I was checking out various sites and came across a 7page pdf preview for the DC Adv. Heroes & Villains vol. 1, which is nice.
Then I was over at RPGNow looking at a few things and found this I could be wrong but it seems like they have the pdf for sale now.
I also checked out Green Ronin's site and it appears to be available there as well.
I can't confirm beyond doubt that these are active downloads because there is no way in hell I'm paying $27 for a pdf, but it was posted to RPGNow on 6/23/11 and it at least appears to be an item that you can purchase and download now. So for those of you that have to have it now, check it out and let me know if it is the real deal.
Showing posts with label News and Rumors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News and Rumors. Show all posts
Friday, June 24, 2011
Saturday, October 16, 2010
The Class Compendium and other curious WotC items
I was nosing around on some of the message boards when I came across a post about the Class Compendium: Heroes of Sword and Spell (which is also called Class Compendium: Heroes of Legend in the Amazon picture) book that is set to be released next year. In truth I haven't been a big 4e follower outside of Essentials, which I am very happy with. I've pretty much ignored everything that has been, is being or will be released for the system since I quit playing it a couple of years ago. Well except for one item which I'll get to in a minute. Honestly I just didn't figure I'd keep buying 4e after the 10 product Essentials run, but this book has piqued my interest.
Here is the product description from Amazon:
"Class Compendium: Heroes of Sword and Spell provides new character options for Dungeons & Dragons® Essentials players who are ready to move beyond the two player-oriented D&D™ Essentials books, Heroes of the Fallen Lands and Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms.
This book gathers five classes from the Player’s Handbook—the cleric, the fighter, the rogue, the warlord, and the wizard—and presents them in the new D&D Essentials class format introduced in Heroes of the Fallen Lands, with rules updates and errata. It features rules that allow D&D Essentials characters to select non-D&D Essentials powers, and it grants non-D&D Essentials characters access to class features from Heroes of the Fallen Lands and Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms. In addition, this book presents feats, rituals, and rules for multiclassing.
So it would appear that all of the complaints I've seen directed at Essentials from 4e fans may be a little off base. This book appears, according to the description, to serve the purpose of bridging the gap between Essentials and the core 4e books. Essentials is apparently not meant to be the death of 4e as they know it after all. Currently I'm not sure whether I'll be buying this or not. Essentials has, so far, had everything I've wanted out of 4e and I'm not sure I want to bring all the stuff I didn't originally like back into the game. Of course knowing me my curiosity will get the better of me and I'll buy this book anyway. Plus I'm kind of hoping it is another digest sized books, I just really like those.
The next thing I noticed is that WotC seems to be on a boxed set kick. There are at least two more boxed sets on the list of items to be released next year. I'm not sure why, perhaps it is because of the Red Box or Essentials format's popularity because the upcoming sets are pretty similar in format.
Here are the sets I found, again with descriptions from Amazon.
The Shadofell: Gloomwrought and Beyond
"Terror and suspense await you in the Shadowfell.
This boxed set is for Dungeon Masters interested in taking their heroes on excursions to the Shadowfell, as well as Dungeon Masters looking for a sinister setting in which to run thrilling urban adventures. A 128-page book presents the fully detailed city of Gloomwrought, complete with location descriptions, maps, quests, and game statistics for monsters and villains. It also includes provides information on other locations heroes are likely to visit beyond the city's dark walls. In addition, the box contains a 32-page book of encounters set in Gloomwrought and beyond, two card stock sheets of die-cut monster and villain tokens, a foldout battle map, and a deck of 30 cards that DMs can use to add suspense to any Shadowfell-based adventure.
Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale
"The Nentir Vale -- a frontier land sheltered by mountains and strewn with abandoned farmsteads, ruined manors, and broken keeps -- is the perfect base for any Dungeons & Dragons® campaign. Many heroes begin their adventuring careers here, and some also meet untimely ends.
Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale presents statistics, tactics, and lore for an array of new monsters that prowl the Nentir Vale, some of which trace their origins back to the earliest editions of the Dungeons & Dragons® Roleplaying Game. Other entries focus on campaign villains present in the Nentir Vale region, among them the Iron Circle, the Tigerclaw Barbarians, the Raven Roost Bandits, and several new villainous groups introduced here for the first time.
The monsters and villains contained within are appropriate challenges for heroic- and paragon-tier characters and fit easily into any home campaign, as well as other Dungeons & Dragons published campaign settings. In addition to a 128-page book of ready-to-play monsters and villains, this product includes 8 die-cut sheets of card stock monster and villain tokens and a double-sided battle map featuring four different encounter locations you can use when running encounters.
Contents:
128 page book of ready-to-play monsters and villains
8 die-cut sheets of card stock monster and villain tokens
1 double-sided battle map (featuring 4 different encounter locations)
This next item I've added to the list just because I am curious about whether it will be a standard sized book or a digest. It is 320 pages which is about the same as the digests. All of the standard sized supplement books I own, and the few I looked up on WotC's site are 250 pages and under (usually 160 pages), but it doesn't actually state that it is a digest. So this is one that I may have to look into a little more when it gets closer to release.
