D&D Brand Manager of Fluff

[BiggusGeekus]

Would these be new settings or current but fallow settings? For example would a 300 page Planescape, Ravenloft, or Dark Sun setting book be enough for everyone?

Well, I'm not really into Ravenloft and I disliked the direction Dark Sun took literally a few months after it was published.

Planescape. Would I buy just one book? Given my purchasing habits, probably. But I'd have to have that first book.

What it would take to get me to buy future Planescape books ... good question. I can see myself buying planescape PDFs off of Gleemax or subscribing to Gleemax for Planescape support. But if there was an adventure on Gleemax that included a prestige class and a monster found in a paper Planescape book, that would not be enough for me to get the book. Planescape books would have to have some seriously freaky stuff in them for me to pick them up as paper products.

I'm saying this in the spirit of complete honesty: what I suspect that I really want is for other people to play Planescape and for me to see it on the game store shelves. That's pretty selfish of me, I know.

Though now that I think about it, I did buy Mongoose's Paranoia XP and one supporting book. I did that based completely on the fluff. I couldn't even tell you what dice Paranoia XP uses, but I do know that I'm irritated that they didn't use the punny names. So, given my consumer habits of the past, I think it's probable that I'd buy a supporting Planescape book.

I'm not making a good case for a franchise I want to see, am I?

 

[s.j. bagley]

Would these be new settings or current but fallow settings? For example would a 300 page Planescape, Ravenloft, or Dark Sun setting book be enough for everyone?

well, i don't know about 'enough.'
fans would want more, but i'd take whatever i could get as far as that goes.
however, books like that combined with support through the new digital initiative might be interesting.

 

[Glyfair]

Setting-Specific (3)
Eberron: Maybe something discussing warforged, the dragonmarked houses, and artificers in more detail. Get some crunch and a lot of stories, politics, and discussion of the machines of war.
Eberron Rising Nations seems like a good book for DMs, a little less so for players.

Planes. They have barely been touched and are one of the areas where Eberron varies far from the core. There would be some crunch (I'm a firm believer in a nice mix), but mostly atmosphere.

Would these be new settings or current but fallow settings? For example would a 300 page Planescape, Ravenloft, or Dark Sun setting book be enough for everyone?

Everyone? Don't you know by now you won't please everyone?

I would support a periodic release of a limited campaign setting. Make each one a core book and perhaps a support book, or give periodic online support (a couple of adventures, a couple of web enhancements).

I suggest rotating between classic and new settings. Ghostwalk had some great ideas and was mostly unfortunate in being released for 3.0 after 3.5 was announced. Some of the Polyhedron d20 mini-games had some great ideas that could have been expanded to a full book. There are plenty of new ideas out there that everything shouldn't be retreads.

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

Would these be new settings or current but fallow settings? For example would a 300 page Planescape, Ravenloft, or Dark Sun setting book be enough for everyone?

Echoing others, one print campaign setting book and then support from the Digital Initiative would certainly be enough. I would (if I weren't a poor gamer and a hundred years [literally, I figured it out once based on my current buying rate] behind on my collection) buy every darn one of these, both the old settings and any new weirdness that might pop up.

 

[qstor]

The World of Greyhawk Campaign Setting: The grand revival of the greatest setting in the History of DnD, 352 pages.[.

This would be at the TOP of my list if I was Brand Manger of Fluff

Then the Fey and Giants and Historical Campaign books. Nice sugguestions all!

Mike

 

[vongarr]

1. Villains of Eberron - Give a chapter to each organization. Detail each group's main lair, it's leadership, and how much influence it has (with example of what it has done) This would be mostly fluff, the crunch being the locations and the stats on NPCS.

2. Cities of Eberron - I'm getting tired of starting from just a name and a location. Cover the big ones (Korranberg, Newthrone, etc.) and give at least a short paragraph on most. I guess there would be PrC's and feats, but it doesn't need them.

3. How to melt your player's face - A guide on DM tricks to mechanically overcome what the PC's can do to you at higher levels. Inventive traps would have a place here as well.

4. A REAL dungeon ecology book.

5. Expedition to the tomb of horrors - Update the updated second edition box set.

6. Planes of Eberron - Self explanatory. Give us some details on the planes.

I'm out. Can't think of two more.

 

[qstor]

Would these be new settings or current but fallow settings? For example would a 300 page Planescape, Ravenloft, or Dark Sun setting book be enough for everyone?

You're forgetting Greyhawk

Mike

 

[vongarr]

I echo the thoughts of a big setting specific book. Make it clear to the writers that short of adventures, this all that's being printed about said setting.

 

[DaveMage]

Would these be new settings or current but fallow settings? For example would a 300 page Planescape, Ravenloft, or Dark Sun setting book be enough for everyone?

A one-shot planescape would not be enough - too much to cover in one book. It would have to be a series.

A one-shot Dark Sun would be cool.

Ravenloft has already been done for this edition extensively by white wolf - more is not needed. For 4e, however, a one-shot would be fine.

 

[Fifth Element]

I would suggest the Complete Left-Handed Albino Elven Bard's Handbook, just because so many people refer to it (and other similar works), and yet I've never actually seen it.