Another OCCULT LORE Preview

[JohnNephew]

We've got another Occult Lore preview up on the Atlas website! Just point your browser at http://www.atlas-games.com, and you'll find a link to the new "Pangunculus" PDF on our front page (as well as links to the other Occult Lore previews, if you've missed any).

This PDF includes a "reservation form" that you can print out and bring to your favorite game retailer, to make sure they order enough copies and give you a call when it arrives. (The form also includes the information a book or game store needs to order it from their suppliers, if they aren't already familiar with the product.)

The days to release are counting down. Assuming things are still on schedule at the printer, we're expecting our books to be delivered on June 19th.

 

[Warchild]

All right, that was freaky cool.
Thats the kind of stuff i'm talking about, i can't wait to get this book, John. I like the fact you can create the Pangunculus using different magical methods. very nice.

 

[Word]

About time

Why has it taken this long for someone to use the d20 rules this way? The system is flexible and modular enough that there are multiple ways to model just about any fantasy object or creature. Before this, any given company staked out their turf and the gaming public decided which rules expression would be adopted for eternity.

That's crazy, I think. I say every campaign should have its own kind of zombie, and I say there's room enough in any campaign setting for two kinds of Pangunculus. Does anything else get the double treatment in Occult Lore? What sort of real-world mythology is the book drawing from?

word,
will

 

[JohnNephew]

I should clarify that my version of the Pangunculus (the magic item) does not appear in Occult Lore -- just Adam's. However, since I had it written up on my hard drive, and it was going to be made "obsolete" by the book's version, I figured it would make for a good preview.

The "different takes" topic is kind of an interesting one. To some extent, the fact that different publishers do their own version of the same thing results in different takes. (E.g., the zombi template in Nyambe: African Adventures is quite different from the standard D20 zombie.) I'm not sure where it goes from being coolness in diversity to becoming a "fork" in D20 development (which reduces network utility).

In any case, I'm glad you guys like it. Now I've gotta figure out what to put up next week!

 

[Warchild]

I should clarify that my version of the Pangunculus (the magic item) does not appear in Occult Lore -- just Adam's. However, since I had it written up on my hard drive, and it was going to be made "obsolete" by the book's version, I figured it would make for a good preview.

Feel free to turn any "obsolete" material you think you have on your hardrive into previews...i won't complain!

The "different takes" topic is kind of an interesting one. To some extent, the fact that different publishers do their own version of the same thing results in different takes. (E.g., the zombi template in Nyambe: African Adventures is quite different from the standard D20 zombie.) I'm not sure where it goes from being coolness in diversity to becoming a "fork" in D20 development (which reduces network utility).

Well i think diversity is in the eye of the beholder. What is diversity and what is just splitting the existing market? I think a book like Occult Lore, that has different rule for magics than the fire and forget in the Core books, is diversity. Where as 4 books by 4 different companies on ships and naval affairs is splitting the market.
I think that different takes in one book is a key to making the product adjustable to any prospective customer. With this Pangunculus preview as an example, i would find it strange if anyone could fail to fit one of the versions of the Pangunculus in their games. I'm as good as an example as anyone, because my homebrew is way off the beaten pay as default rule goes, yet both versions could see game time in my campaigns. I think diversity in the D20 system is a great idea, even though i don't think the diversity market has hardly been tapped. I don't know if thats a profitable one, i'll leave that to the experts to decide, but i think there is a market for it. I don't know if there is a lot of room for different publishers in this market, but i do think that the first who jumps on it will get the Lion's share.

In any case, I'm glad you guys like it. Now I've gotta figure out what to put up next week!

Looking forward to it.

 

[Setanta]

John-

Please keep it up with the diversity. While I think both versions of the Pangunculus are interesting, I like yours better, so the options are a good thing.

quote:
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Originally posted by JohnNephew
In any case, I'm glad you guys like it. Now I've gotta figure out what to put up next week!
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Looking forward to it.

Me too, definitely.

 

[mythusmage]

I agree.

Look at it this way, magic items are made by individuals. They are handcrafted and so should differ in various ways. Joe Bob's Ring of Fire Resistance really wouldn't work exactly the same as Bob Joe's Ring of Fire Resistance.

Same thing when it comes to such as zombies. Different lands would have different zombies.

Best of all, it would confound the experts amoung your players.

My take on things.

 

[Warchild]

Looks like Occult Lore is getting some repsect on the "what are you looking forward thread", John. Not bad, but we need better!!
All of this is just a thinly veiled BUMP, however.