Player's Option: Heroes of Shadow
"The Shadowfell is a cold, grim place through which the spirits of the dead must pass on their way to . . . wherever. Dark, evil things live there, suffused with the power of shadow. Some mortals in the natural world learn how to tap into this source. Assassins. Necromancers. Hexblades. By all accounts, a ruthless lot. However, not all beings that draw strength from the Shadowfell are vile, blackhearted fiends. A few even dare to call themselves heroes, using the power of darkness to fight darkness. Are they evil? No. Deeply disturbed and hounded by their own dark demons? You bet.
Player’s Option: Heroes of Shadow™ focuses on characters that fight evil in ways that make others cringe. In addition to exploring the nature of the shadow power source, this book presents races, classes, feats, powers, and other options aimed at players hungry to play the archetypal antihero with a dark edge.
And on a semi-related note if you haven't checked out the gaming and D&D inspired 20-sided Rhymes over at Hipster, please! do so now. Not only is one of my favorite Nerdcore artists, MC Frontalot, featured on the album but I've now found several new favorites. In my opinion this album is a must have for any gamer. I admit that I don't love every song on it, but more than a couple really kick ass. A few of my personal favorites are I Play D&D by Krondor Krew, D&D at the Library by Glenn Case and of course Hassle the Dorkening by MC Frontalot. Although I do like the original version better than the remix that appears on this compilation.
If that isn't enough to get you to go download this album right now then check out this rockin album cover.
If you happen to be looking for more Nercore artist then check out the other compilations on Hipster, please!.
Two more artists that I highly recommend and that I wish were featured on this album, but weren't are MC Lars and MC Chris.
Just for fun here are some videos.
Here is the product description from Amazon:
"Class Compendium: Heroes of Sword and Spell provides new character options for Dungeons & Dragons® Essentials players who are ready to move beyond the two player-oriented D&D™ Essentials books, Heroes of the Fallen Lands and Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms.
This book gathers five classes from the Player’s Handbook—the cleric, the fighter, the rogue, the warlord, and the wizard—and presents them in the new D&D Essentials class format introduced in Heroes of the Fallen Lands, with rules updates and errata. It features rules that allow D&D Essentials characters to select non-D&D Essentials powers, and it grants non-D&D Essentials characters access to class features from Heroes of the Fallen Lands and Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms. In addition, this book presents feats, rituals, and rules for multiclassing.
- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (February 15, 2011)"
The next thing I noticed is that WotC seems to be on a boxed set kick. There are at least two more boxed sets on the list of items to be released next year. I'm not sure why, perhaps it is because of the Red Box or Essentials format's popularity because the upcoming sets are pretty similar in format.
Here are the sets I found, again with descriptions from Amazon.
The Shadofell: Gloomwrought and Beyond
"Terror and suspense await you in the Shadowfell.
This boxed set is for Dungeon Masters interested in taking their heroes on excursions to the Shadowfell, as well as Dungeon Masters looking for a sinister setting in which to run thrilling urban adventures. A 128-page book presents the fully detailed city of Gloomwrought, complete with location descriptions, maps, quests, and game statistics for monsters and villains. It also includes provides information on other locations heroes are likely to visit beyond the city's dark walls. In addition, the box contains a 32-page book of encounters set in Gloomwrought and beyond, two card stock sheets of die-cut monster and villain tokens, a foldout battle map, and a deck of 30 cards that DMs can use to add suspense to any Shadowfell-based adventure.
- Game: 160 pages
- Publisher: Wizards of the Coast; Brdgm edition (May 17, 2011)"
Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale
"The Nentir Vale -- a frontier land sheltered by mountains and strewn with abandoned farmsteads, ruined manors, and broken keeps -- is the perfect base for any Dungeons & Dragons® campaign. Many heroes begin their adventuring careers here, and some also meet untimely ends.
Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale presents statistics, tactics, and lore for an array of new monsters that prowl the Nentir Vale, some of which trace their origins back to the earliest editions of the Dungeons & Dragons® Roleplaying Game. Other entries focus on campaign villains present in the Nentir Vale region, among them the Iron Circle, the Tigerclaw Barbarians, the Raven Roost Bandits, and several new villainous groups introduced here for the first time.
The monsters and villains contained within are appropriate challenges for heroic- and paragon-tier characters and fit easily into any home campaign, as well as other Dungeons & Dragons published campaign settings. In addition to a 128-page book of ready-to-play monsters and villains, this product includes 8 die-cut sheets of card stock monster and villain tokens and a double-sided battle map featuring four different encounter locations you can use when running encounters.
Contents:
128 page book of ready-to-play monsters and villains
8 die-cut sheets of card stock monster and villain tokens
1 double-sided battle map (featuring 4 different encounter locations)
- Game: 128 pages
- Publisher: Wizards of the Coast; Brdgm edition (June 21, 2011)"
This next item I've added to the list just because I am curious about whether it will be a standard sized book or a digest. It is 320 pages which is about the same as the digests. All of the standard sized supplement books I own, and the few I looked up on WotC's site are 250 pages and under (usually 160 pages), but it doesn't actually state that it is a digest. So this is one that I may have to look into a little more when it gets closer to release.
