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View Full Version : What "Compendium" from WotC do you want to see next?



Fat Daddy
2007-04-18, 08:16 PM
We have the Spell Compendium, the Magic Item Compendium and the upcoming Rules Compendium. What would you like to see next?

Personally, I wantNEED a Feat Compendium. I hate flipping through 20 odd books trying to find a feat I vaguely remember seeing somewhere. Make mine a Feat Compendium please?

What about you?

Kel_Arath
2007-04-18, 08:18 PM
a feat compendium would be nice

BardicDuelist
2007-04-18, 08:19 PM
Definately a Feat Compendium.

NOT A PRC COMPENDIUM.... FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!, lol

Innis Cabal
2007-04-18, 08:19 PM
Character Compendium....lets be serious people, do you want to buy all the books with the class's in it and page through them just for one class skill? No, one book with all the class's and some DECENT PrC's but no more feats....please for the love of god no more feats...and the rules compendium is just plain silly

Da Beast
2007-04-18, 08:22 PM
I feat compendium could be handy, though I'd buy the spell and maybe rules compendiums first.

Edit

...and the rules compendium is just plain silly

At least there sending all the rules over to the CharOp boards most knowledgable members for checking before they release the book. The should have started doing that a long time ago.

Fat Daddy
2007-04-18, 08:34 PM
I too find the Rules Compendium to be silly. However if it geared more toward new gamers (like the DMG 2) then there will be value added content in it.

I am unsure how I feel about a Class or PrC Compendium. I think I would pick it up though. There are a couple of classes I've read about that I want to play but don't want to pick up the book just for 1 or 2 classes. Maybe it would be a good idea as well.

I stand firm however, in my belief that there is a dire need for a Feat Compendium.

TSGames
2007-04-18, 08:37 PM
We have the Spell Compendium, the Magic Item Compendium and the upcoming Rules Compendium. What would you like to see next?

Personally, I wantNEED a Feat Compendium. I hate flipping through 20 odd books trying to find a feat I vaguely remember seeing somewhere. Make mine a Feat Compendium please?

What about you?
The Compendium Compendium, I want a Compendium of Compendiums and books released.

Variable Arcana
2007-04-18, 08:47 PM
It's not a "Compendium"... but I'd love to see "Complete Invoker" -- something that gets the Warlock idea into a more playable form (more invocations; especially invocations for celestial warlocks, or fey warlocks, or draconic warlocks; separating invocations from essences; etc...).

PnP Fan
2007-04-18, 09:00 PM
I don't think their are any compendiums that I could really make use of if they published them.

The spell compendium is nice, particularly if you play a lot of spellcasters or DM. Good quick reference. Though, of course, it's quickly becoming outdated. *shock*
The item compendium, for me, is a waste of money. Items tend to be something I research during adventure creation/character creation, and so there's not a timeliness factor in doing the research, like there is in selecting spells during a session. I know not everyone buys all the books, I was a HS/college student once too, but I do tend to pick up whatever new, useful material WotC publishes, and so a lot of these things (feat compendiums, PrC compendiums, etc. .) really aren't worth the money to me.
BTW, I'm not bragging about my library, if anything it's more like I'm admitting a very sad sad addiction. ;-)

TSGames
2007-04-18, 09:01 PM
On second thought, I take back my first choice. I would like to see a Capitalist Schemes Combined with Cultish Following Compendium. It could be a list of almost one-third of the schemes that Wizard's and similiar companies have employed to gouge the market that's all too willing to support it. Then they can release Capitalist Schemes Combined with Cultish Following Compendium Part II, Capitalist Schemes Combined with Cultish Following Compendium Part III, and follow it up with the Errata for the Capitalist Schemes Combined with Cultish Following Compendium Compendium.

Maxymiuk
2007-04-18, 09:03 PM
I'm still holding out for Complete Bastard. It's going to see the light of day eventually. It's just too good of a title not to. :smallamused:

Belteshazzar
2007-04-18, 09:05 PM
The Complete Cthuthlu

Innis Cabal
2007-04-18, 09:05 PM
some one is a bit bitter arnt they

Diggorian
2007-04-18, 09:12 PM
I'm still holding out for Complete Bastard. It's going to see the light of day eventually. It's just too good of a title not to. :smallamused:

Actually, they've had that book (http://www.greenronin.com/catalog/grr1104) for a while.

Give me Tome of Battle 2: The 8 Arrows of the Eternal Archer. Ranged Manuevers FTW!!!

Annarrkkii
2007-04-18, 09:15 PM
Tome of Battle expansions would rock my socks—UNLESS they don't live up to the first's standards.

A Complete D+D would be nice. A $300, 408 kg book containing all D+D material, past, present, and future...

I'd actually pay for it.

TSGames
2007-04-18, 09:34 PM
some one is a bit bitter arnt they
Sorry, I just have this thing against...godless capitalism
Anyway, I'm just a bit upset about Wizards screwing up and then charging people to buy the fixes for their mistakes right now.

I am not actually a communist.

Fat Daddy
2007-04-18, 09:39 PM
Well I can understand your frustration but at the same time, if I make a mistake at work, I don't put in my time for free until it is corrected. They pay me the whole time I'm there mistake or no.

Just sayin' :smallamused:

Greendevilman
2007-04-18, 10:03 PM
I hope to someday see a Fighter vs. Caster Thread Compendium so we can stop having people make endless threads about the subject.

