Whatever happened to Necromancer Games?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I know I've been away for a while, but I could have sworn that the Necromancers had bestirred themselves from their unquiet graves and were going to do, if not a Tome of Horrors, something very, very similar for both 4E and Pathfinder. But now, discovering that Pathfinder is far older than I'd realized -- meaning quite a bit of time has gone by -- I find no new Necromancer books anywhere and their same old horrendous Web site advertising books that came out long ago or clearly never will.

What's up with them, anyone know?

And is there anything Tome of Horrors-like out there for various editions, without resorting to eBay/Noble Knight?

Thanks.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

As I recall, despite really wanting to work with and for 4e, they eventually gave up on the idea of doing so. They got burned pretty hard there.

I know there's been a lot of talk about Pathfinder supplements, but I dunno what they've done on that end.

 

[Greg V]

Conversion is underway for Tome of Horrors Pathfinder edition, though nothing has been officially announced yet that I know of. I have talked with some of the folks doing the conversion work. And we're currently in talks for a Pathfinder update of the entire Slumbering Tsar adventure trilogy (think Ptolus-sized adventure), though we're still trying to figure out if such a massive project would be viable (you can get the first one right now on Drive Thru RPG as a 3.5 pdf, but the other two have never been released). No announcement on that yet, obviously, either, but I am in contact with them about it and even exchanged e-mails tonight. And you're right, the web site home page is atrociously out of date. Hopefully that will be fixed if these other projects become officially green lit.

So basically, things are still kind of in stasis from the outside looking in, but there are hidden currents underneath that continue to flow.

Clark and Bill post on these boards from time to time, so one of them might step in and have more to say.

 

[mhensley]

They put their trust in wotc.

I'll put this warning nice and early in the thread, considering the next few responses: try to turn this into an edition war and you'll get booted. Whether you're a 4e or 3e fan, we're having none of it. ~ Piratecat

 

[Shazman]

And like many of WotC's fans and fans of D&D, they got burned. Lesson learned.

 

[coyote6]

More specifically, I believe they said they couldn't accept the terms of the GSL.

 

[bmadden]

Having fun with my friends and family with WotC 4e here!
Hope you are too

 

[Stormonu]

And is there anything Tome of Horrors-like out there for various editions, without resorting to eBay/Noble Knight?

Thanks.

Fiery Dragon/Sword & Sorcery put out a 4E version of their Creature Collection. The 3E versions (CC I, II, III) were fairly popular, and I have the PDF version, which seems to draw the best from the three (though no Carnival Krewe). Unfortunately, I don't know if a print version is available.

 

[Piratecat]

Necromancer found the restrictions attached to the GSL to be too limiting, and too risky, for them to base their business on. I believe Clark also personally prefers to play 3e, although I don't think that would necessarily play into his business plan.

WotC's GSL allows them to pull the license with little notice. It makes for (IMO) a dangerous business strategy for any print publisher with high up-front costs.

 

[billd91]

It was a very significant turnaround for Clark and Necromancer. He went from being gung ho about wanting to support the new edition coming out to feeling he was unable to do so under the terms of the original or even the revised GSL.