D&D 4E Un(der)served 4e Content Goldrush?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I wouldn't doubt that someone will try it. However, I think there is a very great chance that such a product would... not be particularly good. It takes time and observation to truly master a rule-set well enough to design for it, and the third party publishers will not have had access to the rules long enough to develop that mastery.

If WotC's not going to be settling on a final 4E ruleset until January or so, and handing it over to third party publishers a week or two later as an NDAed SRD, there's no reason that Green Ronin, Malhavoc, Goodman, Necromancer or Paizo -- all of whom produce quality work as good or better than WotC produces -- can't create something comparable.

 

[Klaus]

Death in Freeport (Green Ronin) and Three Days to Kill (Penumbra) were both released at GenCon on the same day as the PHB. They remain two of the best 3.x modules released.

However, Crucible of Freya was not released until November or December of 2000 (after the core rulebooks were all published). You may be thinking of the free PDF of "The Wizard's Amulet" which Necromancer released in, IIRC, September.



This is not correct, either. I was at GenCon that year. The Creature Collection had not been released. It beat the MM to market, but it was not released the same day as the PHB.

Justin Alexander
http://www.thealexandrian.net

Sorry, you're right. Wizard's Amulet it is.

 

[JVisgaitis]

If WotC's not going to be settling on a final 4E ruleset until January or so, and handing it over to third party publishers a week or two later as an NDAed SRD, there's no reason that Green Ronin, Malhavoc, Goodman, Necromancer or Paizo -- all of whom produce quality work as good or better than WotC produces -- can't create something comparable.

Hmm... Denizens of Avadnu as the first monster book for 4th Edition? I like the sound of that. I'll have to chew on that one for a bit.

 

[RigaMortus2]

Wait a sec. If you don't buy them, how do you know that they kick ass?

Here are a couple possibilities of knowing that they "kick ass" w/o actually buying the product:

1) Reviews
2) Looked over the book in a book store
3) A friend has it and lent it to you/you read it over a friends house
4) A friend ran a game using Green Ronin or Malhavok products
5) Illegal downloads (sad, but it happens)

Take your pick...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

If I could reliably spell "Avadnu," I would have included you guys in my list.

Based on the selections of your monsters in the Year's Best D20, I have to say you guys hitting the shelves with a 4E monster book early on would be a win-win scenario.

 

[JVisgaitis]

If I could reliably spell "Avadnu," I would have included you guys in my list.

Heh. Thanks.

Based on the selections of your monsters in the Year's Best D20, I have to say you guys hitting the shelves with a 4E monster book early on would be a win-win scenario.

Its definitely something we are considering, but we'll have to wait till we get our hands on the SRD before we make any definitive plans.

 

[Shortman McLeod]

So, they kick ass, but you refuse to buy them?

Do you also enjoy sex but choose to remain celibate?

Dude, this is a D&D discussion group. Half the people here are probably celibate.

 

[catsclaw227]

Personally, I have had a great experience using 3rd party material, and my games have been richer from it. Granted, at the start of the 3.0 glut, there were some stinkers, but you could weed out the good publishers from the bad ones.

And the it wasn't just the bad publishers that struggled and died. Just look at Mystic Eye games and their AWESOME Bluffside and Foul Locales series. Bastion put out Oathbound, and then there was Valus too.

Freeport is one of the most well known d20 cities, and everyone knows about the adventures from Necromancer and Goodman. 90% good, 10% meh. That's a darn good ratio.