Just got Dragon 315 - Campaign Classics

[Alzrius]

I can do without phlogistons and crystal shells (representing published or homebrewed settings) but I will not do without the flying ships that can travel through space.

Bully for you, but most of the rest of the fans can't. That's why, when Erik Mona wrote his preview for the SJ mini-game and criticized the original, he got a flood of indignant mail.

I mean really, who ever thought that when they first saw Spelljammer did they think, "ooh, I hope they have phlogistons and crystal shells in it"?

Probably the same number of people who thought "Ooh, I hope they have cannibal halflings and muls!" when they bought the Dark Sun boxed set.

But like it or not, if Spelljammer is going to be re-introduced to the new audience, it needs to be re-invented.

And like it or not, you're wrong. What we saw in the mini-game wasn't SJ being reinvented, it was SJ with most of its components completely removed. You can't just get rid of the things the fans know and love.

Otherwise, catering to the same number of Spelljammer audience (last counted back in the 90's) is not going to support it for long.

Which masterfully forgets to take into account the existing audience that has never heard of SJ but would enjoy it now.

It first needs to have its own base setting to build upon that is different from Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, Eberron, and Dragonlance.

It already has that. It's called the Rock of Bral, along with campaign specifics such as the Unhuman Wars, the Astromundi Cluster, the Vodoni Empire, and even the Spelljammer itself. What you're talking about is the classic misconception that SJ's detractors always mistakenly tout - SJ was more than just a mish-mash of the existing campaign worlds; they were the icing on the cake, not the cake itself.

It also need a novel line that DOES NOT use a character from Dragonlance as the leading iconic figure associated with Spelljammer.

Well, I would like to see new novels too, but there was nothing wrong with a character who happened to be born on Krynn. I looked at Teldin Moore's being from Krynn as something of a light jab at the Dragonlance series, given that its the world of so much epic adventure.

It has to be unique, for its own brand to flourish.

And it can be unique while still have connections to those other worlds. It's disheartening how few people seem to realize that.

 

[Ranger REG]

Rokugan (and L5R) used to be WotC's IP when they acquired Five Ring Publishing Group (and Ryan Dancey). They sold the entire IP to AEG.

Dragon Fist, which actually never made into print, just TSR/WotC first e-book game product, is sold back to Chris Pramas, who may publish it in print under his company label, Green Ronin.

Wizards' right to Lankhmar is probably expired or terminated.

Wizards' contract with Robert Jordan regarding Wheel of Time have been fulfilled (one core rulebook and one supplement).

Kalamar is fully published by Kenzer & Co. but endorsed by WotC as a D&D product.

As for the others, the issue would have been too big to include them all, and there may be issues to the authors' right to those products published under the TSR label (not all of them agreed on a work-for-hire contract).

 

[Ranger REG]

A flood? I thought it was a piddle.

You might as well add my name to his or PM me some indignant mail because I have never been a fan of phlogiston and crystal shells. Never. All I care about is flying ships through space and spelljamming helm. Period. And that's the fact, ma'am.

<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_1_102.gif' border=0></a>

 

[Alzrius]

Rokugan (and L5R) used to be WotC's IP when they acquired Five Ring Publishing Group (and Ryan Dancey). They sold the entire IP to AEG.

Dragon Fist, which actually never made into print, just TSR/WotC first e-book game product, is sold back to Chris Pramas, who may publish it in print under his company label, Green Ronin.

Wizards' right to Lankhmar is probably expired or terminated.

Wizards' contract with Robert Jordan regarding Wheel of Time have been fulfilled (one core rulebook and one supplement).

Kalamar is fully published by Kenzer & Co. but endorsed by WotC as a D&D product.

Thanks for the reiteration of the things I pretty much already said.

As for the others, the issue would have been too big to include them all, and there may be issues to the authors' right to those products published under the TSR label (not all of them agreed on a work-for-hire contract).

I'm not complaining, I'm just pointing them out.

 

[Alzrius]

A flood? I thought it was a piddle.

It was enough that he wrote in a second time to offer up an apology and explanation. You don't get that with a piddle.

 

[Ranger REG]

I can't believe Erik Mona caved and apologized. Paizo did that when he reduced mini-games to four a year, offer more pages to Dungeon.

<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_13_4.gif' border=0></a>

 

[Olive]

Whya re you all assuming that it was space issues that stopped there from being a SJ article? It could have been anything, but most likely would have been an author not getting the article in on time and not letting them know until it was too late to comission another.

 

[Dark Jezter]

Forgotten Realms: Sin eaters of Eilistraee

You know... for a Lesser Goddess, Eilistraee sure does get a disproportionately high amount of attention.

I guess a lot of people must really like the idea of a good drow goddess who dances naked in the moonlight.

 

[dlane001]

Must have the sha'ir!

Well, for all the talk of Spelljammer, it is the d20 sha'ir that I must have. I'm running a short d20 Al-Qadim adventure at GenCon next weekend and I want that sha'ir article! Even if Paizo hadn't messed up my Dragon subscription, I'm not sure I'd get it in time. And the subscriptions supposedly come out before game stores get the issue (definitely before MY local shop gets it), so I'm pretty much hosed.

Can somebody give me a rundown of the article? Pretty please?

-Derek
derek _at_ lane.name

 

[Olive]

Can somebody give me a rundown of the article? Pretty please?

I'd love to know more as well!