Player's Option: Heroes of Shadow
"The Shadowfell is a cold, grim place through which the spirits of the dead must pass on their way to . . . wherever. Dark, evil things live there, suffused with the power of shadow. Some mortals in the natural world learn how to tap into this source. Assassins. Necromancers. Hexblades. By all accounts, a ruthless lot. However, not all beings that draw strength from the Shadowfell are vile, blackhearted fiends. A few even dare to call themselves heroes, using the power of darkness to fight darkness. Are they evil? No. Deeply disturbed and hounded by their own dark demons? You bet.
Player’s Option: Heroes of Shadow™ focuses on characters that fight evil in ways that make others cringe. In addition to exploring the nature of the shadow power source, this book presents races, classes, feats, powers, and other options aimed at players hungry to play the archetypal antihero with a dark edge.
- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (March 15, 2011)"
And on a semi-related note if you haven't checked out the gaming and D&D inspired 20-sided Rhymes over at Hipster, please! do so now. Not only is one of my favorite Nerdcore artists, MC Frontalot, featured on the album but I've now found several new favorites. In my opinion this album is a must have for any gamer. I admit that I don't love every song on it, but more than a couple really kick ass. A few of my personal favorites are I Play D&D by Krondor Krew, D&D at the Library by Glenn Case and of course Hassle the Dorkening by MC Frontalot. Although I do like the original version better than the remix that appears on this compilation.
If that isn't enough to get you to go download this album right now then check out this rockin album cover.
If you happen to be looking for more Nercore artist then check out the other compilations on Hipster, please!.
Two more artists that I highly recommend and that I wish were featured on this album, but weren't are MC Lars and MC Chris.
Just for fun here are some videos.
Friday, October 15, 2010
The Mutant Epoch RPG
The Mutant Epoch tabletop adventure role-playing game from Outland Arts is apparently set to be released this month.
I've been keeping tabs on the development of this game off and on for quite a while and I am definitely looking forward to grabbing a copy of this game.
Click on the following link or the picture below to go to Outland Arts' website
I've been keeping tabs on the development of this game off and on for quite a while and I am definitely looking forward to grabbing a copy of this game.
Click on the following link or the picture below to go to Outland Arts' website
Friday, February 5, 2010
Why so serious? or It's just a f@%$!ng comic book!
Today on Newsarama there was a post by David Pepose about the fact that DC is considering the possibility of doing sequels to Watchmen. Let the fanboy outrage ensue.
I for one don't give a shit whether they do 50 sequels, Watchmen cereal, Rorschach toothpaste and a Saturday morning cartoon using the characters. After all I don't own those characters, DC/Warner Bros owns them and they can do whatever the hell they want.
I enjoyed the original Watchmen as much as the next comic book fan, but it is just comic book, not some kind of sacred text. In the same way Casablanca is just a movie, Huxley's Brave New World is just a book, Elvis was just a musician and Alan Moore is just a writer. Sure all may be good or even great, but they are what they are and nothing more. People tend to attach too much to works and creators/artists that are part of the upper echelon, the best of the best. They attribute an almost sacred aspect to them, holding them in higher regard than they deserve.
I'm not bashing the quality of Moore's work here, I'm simply pointing out that none of this shit is so sacred that it can't be exploited. Common sense will tell you that if it tanks, they won't keep doing it. If it does well then there was demand for it because they put out something that people liked and wanted.
Ok I can already hear the cries of hypocrisy. Wasn't I pissed when D&D 4e came out? Well yeah, but not because it tarnished the name of D&D. I was pissed because of the way I felt WotC treated their fans. I gave 4e a chance and while I admit the system is good, I didn't like playing it. I didn't find it fun.
3e/Pathfinder is the type of system I prefer for D&D. It is that simple, a matter of preference. 4e has not "ruined" D&D or taken away from my ability to enjoy 3e/PfRPG. Do I still hold a grudge against WotC, sure and maybe that colored my judgment of 4e. However, I still own ten 4e books, so I think I gave the system a fair chance. Though in my defense my group didn't care for the system either.
Now what was the purpose of this rambling mess of a post? I guess I just wish that people would get over themselves. Don't take this shit so seriously and don't discount something until you at least give it try. Nothing is sacred and just because you love a certain piece of work doesn't mean that another one can't be just as enjoyable. After all the purpose of comics, movies, games, music, and fiction is entertainment. If they teach us something in the process, build character, or make us think, then we benefit from their existence. Still they are nothing more than what they are, a form of entertainment.
Don't take this stuff so seriously.
I for one don't give a shit whether they do 50 sequels, Watchmen cereal, Rorschach toothpaste and a Saturday morning cartoon using the characters. After all I don't own those characters, DC/Warner Bros owns them and they can do whatever the hell they want.
I enjoyed the original Watchmen as much as the next comic book fan, but it is just comic book, not some kind of sacred text. In the same way Casablanca is just a movie, Huxley's Brave New World is just a book, Elvis was just a musician and Alan Moore is just a writer. Sure all may be good or even great, but they are what they are and nothing more. People tend to attach too much to works and creators/artists that are part of the upper echelon, the best of the best. They attribute an almost sacred aspect to them, holding them in higher regard than they deserve.
