Is Kenzer In Trouble?

[twofalls]

I hope so - their products are crap.

Kenzerco offers some of the finest roleplaying products on the market. But please, let us know what you like so I know what to avoid. <friendly jab>

 

[Azgulor]

I hope so - their products are crap.

Despite that compelling argument, I have to disagree.

By itself, the Kalamar setting is the best traditional fantasy setting on the market. All of the strengths of Greyhawk back in the day with few of its shortcomings.

Kalamar Atlas - for anyone who loves maps (and c'mon, who doesn't) this is the coolest RPG product I've ever seen. Strictly from a DM utility standpoint, it provides a ton of detail in terms of town, city, and to a lesser extent village placement. As I described it to one of my players, "It's a DM's dream. It took care of the more tedious heavy lifting so I can spend time working on adventures."

Based on what I've seen of their racial books (I only own the Orc and Hobgoblin books thus far), they are the best racial sourcebooks on the market. They made the races distinctive while seamlessly integrating them into the setting while staying true to the core Monster Manual.

Their adventure modules are well-written and enjoyable, if not earth-shattering in the innovation department. They also use their ImageQuest illustrations to help highlight parts of the adventure and although it's a gimmick, it's a cool one.

But then, maybe it's me.

 

[JoeGKushner]

If for no other reason than that Mark Plemmons seems like a genuinely fine person, I hope Kenzer & Company is around for a long, long time.

Thumbs up to that. He's a good guy who showed me where my local Mitsuwa market was. (I felt stupid that I didn't know where it was considering it's like five minutes from my apartment.)

 

[glass]

I hope so - their products are crap.

That's a bit harsh isn't it. We are talking about real peoples livelyhoods, after all.


glass.

 

[Crothian]

Kenzer is probably th e one d20 company I don't have enough of their stuff. THey do good books and have some great ideas but we just don't hear about it here as much since it seems most of their fans hang out on their own boards.

 

[Jupp]

This company makes some very fine RPG stuff, not to forget Dwarven Dig....endless hours of fun with that game!

 

[trancejeremy]

I find some of their products offensive (their versions of classic D&D modules which mock the originals) and I find Kalamar pretty bland. But they are seemingly always well done and look like they put a lot of effort into them. Which is rare.

Still, my guess would be is that like most d20 companies, they are just cutting back a little on the release schedule. Though as mentioned a couple times, I did see they are teaming up with Necromancer Games, who seemingly has more cool products in the works than any 1 (or 2 or now 3) publishers can handle.

 

[Nyarlathotep]

Do they make one of their cool DM screens that isn't Kalamar specific?

 

[Desdichado]

I hope so - their products are crap.

Y'know, you could just not buy them, instead of say insulting things here for no good reason. I have few Kenzer products, but if I were in the market for a traditional D&D campaign setting (which I'm not really) Kalamar would be my choice; it'd blow away Greyhawk and FR both easily. I'm still tempted to pick up both the hobgoblin and orc books anyway.

 

[Gentlegamer]

I find some of their products offensive (their versions of classic D&D modules which mock the originals)

KenzerCo holds the license to AD&D and may publish versions of old AD&D and D&D material, provided that it is done as "parody" or "silly." Each "Hacked" module must be approved by WotC . . . early HACKMASTER modules like Little Keep on the Borderlands were far less "silly" than later modules, but only because WotC was rejecting their dafts as "not silly enough" under their license. It is believed that KenzerCo is working on their own system under which to publish HACKMASTER that will allow them to publish without the parody element.