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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Winterthorn" data-source="post: 73109" data-attributes="member: 1702">Well James M., here's my 2 cents worth:First and formost: the market is cluttered with many, many, many, many, many, products for D&D and D20 fantasy. Did I say many?The only way you'll make money is to create something special, produce something unique AND interesting... Or, failing that route, something useful--especially if you outsmart WotC! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />I recommend to do good market research for your product--that means alot more effort than initiating this thread. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f631.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":eek:" title="Eek!    :eek:"  data-smilie="9"data-shortname=":eek:" /> Sorry. I hope I'm not preachy but, I think the d20 industry will plateau this spring--with respect to fantasy--and that'll require alot of time invested in researching what'll sell well and what won't.OTOH: there are plenty RPGers into D&D/D20 fantasy looking for interesting tid-bits to personalize their gaming experience. Already, as consumers, our choices are separating the wheat from the chaff. Look at what's doing well, I guess. Ride someone's coat-tails (legally) if you can--I mean moreso than just selling to the d20 market. Simple innovation, generic tools, and convenient use of product are things that come to my mind.WRT the specifics you asked:New Races - there's a wee bit room for more here, I think. But originality will be difficult--especially since monsters can be played as PCs now.New Core Classes - not a good idea unless it's campaign setting specific. Even then, almost every concept's been covered by the core classes and multiclassing.One possible exception, I think: custom core classes that replace certain multiclass combos and include a few original features. Perhaps difficult, but I think possible. Not everyone is thrilled by multiclassing, while the many who do use it might like to see a balanced, innovative option to avoid those penalties to XPs earned... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />New Prestige Classes - there are more than enough generic ideas out there. Only prestige classes that are region, culture or setting specific are needed. Indeed, even then, most of those ppl will invent on their own with little difficulty.New Skills - contrary to most comments here, I see room to maneuver. For example: there is only 1 "Intuit" skill. WotC could have added a few more concerning inate sense of weather, depth, mana, perhaps? [I've a few I'm trying in my house rules.] Plugging them into the core system might be off-putting to some. Touchy issue perhaps <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f631.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":eek:" title="Eek!    :eek:"  data-smilie="9"data-shortname=":eek:" />New Feats -  unless the new feat is special and relates to a specific setting or campaign style, I would say it's all been done by now. Tough to be original here too.New or Variant rules - Yes. Some genuine creativity WRT alternate rules. Great. New rules covering adventuring by air, for example, rather than by sea, is wide open for development I think. Although I'd expect that that would be geared for high fantasy/magic play. It could be great fun for some!New Spells - Inspite of the plethora of ideas and published material, there's always room for more it seems. Facinating territory actually. A publisher would have to do a good job though!New Magic Items - See above remarks concerning new spells. New Creatures - Personally, there's way more published out there than in my huge library of D&D books. And since I won't ever get around to using what I have, I won't bother with any new critters unless it's something really special. We DM's DO get overwhelmed <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f644.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":rolleyes:" title="Roll eyes    :rolleyes:"  data-smilie="11"data-shortname=":rolleyes:" />Something else?1) Some ppl above have mentioned well made NPC's that we could plug into our games--especially low to mid-level. I agree.2) WotC's coming out with a book on castles and strongholds. Odds are that someone else can do just as good, if not better.3) Settings. There are many good fantasy settings created by various authors over the years. Certainly some beg for d20/D&D treatment. Hooking up with an author like David Eddings, George R.R. Martin, Mercedes Lackey, or Terry Brooks may be a profitable venture? (They're the ones that come in to my mind just now.)4) There's still a chance that something was overlooked that's still a good creative angle--but I'm stumped for the moment.One more thought: alot of us have digested SO much material that we are starting to, generally speaking, come up with excellent variations on published material on our own. So why should we buy much more? Let's face it, unless it'll save us major time and trouble, it's probably already in our house rules that we share with one another.Well, I've stuck my neck out <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f631.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":eek:" title="Eek!    :eek:"  data-smilie="9"data-shortname=":eek:" />Hack away <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f641.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":(" title="Frown    :("  data-smilie="3"data-shortname=":(" /> ...      <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /></blockquote>

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