I'm not bashing the quality of Moore's work here, I'm simply pointing out that none of this shit is so sacred that it can't be exploited. Common sense will tell you that if it tanks, they won't keep doing it. If it does well then there was demand for it because they put out something that people liked and wanted.
Ok I can already hear the cries of hypocrisy. Wasn't I pissed when D&D 4e came out? Well yeah, but not because it tarnished the name of D&D. I was pissed because of the way I felt WotC treated their fans. I gave 4e a chance and while I admit the system is good, I didn't like playing it. I didn't find it fun.
3e/Pathfinder is the type of system I prefer for D&D. It is that simple, a matter of preference. 4e has not "ruined" D&D or taken away from my ability to enjoy 3e/PfRPG. Do I still hold a grudge against WotC, sure and maybe that colored my judgment of 4e. However, I still own ten 4e books, so I think I gave the system a fair chance. Though in my defense my group didn't care for the system either.
Now what was the purpose of this rambling mess of a post? I guess I just wish that people would get over themselves. Don't take this shit so seriously and don't discount something until you at least give it try. Nothing is sacred and just because you love a certain piece of work doesn't mean that another one can't be just as enjoyable. After all the purpose of comics, movies, games, music, and fiction is entertainment. If they teach us something in the process, build character, or make us think, then we benefit from their existence. Still they are nothing more than what they are, a form of entertainment.
Don't take this stuff so seriously.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Paizo's Mutants & Megasale
I was checking out some stuff on Paizo's website when I noticed that they were offering some Mutants & Masterminds products for up to 50% off. The prices aren't quite as great as the RPGNow sale that ended recently, but there are still some damn good deals to be had.
My personal favorite is the Pocket Player's guide for $11.97. I'm very particular about keeping my books in good condition and unfortunately most of the people I have ever gamed with do not share this view. It seems especially true when they are handling my books. That is why I keep one of these on hand, so my main rule book doesn't get ruined. I only wish more publishers offered these cheaper, yet very useful pocket guides.
My other personal recommendations are the Golden Age sourcebook, The Book of Magic and Ultimate Power pocket guide. All of these are under $20 and the Ultimate Power pocket guide is as great to have around as the Pocket Player's guide.
The Green Ronin Mutants&Masterminds sale ends February 18, 2010 so check it out while the deals last.
My personal favorite is the Pocket Player's guide for $11.97. I'm very particular about keeping my books in good condition and unfortunately most of the people I have ever gamed with do not share this view. It seems especially true when they are handling my books. That is why I keep one of these on hand, so my main rule book doesn't get ruined. I only wish more publishers offered these cheaper, yet very useful pocket guides.
My other personal recommendations are the Golden Age sourcebook, The Book of Magic and Ultimate Power pocket guide. All of these are under $20 and the Ultimate Power pocket guide is as great to have around as the Pocket Player's guide.
The Green Ronin Mutants&Masterminds sale ends February 18, 2010 so check it out while the deals last.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
The RPG community a damn good bunch of people.
All of the other RPG Bloggers are doing a terrific job covering the RPGNow/DriveThruRPG Hati megabundle, so I really don't have a whole lot to add. I will spare you a long post extolling the greatness and generosity of the rpg community and the companies that participated. At least for the moment.
In lieu of an actual post I am going to re-post a comment I made on Creatively Anomalous.
"I finally got all of mine downloaded, though I never had the problems that plagued everyone else. It just took me around 4 hours to download that many items.
I have to say that was the best $20 I have spent on my rpg hobby/addiction in my life. As a diehard cheapskate, that is also one of the only times I have felt good about spending $20.
It is also the first time I’ve actually been proud of us, the rpg gaming community. No bickering, flaming or edition wars. Just a bunch of gamers stepping up to help our fellow man, and get some cool stuff in the process.
Kudos to everyone that spent the $20 and to all the companies that participated. Especially DriveThruRPG/RPGNow for putting it together.
I’ve been telling everyone I know about this deal. Hopefully that $70K will be a much bigger number tomorrow."
In lieu of an actual post I am going to re-post a comment I made on Creatively Anomalous.
"I finally got all of mine downloaded, though I never had the problems that plagued everyone else. It just took me around 4 hours to download that many items.
I have to say that was the best $20 I have spent on my rpg hobby/addiction in my life. As a diehard cheapskate, that is also one of the only times I have felt good about spending $20.
It is also the first time I’ve actually been proud of us, the rpg gaming community. No bickering, flaming or edition wars. Just a bunch of gamers stepping up to help our fellow man, and get some cool stuff in the process.
Kudos to everyone that spent the $20 and to all the companies that participated. Especially DriveThruRPG/RPGNow for putting it together.
I’ve been telling everyone I know about this deal. Hopefully that $70K will be a much bigger number tomorrow."
Monday, August 31, 2009
Is D&D really all that most gamer know?
Usually when I stop by Emipre Comics to pick up my books, I am either heading to or from work/school so I don't get a chance to browse and chit chat. I tend to run in and out with little more than a polite "hello" and "see ya next time" , but the other day I was fortunate enough to have a few minutes to browse and actually have a short but thought provoking conversation with the shop's owner and another customer.
