What d20 author do you buy sight-unseen?

[MerricB]

I am not sure if that innovation can be attributed to WotC or to Paizo.

The editorial in Dungeon issue 125 says it comes from Wizards.

At any rate, the new stat-block format is very good, and I've since switched over to it, but it's not a change to the way the game is played. It sure didn't change anything for me or my DMing style, and it definitely didn't change anything for my players.

Reducing the time it takes me to find information and making the stat blocks easier to assimilate has been effective for me. (Notice also that there are now page references to important rules in adventures; this also helps).

Cheers!

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

I don't buy sight unseen, but the following are high on my buy list:

Mr. Mearls
Mr. Tweet
Mr. Kenson
Mr. Cook
Mr. Cordell

I'll try the spoiler tag thing and see if I can get it to work:

Spoiler

Mr. Nock as well, but I don't want him to know, because I am not currently able to purchase Elements of Magic - Mythic Earth and I am trying to win it in his contest... - if I don't win it, I will probably purchase it soon anyway

Of course, there are other quality authors as well that aren't springing to mind, so if you are one of them I didn't mean to exclude you .

 

[Sammael]

The editorial in Dungeon issue 125 says it comes from Wizards.

Ah, OK. I just knew I'd seen it in Dungeon before seeing it in a WotC book.

Reducing the time it takes me to find information and making the stat blocks easier to assimilate has been effective for me.

It's been effective for me as well, although I never used the old stat-block format anyway (I used MM-style writeups for all NPCs and creatures). It just doesn't qualify as a game-changer as far as I'm concerned, though. It's like buying a new set of dice with easy-to-read numbers instead of continuing to use the old navy blue set with black numbers.

 

[Wombat]

Sight unseen?

Well, I was going to say "Nobody", but then I thought about my Ars Magica collection. I am picking up each of the 5th ed books as they come out.

But I think that is the only area where I but books sight unseen. Beyond that, I want to see the book first, took a quick look through, and hopefully read at least one, good, solid review from someone whose tastes I understand (they don't have to match mine, but I have to know where they are coming from). Nope, nobody outside of Ars Magica gets the sight unseen purchase, and even that line may fall down in status if there end up being poor supplements (hasn't happened yet in this edition, but I remember 3rd and 4th far too well...).

 

[Power_Word_Wedgie]

While I buy stuff sight unseen, the authors have nothing to do with it. The subject matter does...

This fits me to a tee. I really just buy material to cover subject areas that might be lacking in my game and I really think need to be covered since there is a good chance that I'll need it in a gaming experience in the future.

 

[lior_shapira]

Another vote for Mike Mearls and Bruce Cordell. Keith Baker is starting to catch up though... good work Keith!

 

[diaglo]

My method of sending a message to Wizards is different from the "I'm not buying that" method: I write reviews, and otherwise post on messageboards about what I like and don't like about books.

ditto. i don't write reviews anymore. but i do post on numerous message boards, newsgroups, bulletin boards, and chat up everyone within earshot.

Have you noticed that there's a more newbie-friendly method of describing base classes? That there's even an adaption section?

this is an innovation i am behind. to get n00bs into the game a change was needed in the books. less crunch and more descriptive fluff if you will. a basic... why should i use these or a look behind the numbers approach.

 

[PieAndDragon]

Chris Pramas. After the good work on Warhammer Fantasy 2nd, he currently has alot of respect. Especially combined with the other stuff out of Green Ronin.

 

[JoeCrow]

Rebecca Bergstrom.

Ah, you wouldn't know her. She's from Canada*...


*This is, in fact, Not True. I believe she's actually from Seattle. But Seattle's pretty much Canada, anyway. What I meant was, she writes non-d20 stuff, like Nobilis, Exalted: the Fair Folk, the coolest bits from Savant & Sorcerer, Weapons of the Gods. Mad genius at its finest.

 

[MulhorandSage]

No one, but only because I can't afford it at the moment.

If I had unlimited funds, there'd probably be at least a dozen authors I'd follow religiously: Robin Laws, Bruce Baugh, Rob Schwalb, Chris Pramas, Steve Kenson, Ian Sturrock, Adrian Bott, Ari Marmell, Chris Aylott, to name but a few. (I'd look at whoever John Nephew hires to write for him at Atlas, then follow his good sense. )