The End of Rokugan d20

[Treebore]

I doubt it. Part of why WOTC licensed OA to AEG is because it was never a big sales item, which is also why AEG is dropping it as d20. They had better sales as an L5R system.

So I doubt WOTC is going to try and develop a setting type with such a low sales history.

 

[Ranger REG]

So I doubt WOTC is going to try and develop a setting type with such a low sales history.

I disagree. But given their attitude, I doubt they will put such an effort to revive Kara-Tur. Recently, their products have been more misses with their fans than hits.

Of course, feel free to prove me wrong, WotC. Do it.

 

[ivocaliban]

I doubt it. Part of why WOTC licensed OA to AEG is because it was never a big sales item, which is also why AEG is dropping it as d20. They had better sales as an L5R system.

So I doubt WOTC is going to try and develop a setting type with such a low sales history.

I think I'd prefer an OA 3.5e book devoid of setting. A single book collecting everything one needs to play Oriental campaigns. Essentially additions and adjustments to the standard PHB, DMG, and MM presenting all the tools necessary to create your own campaign. Classes, Prestige Classes, a few Skill alterations, Feats, Deities, Spells, Rules for running Oriental Campaigns, Treasure, and Monsters. All expanded and detailed without trying to squeeze in a campaign setting, too.

Lately, d20 has gone the direction of creating "toolkit" books (like the Complete, Races, and environmental series). I don't see that changing drastically anytime soon. So, an OA "toolkit" book might be best for now. If it turns out to be sucessful, OA could then receive it's own setting books (as with Forgotten Realms). The setting could be Kara-Tur or something altogether new as far as I'm concerned. Of course, I don't really expect this to become a reality, but it seems more likely than another book that tries to be both general and campaign-specific at the same time.

EDIT: Unfortunately, I don't think WotC has produced the best Oriental Classes or Prestige Classes lately. AEG did a much better job in that department. Though AEGs Prestige Classes are often very much a part of Rokugan, the new Classes were quite nice and transportable. The Courtier in particular is a work of art, allowing non-combative characters to move mountains with mere words. Somewhat like a PC version of the Aristocrat.

 

[Ranger REG]

I think I'd prefer an OA 3.5e book devoid of setting. A single book collecting everything one needs to play Oriental campaigns. Essentially additions and adjustments to the standard PHB, DMG, and MM presenting all the tools necessary to create your own campaign. Classes, Prestige Classes, a few Skill alterations, Feats, Deities, Spells, Rules for running Oriental Campaigns, Treasure, and Monsters. All expanded and detailed without trying to squeeze in a campaign setting, too.

I prefer a setting to be included, just not Rokugan, at least to serve an example for DMs as well as players.

Lately, d20 has gone the direction of creating "toolkit" books (like the Complete, Races, and environmental series). I don't see that changing drastically anytime soon. So, an OA "toolkit" book might be best for now. If it turns out to be sucessful, OA could then receive it's own setting books (as with Forgotten Realms). The setting could be Kara-Tur or something altogether new as far as I'm concerned. Of course, I don't really expect this to become a reality, but it seems more likely than another book that tries to be both general and campaign-specific at the same time.

Meh. Splatbooks are splatbooks, and it hasn't been lately. It all started with Sword and Fist. While it has its place, it serve a useful appealing purpose for players than for DMs. While DMG II is the first step toward DM-oriented product, from what I hear it is nothing more than a workshop learning book about creating your own campaign-specific race, classes, and prestige classes.

EDIT: Unfortunately, I don't think WotC has produced the best Oriental Classes or Prestige Classes lately. AEG did a much better job in that department. Though AEGs Prestige Classes are often very much a part of Rokugan, the new Classes were quite nice and transportable. The Courtier in particular is a work of art, allowing non-combative characters to move mountains with mere words. Somewhat like a PC version of the Aristocrat.

Meh. AEG had a different direction for Rokugan which is more d20 than OA/D&D, which is suitable for this very self-contained campaign setting. I've yet to see a culture clash of East and West. Personally, WotC did it right the first time in OA compared to their 3.5e counterparts in the Complete line.

 

[ivocaliban]

I prefer a setting to be included, just not Rokugan, at least to serve an example for DMs as well as players.

Well, I just don't think it works. OA 3.0 had half general material and half campaign-specific material. The end result was that the general material was seemed lacking and the campaign-specific material was far too diluted on its own to be of much use (without Rokugan) at least. I would just prefer the book be more like the PHB than like OA 3.0.

Splatbooks are splatbooks, and it hasn't been lately. It all started with Sword and Fist. While it has its place, it serve a useful appealing purpose for players than for DMs. While DMG II is the first step toward DM-oriented product, from what I hear it is nothing more than a workshop learning book about creating your own campaign-specific race, classes, and prestige classes.

I agree that it began with Sword & Fist, but it didn't seem to be the norm until the last couple of years. Especially as recent books tend to be more like catalogues of updated material and collected Dragon articles. Compare the Manual of the Planes with the Planar Handbook, for instance.

It just seems to me that a setting-free OA 3.5 followed by setting-specific material is more in keeping with WotC recent policy. For instance, if OA 3.0 hadn't been specified for Rokugan or Kara-Tur, it could have been used as a starting point for either. While I realize it's still possible to do that with OA 3.0, you're only using half the book either way you go.

AEG had a different direction for Rokugan which is more d20 than OA/D&D, which is suitable for this very self-contained campaign setting. I've yet to see a culture clash of East and West. Personally, WotC did it right the first time in OA compared to their 3.5e counterparts in the Complete line.

While I'm not sure how something can be more d20 than D&D, I agree that the Prestige Classes are rather self-contained unless one writes up an alternate history for many of them. AEGs Classes are surprisingly adaptable to other campaigns, while the PrCs are seeped in the culture of Rokugan and far from generic. I do agree, however, that WotC got the classes right (particularly the Samurai) in OA 3.0. I also love the Rokugan Samurai variants for the Ancestral Daisho and Code of Conduct.

 

[Ranger REG]

Well, I just don't think it works. OA 3.0 had half general material and half campaign-specific material. The end result was that the general material was seemed lacking and the campaign-specific material was far too diluted on its own to be of much use (without Rokugan) at least. I would just prefer the book be more like the PHB than like OA 3.0.

I don't think it's half, more like 20% of the total book content. I'm not defending Rokugan. Like the original OA, it could benefit from having a campaign chapter for use by DM to serve as a template or example of such a foreign setting (or those who have way too much exposure to anime and not enough exposure to history books).

Such a chapter would better serve bringing Kara-Tur up to date from the 80's.

As for the PHB, they could have done better by assigning a campaign chapter introducing Greyhawk. Sucks for you but it would at least satisfy GH fans.

 

[ivocaliban]

As for the PHB, they could have done better by assigning a campaign chapter introducing Greyhawk. Sucks for you but it would at least satisfy GH fans.

I'm a Greyhawk fan, but I don't think that would have satisfied me. It would have required cutting out a great deal of what's in the current PHB and there's not much in there I could do without. Unless, of course, you put spells in a book all their own...