The conversation started after I took a few minutes to browse around the gaming area of the store, which I had never really done before. I was checking out some of the newer 4e Dungeons & Dragons books when I noticed a shelf that still held many 3e/3.5 books. Upon noticing these older books I immediately glanced around to see if there was a copy of Pathfinder on any of the shelves. There wasn't.
I already own a copy of the Pathfinder RPG Core book, which I pre-ordered on Amazon as soon as it was available, but I was a little disappointed to not see a copy on the shelves. As a Paizo fan and 3.5 supporter, there is definitely a part of me that wants to see the system not only succed but thrive. I freely admit that I do entertain the fantasy that PfRPG could knock the industry giant off its pedestal. I know this is unlikely, much like the super hot lady that wears chainmail bikinis and finds your character concept to be fascinating, but it is my fantasy after all.
I walked up to the counter and waited for the owner to get my comics from my file before asking him if he was planning to carry Pathfider. He said that he was planning to carry and support the game if he could ever get a copy. Now the owner is a pretty smart guy so he began to talk about print runs, small publishers, and things of that nature. Things that I have heard/read and discussed on the various forums or RPG blogs. He also mentioned that people had started coming in asking for Paizo products, or products that Paizo happens to produce as if they were new concepts, despite the fact he has carried them for years. This made me feel a bit hopeful that my desire to see Paizo become one of the gaming industries big dogs would come to be. But then he said some things that honestly took me by surprise.
He mentioned the fact that the customers, more specifically experienced gamers, had been asking about Paizo and Pathfinder because they had just recently heard about them/it. As I said before, I was taken by surprise and could not believe that anyone who had ever gamed did not know about Pathfider. After all it has been discussed on every message board and blog on the net for over a year. I expressed this to George who replied that most gamers didn't even know that games other than D&D even existed. I believe the number he used was 1 out of every 30 had played other systems, which I felt was ridiculous.
I was about to tell him this when I thought about the people I had gamed with over the years, including my current group. Sure I own a ridiculous amount of gaming books and have almost an obssessive desire to keep up with the latests and greatest systems, but everyone else I have played with pretty much only owned D&D.
The group I originally played with as a kid naturally all just owned D&D, that was back in the 1e & 2e days, but we were kids with very limited funds and new to gaming so that was understandable. That group grew up and we all went our seperate ways, but I branched out and started buying new systems. I assumed that those in the original group that kept gaming had done the same. Never really considering that maybe that hadn't.
Then I thought about the short lived 2e groups I had in my early 20's and realized that once again, other than myself, they had all owned only D&D with few exceptions. Granted there were a few guys I gamed with during that time that had played Champions or Palladium systems, and natrually Magic the Gathering, but they never asked to play anything but D&D/AD&D.
After those groups I didn't game for 3-4 years, until finding the foundations of the group I currently play with, and have mentioned a few times in various posts. Of that group only 1 guy still remains as a full time member, though my fiance who was also in that group still sits in on the rare game. Most quit playing all together or due to various circumstances (divorce, broken friendships) moved on to other groups. Yet when I think about them only one, the guy that is still in the group, had every played anything but D&D, and maybe Vampire. As a matter of fact, at the time I started gaming with them none of them even knew 3e was coming out until I took over DMing duties and switched the group from 2e to 3e. Naturally the last remaining member has played a few of the systems I own over the years and is a little more amiable to trying new systems, but he only owns D&D. Until I brought up the fact that Pathfinder was coming out, he had no idea it even existed and assumed we would continue as a 4e group or go back to our 3e books given that we were only moderately happy with 4e.
Of my current group 2 of the regular players are teenagers, and are new to gaming so their lack of knowledge is understandable, but the other 2-3 have been gaming as long, if not longer,than I have, one still runs a 2e game with another group. How could they not know about games other than D&D?
Because of the internet, the countless blogs and messageboards I have erroneously assumed that every gamer is as well versed as those of us that blog or post. I was apparently way off base.
D&D is the industry giant not only because it was the foundation of the industry, but because that is all most gamers know. Since D&D is generally the game we start out with, I can completely understand that newer gamers have yet to be exposed to the other great systems being produced. But what about the older, more experienced gamers? Outside of D&D, and more specifially the system they are currently playing, nothing else seems to exists to them.
Now it could be argued that those of us that do expand beyond D&D are more "hardcore" or that those other gamers are more casual. Yet the groups I have played with, regularly played weekly if not more often. That's not really casual in my book.
I started to argue the point with my comics shop's owner that as a member of the RPG Bloggers Network, there are tons of gamers out there that have played and own other systems. After all there have been numerous posts about how many books we all own since the network came into existence. Surely, the gamers in my area are a fluke, an anomoly in the gaming world.
Then it hit me that many of the same people on the RPGBN are the ones who are posting on the message boards, producing podcasts and leaving comments on the various blogs. Then I thought about the various posts on the RPGBN, the majority of which are about D&D. I had no argument. We are not the standard in gaming, at least given the circumstantial evidence I can come up with.
So what is the point of this post? Honestly I'm not 100% sure. I just found the revelation a bit surprising and suppose I am curious to see if this is something that others have encountered. Are those of us on the RPGBN and the various message boards, numerous though we seem, really in the minority? Are the majority of our fellow gamers really so isolated and uninformed about what else exists in this age where information about nearly any topic is just a Google search away?
If this is the case and our fellow gamers are caught up in a world where D&D is all that exists, how can we change that? Surely there is some way to "spread the word" and get D&D only players to try other systems. I'm not saying that they should abandon D&D, I love the game too, but they should know there are other options available to them.
I'm open to suggestions.
The conversation started after I took a few minutes to browse around the gaming area of the store, which I had never really done before. I was checking out some of the newer 4e Dungeons & Dragons books when I noticed a shelf that still held many 3e/3.5 books. Upon noticing these older books I immediately glanced around to see if there was a copy of Pathfinder on any of the shelves. There wasn't.
I already own a copy of the Pathfinder RPG Core book, which I pre-ordered on Amazon as soon as it was available, but I was a little disappointed to not see a copy on the shelves. As a Paizo fan and 3.5 supporter, there is definitely a part of me that wants to see the system not only succed but thrive. I freely admit that I do entertain the fantasy that PfRPG could knock the industry giant off its pedestal. I know this is unlikely, much like the super hot lady that wears chainmail bikinis and finds your character concept to be fascinating, but it is my fantasy after all.
I walked up to the counter and waited for the owner to get my comics from my file before asking him if he was planning to carry Pathfider. He said that he was planning to carry and support the game if he could ever get a copy. Now the owner is a pretty smart guy so he began to talk about print runs, small publishers, and things of that nature. Things that I have heard/read and discussed on the various forums or RPG blogs. He also mentioned that people had started coming in asking for Paizo products, or products that Paizo happens to produce as if they were new concepts, despite the fact he has carried them for years. This made me feel a bit hopeful that my desire to see Paizo become one of the gaming industries big dogs would come to be. But then he said some things that honestly took me by surprise.
He mentioned the fact that the customers, more specifically experienced gamers, had been asking about Paizo and Pathfinder because they had just recently heard about them/it. As I said before, I was taken by surprise and could not believe that anyone who had ever gamed did not know about Pathfider. After all it has been discussed on every message board and blog on the net for over a year. I expressed this to George who replied that most gamers didn't even know that games other than D&D even existed. I believe the number he used was 1 out of every 30 had played other systems, which I felt was ridiculous.
I was about to tell him this when I thought about the people I had gamed with over the years, including my current group. Sure I own a ridiculous amount of gaming books and have almost an obssessive desire to keep up with the latests and greatest systems, but everyone else I have played with pretty much only owned D&D.
The group I originally played with as a kid naturally all just owned D&D, that was back in the 1e & 2e days, but we were kids with very limited funds and new to gaming so that was understandable. That group grew up and we all went our seperate ways, but I branched out and started buying new systems. I assumed that those in the original group that kept gaming had done the same. Never really considering that maybe that hadn't.
Then I thought about the short lived 2e groups I had in my early 20's and realized that once again, other than myself, they had all owned only D&D with few exceptions. Granted there were a few guys I gamed with during that time that had played Champions or Palladium systems, and natrually Magic the Gathering, but they never asked to play anything but D&D/AD&D.
After those groups I didn't game for 3-4 years, until finding the foundations of the group I currently play with, and have mentioned a few times in various posts. Of that group only 1 guy still remains as a full time member, though my fiance who was also in that group still sits in on the rare game. Most quit playing all together or due to various circumstances (divorce, broken friendships) moved on to other groups. Yet when I think about them only one, the guy that is still in the group, had every played anything but D&D, and maybe Vampire. As a matter of fact, at the time I started gaming with them none of them even knew 3e was coming out until I took over DMing duties and switched the group from 2e to 3e. Naturally the last remaining member has played a few of the systems I own over the years and is a little more amiable to trying new systems, but he only owns D&D. Until I brought up the fact that Pathfinder was coming out, he had no idea it even existed and assumed we would continue as a 4e group or go back to our 3e books given that we were only moderately happy with 4e.
Of my current group 2 of the regular players are teenagers, and are new to gaming so their lack of knowledge is understandable, but the other 2-3 have been gaming as long, if not longer,than I have, one still runs a 2e game with another group. How could they not know about games other than D&D?
Because of the internet, the countless blogs and messageboards I have erroneously assumed that every gamer is as well versed as those of us that blog or post. I was apparently way off base.
D&D is the industry giant not only because it was the foundation of the industry, but because that is all most gamers know. Since D&D is generally the game we start out with, I can completely understand that newer gamers have yet to be exposed to the other great systems being produced. But what about the older, more experienced gamers? Outside of D&D, and more specifially the system they are currently playing, nothing else seems to exists to them.
Now it could be argued that those of us that do expand beyond D&D are more "hardcore" or that those other gamers are more casual. Yet the groups I have played with, regularly played weekly if not more often. That's not really casual in my book.
I started to argue the point with my comics shop's owner that as a member of the RPG Bloggers Network, there are tons of gamers out there that have played and own other systems. After all there have been numerous posts about how many books we all own since the network came into existence. Surely, the gamers in my area are a fluke, an anomoly in the gaming world.
Then it hit me that many of the same people on the RPGBN are the ones who are posting on the message boards, producing podcasts and leaving comments on the various blogs. Then I thought about the various posts on the RPGBN, the majority of which are about D&D. I had no argument. We are not the standard in gaming, at least given the circumstantial evidence I can come up with.
So what is the point of this post? Honestly I'm not 100% sure. I just found the revelation a bit surprising and suppose I am curious to see if this is something that others have encountered. Are those of us on the RPGBN and the various message boards, numerous though we seem, really in the minority? Are the majority of our fellow gamers really so isolated and uninformed about what else exists in this age where information about nearly any topic is just a Google search away?
If this is the case and our fellow gamers are caught up in a world where D&D is all that exists, how can we change that? Surely there is some way to "spread the word" and get D&D only players to try other systems. I'm not saying that they should abandon D&D, I love the game too, but they should know there are other options available to them.
I'm open to suggestions.
Friday, July 24, 2009
I voted, why haven't you?
Gen Con is getting closer and naturally that means it is time for the Ennies once again. Voting is going on now and I encourage everyone who loves gaming to vote for their favorites. If like me you will be unable to attend Gen Con this year, that still doesn't give you an excuse for not voting. So click the link, support your favorites, and make your opinion known.
VOTE NOW!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
A few intersting tidbits.
In keeping with my current Pathfinder obsession I thought I would bring another Pathfinder site you everyone's attention. The Pathfinder Database is a new site that is supposed to eventually have useful information for those, like myself, who will be playing PRPG. The site " aims to provide a home for Pathfinder RPG fan-created content and will go live on August 13th 2009"
If you have an account, it's free, you can add your own races, creatures, NPCs and adventures for others to use. Apparently pretty much everything you want to publish is fair game, except house rules. It isn't active yet, but it couldn't hurt to go ahead and get you account set up now.
Pathfinder Database website.
On a side note has anyone been keeping up with the Blackest Night storyline running through Green Lantern comics? If not you should, it looks to be frakkin awesome! The first issues of the mini come out... this week I think.
If you have an account, it's free, you can add your own races, creatures, NPCs and adventures for others to use. Apparently pretty much everything you want to publish is fair game, except house rules. It isn't active yet, but it couldn't hurt to go ahead and get you account set up now.
Pathfinder Database website.
On a side note has anyone been keeping up with the Blackest Night storyline running through Green Lantern comics? If not you should, it looks to be frakkin awesome! The first issues of the mini come out... this week I think.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Paizo Summer Sale 2009
Keeping with what seems to be my Paizo theme for the last few posts, I want to make sure everyone knows about Paizo's Summer Sale 2009.
The Paizo store has over 2,000 products that are on sale for 20-90% off of retail price. I only nosed around for a few minutes, but in that time found some 3.x edition D&D books for under $10. For those of us that are sticking with the previous edition that is a pretty good deal.
However, don't be mistaken that think this sale is just a 3.x clearance. There are products from Kenzer, Fantasy Flight as many other companies included in this sale.
Check it out.
Paizo Alliance Summer Sale 2009
The Paizo store has over 2,000 products that are on sale for 20-90% off of retail price. I only nosed around for a few minutes, but in that time found some 3.x edition D&D books for under $10. For those of us that are sticking with the previous edition that is a pretty good deal.
However, don't be mistaken that think this sale is just a 3.x clearance. There are products from Kenzer, Fantasy Flight as many other companies included in this sale.
Check it out.
Paizo Alliance Summer Sale 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Paizo's 7-7-7 Sale
In response to a post on the message boards, Paizo is celebrating their 7th anniversary by giving fans a deal on Paizo products.
Starting 7/1 and lasting until 7/7 Paizo has 7 products that are going to be priced at $7. 7 days, 7 products for $7, that seems like a pretty good deal to me.
The products listed at this price are The Seven Swords of Sin module, Pathfinder #7- Curse of the Crimson Throne Chapter 1, a Harrow Deck, Rise of the Runelords map Folio, Map Pack: Trounament and Flip-Mat: Mountain Pass as well as The Anubis Murders, a novel by Gary Gygax.
So check out the deals and pick up some deals while they last.
Link to the 7-7-7 Paizo page.
Starting 7/1 and lasting until 7/7 Paizo has 7 products that are going to be priced at $7. 7 days, 7 products for $7, that seems like a pretty good deal to me.
The products listed at this price are The Seven Swords of Sin module, Pathfinder #7- Curse of the Crimson Throne Chapter 1, a Harrow Deck, Rise of the Runelords map Folio, Map Pack: Trounament and Flip-Mat: Mountain Pass as well as The Anubis Murders, a novel by Gary Gygax.
So check out the deals and pick up some deals while they last.
Link to the 7-7-7 Paizo page.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
RPGB Network in wikipedia?
This has only the slightest relevance to anything, but I was looking for some Pathfinder news/info on the web and decided to see what wikipedia had to say on the subject. To my surprise there were actual posts by Chad Perrin: SOB used as a reference. How Paizo fixed D&D and What does "compatibility" mean for Pathfinder? were both listed in the External Links and Reference section, as are the Pathfinder Wiki, Pathfinder SRD and PfSRD.
