Niche products
- Thread starter Nellisir
- Start date
I co-opted the phrase to suit my own nefarious purposes... mwahahaha!
Nellisir
Hero
Re: Re: Niche products
Actually, that's the problem. I don't have as many "general-purpose" books as I need...or want.
Maybe it's just me. As you said, YMMV. But I like "general-purpose", "cover-all-the-bases of a reasonable topic" books. Book of Eldritch/Hallowed Might I/I/II/III. Broad enough. Something for most spellcasters in each one. When the Sky Falls..pushing nichedom pretty strong. Doesn't actually -require- a meteorite to fall on your kingdom, but does require some campaign emphasis on a fallen meteor to make use of it. Pit traps. Nichey to the extreme -- liable to make players throw DM into pit trap if used regularly. Books on familiars and mounts(multiple individual book) ...super nichey.
There is a point, as a busy DM, where I have too many resources to consult, and those that have the most specificity and least breadth are the most likely to be ignored. I don't want to consult one book for the necromancer villain, another for his illusionist cohort, and a third for his sorcerer ally. I'm going to grab the books with the largest variety of spells and use those.
All that said, we already know I think the niches are getting a little extreme. Anyone else, or am I just insane?
Nell.
Looking for a few nice, general-purpose, interesting, one-shot campaign setting books...ie, Oriental Adventures.
EOL said:
Actually, that's the problem. I don't have as many "general-purpose" books as I need...or want.
Maybe it's just me. As you said, YMMV. But I like "general-purpose", "cover-all-the-bases of a reasonable topic" books. Book of Eldritch/Hallowed Might I/I/II/III. Broad enough. Something for most spellcasters in each one. When the Sky Falls..pushing nichedom pretty strong. Doesn't actually -require- a meteorite to fall on your kingdom, but does require some campaign emphasis on a fallen meteor to make use of it. Pit traps. Nichey to the extreme -- liable to make players throw DM into pit trap if used regularly. Books on familiars and mounts(multiple individual book) ...super nichey.
There is a point, as a busy DM, where I have too many resources to consult, and those that have the most specificity and least breadth are the most likely to be ignored. I don't want to consult one book for the necromancer villain, another for his illusionist cohort, and a third for his sorcerer ally. I'm going to grab the books with the largest variety of spells and use those.
All that said, we already know I think the niches are getting a little extreme. Anyone else, or am I just insane?
Nell.
Looking for a few nice, general-purpose, interesting, one-shot campaign setting books...ie, Oriental Adventures.
jmucchiello
Hero
Re: Re: Re: Niche products
{Enter salesman mode}That's why my book is a niche book with great breadth. It's title (Joe's Book of Enchantment) makes it seem like only specialty wizards would care about it. And yet half of its prestige classes are NPC only. Only two of them assume you are a wizard, among the other 8 there are some optimized for Druid, Ranger, Bard and even Monk! There are general purpose feats for all spellcasters. There are 70 spells including 2-3 exclusive to the paladin. There are magic items which all share an Enchantment feel, even the weapons. There are some monsters, they use Enchantment. Half of them are Fey. There's a half-fey template. There's a fey disciple prestige class so you can grow into your feyness. There are sample NPCs for every PrC each with its own set of plot hooks for the party. What other book has an awakened, adolescent purple worm in it named Woobly? Not all niche books suffer from lack of breadth. I haven't gotten into the Alchemical auromatics in Chapter 9. Or the new uses for skills. And its 100% OGC. It has a 4.333 average here at ENWorld. It has 4, 5 out of 5 ratings on RPGNow (not one of which is written by a friend of mine).{exit salesman mode} I would also consider the Eldritch Might books as niche books. So perhaps there's a difference of opinion about what a niche book is. Don't judge a book by its title. Some of them are more broad than you think.Nellisir said:
One book setting? Oriental Adventures? Have you not seen all of these support books: http://l5r.alderac.com/rpg/
EOL
First Post
Re: Re: Re: Niche products
} Well as a busy DM then what you really need is a DireKobold subscription. All those adventures you used to have to modify by hand to make them usable by your party? We do that all for you!{End shameless plug mode}
As far as one shot campaign settings Oathbound is pretty good though I think they've already come out with some supplements for it as well.
{Enter shameless plug mode and only because Joe did it firstNellisir said:
} Well as a busy DM then what you really need is a DireKobold subscription. All those adventures you used to have to modify by hand to make them usable by your party? We do that all for you!{End shameless plug mode}As far as one shot campaign settings Oathbound is pretty good though I think they've already come out with some supplements for it as well.
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KingCroMag
First Post
If you are curious about products that I would be interested inthe following two leap to mind.
1) Joes book of conjuration (3.5 compliant due to some changes in rules binding, gate ally etc) this school doesn't have as many niche products like necromancy does and really is one of the more colorful aspects of the magic system.
