to many bad things happen. But if the players only think in terms of what combat spells to prepare and what might come at them on an even playing field or in a balanced encounter then you could end up killing a few of them.
That is just one encounter in one book, but stuff like that is spread throughout their products. Not just save or die things, things that make you think and make you roleplay or you are screwed.
Did you not talk to people in town and get rumors and vital clues? Well guess what the entire adventure just got that more difficult because you party choose to only talk to the guy with the "!" over his head.
The party finds themselves in the only inn catering to their type of people with empty rooms in the last town before a vast wasteland. The dinner served is overy salty and heavily spiced but the mead is thick and hearty. That night as they are asleep, one by one they start to get sick (making Con saves), the food it seems wasn't poisoned just spoiled. The first character to succumb to the sickness will find at the end of the hall are a couple small privy chambers. The innkeepers have decided to rob from these glory hound treasure laden adventurers as few notice when they disappear, in an alcove behind the privy they wait in hiding with garrott in hand. As the second hero succumbs to the uncontrollable diarrhea he finds only one empty privy, guess what happens to him? The innkeepers literally catch our heroes with their pants down, kill them in a way they can't yell out warnings, and have a secret hall way to drag the dead bodies in so they can continue doing this all night long.
Now is there more to it than that sure, there are magics involved in everything but the spoiled food, do the inn keepers have even more surprises and tricks up their sleeves, yes they do.
But I think you get the tone, to survive you have to roleplay. The cleric casting purify food and drink stops the ambush cold, one simple first level utility spell while saying grace before your comrades eat dinner and everyone lives. If not having a buddy system, or maybe being in a romantic relationship with a fellow party member and sleeping in the same bed makes you want to comfort them or check on them, stops it before to many bad things happen. But if the players only think in terms of what combat spells to prepare and what might come at them on an even playing field or in a balanced encounter then you could end up killing a few of them.
That is just one encounter in one book, but stuff like that is spread throughout their products. Not just save or die things, things that make you think and make you roleplay or you are screwed.
Did you not talk to people in town and get rumors and vital clues? Well guess what the entire adventure just got that more difficult because you party choose to only talk to the guy with the "!" over his head.
Zardnaar
Legend
I just bought Quests of Doom and the 2 adventures I am looking at seem very old scghool. They are kind of dark involving a slime demon in an old vineyard complete with fungal infection for the PCs (non fatal but still) and there is a werewolf themed one. Some of the fonts are 1E fonts.
Another adventures is about vampires, one had Dragon skeletons. I have only had a quick look so far and it is all in black and white. It also evokes BECMI as well IMHO a bit. The adventures are a bit darker in tone than the light and fluffy modern ones it its not over the top cartoon Book of Vile Darkness type stuff a'la 3.0. Some of the names used for deities like Thoth and Thanatos are also from TSR era D&D. Oh one of the adventures also has a pyramid as well so they adventures are a bit more dungeon crawl as well and bad things can happen.
What about their monster book?
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