Behemot3 Recommends; Or, Why We Shocked Joe G. Kushner

[Tav_Behemoth]

One thing we've tried to do as the Masters and Minions series moves forward is to learn from the feedback we get from reviews. So when the esteemed Joe G. Kushner wrote in his review of Horde Book 2: Maze of the Minotaur:

One thing shocking is that there are some recommendations for other companies products here like Emerald Press’ Campaign Options :Mazes or the Complete Spell Cards by the Other Game Company.

I realized we hadn't done enough to explain what this section was doing in the book. Here's the Behemoth3 Recommends for the next book in the series, Horde Book 3: Rage of the Remorhaz; the explanation follows the specific recommendations for this volume.

Behemoth3 Recommends
To continue your heroic exploration of the polar extremes and the fantastic cultures that inhabit them, we recommend Monkeygod Enterprises’ Frost and Fur.
BattleBox: Core Fantasy Set by Fiery Dragon Productions has great rules for tracking prey in hot pursuits across the frozen wastes, plus cards and counters to speed up combat.
Players in the Remorhaz Championship Round of the MASTERS AND MINIONS tournament used the Complete Spell Cards from The Other Game Company: these were especially invaluable given the dizzying array of magical powers a 16th level party can command!
And for bringing the tunnels of the remorhaz to life on your tabletop, MasterMaze by Dwarven Forge has no equal.

None of these companies are affiliated with Behemoth3 (although they did give us permission to mention their work). So why are we promoting their products? Because the goal of MASTERS AND MINIONS is to help you have more fun with your game. As we roleplayed our own encounters with the remorhaz horde, these are the things that made our game more satisfying. Learn more about these products and their makers via our Links page at www.behemoth3.com/links/, or visit our Forums at www.behemoth3.com/forum to let us know what you use to make the MASTERS AND MINIONS experience more vivid!

Why am I posting this here? Well, in part because it doesn't fit in any other EN World forum Also, I'd like to see the Recommends idea catch on. Just as sharing and mutual compatibility is the greatest strength of the d20 system, I believe that mutual support is the key to the vitality of d20 publishing.

OK, back to work now - thanks for listening!

 

[Crothian]

Hey, I thought it was great that you guys did this. It helped that I happen to agree with all your suggestions, but really this is something that few companies ever do. I'm always interested in seeing what books the profesionals use.

 

[philreed]

I would love to do something like this but the OGL prevents it. I'd have to track down permission from the appropriate publishers everytime I wanted to do something like this.

 

[talien]

To continue your heroic exploration of the polar extremes and the fantastic cultures that inhabit them, we recommend Monkeygod Enterprises’ Frost and Fur.

Woohoo, thanks for the shout out!

 

[Tav_Behemoth]

I would love to do something like this but the OGL prevents it. I'd have to track down permission from the appropriate publishers everytime I wanted to do something like this.

I'm happy to say that every publisher I've approached about recommendations has been both happy to give permission and quite easy to track down by email. Recommending one another's work is like acknowledging the source of open content: everyone would love to do it, but Section 7 of the OGL makes it a little more difficult. Part of what I wanted to do with the B3 Recommends section was to show that it's really not very difficult at all, and to set a precedent for getting permissions for mutually beneficial uses of product identity like this. (Not every company might be so responsive to emails or so willing to let their name be used, I reckon, I haven't encountered any such companies yet, and in any case this rewards those who are!)

One of the things I'll put in the next books is a limited license to use the PI terms "Behemoth3" and "Horde Book X: Noun of the Monster" for purposes of reference like this, so that people explicitly have perrmission without needing to ask. There's already a similar limited license for open content citation: if you re-use part of the book, you're both allowed and encouraged to say where it came from without needing to get permission.

 

[Warden]

When we were contacted about putting Campaign Options: Mazes in the Minotaur book, I thought it was a great idea. It comes across as much more of an acknowledgement than a tiny line in the smallest font in the OGL. It gives the reader a reference for where inspiration from this book came from and places where they can look for something more should they wish to expand on an idea.

I don't think there's a problem recognizing that other publishers exist and that some of their ideas have inspired others. For the publisher involved, it's free promotion and appreciation for their work.

Anyone who wishes to make such a reference to an Emerald Press PDF is more than welcome to do so. Just let me know about it so that I can plug YOUR book on our website (like I did for Maze of the Minotaur last month).

 

[Frilf]

Tav contacted us, as well, and we were more than happy to grant permission for a shout out. I think this is a very nice touch and more publishers ought to try it. I also agree that it is a better way to get recognized for your efforts than the tiny OGL print at the back of the book (which most folks don't read anyway - unless your another publisher!). Cool idea. Nicely implemented. Kudos!

 

[jmucchiello]

We're mentioned in Tav's stirges book. Now I just have to get my reciprical book out....