So, what was the first product where D&D's soul was sold?

[The_Gneech]

OK, after reading the Warz thread, its clear there is a general agreement that at some point TSR and WOTC chose to favor marketing and commercialism over the "needs" of the players.
I think there are some disagreements however as to when this very first occured.

I think it was that one, y'know, with the bad art and the really unbalanced rules. Written by that one guy?

I also think it's clear that there is a general agreement that I am the most awesomest person in the world and you should give me all your stuff.

-The Gneech

 

[Shroomy]

I think it was the "D&D's Soul Boxed Set". You got one soul of D&D, Monte Cook's lifeblood, as well as E. Gary Gygax's sweat and tears.



There's more:

The Warlock: A spellcaster that casts his spells (or rather spell-like abilities) all day.

The Spellthief: A roguish character that uses his enemies' spells against them

Book of Nine Swords: Abilities that are "once per encounter" rather than "X/day"

New Formats: You already mentioned some, but there are others: New Format for Classes (which I really like) and PrCs (which could be shortened, but gives lots of fluff); In the Monster sections (as well as various other parts): Small sidebars containing information obtainable with Knowledge checks; The magic Item format; Spell format (the little descriptive text at the beginning).

Fantastic Locations: Large encounters complete with full-scale maps (that double as locations for skirmish battles)

Which brings me to: D&D Miniatures: Okay, they're not from the last year or two, and they weren't the first of their kind, but the idea of cheap, prepainted plastic minis (which are anything but dainty - they're used to a much rougher treatment then your average painted pewter piece). The figures serve two purposes at once: You can use them for D&D (and the sculpts come right out of the rulebooks), and you can use its own game for some quick battles on the side, if you can't gather the whole posse.

Another recent innovation that WoTC produced is the mob template. It is the best way to keep low CR critters dangerous at higher levels and I think it is one of the best things that they've created in a long time.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Another recent innovation that WoTC produced is the mob template. It is the best way to keep low CR critters dangerous at higher levels and I think it is one of the best things that they've created in a long time.

I believe that AEG beat them to that one in the WLD.


RC

 

[Jim Hague]

Storm, it is the difference between publishing books and board games. C&C is a company that has kept a pretty good focus on putting out a core system and then supporting it with mostly modules. And they are doing rather well for a small team.

And publishing board games is substantially different from publishing books, or RPGs. Different production models, distribution models, pricing. Sorry, but no. Comparing the two is apples and oranges, and means little to nothing.

 

[RFisher]

Such is life. I'm happy that the folks involved in the business end of the game make the decision each day to stay in the biz since they are keeping the game alive for me and all of the other gamers I know. Dungeons & Dragons is alive and well.

Why does the game have to be a commercial product for it to be alive for you & all the other gamers you know?

Have no doubt. If it has a soul it can be found in each of us every time we sit down to play our favorite game, each time a d20 is rolled, each time someone cracks open his/her books to create a new character, write an adventure

Exactly!

or just to check out what the newest D&D book they just purchased at their FLGS contains.

Do the previous things in the list depend on the existance of this one? If so, why?

 

[MerricB]

For art, sure.

But no one looks at a board of Clue and say "man, that game has soul".

I'm not so sure people look at the Mona Lisa and say, "man, that painting has soul!", despite it being a great painting.

I don't think, "Man that music has soul!" when singing in Handel's Messiah.

That there is such a thing labelled as Soul Music, I agree. More than that, not really.

Cheers!

 

[Raven Crowking]

I'm not so sure people look at the Mona Lisa and say, "man, that painting has soul!", despite it being a great painting.

No. They say, "She's got no eyebrows!"

 

[Piratecat]

In the interest of reducing the quantity of edition-related discussions, I'm closing this thread as well.