Is encounter books next?

[Nonlethal Force]

I've been saying for some time that I believe we will be seeing encounter packs with battlemaps and the necessary miniatures included.

When I first read this thread, all I could think of was how "I would so not buy a book of encounters ever." When I read the above post, I suddenly changed my tune to "Okay, I still wouldn't buy that book, but that idea I could see making it appealing for some DMs."



I do have to say, though, that a random book of encounters would do nothing for me. I like making encounters and Adventure Paths myself. If I buy a book of them, now I have to proofread them to make sure there aren't mistakes (and WotC seems to be getting worse about this lately). Personally, I'd rather come up with the idea than proofread.

 

[Frostmarrow]

I do have to say, though, that a random book of encounters would do nothing for me. I like making encounters and Adventure Paths myself.

Me I like making plots (or allow the plot to evolve from the game). Designing statblocks is just a chore.

The reason I ask is that last saturday I begun running Eyes of The Lich Queen. We ran the first chapter and there is a lot of combat and trap encounters that the players must face. However, my players started to feel a bit bored by the constant fighting so I decided to skip a few encounters. This doesn't affect much plot-wise and I can still use those encounters later. I'll just make a mental note of having unrun encounters in EoTLQ.

That's when it occurred to me that I would love to have an encounter book set i Sharn with Sharn-flavored encounters that I can use whenever the PCs return home. For this I will not need a pre-written plot.

And it is important that encounters keep being double-page spreads with statblocks and maps laid out before me. -Cause I like it that way.

 

[Festivus]

I've been saying for some time that I believe we will be seeing encounter packs with battlemaps and the necessary miniatures included.

You mean like these Compleat Encounters? Perhaps from WoTC with prepainted plastic minis though... bet the price point would be similar.

 

[Mark CMG]

You mean like these Compleat Encounters?

Similar, but more modular as individual encounters and less so as adventures (and from WotC).

Perhaps from WoTC with prepainted plastic minis though... bet the price point would be similar.

This was more in keeping with the prediction I made to a local shop owner some years back now.

 

[Steel_Wind]

The Book of Lairs series had its moments. I think the big issue with them was that they did not follow through on the concept as much as I think they could have.

The maps and art for same were pretty boring and uninteresting, most of the encounters failed to develop the tactics as well as they could have or lend real detail and inspiration, and in general the idea seemed not to be as well executed in practice as it was when originally pitched I suspect.

How to make it better?

Better art. Better maps. Better encounter tactics and development descriptions. Significant thought given to spellcasting development. Player maps without DM notations as an online product. Better and unique treasure. Better indexing so that we can not only find what we want from the product - but be able to pick and choose via level and habitat so that we can locate and lift encounter elements from it more easly as we need to.

I'd buy this product - and happily so - if WotC followed through on the concept and didn't go through the motions. It's tempting to see this as an easy to do product that you can throw inexpereienced designers at and just churn out crap for people to buy.

If WotC takes this approach - they should not be surprised when customers correctly conclude that the product is worth what WotC put into it (which is to say - not much).

But if they want to take the time to develop it properly and put the effort in - I think it's a great generic non-setting specific way to sell product, especially attractive to those who home brew.

As individual "Critical Threats", they are also easy to publish on the Web.

 

[blargney the second]

Secrets of Xen'drik has a chunk of the book devoted to something like this, only more plug&play/customizable. It's really quite a cool format!
-blarg

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Unlike adventures, for which I am almost never a customer, I would be all over 'encounter books' that could be dropped into an existing campaign, either flavored to taste or to fill a lull in the action.

Doubly so if they came with maps and minis suitable for each encounter.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Unlike adventures, for which I am almost never a customer, I would be all over 'encounter books' that could be dropped into an existing campaign, either flavored to taste or to fill a lull in the action.

Word. I'd use the nine hells out of something like this. It's like Monster Manual +!

(come to think of it, that's probably the perfect place for these 'classed npc's')

 

[takasi]

Secrets of Xen'drik and the Explorer's Handbook are the best examples so far.

However, almost all of the recent books have locations plotted out for DM's to use with no specific plot tied to them.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Do you mean something like the En Route series from Atlas games? I have one of the boosk, and thought they were great for a sudden drop-in encounter.