Are you buying Dragon Magic?

[Mercule]

Nope.

This one isn't even on my list of stuff I'd buy if I heard 4E was around the corner and going to suck rotten eggs (which is where I've got ToB).

I don't think the book probably sucks, but my perusal indicated that it's got nothing whatsoever of interest to me. I may change my mind someday, though.

 

[Nifft]

- Balanced PrCs -- even the Wizard one! (!!!)
- New Warlock variant and new Invocations and a cool new Vestige
- Some interesting spells
- Good ideas on magic items

I'm a fan.
-- N

 

[Tetsubo]

Technically I don't own it yet. It's somewhere between Amazon's warehouse and mine...

 

[Kae'Yoss]

i bought it last Friday. it sat in a pile of books that didn't get used this last session. i imagine it won't get used in the coming session either.

Are you done converting it to OD&D yet?

 

[Wombat]

No need, no interest.

 

[Crust]

I know it's "The Year of Rogue Dragons" and all that, but there are way too many dragon books out there. Dragon Magic seems a bit redundant on a number of levels.

 

[BryonD]

This is the book where WotC shamelessly admits that the entire basis for its existence was that the words "Dragon" and "Magic" are the two most commonly-occurring words in their top-selling D&D products? Reminds of the movie version of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". It's got the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, and Beatles music...how can't it be a hit?

The premise of the book is good enough--make dragons more of an active component in the world--because it deals with what makes a dragon a crashing bore in most campaigns: they don't do much of anything except sit around complacently on their hoards. But I don't think there's a lot of material to be drawn from that premise alone.

So no, I'm not planning to get it.

You're right.

BUT... it really just happens to be a good product.

Seriously, take a look, at least on the shelf somewhere.

 

[Psychic Warrior]

Dragon Magic is one I was a bit leary of when I first heard about it. One look through at my FLGS and I bought it on the spot. The spells, invocations, stuff for the Dragon Shaman all fit into my Rage of Dragons campaign. It's too bad some people can't look past a title of all things. :\

 

[Arnwyn]

It really disappoints me that so many people are getting so hung up on the origin of the book's name. I know I'm biased as one of the authors, but just because the idea for the book came from marketing doesn't mean it's any less of a good idea, or that we worked any less diligently to make it a good book.

Thus far, I'm mostly amused to see that people seem to be falling into two major camps: 1) Those who say, "I'm not going to buy the book because of the name/I hate dragons/I hate magic," and 2) Those who have bought the book and been very pleased with it.

Actually, as of this post, it's only 2 out of 21 who are put off because of the origins of the name. Doesn't seem much like "camps" to me (nor anything to be "amused" about).

The "I hate dragons" and "I hate magic", OTOH, are both legitimate reasons for consumers to be less interested in the book.

It's too bad some people can't look past a title of all things.

See above.

 

[Ghendar]

It's amazing how every time this book comes up someone perpetuates the myth that the content only exists because of the name. As the authors have pointed out several (numerous?) times, the content/ideas came indepently of the title. Those of you that don't like products because marketing came up with them must not buy much. In the vast majority of companies in the world, marketing owns everything about what products are made.

How many times do the authors need to defend their content against the name of the book?

The problem is, they came right out and said,
[paraphrase]well we called it Dragon Magic because books with those names in the title sell better.[/paraphrase]

From a marketing standpoint is that good for them? Sure, but they certainly didn't need to mention that fact.

From a marketing standpoint = good!
Mentioning it that way to the fan base = bad!

Had they said something to the effect that they wanted to call it Dragon Magic because it focusses on those things (and not mentioned the way those two words tend to sell more books) then no one would be complaining about it.

It really disappoints me that so many people are getting so hung up on the origin of the book's name. I know I'm biased as one of the authors, but just because the idea for the book came from marketing doesn't mean it's any less of a good idea, or that we worked any less diligently to make it a good book.

I don't think it's really getting hung up on the origin of the book's name. It's more the way WotC presented it to the fans. It came across to me like, "hey, let's squeeze more money out of you by capitalizing on the fact that the title contains both the words "dragon" and "magic" becuse those words sell books."

I'm not saying that was marketing's motivation but that's the way it came across to me. I, for one, know how passionately the designers work on these things. It's not a slight on you personally Moridin, or any other designer.

Thus far, I'm mostly amused to see that people seem to be falling into two major camps: 1) Those who say, "I'm not going to buy the book because of the name/I hate dragons/I hate magic," and 2) Those who have bought the book and been very pleased with it.

I like dragons. I like magic. While I'm sure it's a fine book, I presently don't have a need for it. The Draconomicon is still sitting on my shelf collecting dust.