Pathfinder 2E What's the deal with 3rd party PF2E Adventure "support"??

[Morrus]

If you don't want to use setting specific items (like places, NPCs, gods, etc. - this includes some monsters too) of any D&D setting, then go OGL; If you want to use any setting specific items go DMsGuild; if you want to use the full repertoire of D&D, but don't want to use setting specific items, go DMsGuild w/ generic setting.

You can pretty much use the full repertoire of D&D (less setting IP) with the OGL. It’s not like you ever need to reproduce the text of the core rules; you just need to use the terminology, which is all available from previous SRDs. That’s how OGL publishers operate.

@Retreater, your first step is to read the OGL and make sure you understand it. It’s pretty short and clear, and most questions you will have will be answered by that document.

 

[dave2008]

You can pretty much use the full repertoire of D&D (less setting IP) with the OGL. It’s not like you ever need to reproduce the text of the core rules; you just need to use the terminology, which is all available from previous SRDs. That’s how OGL publishers operate.

@Retreater, your first step is to read the OGL and make sure you understand it. It’s pretty short and clear, and most questions you will have will be answered by that document.

Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't a few things not covered, such as: Mind flayers/ilithids and yuan-ti?

 

[Morrus]

Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't a few things not covered, such as: Mind flayers/ilithids and yuan-ti?

A very small number of things. As a game designer, invent something else that’s awesome.

 

[dave2008]

A very small number of things. As a game designer, invent something else that’s awesome.

You mean instead of "serpent-folk"?!

 

[Staffan]

That's historically never been an impediment. People jumped into 3E and 5E the very first second they could (in fact, S&S brought out the Creature Catalog before 3E's own Monster Manual). Newness to the rules has never been a barrier to third party support.

Sure, but PF2 is a bit more distant from previous editions than 3e was. It's also a much tighter system, so getting numbers off is a bigger deal.

And as I recall, the 3PP support at first for d20 was a bit lukewarm. It took like a year or so before exploding.

As above. Didn't stop anybody with 3E, 4E, 5E, and PF1.

Yeah, but they were D&D. It's like making merch for a Marvel movie - you know it's going to sell. Well, PF1 wasn't D&D per se, but it was pretty much the same system as 3.5e and came out as an alternative to 4e. And I distinctly recall that there was a lot less 3PP support for 4e, on account of the GSL being much more restrictive than the OGL at first. I think this eventually changed, but by then many 3PPs had already switched to Pathfinder, if they hadn't turned their efforts in other directions entirely (Green Ronin, Monte Cook) or just left the business.

But I think the main reason is that, as a company, you can either develop something for 5e and tap into that ginormous market, or you can take a risk on developing something for PF2 which may or may not work out. And if you're more on the hobbyist end of the spectrum, 5e offers you the DM's Guild where you get to play with all the toys. My other points are like smaller hurdles on top of that big one.

 

[BryonD]

And as I recall, the 3PP support at first for d20 was a bit lukewarm. It took like a year or so before exploding.

That part is not at all true. As has been noted, WotC didn't even get the first module out.
And Scarred Lands beat the MM to print. Granted, that turned out to be a problem because they got a fair number of things wrong. But 3PPs jumped all over this new opportunity.

 

[dave2008]

That part is not at all true. As has been noted, WotC didn't even get the first module out.
And Scarred Lands beat the MM to print. Granted, that turned out to be a problem because they got a fair number of things wrong. But 3PPs jumped all over this new opportunity.

I don't know the truth of the history as I skipped 3e competely, but saying one product was available out of the gate does not contracdict @Staffan 's comment that: "...It took like a year or so before exploding ."

 

[BryonD]

It was huge right away

Edit: I was not claiming one product (and to be picky I listed TWO), but was demonstrating the environment.
companies have changed names and it gets hard to keep track. But Sword and Sorcery Studios, Green Ronin, Necromancer games, and others hit the ground running. (There was freeport stuff at that Gencon)

Mongoose and Goodman were right in there, Fantasy flight did some quick stuff. And the desk shop 1-dude publishing companies went nuts.

 

[Acolyte of Zothique]

It was huge right away

Edit: I was not claiming one product (and to be picky I listed TWO), but was demonstrating the environment.
companies have changed names and it gets hard to keep track. But Sword and Sorcery Studios, Green Ronin, Necromancer games, and others hit the ground running. (There was freeport stuff at that Gencon)

Mongoose and Goodman were right in there, Fantasy flight did some quick stuff. And the desk shop 1-dude publishing companies went nuts.
[/QUOTE
Yep, absolutely. I remember the beginning of 3e - lots of 3pp jumped straight in. Because it was a new edition of D&D. If it was some other game that was like D&D but wasn't called D&D then this wouldn't have happened. Brand name power - there was a huge market already there; tap into that, say it's compatible with 3e and off you go. And it did go off, big time, until the d20 bubble imploded.

 

[JeffB]

It did explode quickly. Wizards had dropped the books at the cheap prices for the first print run, and immediately had to print more. There were several products out on release of the PHB from 3PP. By the next spring it was steamrolling

And Wizards was also pushing out all kinds of new D20 stuff and licenses- Wheel of Time , Star Wars, Kalamar, S&S picking up GW and Ravenloft- it was a VERY exciting time-I remember our mall WOTC store kept loading up with adventure after adventure , then those stopped and it was hardcover after hardcover and then by 2002- everyone realized it was mostly garbage and the rocket fuel was jettisoned.