Dragon 334, Malhavoc's Surprise = Ptolus

[Tharen the Damned]

Knowing most of Montes products I don´t think that this will be the straight run-of-the-mill campaign setting.
The campaign and the city are both solid stuff (if you like high end high fantasy), but Monte won´t announce this as "something never done before".
So I think we can expect a lot more than just setting and adventure stuff.

I reserve my praise or bashing until I know more of what exactly "Ptolus" will be.

 

[WayneLigon]

Thank goodness. I've been hoping we'd see Ptolus in print for years, since reading the wonderful campaign logs on Monte's website and thinking 'this, this is what every D&D campaign should aspire to'.

 

[Driddle]

I'm just not sure why the Uber Secretiveness was needed. ...

People are funny.

Promotional reasons. They know how important it is to keep a low-level buzz going ahead of a new product release.

Marketing takes advantage of the fact that people are inherently funny that way.

 

[Numion]

What he said.


The world is forever changed.

"Monte Cook presents Monte Cook's City of Ptolus by Monte Cook, the original Monte Cookian homebrew where the D&D 3rd edition rules, by Monte Cook, were created and tested, by Monte Cook, in a series of adventures by Monte Cook.

I wonder myself why a large portion of gamers are so against business practises that are widely accepted outside gaming circles, ie in ordinary life. Monte is one of the few designers that have name recognition, so he uses it - why is it so difficult for some gamers to accept? Whats so bad about it?

Give the man a benefit of the doubt. Monte's ego isnt that big. He even said that the book might or might not be any good - oh the nerve! Just wait and see. Maybe the book really is something never done before.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I wonder myself why a large portion of gamers are so against business practises that are widely accepted outside gaming circles, ie in ordinary life.

Because gamers aren't ordinary. Some even begrudge ordinary folks their ordinariness.

 

[Snotlord]

Ptolus? Kewl. I hope it uses D&D rules, not the AE variant. If it does, I'm likely to buy it.

 

[Kanegrundar]

If Monte is willing to sink a year of his life into this one (and I assume it will be 3.5), could we not take from that the notion that 4e is farther away than some of the doomsayers have suggested?

There's a discussion in the publisher's forum where Mongoose Matt was alluding that 4E may be coming in '06. Monte piped in and said to MM that he would take that bet. It all depends on who you want to believe. My money is with Monte, since he's still very close with many of the current WotC designers, many of whom play in his home campaigns.

Back on track. I'm looking forward to the Ptolus CS. I've read Monte's campaign diaries for a long time now, and even though I doubt I'll ever play a straight Ptolus campaign it will be cool to see it fully fleshed out.

Kane

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

I wonder myself why a large portion of gamers are so against business practises that are widely accepted outside gaming circles, ie in ordinary life. Monte is one of the few designers that have name recognition, so he uses it - why is it so difficult for some gamers to accept? Whats so bad about it?

Give the man a benefit of the doubt. Monte's ego isnt that big. He even said that the book might or might not be any good - oh the nerve! Just wait and see. Maybe the book really is something never done before.

For me it's partly because because mr. Cook IMO, after he left WotC, was very busy telling everyone that 3rd Ed. could have been so much better if his hands hadn't been tied, how he would change things, how a better CR system is needed, how spells should be nerfed etc. This is simplified, but still. A lot of washing hands off his own work.
The same way, he knew that 3.5 was planned from the beginning, the game was designed that way, more or less. And Monte didn't care a great deal for the changes made in 3.5
So instead, he 'evolves' his own Arcana Unearthed. Was that a plan from the start like 3.5?

Secondly, I'm just not that impressed with his products.
But you're absolutely right, I should and will give the man the benefit of the doubt. The book might just be exceptionel.
Guess I just expected more from a 'big announcement' than the print form of Monte's homebrew, which has been more or less available for years already.

 

[Desdichado]

What he said

Uh, what he said was that you were being silly, and were nothing but a "basher."

 

[Nikosandros]

No one with the Dragon issue willing to post more details?

I think my copy will arrive after I leave Atlanta for about a month, so it will be a while before I can read it....