2) Once epic become part of the SRD, an epic supplement. Lots of new seeds, new spells, new prcs, and flavorful magic items.
3) this one is really niche - a fun in the far realm book. Once again the material would need to be added to the SRD or written in such a way to get around the issue (The Gooey Underbelly of the multiverse Realm - a dimension in which time and space do not exist blah blah blah).
Just a few random projects that would help the money in my wallet migrate to a new home.
-KCM
1) Joes book of conjuration (3.5 compliant due to some changes in rules binding, gate ally etc) this school doesn't have as many niche products like necromancy does and really is one of the more colorful aspects of the magic system.
2) Once epic become part of the SRD, an epic supplement. Lots of new seeds, new spells, new prcs, and flavorful magic items.
3) this one is really niche - a fun in the far realm book. Once again the material would need to be added to the SRD or written in such a way to get around the issue (The Gooey Underbelly of the multiverse Realm - a dimension in which time and space do not exist blah blah blah).
Just a few random projects that would help the money in my wallet migrate to a new home.
-KCM
jmucchiello
Hero
I'm either going with dviniation or abjuration next (haven't decided) but conjuration is third on the list. There are some Demonology books that handle some Conjuration stuff. But I know, my version will have equal coverage for calling and curing effects. (And you know more about binding and gate changing than I do.)KingCroMag said:
I can't wait for epic (and planes and DDG and so many others) to be released, too.
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Darrin Drader
Explorer
Lets see,
* I would like Green Ronin to do a book on elves. Yes, it has to be Green Ronin, and yes it has to be elves.
* More books on monsters from the outer lower planes.
* A book on artifacts
* Books with ready-made non-WotC specific "underdark" settings.
* Adventures. Yes, adventures! Now that it's arguable that the sourcebooks have been done, lets start seeing some interesting stories that use those sourcebooks. Worried that people don't have the original books? No big deal, that's what OGC is about.
* I would like Green Ronin to do a book on elves. Yes, it has to be Green Ronin, and yes it has to be elves.
* More books on monsters from the outer lower planes.
* A book on artifacts
* Books with ready-made non-WotC specific "underdark" settings.
* Adventures. Yes, adventures! Now that it's arguable that the sourcebooks have been done, lets start seeing some interesting stories that use those sourcebooks. Worried that people don't have the original books? No big deal, that's what OGC is about.
Nellisir
Hero
Re: Re: Re: Re: Niche products
<sigh>
I don't. I judge a book by the "back cover" descriptions people write.
Incidently, I like your book. I own your book. I didn't call your book a niche book because I don't really think it is. My bookshelf is broader than you might think.
Why, yes, thanks for asking. I do own the Rokugan core book, and all (currently) 10 d20 line support books (cheerfully paying $24.95 for decent layout, quality design, and one of the few settings that is interesting, consistent, and not European).
Oriental Adventures presents rules for Asian fantasy, and presents Rokugan as a (not heavily detailed, but nonetheless complete) potential setting. The Rokugan core book, which revises the material presented in Oriental Adventures to fit the AEG Rokugan/L5R setting, presents a setting later expanded upon in the line books.
Oriental Adventures is meant to stand alone. Rokugan is not.
Nell.
Who hasn't seen a Tuesday Two-Pager in awhile, and wants them back.
<sigh>
jmucchiello said:
I don't. I judge a book by the "back cover" descriptions people write.
Incidently, I like your book. I own your book. I didn't call your book a niche book because I don't really think it is. My bookshelf is broader than you might think.
Why, yes, thanks for asking. I do own the Rokugan core book, and all (currently) 10 d20 line support books (cheerfully paying $24.95 for decent layout, quality design, and one of the few settings that is interesting, consistent, and not European).
Oriental Adventures presents rules for Asian fantasy, and presents Rokugan as a (not heavily detailed, but nonetheless complete) potential setting. The Rokugan core book, which revises the material presented in Oriental Adventures to fit the AEG Rokugan/L5R setting, presents a setting later expanded upon in the line books.
Oriental Adventures is meant to stand alone. Rokugan is not.
Nell.
Who hasn't seen a Tuesday Two-Pager in awhile, and wants them back.
Nellisir
Hero
Baraendur said:
Eh. Sure. Different header font than that one in Plot & Poison, please.
Artifacts..maybe. Fiends...nah.
YEAH!!!!
I've always been a custom crafted adventure DM myself, so, I'll have to say maybe. Good, adaptable adventures, sure. I pick one up once in awhile.
Cheers
Nell.
Contemplating moving "The Dark Below" setting up in the timetable.
jmucchiello
Hero
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Niche products
Soon. Very soon. Probably not soon enough but definitely on June 3 if not before then.Nellisir said:
