Wotc takes on ... Optimization?!?

[Runestar]

Probably old news to you vets here, but just saw this a while ago.

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Product (D&D Player's Strategy Guide)

The excerpt suggests that this is an optimization guide of sorts.

Seriously? Wotc trying to tell us how to build better characters? Their track record hasn't been quite stellar, IIRC.

Or does anyone know if they had roped in the CO boards to proofread the material?

 

[Shemeska]

Is the Penny Arcade artwork the actual cover?

 

[Dice4Hire]

I think the optimization views of WOTC and the CO board has always been different, but this book makes me wonder.

The best side of the CO board is a mental expercise, with characters existing in a vaccum, or at best against equal level challenges. At wrst, (well saying that would get me banned)

WOTC has been more about party optimization, at least thus far. But this book makes me wonder. It looks like they are trying to do mroe optimization by the CO boards standards, and that is very disappointing. Especially the bit about wowing people at the gaming table? I'd prefer to wow them with what my character is, not his DPR.

Another book for me to avoid with a ten foot pole.

If it is a real book. If it is the cover looks a lot different than most I have seen.

 

[Remathilis]

'Fraid so.

a distinctive comic art style unlike other books in the D&D game line.

That's a book I wouldn't buy if I BOUGHT 4e books!

 

[Dragonhelm]

I would normally pass a book like this up, but this little tidbit caught my eye.

In addition to character optimization tips and player advice, this book includes entertaining sidebar essays written by celebrity gamers and a distinctive comic art style unlike other books in the D&D game line.

 

[Relique du Madde]

4e is over already? Damn that was fast.


Anyways, a book like that would make more sense as padding before a new edition is released, since it implies content fatigue and an unwillingness to create new rules that will not be used (due to the pending edition update).

 

[Kafen]

Humor books are fun for gifts - it might have that going for it.

 

[ggroy]

Wasn't something like this was done early in the lifetime of 3E, in the form of the Hero Builder's Guidebook back in December 2000?

https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/868960000

 

[Relique du Madde]

Wasn't something like this was done early in the lifetime of 3E, in the form of the Hero Builder's Guidebook back in December 2000?

https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/868960000

Yeah, but this is book is triple the cost, triple the page count, and was given a green light during an economic slump when the entire print gaming industry is suffering. At time point in history, I don't think printing a throw away is not a best move (especially when you want maximum profits and your investors are skeptical).

 

[Runestar]

I have never heard of the hero builder's guidebook before. What it any good?