While I know that wikipedia can be edited by anyone I just thought that it was interesting to see a fellow RPGBN member's blog posts listed there as a reference. Even more interesting is the fact there are 2 SRD sites for a game that is not even released yet... at least not officially.
I've said it before and honestly just feel like saying it again. I am really looking forward to the release of Pathfinder and plan to be gaming with the 3.x rules for many years to come.
Wikipedia page for Pathfinder
Also in Pathfinder news, and while it is rather old news at this point I haven't seen much about it, but Monte Cook has joined the Pathfinder team as a rules consultant. A friend of mine says that should give Pathfinder a little more cred as the true successor of 3.5. Personally I think Paizo produced enough quality content for 3.x ( a lot of it better than WotC) that they don't need anymore credibility, but I won't complain if Cook is onboard.
While I know that wikipedia can be edited by anyone I just thought that it was interesting to see a fellow RPGBN member's blog posts listed there as a reference. Even more interesting is the fact there are 2 SRD sites for a game that is not even released yet... at least not officially.
I've said it before and honestly just feel like saying it again. I am really looking forward to the release of Pathfinder and plan to be gaming with the 3.x rules for many years to come.
Wikipedia page for Pathfinder
Also in Pathfinder news, and while it is rather old news at this point I haven't seen much about it, but Monte Cook has joined the Pathfinder team as a rules consultant. A friend of mine says that should give Pathfinder a little more cred as the true successor of 3.5. Personally I think Paizo produced enough quality content for 3.x ( a lot of it better than WotC) that they don't need anymore credibility, but I won't complain if Cook is onboard.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
I'd buy that for $1
A Latvian firm is giving loans of $100-1000 in exchange for their souls. The borrowers have 90 days to pay back the money or they take possession of their soul. How does that work exactly?
Original article
Original article
Monday, June 29, 2009
$1.99 comics
According to Bon Alimagno over at Newarama.com Vampirella comics are going to attempt selling the book for $1.99. This is an attempt to bring back readers and get the character back into the top 100. They are calling for fans to join their Myspace page and Twitter to help promote the character's 40th anniversary. They claim they might be able to do the lower price, unlike Marvel and DC, due to low overhead and smaller staffing.
While Vampirella has never been one of my all time favorite characters, I have enjoyed the book the few times I picked it up in the past. For $1.99 I'm willing to give it a try.
Original Article
Myspace page
Twitter
While Vampirella has never been one of my all time favorite characters, I have enjoyed the book the few times I picked it up in the past. For $1.99 I'm willing to give it a try.
Original Article
Myspace page
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Comic sales down in May
According to ICv2 comic book sales were down about 18%. This was attributed to the fact no number 1's were put out and Dark Avengengers was missing. I attribute it to the fact that comics are getting too damn expensive and I'm broke. My pull list use to be 30-50 books per month, including one-shots, annuals and mini-series. Now my total is 15-20. Granted I do have mail subscriptions to 10 or so titles, which saves me quite a bit per year, but that kind of drop in sales can't be isolated to just me. Surely others are feeling the economic pinch, which is not being helped by a comic book price increase.
When I was a teenager comics were 75 cents, gas was around $1 and I think cigarettes were less than $1(don't smoke kids... it really does stunt your growth, you smell bad and it makes your teeth yellow). That was roughly 20 years ago. Now comics average $2.99-3.99, gas has gotten as high as $5/gallon... though it is roughly $3 at the moment and cigarettes are hitting the $5 mark. This doesn't even take into account the fact that many of us have families, mortgages/rent, and other bills to deal with that we didn't have back then. Everything is 3 to 5 times more expensive and most of us haven't seen a pay increase of 3 to 5 times more $$$. Then everyone is surprised to see comic sales decrease? I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't get much much worse. I'm still dropping books or skipping ones that I want to get because of the price.
Maybe when I am a multimillionaire I can support the industry buy buying everything that is published, but for now it is every person for him/herself.
BTW I highly recommend you get at least a few mail order subscriptions if you are strapped for cash. I want everyone to support the brick and mortar stores, but in hard times it helps if you can find a way to save some cash. Besides if you have a set monthly comic budget and you subscribe to a few books once per year, you aren't buying that book each month and can spend that cash at the shop on something else.
Friday, June 26, 2009
The Doctor is coming
Cubicle 7 is said to be releasing the long anticipated Doctor Who rpg this October. Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space, according to ICv2, the game will run about $59.95 and will come in a box set. The set will contain a Gamemaster's guide, Player's guide, an adventure, character sheets, quick start rules, pre-generated characters as well as tokens and dice.
Doctor Who has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid, so I am looking forward to this game. The game is supposedly designed to be fun and easy for both beginners and experienced gamers. Defintely worth checking out for any gamer who is a Doctor Who fan.
On a side note there have been some rumblings over at the Eden boards about a possible return of the the Buffy the Vampire Slayer rpg to Eden Studios. Other than a few posts from this past winter from the company most of it is just conjecture from fans. However, since the original post did come from Eden it has given fans of the game some hope. I'll keep my ear to the ground and let you know if I hear anything else.
Links:
Links to other Doctor Who rpg material:
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