OMG! Wizards website updates!

[Geoff]

Sorry, but I just don't understand the griping about the reprinted material. People have been asking for d20 Dark*Matter for some time now and that's what you are getting. It's no surprise that a majority of the content is a reprint from the Alternity book...after all, most of that book is pretty system neutral and can easily be used with d20 Modern.

Did you expect them to rewrite the material? That wouldn't have been the same Dark*Matter we know and love. Sure they are reusing some of the mechanics material (which is becoming somewhat commonplace), but has been stated elsewhere in this thread, not all of us have that material anyway.

I think my main point is you are primarily paying for Dark*Matter material here, not mechanics. If this boosts d20 Modern and creates a demand for future (and 100% new) Dark*Matter products then it's worth shelling out cash for.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20modern/article/20060606a

d20 Dark•Matter Table of Contents

Yay! I saw this yesterday. Has it been up for two weeks or something?

The "new" occupations are pointless. psychic is in the SRD under Urban Arcana, Merc falls under military and paranormalist would fall under investivgative[/quote]

D20 Past had some useless occupations as well.

Four nonhuman species options (fraal, moreau, sand slave, sasquatch)

I hope they change the fraal. The others won't bother me. I don't think too much space will be spent on these guys, and there will (should) be more flavor text.

Fraal are in D20 Future, Moreau in the core book, Sand slave in the menace manual and Sasquatch=Weren is in future. Interestingly, they droped Kinori.

Uh huh. They also dropped mothfolk. Here's me not caring.

More than 15 feat descriptions <- Hope they aren't reprints
# Two 10-level advanced classes (field antiquarian, field guide) <-reprints
# Three 5-level prestige classes (alchemist, diabolist, visionary)<-reprints

These are from Polyhedron, right? How many people have access to the Shades of Grey issue?

# More than 20 new spells <- Bet they are all ported from DND

Okay, this is flat out wrong. Absolutely. Positively. Wrong. Have you have played or even seen the Alternity version of Dark Matter? Except for three versions of Dispel Magic (all of which were at least a little different) and one version of Fireball, the spells bear no resemblance to 3e spells. Some of those spells were actually cool, too. I liked White Salamander.

# More than 20 new psionic powers <-Bet they come from XPH

As above. Again, it sounds like you never read the FX section of Dark Matter.

# New ammunition, grenades, exotic drugs, and paranormal combat gear <-reprints

I have to wonder why they would waste time with new or reprinted equipment. But you can't know for sure it's reprinted, so you should have at least said "they might be reprinted".

 

[Deekin]

Have you see the Shades of grey Artical? Diabloism, Hermeticism and Monotheism got folded into Class abilitys. Still, that does leave Enochain, Shamanism and Voodoo.

As for the Mindwalking traits, most of them, with the exception of Possess, is in XPH and ComPsi.

I apollogize for being so cynical though, and will edit my inital post.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Have you see the Shades of grey Artical? Diabloism, Hermeticism and Monotheism got folded into Class abilitys. Still, that does leave Enochain, Shamanism and Voodoo.

As for the Mindwalking traits, most of them, with the exception of Possess, is in XPH and ComPsi.

I apollogize for being so cynical though, and will edit my inital post.

Let's see about this: there's two new non-spellcasting AdCs and three PrCs: (alchemist, diabolist, visionary). The first isn't a spellcaster, and there's more than a few spellcasting traditions in Dark Matter. There is nothing in the Table of Contents to suggest they're going to change the Mage or Acolyte classes to get new "class abilities". So, how do you get to play an Enochian Mage?

By taking the appropriate spells. New spells, not just ones in the PH. Maybe those spells were all in the Shades of Grey book, but that's not the same thing as being in the PH. I know I didn't see Rend the Weave or White Salamander in the PH.

As for psionics, there's no point of creating a new power if they have one that already exists. (Eg why make a new Suggestion power? It's already in the core book!) There will, however, be plenty of new powers, not just Possess. I'm not seeing Obscure anywhere in the XPH, as just one example.

 

[The Shaman]

Wow, this looks cool!

A couple of the AdCs are reprinted from Polyhedron, but THAT's OKAY - I'm glad to have them compiled with the rest of the dark mattery goodness.

Eagerly awaiting arrival...

 

[hobgoblin]

From the mini-game in one of them Dung/Polyhedron magazine issue.

ah, no biggie for me then as i dont read said magazine...

 

[Ilium]

Well I never saw alternity (much less played it) and don't own d20 Modern. But I've heard so many people rave about Dark*Matter that I may very well buy this (and d20 modern if I can't get away with the MSRD).

So it's "new to me".

 

[arscott]

These are from Polyhedron, right? How many people have access to the Shades of Grey issue?

Own it, but can't find the magazine at the moment.

The two AdCs and the three PrCs are from the Dungeon Issue. Shades of Grey only had one or two feats, though, and both of those were reprinted from the Menace Manual (given that the Xenoengineer AdC was dropped, we probably won't see even those feats reprinted).

Likewise, there's no equipment, aside from perhaps one or two alien weapons. So even if the equipment is reprinted, it's definately not reprinted from the Dungeon article.

 

[jaerdaph]

Well, I'm still looking forward to this.

 

[ssampier]

This looks neat!

I am looking forward to it.

By the way, I'm hardy a WoTC fanboy either.