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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="buzz" data-source="post: 2947632" data-attributes="member: 6777">It'd be nice, though, if there was a way to discern quality before actually putting the product to use. Unfortunately, it's a (possibly inherent) stumbling block with RPG products that you only really grok them after putting them to work. Granted, I suppose this is true of a lot of "tools".The (imperfect) analogy that leaps to my mind is guitar. I've been playing for about twenty years now, and I can pretty quickly assess craftsmanship. I may not be able to tell 100% how a particular guitar's tonal quality will work in different venues or in a band context, but I can pick the thing up, play it for a few minutes, and tell whether it's worth buying in general.The problem is that act of "test driving" the guitar is pretty much the same as its intended use. Whether I'm practicing or playing with a band, I will be fretting and picking strings. With an RPG product, the equivalent "test drive" is literally gathering players and playing a game with it. Otherwise, all I can do is read it and assess it based on my gaming experience. It's entirely possible that I'll like or dislike it in theory, for whatever reason, but thoroughly enjoy—or hate—it in actual play.Tangent: I've made a point of late to playtest events I run for Gamedays. I am constantly surprised how often my expectations go out the window once the "rubber meets the road," as it were, not to mention how different groups of players will react to the same event.So, how does one identify—in the design process or as a consumer of the end product—what will be enjoyed and will improve the play experience?</blockquote>

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