Disappointed with AU

[Ranger REG]

He should make a GM guide for his product line alone, IMHO. Otherwise AU GM are left out in the cold, especially those who never heard nor never want to touch D&D for the rest of their lives.

Sure, he can pitch it to us, who have already been exposed to d20 and OGL, and we can make the cryptic connection without having it spelled out in the book, but he should follow the same format as EverQuest RPG line.

 

[Varianor Abroad]

PLEASE NOTE: I'm not saying that I've been lied to or jipped. I'm just disappointed.

I understood that Arcana Unearthed was going to be a stand-alone game, that I didn't need the DMG or the MM. However, AU support products (such as the Diamond Throne) are assuming that you own the DMG and the MM (which I don't). I think the AU concept and setting are great and they deserve to have their own (and only their own) monsters, magic items, etc. I don't think that non-AU sources should be necessary to fully use AU products. If someone wants to add non-AU stuff to his AU game, fine. If Monte wants to provide conversion notes, fine. But this kind of thing should be completely optional and not assumed. Any product that says "Arcana Unearthed" on it should not require the use of any non-AU products.

Did you know that the Land of the Diamond Throne sourcebook has monsters, magic items, and Prestige Classes? Additional free support written by fans is also available at www.diamondthrone.com. Have you had a chance to visit?

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

Did you know that the Land of the Diamond Throne sourcebook has monsters, magic items, and Prestige Classes? Additional free support written by fans is also available at www.diamondthrone.com. Have you had a chance to visit?

I hasten to add:

Diamond Throne's a great sourcebook. I really hope he puts out some sort of Diamond Throne Campaign Setting big giant tome, as the sourcebook really wet my whistle for more.

Montecook.com is a great resource as well.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

And in fact, you don`t need the DMG or MM to play an AU game. You might lack some things (how do I adjucate Experience Points?), obviously, but I bet there are role playing games that lack more information for play than this book.

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Desdichado]

PLEASE NOTE: I'm not saying that I've been lied to or jipped. I'm just disappointed.

I understood that Arcana Unearthed was going to be a stand-alone game, that I didn't need the DMG or the MM. However, AU support products (such as the Diamond Throne) are assuming that you own the DMG and the MM (which I don't). I think the AU concept and setting are great and they deserve to have their own (and only their own) monsters, magic items, etc. I don't think that non-AU sources should be necessary to fully use AU products. If someone wants to add non-AU stuff to his AU game, fine. If Monte wants to provide conversion notes, fine. But this kind of thing should be completely optional and not assumed. Any product that says "Arcana Unearthed" on it should not require the use of any non-AU products.

Why would that disappoint you? Do you not have a DMG or MM?

 

[Henry]

Actually, JD, he pointed that out in the post you quoted.


I'd like to also point out that all of Monte's AU releases since the original book have been d20! Only the first book is truly OGL. The rest, because it does not include character creation info, can be d20 by license.


In regards to Geoffrey's point: Since the SRD is widely available, it's not too much of a stretch to assume that 99% of AU owners will have access to necessary material from the DMG or Monster Manual, with a few small exceptions. However, The most important thing to look at is the advice given in the Diamond Throne book from Monte, about keeping AU flavor consistent, what to include and what not to (such as removing boots of speed, removing things that auto-create food and water, etc.) If you follow those guidelines, anything you create on the fly or draw from another game product will keep similar flavor.


As an aside, the one thing I hate is Monte's Elemental Damages, side by side with his energy types. I can see a Weapon of Frost, but a Weapon of Water, that does extra damage? A Weapon of earth or air? I'm not visualizing how a Water or Wind weapon that does 1d6 damage does its extra damage. Maybe the water magically fills the creature's flesh with water upon damage, causing cell rupture or something like that, but how about air?

 

[Varianor Abroad]

As an aside, the one thing I hate is Monte's Elemental Damages, side by side with his energy types. I can see a Weapon of Frost, but a Weapon of Water, that does extra damage? A Weapon of earth or air? I'm not visualizing how a Water or Wind weapon that does 1d6 damage does its extra damage. Maybe the water magically fills the creature's flesh with water upon damage, causing cell rupture or something like that, but how about air?

I visualize it as the destructive force of wind, similar to that which can drive a straw through a palm tree. Maybe it's tiny particles moving at 60 mph for a split second or something?

Actually, I find the whole 3E damage types to be problematic to imagine. There's only cold, fire, lightning, acid and sonic? It's terribly weird to me that these are the ony forms in the universe (well excepting the strange special case of "impact" damage). I just shrug and suspend my disbelief because it doesn't bother any of my players. (Durn it. It should.) So having extra elemental types makes more sense to me.

 

[Desdichado]

D'oh! I just assumed anyone posting to these boards would have D&D... weird.

 

[Ranger REG]

Well, you know the old cliche about "assume."

 

[Geoffrey]

In his posts Ranger REG has taken the words out of my mouth.

It was the fact that the AU book was published under the OGL rather than the d20 license that made me think that AU support products would also be OGL. Also, Monte several times in his design diaries or messageboards (I don't remember which) said that there would be two types of AU players: 1) purists who used just AU, and 2) those who mixed their AU with D&D. This further led me to suppose that all AU products would be OGL instead of d20.

Like I said, I'm not saying I was lied to or anything. I just wish the AU product line was more like I imagined it would be.