D&D 5E Light release schedule: More harm than good?

[Nellisir]

Ok I guess it's time we all write down our ideal release schedule [emoji1]
Mine includes:
Dungeon Magazine (6 issues/year); Dragon Magazine (6 issues/year)
1 Campaign Setting book/year; 1 Adventure book/year; 1 Player's Options book/year; 1 free adventure/month for the basic rules
That's it.

I'd add a Monster Manual to the schedule for a few years.

 

[Eric V]

Actually you could do it as you run it. If you have time to DM and read the module then you can convert them. None of the modules are built around the mechanics of Pathfinder.

...?

There are no mechanics in Paizo mods? Ok, cool.

 

[Parmandur]

None that are not easily convertible; any D&D module can be run as is with limited work for the DM.

 

[Parmandur]

Ideal schedule:

- Big crossover AP in Spring and Fall (since this is a given)

- Campaign setting boxed set in the summer, full of setting info and smaller adventure(s)

- Further MM like supplements every year: Creature Catalog, Fiend Folio, etc.

-Adventurers League material made generally available

-One big rule expansion every year, thematically based: Psionics, etc.

Time will tell what we get.

 

[Sailor Moon]

...?

There are no mechanics in Paizo mods? Ok, cool.

Never said that.

 

[Nellisir]

...?
There are no mechanics in Paizo mods? Ok, cool.

I think what's meant is that none of the adventures are built around some specific PF rule quirk. You can run the adventures with whatever system you like. You will have to convert mechanics/monsters, but it's not terrible and you should be able to wing most of it.

 

[Parmandur]

You could pretty much run them as is, just tone down the AC and attack bonuses.

 

[Eric V]

What does "Not built around the mechanics of Pathfinder" mean?

 

[Jester David]

I think what's meant is that none of the adventures are built around some specific PF rule quirk. You can run the adventures with whatever system you like. You will have to convert mechanics/monsters, but it's not terrible and you should be able to wing most of it.

A lot of the APs are.
Jade Regent has the caravan rules, Skull & Shackles as ship combat, Kingmaker has kingdom building, Wrath of the Righteous has mythic and mass combat, Carrion Crown has madness, and so on. There's very often a subsystem of mechanic that would need to be converted.
Plus you'd also need to convert the treasure, since PCs need far less gold. And the number of encounters and overall length would need to be watched.

Not insurmountable, but something to warned about. It's not just swapping monsters.

 

[Jester David]

Exactly this. It's terrible business strategy to tell your customers to go buy someone else's products.

Many businesses are built around components.

How many video game console makers rely on games released by other companies?
Microsoft doesn't sell PC hardware but expects you to go to other companies to get the parts to run their software (and the hardware companies don't sell the O/S needed to use their components).
TV manufacturers expect you to buy other products or services to run their devices.

I'm sure I could think of lots of other examples if given enough time.

Having D&D rely on other companies to supplement their business isn't that crazy. They can release the base system and provide minimal support and they can allow other companies to product content such as adventures, worlds, NPCs, monsters, etc.