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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JohnBrown" data-source="post: 335503" data-attributes="member: 2243">THG Hal,Speaking for myself – someone who has bought only a moderate amount of non-WoTC d20 items—the reason for this is simple, especially when it comes to campaign settings.  I own hundreds of dollars worth of Greyhawk campaign world material.  I am not about to go out and spend hundreds of dollars more on yet another setting, even if it is 100 times better.  I think the same could be said for most people, whether they are using Greyhawk, FR, Planescape, or what have you.  Converting may be a pain, but it is a lot cheaper, and if I am taking the time to convert it, I can fix the stuff I didn’t like while I am at it.As Kugar posted earlier, I think third-party d20 companies would be better served with by asking, “Don't ask how you lost my money, instead ask how you can add to my game.”  More than a few times, I have picked up the odd d20 product and after skimming through it felt that it was more a vanity project than a usable game supplement.  The following is a list of things I could live happily live without seeing any more of (please keep in mind these are just my opinions, yours may vary <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> )1.  “Generic” Prestige Classes:  To quote the p. 27 of the DMG, prestige classes “set characters in the milieu and put them in the context of the world.”  They, by their nature, should be extremely world specific.  Its one thing for a Kalamar source book to include them, but I don’t need to see yet another shaman or necromancer.  Please, it just makes my head hurt <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  I don’t need pages of classes I am never going to use.  As DonAdam said earlier many of the published PrC, can be accomplished through role-playing and good feat selection.  This true of WoTC and non-WotC stuff, but for some reason it is just more irritating to me in third-party products.  I am not sure why, and it is probably unfair, but it doesn’t change my opinion.  The prestige class madness just has to stop. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />2.  New spells that are just variations of old spells:  To be perfectly honest, I could live without seeing any new spells, period.  In this thread alone, we have uncovered a duplicate spell completely by accident (Bull’s Grace vs. Ray of Palsy).  Imagine what we could find if we really looked for them. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />3.  New monsters:  Let’s see…There is the MM, MoP, ELH, DotD, MM II, FRCS, CC, CC II, ToH, just to name a few.  That’s enough for me, thanks. 1000+ monsters are more than I will ever use.  Yet another type of elf, orc, demon, or what have you, starts to get just a tad repetitious.  No matter how cool or original it is, it is not going to be cool or original enough for me to justify spending money on it.4.  “New” equipment:  I wasn’t all that thrilled with thunderstones and tanglefoot bags.  Variations on them will leave me just as cold.  I don’t need to see yet another version of tiger claws, spiked gauntlets, or samurai swords either.  It has already been done.  Move on. Your new version isn’t going to be better than versions already out there.Many of you many very much like these things.  If you do, more power to you.  You have plenty of d20 stuff to choose from.  Some of this seems to stem from the fact that many d20 publishers, at least early on, didn’t understand the “first to market” principle.  Yes, this latest version of the Shaman class is better than the ones that came before it, but is it so much better that enough people will care?  First to market doesn’t mean it will succeed, but it sure doesn’t hurt.If you want to get my gaming dollar, publish something like this:A book of generic villages, with maps.  Village sizes ranging from say 10 to 300 people.  And when I say generic I mean generic.  Don’t name the villages, possibly leave some buildings undescribed.  Have a few, by rivers, a few in the hills, a few in the mountains, and a few along a lake or sea shore.  Include a few plot hooks, and presto, a product that has some real value to me.If you really want to empty my wallet.  Include the formatted text on a CD-ROM in a .doc or .rtf format (or make me send away for it, I don’t care).  That way, I can easily change and of the descriptions that I don’t like, or were left purposefully undefined, and print out my version.  Do a couple of cities this way and you will have one very happy customer.I have money to spend.  I would like to spend it on d20 products.  I just need them to add value to my game.</blockquote>

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