Unearthed Arcana!

[Bagpuss]

Yeah, I'm really hoping for some whacky things that can show me some interesting new designs/styles. As its optional and won't be CB etc official material, it means it doesn't have to impact on my games unless I want it. That's a pretty good deal to me and might inspire anything!

Everything ever published by WotC is optional in your home game. The only difference is this material won't be supported.

 

[vagabundo]

Nice. My only problem is that it won't show in the CB or compendium.

There should be a little hidden checkbox to enable it.

 

[Bagpuss]

I agree with you entirely that the magazines content is sliding as of later in both quality and quantity, but I can't see this as anything but a good thing. Being optional and not in the CB is the best part of it, because they can put really whacky stuff in there and it is just up to the individual DM.

And how is it not just up to the individual DM if it is part of the CB, but has to be opted in or out with a tick box, like existing supported optional rules? Or even none "optional rules" for example I don't allow Assassins in my game, but if I decided I wanted to at least I could, because they are supported.

 

[Aegeri]

And how is it not just up to the individual DM if it is part of the CB

The CB gives it official status and would compile it with every other option. If it isn't compiled in the CB it is not an official rule, therefore it requires special permission or justification to be used. Unless it's just a DM based system anyway, like the upcoming curse rules based off disease progression. The only campaign I've restricted anything in has been Dark Sun and that's pretty much "If it isn't in the book, it doesn't exist".

I basically don't want firearms and similar in the CB as it makes them look like official sanctioned rules. Other things that are check boxes are not just optional rules, they are fully supported and official rules. Those are the differences.

 

[Bagpuss]

The CB gives it official status and would compile it with every other option. If it isn't compiled in the CB it is not an official rule, therefore it requires special permission or justification to be used.

Except even if you give special permission they can't be used (not in the character builder). Since the Character Builder doesn't really support house rules, they player won't be able to produce a power card for this optional Unearthed Arcana rule, for example.

I basically don't want firearms and similar in the CB as it makes them look like official sanctioned rules. Other things that are check boxes are not just optional rules, they are fully supported and official rules.

They are still optional though. I don't allow Forgotten Realms backgrounds or Divine characters in my Dark Sun game and I do allow the inherent bonus. The inherent bonus is an optional rule supported by a tick box. The Forgotten Realms backgrounds can't be ticked out (well I think technically they can, but it is much easier just to say "Don't pick it"), same with the Divine characters but I can easily opt them out no matter how officially sanctioned they are. The same would be true for something like firearms, if the support was at least there to start with.

The only place where it would be a problem would be with Living Forgotten Realms or Encounter nights or tournaments, but that would be just as easy to solve by just marking such content as Unearthed Arcana, and marking characters that have such content as "houseruled" which the character builder already supports.

 

[Aegeri]

Except even if you give special permission they can't be used (not in the character builder). Since the Character Builder doesn't really support house rules, they player won't be able to produce a power card for this optional Unearthed Arcana rule, for example.

Doesn't particularly bother me. We are capable of making our own power cards if something is neat enough to use. Just because it isn't in the CB doesn't mean it doesn't exist, otherwise I would never implement templates or themes onto my monsters.

Either way, we're not going to get anywhere with this conversation and if I respond to the same things I already have with the same answers, we're going to run around in circles for the next 30 pages.

 

[xechnao]

I predicted this a week ago.
RPGnet Forums - View Single Post - Is D&D Essentials replacing the PHB/MM/DMG as the core of 4E D&D going forward?

This is pure speculation but regarding the future of D&D what I could expect to see is, perhaps, some unearthed arcana, some modules and some rulebooks-accessories trying out the new ideas so that eventually a new rules compendium based on public favorites would be published each couple of years -more or less. So we will get rules compendium 2012, 2015 etch...along with some conversion guidelines for PCs and the monster manuals of the latest version of the game.

 

[Bagpuss]

I probably wouldn't be so negative if it wasn't clear this unofficial unsupported content wasn't going to replace content that had gone through the development cycle and would be supported. But it is clear from looking at this months content that it is replacing it. Tomorrow all we are getting is an unofficial, unsupported article.

 

[Aegeri]

I probably wouldn't be so negative if it wasn't clear this unofficial unsupported content wasn't going to replace content that had gone through the development cycle and would be supported. But it is clear from looking at this months content that it is replacing it. Tomorrow all we are getting is an unofficial, unsupported article.

This is an excellent point in a content light magazine. I can understand your previous arguments far better now with this sort of context. If this was just something added to a magazine already rich with lots of content I can see people negative about it being more sympathetic.

 

[Scribble]

It sounds like a neat thing to me. I'm looking forward to seeing what pops up... It kind of reminds me of old school Dragon, like from TSR era. Never knew what kind of crazy sub system would show up this month.

As for the curses thing... Since the beginning I've thought the disease track was one of the most exciting parts of the game. You can work with that to model a ton of on-going effects.

It can make an awesome long term wounds tracker as well.


As for it replacing content... I think the two are separate issues. I don't think one causes the other.

Thinning content is its own issue.

It also seems that you are assuming that if this article didn't exist it would be replaced with something you like- but that isn't necessarily true. It could just be replaced with something else you equally dislike- or even nothing at all.

There are always elements of the game that don't ring right with me. I just ignore em since there's more then likely someone else out there that is crazy about whatever it is.

I don't see the point in downing all over a thread where people are discussing their excitement about something. Needless negativity in my view.