One new setting a year?

[Dire Bare]

So, I'm guessing Eberron fans are going to hold off buying 4e next year because it is, dare I say it, FR-themed? That would KILL their sale. Even Hasbro suits are going to look at this bottom line saying "WTF?!?!!!" Bad decision. It's a gimmick.

I might be misunderstanding you here, but where did you get the idea that the 4e core books released next year will be Realms themed? Cause they ain't gonna be.

FR gets it's own setting book next year, in August I think, but the three core books are setting neutral. The new setting neutral "points-of-light" dealy-bob.

 

[Ranger REG]

I might be misunderstanding you here, but where did you get the idea that the 4e core books released next year will be Realms themed? Cause they ain't gonna be.

I hope not. Still that doesn't understand why they need to release new PHB every year. I don't want my 2008 PHB to be obsolete when a 2009 PHB is released.

If they can't get it right next year, errata-wise, then maybe they should postpone the release date until they get the rules right and valid for at least 5 years.

 

[Baby Samurai]

I hope not. Still that doesn't understand why they need to release new PHB every year. I don't want my 2008 PHB to be obsolete when a 2009 PHB is released.

If they can't get it right next year, errata-wise, then maybe they should postpone the release date until they get the rules right and valid for at least 5 years.

The yearly PHB, MM and DMGs will be not make obsolete the PHB I, MM I, and DMG I. (nothing to do with errata).

The content of each one will be completely different in the term of races, classes, and new power sources etc.

Some have theorized that they will help support the showcased campaign setting of that year, so with Eberron coming out in 2009, the PHB II might have warforged and a psionic power source and what not.

Others have theorized that some basic information might be repeated, so you could run a campaign and the DM might state something like 'Only PHB II, IV and V are permitted in this campaign.'

I hope I have allayed some of your fears?

 

[Mouseferatu]

I hope not. Still that doesn't understand why they need to release new PHB every year. I don't want my 2008 PHB to be obsolete when a 2009 PHB is released.

Someone hasn't been listening. At all.

The "new PHB every year" isn't a replacement PHB. It's a new PHB, with new material. Just like 3E had a PHB and a PHB2.

The 4E PHB(1) is titled "Martial, Arcane, and Divine Heroes." So a second PHB might introduce new classes and powers and what-have-you based on new power sources, as well as new races more appropriate to those classes.

So no, your '08 PHB won't be obsolete in '09, any more than any of the 3.5 supplements made your 3.5 PHB obsolete.

This isn't news, RR. This is something that's been talked about almost since GenCon.

 

[Baby Samurai]

The 4E PHB(1) is titled "Martial, Arcane, and Divine Heroes." So a second PHB might introduce new classes and powers and what-have-you based on new power sources

Yep, I'm hoping for PHB II: Ki, Nature, and Psionic Heroes.

 

[KingCrab]

In any event, I am not concerned that this will happen to 4e at all. I'm sure they've learned their lesson. The impression that I've gotten is that they will release a single book for each setting a year. For example, just one book for, say, Birthright. One book for Eberron. One book for Ravenloft.

My money is a book on Ravenloft, since they are coming out with new novels for that setting.

I miss the 2ed Ravenloft, but coming out with one big sourcebook wouldn't do it for me since it was really the horror modules that made the setting work for me. That and the fact that the players expected to die often, so they didn't get upset about the mortality rate.

 

[KingCrab]

Yep, I'm hoping for PHB II: Ki, Nature, and Psionic Heroes.

There are a lot of D&D players that dislike psionics and don't like asian flavor in their fantasy, so that might be a risky move for them. I know that I'd feel bad getting stuck with a monk and psionicist just to get my druids back.

 

[KingCrab]

I hope not. Still that doesn't understand why they need to release new PHB every year. I don't want my 2008 PHB to be obsolete when a 2009 PHB is released.

If they can't get it right next year, errata-wise, then maybe they should postpone the release date until they get the rules right and valid for at least 5 years.

I know how the PHB are supposed to work in 4ed and I know wizards would never release a PHBII that made the first obsolete (otherwise people would just wait and not buy the first one), but you gave me an idea.

I kind of like the idea of a campaign setting where the players all playtest the game for a year, put together suggestions and release a new PHB that DOES make the old one obsolete. You'd probably want to have it be free or very affordable if people are going to get it yearly, and you'd need a good community of observant players (something like EN world would be perfect.) Just an idea you gave me that I figured I'd toss out.

 

[Baby Samurai]

There are a lot of D&D players that dislike psionics and don't like asian flavor in their fantasy, so that might be a risky move for them. I know that I'd feel bad getting stuck with a monk and psionicist just to get my druids back.

Okay, how about PHB II: Incarnum, Nature, and Shadow Heroes?

 

[Soel]

I too liked Ghostwalk and would love it if every single campaign setting WotC released were given the same one-shot treatment. I think a setting can become polluted and/or watered down when too much material is released for it (FR/DL etc).

Totally agree. I think such one-shot books are perfect for adding additional settings to d&d. Leaves just enough room for a dm to work with and not feel nailed down by too many particulars.