Call of Cthulhu d20 not reprinted?

[Brown Jenkin]

Thank you Thorin Stoutfoot for working on something, can't wait for it to come out. For those not aware I believe that many if not most of thier books are done by freelances since there are only 4 real employees at Chaosium. Their website says they are always looking for more writers, whish I had the talent to do it myself. The web site D20 Cthulhu GameMaster's Pack as comeing out late june with an adventure included, as well as a couple of other items coming out durring the summer. Hopefully the delay in getting things out will not hurt sales so we can see even more in the future as well as funding for reprints of the core rules.

 

[LcKedovan]

Another point that most people seem to forget is that there are a number of people who have written for Chaosium in the past and just because a d20 version of CoC comes out doesn't mean that those people know d20. There is a learning curve there, or as Thorin points out some d20 freelance is required. This is also all based on sales, profit, etc. etc. I think a few people posting here seem to forget that Monte did the d20 rules, and John mostly the flavour and "essay" style stuff in the book. It seems some people here suddenly expect all the Chaosium staff and freelancers to have the depth of d20 that Monte has and therefore have already released material shortly after the Rules release. Somehow it seems some "sanity" checks are required here.

EDIT: I also don't see any comments how Delta Green d20 also didn't ride the wave of initial release... and John bloody well co-wrote the d20 book.. imagine that, companies without the amount of cash and money that Hasbro/WotC has.

-Will

 

[jaerdaph]

I never liked Chaosium or their products. I don't think they have any intention of providing proper or timely support for CofC d20. It's been forever, and no support products have materialized, despite promises.

Uh, Chaosium has *always* said on their website they would start publishing d20 CoC material in the summer of 2002. Last I checked, summer 2002 began last Friday - a mere 4 days ago.

Seriously, take a chill pill, dude.

And check the Web site - the d20 CoC GM's Pack is at the printer, the Pulp Cthulhu d20 setting is due soon, and there's already one d20CoC/Classic BRP CoC duo stat supplement in the works - a Dunwich sourcebook.

As for never liking Chaosium's products, well, I guess there's no accounting for taste:

The Complete Masks of Nyarlathotep classic CoC mega-adventure was probably one of the best RPG adventure supplements written for any RPG system ever.

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

Yes, Masks may have been great, but in order for me to know that, Chaosium would have had to already have hooked me on Call of Cthulhu... otherwise, there's little point in picking up Masks.

I still think Chaosium should have provided quicker product support for CoC d20. The forward momentum has been killed, IMO.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

I still think Chaosium should have provided quicker product support for CoC d20. The forward momentum has been killed, IMO.

I gotta agree. Love CoC and glad they did a d20 version, but three months after the book came out and the GM's screen still isn't out? It's probably because there's an adventure included with it, but still.... It's bad business not to have supplemental products ready to go soon after the core product is released. That's why we have NDAs.

Pinnacle released Weird Wars last year at GenCon. First supplement didn't come out for months (December, I think--four months later). They recently announced they're dropping the d20 line of Weird Wars stuff--once the stuff currently in the pipe is gone, no more d20 Weird Wars; just Weird Wars with their new "Wild Card" system. I think the lack of quick support--especially for "basic" rules like flying & aircraft--did not help Weird Wars build a strong d20 base.

CoC has a big advantage over Weird Wars--a built-in fan-base. Unfortunately, I don't think the existing CoC fan-base is clamoring for d20. As someone who spent $40 for the d20 book, I'll be pretty angry if they drop the line after a year ("poor sales") and just tell everyone to convert to the original system.

If the goal of CoC d20 was to get new blood into the game....well, Chaosium may have bled the patient dry before the first transfusion hit the stores.....

 

[Corinth]

D20 CoC doesn't follow the default rules for RPG product design due to the specific nature of the deal between WOTC and Chaosium that allowed it to happen in the first place. Chief amongst them is that everything but the rulebook is up to Chaosium to deal with.

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

...everything but the rulebook is up to Chaosium to deal with.

Which is exactly why this intolerable delay is Chaosium's fault.


As to Weird Wars---I really wanted to see this--it came out around the same time as Return To Castle Wolfenstein CRPG--but their distribution was so bad that it never showed up in my local game store (who gets 99% of d20 releases). Nothing from Weird Wars ever showed up. It's small wonder it flopped if it can't get proper distribution.

 

[jaerdaph]

Yes, Masks may have been great, but in order for me to know that, Chaosium would have had to already have hooked me on Call of Cthulhu... otherwise, there's little point in picking up Masks.

And that's your loss, and a great loss it is. Chaosium has over 20 years worth of CoC material out there, and much of it could be easily converted to d20 CoC with minimal effort. Just pick up one CoC modern or CoC 1920's collection of adventures from your local game shop and this could certainly hold you over for 2-3 months. Don't you play other settings as well? I seem to recall you are a big fan of Spycraft and Kalamar. Gamer to gamer, I don't see how a 2-3 month "delay" can be such a huge problem for you, not if you actually play all the games you say you do. Realistically, it's not as catastropic or "intolerable" as you make it out to be.

Really, Kantrip, your expectations of RPG publishers and the reality of the industry tend to be a little unrealistic and more about "instant gratification" (this can unfortunately be said of a lot of people in the hobby, so sorry to just pick on you here, Kaptain K. ).

I still think Chaosium should have provided quicker product support for CoC d20. The forward momentum has been killed, IMO.

I seriously doubt that d20 CoC is doomed after only two and a half months. There's still a lot of buzz for d20 CoC on other forums elsewhere around the Net. En World, especially the En World message boards, is really great and all, but it is hardly the only d20 forum there is, and certainly not the main d20 CoC forum - and Lord knows the d20 bashers at RPGNet can't seem to let it go!

Anyhow, Peace!

 

[bushfire]

CoC Writer Guidelines

For those that are interested Chaosium has Writer Guidelines up for CoC D20
http://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu/d20cthulhu/d20cocguidelines.shtml

 

[JoeGKushner]

Why do people keep talking about how easy it is to convert D20 product to BRP and then talk about how few people Chaosium has? I mean if it's so easy, CHaosium should be able to do it. End of story. Heck, if their support of CoC is anything like Elric, shelf the book now.