WotC changes how D&D mini's are going to be sold.

[Remathilis]

cross-posted

Right now, WotC has plenty of competition on the "PC" side of minis. More importantly, most players only need to "buy" one mini for every PC they play. That means PC packs are going to move slower (compared to DMs who gobble up monsters like Valiums)

The Unique PC card is to sweeten the deal: "Yeah, you might have a custom-painted Reaper Mini, but I got Battle Strike Tactics with mine."

Moreso, the PC packs are the non-random element; Martial Pack 1 will have the same three minis and the same three power-cards. Nothing random about it.

The only M:TG element is that the powers will be published on cards, not in books. That, is where the cards deviate from earlier D&D.

 

[justanobody]

8 classes form the PHB.
8 races form the PHB.
2 sexes.

8*8=64*2=128
18 per set*5 set=90 minis

So there are going to be 90 PC minis made before the end of 2010. There are 128 possible combinations in the PHB.

Plus there will somehow be the PHB2 races and classes included in this.

128-90=38 missing combinations from PHB, and likely all possible combinations form PHB2 will be missing.

The math isn't adding up. Some players are screwed no matter what they do even JUST using the existing PHB races and classes.

I also just noticed the 2 male, 1 female per pack. I don't like that. I never play females, so why not make all male packs and all female packs, because I know plenty of people that play only males and don't want the extra appendages....

DM's could then buy packs based on the sex they need for NPCs as well rather than being stuck with the wrong ones or extra ones.

Still got the CMG built into the packaging scheme. Gonna have to trade off the the sexes to get what you might need.

Girl gamers will have to buy twice as many packs to play with if they want female PCs represented, or male gamers that only play females. People playing male PCs get the good life.

The only M:TG element is that the powers will be published on cards, not in books. That, is where the cards deviate from earlier D&D.

No that is the Clix minis games element. Every power a mini has is listed on a card with the mini. Check out Hero Clix, Halo Clix, [insert brand name here] Clix.

 

[doctorhook]

My only problem with this collectible power card business: is some dipshut tournament DM not going to let use a 10' pole unless I have it's card?

I'm not sure I understand your question. Items have power cards now?

 

[I'm A Banana]

The only M:TG element is that the powers will be published on cards, not in books. That, is where the cards deviate from earlier D&D.

Actually, the CCG element I was thinking of was the "collectability" of powers.

Before, powers were always purchased in sort of "all-at-once" sourcebooks, usually with overreaching themes or classes or whatnot. You might call these pre-constructed "decks" of powers. You might use a power, but you would get 30 of them at once, many related somehow. Everyone who bought the book got the same thing, and while some people might not get a particular book, it was fairly easy to keep up with the "collectible" aspect of the game. One purchase per month in 3e basically had you covered.

Now, you get, what, 3 powers that no one else does? For the price of some plastic?

Now, you have created "elite" D&D players who splurge on minis in order to collect the powers (I'd be surprised if people played 3 different characters in a given year).

"Gotta Catch 'em All!" applies to this nature of hunting down individual powers in order to collect them.

"Wow! My character is a swashbucker! I already have the Martial Power book with the swashbuckler build, but now this new pack of minis has a new swashbuckler piece of plastic with a new swashbuckler power! GOTTA CATCH 'EM ALL!"

I dunno, that might be incoherent, I'm sick.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

You know, this kinda makes my current collection (2,000 - 3,000 strong) much more useful. In future I likely won't be able to buy gobs of commons for cheap and selectively purchase large numbers of uncommons for reasonable prices. So now I'll be more selective in future and rely upon the minis I've already got.

I agree that the glory days of DDM are over. I think it will become a niche market, sort of like Dungeon Tiles.

 

[Jasperak]

I'm not sure I understand your question. Items have power cards now?

Actions or exploits have power cards, as in "I use my implement to find a trap" or " I use my implement to trip the bad orc with pie as he runs past me"

If pressed I bet we could come up with 100 powers that use a 10' pole as an implement.

 

[FriarRosing]

I'm mainly sad because I just started getting into the skirmish game as something to do when my friends and I are bored. But now it's not going to be that so much? Is that what this means?

Also I feel like they're pressuring us to buy more stuff or play a less enriched game. ...Of course they are. They have to make money. It just makes me sad. :-(

 

[dmccoy1693]

To complete a set
Cost for all 18 PC minis: $66
Cost for all 40 Monster minis (assuming no repeats): $120

Total cost to complete a set (again assuming no repeats): $186

 

[justanobody]

Semi-random monsters I think means completely random non-visible monsters, so repeats are probably a given. The visible mini will play a key factor in that as well.

 

[Lanefan]

Now, you have created "elite" D&D players who splurge on minis in order to collect the powers (I'd be surprised if people played 3 different characters in a given year).

Actually, you have created a very few who will splurge like that, and a whole lot more who will wait for the spoilers list of powers to appear on the internet, and make their own power cards...or books...or lists...whatever.

And as for the other nonsense:

I so move the following; do I have a seconder?
Any DM in any situation including tournaments that bans a power* for the sole reason that the player doesn't have the original card shall forthwith burn their DMG in front of their players and resign from DMing.

* - banning a power because it's broken, or because it sucks, or because it doesn't fit the game, etc., is of course still in play.

Lanefan