d20
A post to the Open Gaming Listserv today from Ryan Dancey (one of the most important people in the world of d20/Open Gaming) indicated that today was the day for the long-rumored Wizards of the Coast downsizing. Among those affected was Mr. Dancey himself. What will this mean for the future of Wizards, D&D, d20, Open Gaming and RPGs en masse? Time will tell.
Are two heads better than one? Maybe, maybe not, but certainly a double-bladed axe is better than a single bladed axe. Or is it? Is double your pleasure always double your fun? Apparently so, according to the new Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook.
The first time I saw it in the store, I believe that I actually snarled at it. I continued to do that for about a month after it came out. Then, in a fit of weakness, I broke down and bought it. I told myself that the only reason I was buying it was so that I could run better Mindflayer encounters, and so that I could eventually throw a Githyanki at my party. (How I loved the Githyanki when the Fiend Folio first appeared on the bookshelves.) Now that I have sat down and read through The Psionics Handbook, I'm actually happy that I succumbed to the temptation.
Part 3 of our (ever-increasingly unlikely to be) 10-part series has arrived at long last. Amidst rumors of Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast shakeups that could affect the future of the d20 movement, we found the time to chat with Alex Jurkat, CEO/Editor in Chief of Eden Studios, a 4-year-old company that's heavily involved in d20 publishing.
In part 2 of our (hopefully) 10-part series, we interviewed a relative newcomer to the world of d20 publishing. We gave 20 questions to Margaret "Maggie" Vining of Better World Roleplaying, Inc., and she gave us her impression of the current state of the d20 system, and her part in the larger picture. Take a look inside Maggie's mind...
We're interviewing 10 people involved in the creation of d20 products, from renowned game designers and publishers to the freelance writers and artists who make it all happen. We give them 20 questions. They give us a piece of their mind. Take a look inside and see what Mike Bennighof of Avalanche Press had to say.
Open source software works because not everyone in the world can code software; you still, in the end, have raw consumers. But an open source game system is different, because anyone who can read and write can now design their own game system based off the core rules. And that dilutes the product. And that's not good.
"Traders went on a buying spree on 1st Edition Players Handbook today, pushing it up 50 cents. On EBay, Dragon Magazine #1 fell $30 as a collector posted a new issue for sale. 3rd Edition rule books were unchanged."
Not much to say here from a reporting angle, other than Wizards has totally redesigned their website. In the process, they've relegated Dungeons & Dragons to a mere text link on the sidebar, one of 50 other links, with the same billing as Alternity, Star Wars and Marvel Super Heroes. More inside...
It's been almost 5 years since I've purchased a D&D rulebook, so it was a big deal for me to finally buy a copy of the new Player's Handbook. My reaction upon diving into it for the first time was a mixture of excitement and disappointment...
