D20 Dark Matter at the WotC site

[HeapThaumaturgist]

I own both the core books and the core books on PDF (I forgot to pack my core books, so I just paid out the 10 bucks so I could still have access to them across the country).

I ran games for several months out of the PDFs. Granted, I already had read the rules in the books, and it has been about two years since I did this, but there you go.

--fje

 

[Angel Tarragon]

So, who has preordered it? I'll be placing mine on July 1st.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I have bad news on the third party angle. You can only use what is in the MSRD. Things like classes and monsters might make it in, but you won't find Dark Matter setting material in the MSRD. You can still write adventures in the D*M style rather than the Urban Arcana style, as long as you don't mention the Hoffmann Institute or things like that.

 

[2WS-Steve]

I have bad news on the third party angle. You can only use what is in the MSRD. Things like classes and monsters might make it in, but you won't find Dark Matter setting material in the MSRD. You can still write adventures in the D*M style rather than the Urban Arcana style, as long as you don't mention the Hoffmann Institute or things like that.

I understand that, currently, there's no Dark*Matter material in the SRD -- however, WotC has made the surprising move of allowing publishers, via the d20 STL, to say that their books require Urban Arcana, and put much of the Urban Arcana material into the SRD -- including organizations and characters names.

There's still at least hope that they might do the same for Dark*Matter after release.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

I think what was being discussed was the possibility of some currently IP elements being stuck in the OGC for the MSRD.

Which I DOUBT, heavily, but should it come to pass...

As it is, most of the iconic D*M monsters ended up OGC in the Menace Manual and Department-7 can be pretty much anything.

Here's hoping they're interested in some modules for the website.

--fje

 

[Ranger REG]

I understand that, currently, there's no Dark*Matter material in the SRD -- however, WotC has made the surprising move of allowing publishers, via the d20 STL, to say that their books require Urban Arcana, and put much of the Urban Arcana material into the SRD -- including organizations and characters names.

There's still at least hope that they might do the same for Dark*Matter after release.

I don't think so. Despite the allowance -- which BTW does not include citing or referencing chapters in Urban Arcana book -- Dark*Matter is too valuable a trademarked brand for WotC to let it out of their creative control.

 

[jaerdaph]

FYI, now up at WotC: The Origin of Dark•Matter (includes d20 Modern D•M Table of Contents):

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20modern/article/20060606a

 

[Kanegrundar]

Sounds like much of the setting material will remain unchanged. I like the Shades of Grey material being added, since I don't have that copy of Dungeon. Exit 23 is a good opening adventure, even though I've ran it twice in two different systems.

I'm looking forward to it.

 

[Ranger REG]

So, when are they going to finally put out a Dark*Matter novel?

With the popularity of The Da Vinci Code, National Treasure, and NBC's reality game show, Treasure Hunters, how could you not ride on that coattail?

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Heh. Actually they put out four, and Monte wrote the fourth. It was supposed to be a five-book series, I think, or at least they had press for five.

A friend of mine had the first three and loaned them out to me. They weren't terrible and I was even a bit into them. Could never find the 4th and they're all OOP now. Probably pick them up from online used dealers.

I know two people I'd like to see do Dark*Matter novels. Jon Rogers is one of them.

I need an agent, though.

--fje