What would you like to see 3rd parties produce for 4E?

[Glyfair]

Hey, this thread is about what "You" (the poster) want, not what Glyfair won't buy from the suggestions.

I posted to offer something different from "Adventures/Mechanics" because what I want is story elements, and to stop people from complaining that "4e lacks fluff/roleplaying/simulation".

You all ready posted what you wanted, why pick apart mine?

Sorry, what I was trying to do was point out some stuff I would like to see which was a variation on yours. Then I realized it would be a great magazine, or something similar (a magazine with maps and tiles in each issue...I wonder how it could function).

I edited it for better focus (which ended up messing the original up horribly...ah, well).

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

I'd like to see two of the following, by which I mean that there are probably many things I would like to see besides these two things:

1. A series of Al-Quadim/Oriental Adventure & Wuxia/Horror books that give you adventures, flavor, and side rules for different cultures and genres for adventuring using DnD
2. A series of DM as Director tools: The Action DM's Handbook, Montage Rules, and other tools to help pacing and play with the game itself

 

[Shemeska]

Fluff-heavy planar material that doesn't use the core PoL planes, or the redefined nature of many planar creatures (doesn't have to be a reversion to prior ideas either, as I could strip-mine ideas and concepts happily from products that go their own, different route entirely). I wouldn't mind working on a 4e planar product (ruleset and mechanics are often pretty superfluous to me) so long as I wasn't constrained to some of the assumptions the default PoL rather strictly defines.

Of course, I'm not sure how far the GSL would allow you to stray from how 4e defined some planar creatures (above and beyond those which aren't open content to use at all).

 

[mevers]

What I would like to see are short (3 - 4 encounters) self contained adventures that I can easily drop into an existing campaign (either because they look cool, or my PCs need a bit more XP). Even better if they leave a few plot hooks hanging that I can spin into a larger part of the campaign if the PCs run with them.

Price them at about 2 - 3 bucks, and I would snap them up by the bucket load.

 

[Rechan]

What I would like to see are short (3 - 4 encounters) self contained adventures that I can easily drop into an existing campaign (either because they look cool, or my PCs need a bit more XP). Even better if they leave a few plot hooks hanging that I can spin into a larger part of the campaign if the PCs run with them.

Price them at about 2 - 3 bucks, and I would snap them up by the bucket load.

So like Dungeon Delve, but separated into individual delves?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Yes, I would be in favor of that, too.

I like adventure paths, but I think too many adventures have too little story and a little too much combat that doesn't propel the story. I think that works okay if you have a long session anyway, but if you play in an online game for 2 or 3 hours at most, it seems just a "combat fest" if it takes 4 encounters until you get to a new plot development.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

So like Dungeon Delve, but separated into individual delves?

Like dungeon delve, except with more story? Ideally, each encounter should add a new aspect, not: "To reach your destination, you fight 4 encounters". But after each encounter, you learn one or two new important facts that help you achieve the adventure goal. It can still all fit within one "adventuring" day, if need arises.
Like:
1) The PCs find a group of Goblins attacking a caravan. They learn that some Goblins already escaped with the Mayors daughter.
2) The PCs follow the trail and fight the Goblins, freeing the daughter. THe daughter tells them that the Goblins talked about someone paying them for this. They find a letter that shows the mark of a local bandit leader and the Goblins were apparently en route there.
3) The PCs find the bandit lair, but only meet weak resistance. It appears the bandit leader was using the Goblins as a distraction to lure the Mayor into a trap (the mayor would normally hunt down the Goblins himself) and to take over his post.
4) The PCs get to the ambush place, the mayor attacked by a mixed band of goblins and bandits, most of his guards already down.

 

[Modeus]

IMHO, the gaming community probably resists 4E because of the following:

a) It moved to far into the High Fantasy segment away from the Gritty Fantasy segment.
b) It moved too far into the gaming segment away from the simulationist segment.

Here's how a third party product can remedy the situation:

a) Expand the number of basic moves all characters can take to make the game "kernel" more simulationist. ( Standard action to toss a grappled opponent. Attack simultaneously with two weapons. Shield block. Set spear. )

b) Create rules for social intrigue. Propose a new defense called Intrigue defense based on Int and Cha, generate a new resource like healing surges for interaction and roleplaying purposes. Losers in an intrigue become Dominated by the enemy.

c) Create an option for gritty play. The fastest fix is to enable exploding dice to all damage rolls. Creating an enabling colorful critical hit rules will please told school grognards like me as well.

d) Have products on realms management and mass battles.

I think if we put our heads together we'll have a much better 4e.

 

[Jack99]

IMHO, the gaming community probably resists 4E because of the following:

Sorry, but what gaming community is resisting 4e? The GURPS community?

a) Expand the number of basic moves all characters can take to make the game "kernel" more simulationist. ( Standard action to toss a grappled opponent. Attack simultaneously with two weapons. Shield block. Set spear. )

Most "basic" moves can already be covered by page 42 - Why do you need more rules?

b) Create rules for social intrigue. Propose a new defense called Intrigue defense based on Int and Cha, generate a new resource like healing surges for interaction and roleplaying purposes. Losers in an intrigue become Dominated by the enemy.

Why makes you think that this would make D&D more interesting to others?

c) Create an option for gritty play. The fastest fix is to enable exploding dice to all damage rolls. Creating an enabling colorful critical hit rules will please told school grognards like me as well.

Define colorful crits, because last I checked, they were always pretty boring, even in "old-school" D&D.

d) Have products on realms management and mass battles.

Check out Hard Boiled Armies by OBE, I doubt you will see anything better for mass battles in a while.

Realm Management sounds like a good idea though.

 

[Aberzanzorax]

Better adventures. Goodman is doing a good job, as are a few others, but more and better.

I'm looking forward to Necromancer beginning to publish for 4e again (as they are planning to) but I don't know how far off that will be.

Also, War of the Burning Sky 4e.


Someone mentioned the book of fluff. I love that idea...and it could (would?) be edition neutral. I almost wonder if it already exists (like in the Kobold Ecologies, or even the old dragon magazine ecologies).


Traps! I LOVE 4e traps. I'd say it is my favorite improvement over 3e, in fact...well to clarify, traps were something (the one thing?) I HATED in 3e. Now they feel like encounters rather than "just a roll".


Psionics. That is all.


Full scale battlemaps. Goregous, full color, and either printable or unfoldable. With the use of the grid being so much a part of the game, this would be awesome! Actually, WotC should make every one of their D&Di maps ready to do this, but I digress from the 3pp there.


Settings. Cool, detailed, thematic settings.