Variant Player's Handbooks -- Who do you want to write one?

[azmodean]

Here's a concept: Take all the OGL alternate rules and put them in a database. You navigate through them with a "wizard" style application, choosing which of the alternate rules to use for each situation. Perhaps also make the selections editable so you can combine options or tweak them a bit. When you are done selecting the options it compiles all the choices you have made into a .doc or .pdf.

 

[philreed]

I guess I'm confused as to what is being called an alternative player's handbook. Does it assume compatibility with standard D&D as Arcana Evolved does?

I would think that's important to the concept.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I would think that's important to the concept.

If so, Blue Rose, Conan, and others that are OGL and share some mechanics, aren't alternative Player's Handbooks at all.

The Black Company could've been one, as could Grim Tales, but both are firmly d20 products requiring the Player's Handbook for character advancement and other bits. I wouldn't mind seeing either of those reworked as a complete Player's Handbook, although both can be used as such with a minimum of fuss.

 

[Pramas]

The Black Company could've been one, as could Grim Tales, but both are firmly d20 products requiring the Player's Handbook for character advancement and other bits. I wouldn't mind seeing either of those reworked as a complete Player's Handbook, although both can be used as such with a minimum of fuss.

Variant Player's Handbooks just seem like a half step to me. Either you want to move so far from the d20 baseline that you should just release a complete game (Blue Rose, Mutants & Masterminds) or you're sticking close enough that you can just tell people what's different (Black Company, Thieves' World). I'd much rather use my pages in the latter kind of book on other new material rather than explaining how skill checks and combat work in passages copied from the SRD.

 

[Nightfall]

Speaking of Thieves World, I know there will be an adventure Chris, but will either the Black Company OR Thieves World get more support ie more material than what's currently offered?

 

[Jack of Shadows]

I vote Robin Laws. Because he's a friend of mine and I know it will be really good and really really weird.

Jack

 

[woodelf]

Robin Laws does the main framework and the bulk of the work; John Snead is called in for the magic system and other auxiliary work.

AFAIK, neither of them has ever done anything RPG that didn't totally rock.

 

[woodelf]

Thanks for the encouragement, guys, but I don't think I could sell enough copies of such a thing to make it worth the time. Especially since anything I would come up with would likely be deemed too weird by a large part of the potential audience. Maybe someday I'll say damn the pay and try it but not today.


And I'll say again that I want Bruce Cordell to write one.

Well, your later post sort of elaborated why it's not a sensible business move. But, from a content standpoint, let me just say this: the further your stuff strays from D&D3E, the better i think it is. And Monte Cook mentioned [Design Diary, or online interview--i forget] that the one thing he might've done differently with Arcana Unearthed, given hindsight, was make it more different--that he was surprised at how much the fans embraced the differences, and clamored for more, while he'd been conservative and not included some changes he'd contemplated. (In particular, he'd talked about armor-as-DR, and accompanying enabling changes, early on in the design process, but didn't go that route.) So, i think you may be underestimating the market interest in more-radical variants. The way i see it, it's the changes that'd sell it--you're not gonna get much market by sticking close to D&D3E, 'cause too much of the market already has D&D3E. Just the opposite of your small-PDF model, where insta-compatibility is paramount.

For anyone who cares, i'm working on what could be considered a "variant players' handbook. Might even finish it this year. ;-) Just depends on priorities. It's got a lot in common with what Ari has talked about, among other people.

 

[philreed]

But, from a content standpoint, let me just say this: the further your stuff strays from D&D3E, the better i think it is.

Thank you. Unfortunately, the more I distance myself from D&D the lower sales are.

If I had the skills I'd just go ahead and write a novel. I think that's an area where not following D&D lead wouldn't hurt things.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Thank you. Unfortunately, the more I distance myself from D&D the lower sales are.

If I had the skills I'd just go ahead and write a novel. I think that's an area where not following D&D lead wouldn't hurt things.

I want something new and different, just like these!

The Auld Grump, a nonconformist, just like all his friends...