Bravesteel25
Baronet of Gaming
I think 3rd Party Products, overall, lead to a better environment for D&D to thrive in. To quote the Vulcans, "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations."
D&D General "As a whole, 3rd Party Products Make D&D Better." (a poll)
GMforPowergamers
Legend
I voted no as I do not believe that the industry is better by everyone makeing d20/D&D products... I don't believe D&D is better for it either.
MichaelSomething
Legend
Yet I remember reading many times how DMs disallow 3PP in their games; strange...
Weiley31
Legend
I don't mind 3PP at all. Do I believe that some 3PP is better than others or can help fulfill things in the current 5E that official material doesn't? Absolutely.
Humblewood/Animal Adventures is great for wanting to play Awakened Animal characters.
Blue Rose: Adventurers Guide 5E pretty much has rules for playing as a Tiny creature (pretty muchish) and how to reflect that nature with the STR score.
Kobold Press is Kobold Press and usually has great stuff all around.
Ruins of Symbaroum has a slightly better Fighter and some interesting subclasses for it. (One of them is a Blacksmith technically).
Adventures in Middle-Earth 5E/Uncharted Journeys(Vault 5E) has/is going to include Journeys/Exploration.
Adventures in Rokugan has apparently THE BEST martial in 5E according to a number of peeps with the book.
Explorering Eberron has Playable 5E Gnolls.
Just some examples.
Humblewood/Animal Adventures is great for wanting to play Awakened Animal characters.
Blue Rose: Adventurers Guide 5E pretty much has rules for playing as a Tiny creature (pretty muchish) and how to reflect that nature with the STR score.
Kobold Press is Kobold Press and usually has great stuff all around.
Ruins of Symbaroum has a slightly better Fighter and some interesting subclasses for it. (One of them is a Blacksmith technically).
Adventures in Middle-Earth 5E/Uncharted Journeys(Vault 5E) has/is going to include Journeys/Exploration.
Adventures in Rokugan has apparently THE BEST martial in 5E according to a number of peeps with the book.
Explorering Eberron has Playable 5E Gnolls.
Just some examples.
Art Waring
halozix.com
3pp support is crucial for a variety of reasons:
Monopolies stifle creativity: Competition is a very good thing for the industry. When DnD dropped from the number one slot and was replaced by pathfinder for a few years, it served as a wake up call for the company to reassess their approach to 5e. Without competition 5e as it is today simply would not exist in its current incarnation.
3pp Support Keeps the Game Healthy: In the game industry, you can see that some games have a robust modding community, which keeps the game evolving and keeps the community engaged. Wotc isn't interested in innovating, they are invested in maintaining the status quo, because innovation requires risk.
----> Everyone Starts Out as a 3pp: Even TSR started in a basement. Every gaming company that exists today had to start somewhere, and often at the bottom. If folks keep disregarding that in order to become professional, 3pp creators have to start somewhere, then you are essentially saying that 3pp creators can never become professionals.
Monopolies stifle creativity: Competition is a very good thing for the industry. When DnD dropped from the number one slot and was replaced by pathfinder for a few years, it served as a wake up call for the company to reassess their approach to 5e. Without competition 5e as it is today simply would not exist in its current incarnation.
3pp Support Keeps the Game Healthy: In the game industry, you can see that some games have a robust modding community, which keeps the game evolving and keeps the community engaged. Wotc isn't interested in innovating, they are invested in maintaining the status quo, because innovation requires risk.
----> Everyone Starts Out as a 3pp: Even TSR started in a basement. Every gaming company that exists today had to start somewhere, and often at the bottom. If folks keep disregarding that in order to become professional, 3pp creators have to start somewhere, then you are essentially saying that 3pp creators can never become professionals.
Baldurs_Underdark
Hero
3rd party adventures? Yes, good idea, especially since some of the WotC adventures are "meh" at best.
3rd party PC options or monsters? No thanks. Not at our table.
As a DM, I shiver with the thoughts of having to read 3rd party content, figure out if it is sufficiently balanced and whether it can be abused. I'm already banning other official books at our table because the options are becoming overwhelming. I have no problem with 3rd party content on the market. Good for you, we live in a free world. But please keep it off my table.
3rd party PC options or monsters? No thanks. Not at our table.
As a DM, I shiver with the thoughts of having to read 3rd party content, figure out if it is sufficiently balanced and whether it can be abused. I'm already banning other official books at our table because the options are becoming overwhelming. I have no problem with 3rd party content on the market. Good for you, we live in a free world. But please keep it off my table.
I'm better off for it though -- I don't have to rely on WotC's designers and their house style and aesthetic choices. I can seek out compatible systems and adventures and monsters and so on that fit my preferences, and still take advantage of the existing network of D&D players.
GMforPowergamers
Legend
I just had this talk at my table (not me DMing in this case) where we talked about what it would take to start using DM guild things. The basics is it COULD in small doses be doable... but not without risking playing favorites. As such we are not useing third party anything execpt behind the screen (and even then it is mostly just monster books)
Voadam
Legend
Sure, and other DMs only allow core PH options in their games. I consider such choices perfectly legitimate. Tastes and styles and quality vary.
"As a whole" I'd say expanded official and 3pp options make D&D better though.
Sturgeon's Law applies to everything, but some 3rd party material is just outstanding.
There's also a market for content WotC won't cover for family friendly reasons, like serious horror.
Heck Critical Role is a great example of a product WotC probably loves but can't completely endorse because of all the F Bombs and sexual references.
There's also a market for content WotC won't cover for family friendly reasons, like serious horror.
Heck Critical Role is a great example of a product WotC probably loves but can't completely endorse because of all the F Bombs and sexual references.
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