ELH in the SRD?

[I'm A Banana]

Hurm...VERY glad to hear the D&Dg and ELH will go in...I'll be able to hit up some companies selling my services and souls with my god-geekiness.

I'd like the Manual of the Planes, but a LOT of that I'd see as being kept as product identity (maybe the mechanics for things like demiplanes, but the Great Wheel and all would remain intellectual property of Wizardcs, I'd guess). I'd actually prefer Savage Species before OA, though...OA is great, but most of it is 'flavor crunch,' whereas SS would be more universally useful to publishers. Like the ELH, it could allow a lot of companies to take a crack at the new rules.

BoVD I actually wouldn't like to see...there's enough cool stuff out there for evil as it is, and new rules come up all the time. BoVD does nothing truly new or innovative rules-wise that can't be a reasonably implemented thing for another company (same with OA, actually...)

Yeah. The Manual would be nice. And Savage Species would be EXCELLENT!

 

[Bendris Noulg]

I'd like the Manual of the Planes, but a LOT of that I'd see as being kept as product identity (maybe the mechanics for things like demiplanes, but the Great Wheel and all would remain intellectual property of Wizardcs, I'd guess).

This is all speculation, of course, but I'm pretty confident to say that Chapter 1 is a fair bet since without it any other released material would be kinda pointless.

The Great Wheel would likely remain non-Open (note that Wizard's products do not contain Open Content and Product Identity... There's a long explaination of the difference, but basically the SRD is where WotC makes the distinction), as would a few other possibilities. I'd expect Chapter 1, and at least some sections of Chapter 2 and 3. The Plane of Shadow might go SRD by merit of being designed to connect divergent cosmologies (not releasing it would seem to defeat the purpose). Astral and Ethereal due to their universal application (as well as being mentioned in the SRD already: Non-corporeal undead and Astral Constructs, for example). Actually, that last would include the Plane of Shadow (Shadow Walk).

Hmmm... A MotP release might be meatier than one would expect.

 

[BrooklynKnight]

honestly, with Grayhawk on the way out.........it wouldnt suprise me if somewhere down the road they just decided to make Grayhawk OGL....

I mean, it would suck for FFG cause of the recent stuff, but i just kinda feel in the pit of my stomach that it may happen next year or something.

 

[Olive]

I'll bet that the "winner" will be one of the Manual of the Planes, Oriental Adventures, or the Book of Vile Darkness.

And any of those three i would be happy with!

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi Zulkir mate!

Folks,

Yes, the ELH and Deities will go into the SRD. We don't schedule that happening we just look at the amount of work and make our best guess. Currently it still looks like both will go into the SRD sometime around the July release. Likely the ELH will be first. With a bit of luck it might even come out before 3.5.

Okay that gives me two months plus spare change to get the Immortals Handbook finished *goes back to work*.

After that we will likely take a poll of d20 publishers and ask them what they want to go into the SRD next.

AV

Well I'm not a publisher per se but after the two books you mention (ELH and D&Dg) the majority of comments I have read over the past year are hoping Manual of the Planes gets the nod.

 

[maddman75]

Well, yes and no.

In theory, yes: There's nothing stopping anyone right now from writing rules directly related to play after 20th level so long as nothing is dependant on the ELH material.

One major no: Technically, the Experience Point table for post 20th-Level is off-limits due to its placement within ELH, even though it is a natural extention of pre-21st Level (current level x 1000 to gain next level). I'd imagine that it's too thin a line for many to consider messing with at this point in time. This limitation, be it real or perceived, will naturally go away after SRD release, however.

Note, however, that this can be ignored by not using the d20STL and just publishing as an OGL product with an Experience Point table.

Well, since I wouldn't *want* any ELH material, the first is no big deal. As far as the second, you could simply not list the XP table and trust to the reader to figure it out. Or give them the formula. Can't copyright math.

What I'd like to see is something that lets characters continue to grow without the insane power escalation. Part of my concept would be '20th level is as powerful as mortals get'. BAB and Saves would be capped, and skill ranks capped at 23. Otherwise you get the 'modifier more important than the die roll problem'. Maybe allow them some new spells or special abilites, but not this thousand hit point, immune to everything, swim up a waterfall nonsense. Can't describe how much it turns me off.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

Otherwise you get the 'modifier more important than the die roll problem'.

Agreed. A few things I've found counter these issues easily and immediately:

1. Wounds & Vitality. Regardless of how much Vitality you have, damage to Wounds can still take you out quickly.

2. Oppose Rolls as often as possible.

2A. Defense Rolls (DMG, page 64), combined with a Defense Rating (per Modern) keeps Attack Rolls (BAB + EAB) in check.

2B. Spell Rolls (DMG, page 96) do the same for Saving Throws.

2C. Monte Cook's article on Opposed Rolls, although I consider it "a good start".

3. Aptitude Cap; You Skill Ranks can't exceed the Ability Score that modifies it.

Further, I basically cut a line through the ELH, between what I call High Level Play and Epic Status. High Level Play is stuff that seems like a natural extension of the first 20 Levels, while Epic Status (which requires some kind of in-game event to come into play) brings in the rest (but also retargets the game from the physical to the metaphysical). Epic Status also removes the Aptitude Cap (and the gap in Skill Ranks and Max Rank is quickly closed by allowing Intelligence increases to retroactively grant Skill Points).

It's kinda like the difference between Conan and Sandman.

Obviously, unless you "go Epic" (as my group refers to it), you very much retain a number of mortal limits, and generally don't become that much more powerful (although you do become easily more versatile). Once you "go Epic", then affairs of the game turn away from the physical world and more into realms where you once again find yourself a small fish, except instead of being in a big lake, you're now in a big ocean.

Anyhow, just rambling... Can't wait for that SRD release so I can post the details.