What products do you consider innovative?

[Glyfair]

In no particular order:

Eberron. At first I wasn't a fan of what they did with this setting, but after considering it further and what they did with it, I have to admit it is a pretty strong step forward as far as D&D is concerned.

Grim Tales. A stronger toolbox than d20 Modern, IMO.

Mutants and Masterminds/True20. Beautiful system and I love the damage mechanics.

The theme here though is innovative, not necessarily good. You are saying these are good, but not saying why they are innovative (i.e. something that is different from what came before).

Not that I disagree that these are innovative. I agree in various degrees about Eberron and Mutants and Masterminds. I don't have any experience with Grim Tales, but the general comments I've read about this makes me believe it would probably meet my criteria.

Cat by John Wick. You play a house cat as he prowls the house, naps a lot, and protects his owner or owners from perils mundane and fantastical. Shows an understanding of the beasts few can claim..

Wasn't there a roleplaying game Dawg by someone with the initials B.A. Making a roleplaying game about Cats instead of Dawgs doesn't seem that original to me. Of course, showing an understanding of cats, if true, would probably qualify as innovative.

(The last paragraph tongue completely in cheek, for those who don't recognize the reference to Dawg.)

 

[Glyfair]

- Arcana Evolved - Introduces some pretty innovative takes on races, spellcasting, feats, and other stuff, though some of it strikes me as being innovative just to be innovative.

I don't know how innovative Arcana Evolved might be (since almost everything was in Arcana Unearthed. I'd agree that Arcana Unearthed certainly had innovative elements.

Personally, I hope that whenever the next iteration of D&D is released (not anytime soon, I hope), that the diminished/heightened effect spells gets included. It's just too elegant a game balance tool, without too much complication, not to be used.

 

[Hussar]

How about the World's Largest Dungeon?

Ok, I admit to my own biases, but, as far I know, I've never seen a module released that takes the party from first to twentieth level before. A self contained campaign setting complete with its own adventure. Plus, using every critter in the SRD has gotta be a fairly original idea.

Mystic Eye Games Urban Blight series also gets my vote. Instead of being a description of far too many city locations with almost no detail, you get twenty adventure locations for any city. Fantastic resource for any urban campaign. Each location isn't really tied to any level, you can reuse and recycle the locations time and again. That's why I think it's innovative. Most urban setting books previously made each location pretty much usable once. It's nice to have a book that I could use constantly throughout a camp.

 

[Tinner]

Expeditious Retreat's MMS: Beast Builder is by far the most innovative monster book I've ever seen. Which is surprising since it contains no monsters.

 

[pogre]

Slavelords of Cydonia is one of the most innovative adventures ever. Designed for Grim Tales it can still be used by any GM employing a d20 mechanic campaign. The adventure promises a level 1-20 campaign compatible with an ancients, medieval, modern, or future pulp style campaign. It is mostly successful. The design is a real eyeopener on creating a campaign framework.

The only beef I have with Slavelords is that it requires an experienced Game Master to run. It expects a certain level of expertise and elbow grease from the GM.

Buy the Numbers by S.T.Cooley is another example of innovative game design. It replaces "Class & Level" advancement with direct expenditure of Experience Points to gain abilities such as Attack Bonus, Saves, Feats, Spells, etc. Very cool stuff!

 

[mythusmage]

Wasn't there a roleplaying game Dawg by someone with the initials B.A. Making a roleplaying game about Cats instead of Dawgs doesn't seem that original to me. Of course, showing an understanding of cats, if true, would probably qualify as innovative.

As I understand it, from the brief glimpse I got plus what John has written about it, Cat does try to get into the mind of cats, and present the world from a cat's point of view. It's not a game where you play humans in fuzzy suits, but where the goal is to play a cat. And to engage in the sort of feline behavior that puzzles us greatly, but cats (evidently) consider normal.

And speaking of which, has it ever occured to anybody that when a cat can't seem to make up its mind regarding which side the of the front door is better, the cat is asking you to come outside with it?

 

[Kahuna Burger]

The Oathbound setting, for the prestige races and other boosts.

Also Bastion Press's Guildcraft, which introduced a whole new way to spend your XP and define your character. Which, btw, I loved but can't talk anyone into incorporating in their game. :\

 

[Pants]

I don't know how innovative Arcana Evolved might be (since almost everything was in Arcana Unearthed. I'd agree that Arcana Unearthed certainly had innovative elements.

I own AE, not AU, and since they're basically the same books, whatever I say about AE probably applies to AU too

 

[DonTadow]

The Oathbound setting, for the prestige races and other boosts.

Also Bastion Press's Guildcraft, which introduced a whole new way to spend your XP and define your character. Which, btw, I loved but can't talk anyone into incorporating in their game. :\

I"m curious, from the description, it looks like a book on guilds. What are these new ways to spend XP. I'd love to know if its something I shoudl get.

 

[Hjorimir]

The theme here though is innovative, not necessarily good. You are saying these are good, but not saying why they are innovative (i.e. something that is different from what came before).

Not that I disagree that these are innovative. I agree in various degrees about Eberron and Mutants and Masterminds. I don't have any experience with Grim Tales, but the general comments I've read about this makes me believe it would probably meet my criteria.

Fair enough...

Eberron is innovative because it strives to be a D&D world, not just a fantasy world. I am a huge fan of fantasy, but the product moves past the traditional fantasy and offers a world that is true to the game.

Grim Tales is innovative because it breaks the d20 class system apart into tiny pieces and allows players and game masters to really do whatever they please. I also found the Horror rules innovative.

Mutants and Masterminds/True20 is innovative because it sees past the limit of hit points, which have always struck me as a kind of odd way of saying what a characters condition is ("I have 19 points of damage!") and merges the mechanic with the role-play ("I've been wounded!"). Also, MnM is particularly innovative with the inclusion of Power Levels. For the first time I have a supers game where you can account for a costumed avenger (i.e. the Batman) hanging around a paragon (i.e. Superman) with both having something to offer. Also, the flexibility in character design is outstanding and unprecedented in other d20 products that I've seen. Lastly, it incorporates rules that make the happenings within comic books make sense, like how a villain or hero always seems to get away.