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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 5831355" data-attributes="member: 27780">Dragon Magazine annual 1999 part 3/7The epic fantasy campaign continues: Where a real selling point of the Realms is that it's too big for a single story, Krynn consciously goes for the opposite approach - that it's small enough for everything to be tied together. Well, that's certainly a good way to differentiate your settings. Actually, this brings up an important point. While having too many active settings simultaneously may result in diminishing returns, having two or three and encouraging a rivalry between them can result in lots of free publicity, boosting sales for all involved. And if this rivalry involves multiple properties by the same company, then they win whoever wins. It's really very clever. But anyway, this continues their highly optimistic tone, saying that Krynn has a bright future, and the SAGA system will continue onwards. Depending on how far they plan their products ahead, they may well be lying through their teeth. It seems like the more forcedly cheery they act, the more cynical I become in response. Am I just being a big party pooper, or is this entirely justified in light of factual knowledge. The gods of krynn: Our Dragonlance article for this issue is unfortunately mostly recycled. Admittedly, the old Dragonlance boxed set where the gods got fully detailed is out of print now. But still, it's not as if it's that hard to find. However, there are some new elements here. Firstly, they've had Tome of Magic spheres added to their portfolios, making their priests a little better rounded. And secondly, we have a backconversion of the new Mystic class from the SAGA system, finally giving people in that world the option of creating their own valid faiths which no-one can say aren't legitimate, save through debate and self-examination. (although they're less mechanically differentiated than they will be in 3e. ) So this certainly isn't useless, but does feel like it was an easy target, written because they weren't feeling particularly inspired, but needed to get something out there for this annual. If they weren't also trying to make it accessible to casual readers, the new info here could have been condensed down to a couple of pages. Not satisfying. They came from outer space: Despite their attempts at positivity, Alternity's product schedule doesn't look particularly great. Two books for each setting? Even the smaller White Wolf gamelines like Changeling and KotE are getting more than that. Plus they're dropping the price of their corebooks, which you don't normally do unless you have a ton of backstock that isn't moving, or a new edition coming out soon. Plus they're publishing another book in electronic format, which sounds like a cool move embracing the future, but is also likely because they're not sure if it's going to sell, and not too optimistic. Well, embracing new technologies and distribution methods is a positive thing anyway. It's interesting that they did so much work to promote .pdfs, only to drop it all just as the rest of gaming was catching up. I suppose that's the thing about maintaining a significant management and staff turnover. There will be sudden and radical shifts in direction as a result. The kindness of strangers: This is promising. Looks like this year's module is going to be an Alternity one. A full 16 pager too. Of course, that isn't really enough for a fully detailed open-ended adventure, so instead we have a combination of railroady bits and small site based exploration sections where the PC's actually can make some meaningful choices. It's not completely impossible to avoid being screwed over at the end, and losing the Macguffins, but it does seem fairly likely, with quite a specific sequence of actions required and a few lucky dice rolls as well. Experienced players who stay in paranoia mode might manage it, but if they're as novice as their characters are supposed to be, I don't rate their odds. Still, even if they lose, this is an invitation to further plot developments, so it's not all bad, and much of the railroading is of the behind the scenes, this plot point will happen whichever route you choose, which a good GM can keep the players from noticing. Overall, I'd rate this as medium, It's a little too keen on it's predetermined plot bits, but not totally without opportunities for the players to create their own story. That's better than a lot of adventures these days.</blockquote>

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