[WOTC] Revised Corebooks for July confirmed with info

[JeffB]

So soon? At least we have some time to put money away for it. If you are in the US, it's simply a matter of putting aside around $15 a month if you get all 3 or just $6 if you are picking up the RPHB.

Plus, I don't think one would have to buy it right away. Most folks can take a look at a friends (like me, the guy who has to have everything the first day available) or stop by a store for a peek. Decide for yourself whether or not it's worth a purchase. If it'll make the game better for you, it would be worth the money. If not, use the old PHB.

[/SIZE]

Not only that, but places like Amazon will likely have it for 30% off (so there's the darn near original price of the 3E corebooks), and heck, buy.com might pull another epic level goof and have 'em for $14.00 each!


On another note:

I wonder if they will be changing the D&D logo (which I always though kinda looked cheesy) and "look" of the other products that follow?...i.e any modules, other hardbacks, rules supplements, etc.

C'mon July!

 

[jgbrowning]

anyone want to take bets that they "copyright" the format of the revised books the way they did with D20 modern?....


joe b.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Really, it is a very good move for both the consumer and WoTC. Really, any of us that already own the books and are happy with our games, don't need them, but many people will buy them out of compusive purchasing habits (good for WoTC).

New players will have better material that needs less errata. (good for the player). When our books begin to get banged up and need replacing, we get books designed and written after extensive play testing and user comments (good for us).

It is only bad if you feel a compulsion to own every book or every version of the book. Right now, I don't feel the need, who knows if I will next year. I just want the darned Kalamar Atlas.

That's not exactly true. Since they said the classes would be rebalanced, just imagine this:

They assume the bard is underpowered so they add a power called "Self Depreciating Song" gained at 2nd level (or something like that, just a silly example).

After the Revised Core books come out, they release an adventure that you decide to buy, in it is a major bard NPC who has listed as his powers "Self Depreciating Song". Then the description of what he'll do says "This NPC will try to use his self depreciating song on the PCs as much as possible. If it works, he will then drag them off as they will be helpless."

This leaves you wondering "What the hell is self depreciating song and how exactly does it leave PCs helpless?"

Thus, you may say "All of us who are happy with our games don't have to buy it". But, the fact that it was said somewhere that these new books would "contain information on how to integrate new material into your existing games" means that it is a big enough change to require some adjustments. Possibly some people who don't plan on buying any new books now would be fine just to use all the old ones. But without failure, at least a couple times you will run into a feat from a new book that makes no sense without the changes in the Revised Core books, or a prestige class that you can't take using the rules in the pre-revised core rule books.

Majoru Oakheart

 

[Zaruthustran]

I wonder if they will be changing the D&D logo (which I always though kinda looked cheesy) and "look" of the other products that follow?...i.e any modules, other hardbacks, rules supplements, etc.

C'mon July!

We can only hope, pray, and plead that they'll get rid of the spiky strappy crap and instead go for a look based on history and/or Elmore fantasy.

Or Otus.

-z

 

[John Crichton]

Not only that, but places like Amazon will likely have it for 30% off (so there's the darn near original price of the 3E corebooks), and heck, buy.com might pull another epic level goof and have 'em for $14.00 each!

> snip! <

C'mon July!

I'll either be getting mine @ Amazon.com or at my FLGS because I get 20% off there. Whoever can it for me first will get my money.

This summer is going to be great for the RPG industry. Arcana Unearthed plus 3 improved Core Books not to mention GenCon and other releases that I can't remember right now. C'mon July is right!

 

[John Crichton]

We can only hope, pray, and plead that they'll get rid of the spiky strappy crap and instead go for a look based on history and/or Elmore fantasy.

Or Otus.

-z

I actually like the design of the 3e Core Books (and most of the WotC stuff) but I wouldn't mind some rockin' (Elmore, Brom, etc.) fantasy art to grace the cover as in the days of yore.

 

[Jack Daniel]

If you don't like it, you can always wait until someone scans the revised rules into a PDF and puts it on Kazaa or Morpheus.

*Ducks the rotten tomatoes and errant .357 rounds*

 

[Gothmog]

We can only hope, pray, and plead that they'll get rid of the spiky strappy crap and instead go for a look based on history and/or Elmore fantasy.

HERE, HERE!!! I'm sick of the neo-goth looking iconics, spiky armor, and non-functional weapons. I miss Easley, Elmore, Parkinson, Otis, and Halloway. I do like some of Sam Wood's and Todd Lockwood's monsters though in the MM. I think it would be really cool if they did go back to one monster per page in the MM, and put the ecology section back in for each critter- otherwise the MM is just a one-dimensional hack-catelogue of beasties. I know that most of the responsiblity of making creatures seem real is the DM's job, but the new MM isn't much help with fleshing out creature societies and behaviors.

 

[Felon]

If you don't like it, you can always wait until someone scans the revised rules into a PDF and puts it on Kazaa or Morpheus.
*Ducks the rotten tomatoes and errant .357 rounds*

Heck, those progs are wastelands thanks to all the spyware they're loadeed with. Try WinMX

 

[John Crichton]

That's not exactly true. Since they said the classes would be rebalanced, just imagine this:

They assume the bard is underpowered so they add a power called "Self Depreciating Song" gained at 2nd level (or something like that, just a silly example).

After the Revised Core books come out, they release an adventure that you decide to buy, in it is a major bard NPC who has listed as his powers "Self Depreciating Song". Then the description of what he'll do says "This NPC will try to use his self depreciating song on the PCs as much as possible. If it works, he will then drag them off as they will be helpless."

This leaves you wondering "What the hell is self depreciating song and how exactly does it leave PCs helpless?"

Thus, you may say "All of us who are happy with our games don't have to buy it". But, the fact that it was said somewhere that these new books would "contain information on how to integrate new material into your existing games" means that it is a big enough change to require some adjustments. Possibly some people who don't plan on buying any new books now would be fine just to use all the old ones. But without failure, at least a couple times you will run into a feat from a new book that makes no sense without the changes in the Revised Core books, or a prestige class that you can't take using the rules in the pre-revised core rule books.

Majoru Oakheart

We don't know if something like that will even make its way into the revised books. I think that it probably wouldn't. The core classes won't change all that much I'm thinking if they want to keep things backwards compatable. And if they did make a major change like the one you mentioned, WotC would probably put a web enhancement or publish in the "product in question" what was needed for the campaign. Additionally, the back of the product would surely say what was needed to run it (revised vs. original) so the consumer would know before buying.

And yes, there will be times where you'll run into something that you need from the rCore books. But resourceful folks could find a way to get that little chunk of ruling (friends books, peak at something in a store, etc.).

I'm not saying that it's all good but we enjoy an industry that needs to have "upgrades" now and again. 3e is good and ready. As others have said, It has been battle-tested for a few years now and is ripe for an update.