Buying WotC Products

[Azazyll]

Everybody talks about WotC products, they're undoubtedly the most talked about publisher online, and probably at this site as well. A lot of people like their stuff, a whole lot of people complain about their stuff, and some people outright boycott them.

So I was wondering how many people, like me, buy about 90% or more of WotC's products (only D&D, not Star Wars or D20 modern), how many buy only what they think will interest them, and how many people are boycotting WotC, for one reason or another.

Sorry if you think I should have included more options in the middle, I wanted to make this a fairly simple poll

 

[Crothian]

I pick up some of Wizards books, the one I think I can use. But I've been buying less and less of theirs. Not becasue I don't like what they are doing as much as other people are doing some great books; my money is limited.

 

[haiiro]

I buy nearly everything WotC puts out for D&D -- 90% or more is certainly a fair assessment. I've skipped a few things that didn't seem worth the money (Stronghold Builder's Guidebook, many adventures), bought a few that I shouldn't have (Deities & Demigods, ELH), and I've always got a list of things going that I want but haven't picked up yet.

By and large, though, I've been impressed with pretty much all of their D&D material, and I've regretted very few of my buying decisions.

 

[dead]

I'm like you. I own about 90% WotC products.

But that's gonna change!

Due to the recent rant exposing WotC's (and other d20 manufacturer's) corporate greed, I'm only gonna buy Monte Cook's products from now on.

In fact, I'm going to convert to Arcana Unearthed.

But I have a question. Let's assume WotC collapsed tomorrow and there was no more D&D, no more SRD, no more OGL, could Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed continue to exist as a d20 game? Or would it have to go under to?

I ask because I'm worried that if you attack the hand that feeds you (ie. WotC) you end up harming yourself (ie. AU) in the end.

 

[fanboy2000]

90%

Most of the D&D products I buy are WotC. There are a couple of reasons for this: 1) I used to work at a WotC store and got 30% off of there books. 2) They make the books the appeal to me the most. 3) I can use most any book they put out for one purpose or another.

WotC misses a few things: advetures, trap books (I'm in need of thouse), and good regional books. Fortunately, I have Necromancer Games and Dungeon mag for adventures, Traps and Treachery, and Geanavue, the best regional book ever.

And of course WotC makes mistakes that only they can make, Deities and Demigods is the only book I know of the suffers from too many examples.

 

[dead]

I've skipped a few things that didn't seem worth the money (Stronghold Builder's Guidebook, many adventures), bought a few that I shouldn't have (Deities & Demigods, ELH), and I've always got a list of things going that I want but haven't picked up yet.

Stronghold Builder's Guidebook is actually pretty good. It was cained by Monte Cook but, hey, I find it useful.

As for Deities & Demigods, well . . . originally I hated the book and thought it useless and, truth be told, it probably is useless but still . . . I play a Greyhawk game and find it facinating to see how strong the Greyhawk gods *should* be in WotC's eyes compared to PCs.

ELH? Well, yeah, this was a poor release. It was just big monsters and big treasure all over again except at 21+ level. There was nothing on more *epic* concerns like: nation building, ruling kingdoms, armies, etc, etc . . .

 

[Nightfall]

I'd say I'm about 65% WotC 45% non-WotC. (Mostly from d20 companies I like and/or have used in the past. If it's modules though, no question I get Necromancer Games. Dungeon might have good mods but no way can they compare to the masters. Necromancer Games forever!!!)

 

[Tav_Behemoth]

But I have a question. Let's assume WotC collapsed tomorrow and there was no more D&D, no more SRD, no more OGL, could Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed continue to exist as a d20 game? Or would it have to go under to?

The OGL is a genie that's been let out of its bottle. Even if Renton, WA were destroyed by a meteor, the status of the SRD and OGL would remain unchanged.

The situation of the d20 license is more complex; someone could buy ownership of that license from Wizards' ashes, just as Wizards bought D&D from the ashes of TSR, and make sweeping changes in it. But they couldn't prevent people from selling the same products that are now d20; all they could do is force them to take the d20 logo off the cover and rely on the OGL alone.

Mind you, I think it'd be a tragedy if Wizards went under; they've been a tremendously innovative and revolutionary force in gaming, and continue to expand the SRD in generous ways. Also, as the owners of the D&D brand, they're also the sun that warms the orbiting third-party planets. Monte could keep making Arcana Unearthed without D&D, and he might even be able to make it occupy the center-of-the-universe spot that D&D now has -- but there'd be a couple of chilly moments for everyone when the sun went out!

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Let's assume WotC collapsed tomorrow and there was no more D&D, no more SRD, no more OGL, could Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed continue to exist as a d20 game? Or would it have to go under to?

Arcana Unearthed couldn't exist without the Open Gaming License. Fortunately, there is nothing WotC can do to kill the OGL. WotC can kill the D20-System Trademark License though.

The SRD and the OGL cannot go away without the world ending.

Back to the topic, I buy nearly everything WotC publishes that is within the D&D line. Some in the FR line I have skipped, but not many. I own D20 Modern, and I may grab D20 future if Darwin's World starts adopting parts of it. I can't imagine anything that may change my WotC buying habits, and nothing has been said in the past or recently to change it.

Not to get me pegged as only buying WotC, I buy a ton of other products by other companies.


Regards,
Eric Anondson

 

[fanboy2000]

If Washington were hit by a meteor right now, Hasbro would still own D&D. I doubt anyone here really wants to think about what Hasbro would do to D&D without Wizards of the Coast.