Bears With Lasers
2007-04-18, 10:15 PM
It could be a list of almost one-third of the schemes that Wizard's and similiar companies have employed to gouge the market that's all too willing to support it.

If the market's eager to support it, how is it gouging?

Krimm_Blackleaf
2007-04-18, 10:58 PM
I'm a PrC whore, a PrC compendium would be worth it's weight in gold to me.

Jack Mann
2007-04-18, 11:08 PM
It's gouging because they should be providing new content out of the good of their hearts. It's not like they're a business or anything.

Viscount Einstrauss
2007-04-18, 11:12 PM
Dungeon Compendium. Yes, a compendium of all first party dungeons ever released. I would sleep with my copy under my pillow. It's pure DM bliss.

Everyman
2007-04-18, 11:32 PM
I guess I'd like to see them finish their "Compendium" shtick and make a Feat one. However, I'd REALLY like to see Wizards start producing more Setting books.

I don't need a whole new world (like Eberron or Forgotten Realms). I just want to see them publish locales with an X by Y sized map, complete with people, places, and maybe a few items/feats to tie it all together.

Bears With Lasers
2007-04-18, 11:34 PM
The obvious next step is the Compendium Compendium.

AmoDman
2007-04-18, 11:36 PM
Wait, Rules Compendium isn't a compendium of feats? Well than wtf is it?! Cheezus, that book just became exponentially less useful in my eyes.

What I'd like to see? Psionics material past the XPH that isn't Complete ****e.

Bears With Lasers
2007-04-18, 11:39 PM
The Rules Compendium will basically be like a print SRD, only in alphabetical order, and with more rules and a few additions.

PnP Fan
2007-04-18, 11:39 PM
It's gouging because they should be providing new content out of the good of their hearts. It's not like they're a business or anything.

err. . . actually they should be providing new content, or utility in exchange for my hard earned cash. The only thing that makes the Spell Compendium worth the money is it's utility. I don't have to lug around 5 or 6 different books, and having all of the material there for quick reference provides utility.

Something like a PrC Compendium lacks in utility, because you don't typically have to look up a PrC for emergency character creation "on the fly". So, if they publish something like that, it will have to have some new material in it, or it's not really worth purchasing.

And, after giving it a little thought a feat compendium might have some utility, but not much, for me anyway.

I too am a little annoyed with WotC producing, basically reprints of material, from the same edition, with little or no changes. It's lazy. I don't really see the need for the Item Compendium, except as a way of harvesting cash to pay people. I don't mind paying for content, but I have issues with paying for someone to basically c/p material in a different format (and still getting charged for the full price of a book). Obviously, I didn't shell money out for it. Not ranting, just a little annoyed, and longwinded. ;-)

AmoDman
2007-04-18, 11:41 PM
The Rules Compendium will basically be like a print SRD, only in alphabetical order, and with more rules and a few additions.

I already printed the SRD...:smallwink:

Quirinus_Obsidian
2007-04-18, 11:47 PM
I hope to someday see a Fighter vs. Caster Thread Compendium so we can stop having people make endless threads about the subject.

Hear Hear!! Preach it Brother!! The next caster vs fighter or arcane vs psionics thread will probably make me explode. Or Implode. Have not decided.

Just kidding.

But I agree with the Feat Compendium. That would be best. PrC compendium would be nifty also. Perhaps they can do such a thing whenever the next Version comes out.

Jack Mann
2007-04-18, 11:52 PM
Actually, the Magic Items Compendium has plenty of new content in the form of new items (about forty percent of the entries, similar to the ratio in the spell compendium, I believe). Of the older items in the book, many have been given new prices, including items from the DMG. Indeed, there were a number of changes made when putting items in the MIC. As well, it includes new tables both for finding magic items and for generating random treasure, which, combined with the fact that it actually gathers all of the newer items together, gives it utility.

Magic items are another thing that often has to be done "on the fly," just like spells. Now, perhaps you never use any items outside of the DMG, or else so few that you never need to look them up, but for others, such a resource can be useful. I can see where it would be annoying if there was no new content or utility added, but I don't see how you can argue that this is a case with the Magic Item Compendium.

Falconsflight
2007-04-18, 11:53 PM
The way I see it, compendiums are meant to get items in 50 books together into one big book so you odn't have to look around to find it. THus the feat, Item, and spell compendium. They then add in extra stuff to make it not completely worthless for thepeople who already have the books.

The Rule compendium has the rules for fighting, probably some variants, how to make this, how to do that, Etc etc etc. This compendium should be useful. It should allow dm's to have a book in which you can go. "How does that go again" And then you look up the obscure or not often seen rule in the rules compendium. Weather it be combat, rping, or whatever.

The feat, item, and spell compendiums are rather simple. A big list of spells items, and feats. Plus some extra so you don't feel like you've just bought something you already have.

What will probably come out next is the character compendium or hte PRC compendium. Maybe even a Race compendium of all the playable races.

I'd probably get the rules compendium so I have something I can easily refer to. I'll also probably get the item one, becuase some of the items they present in there actually look interesting, and I suck at making my own stuff-so. I don't really care for a feat/class/prc compendium because I already have all the books, and I don't really need any more feats/classe/prc books. Mainly becuase I can't use the ones I have, so why buy new ones. I might buy a Race compendium... maybe.

Bears With Lasers
2007-04-18, 11:54 PM
From what I've heard (from someone who got the alpha version sent to them for review), the Rules Compendium will contain only one variant rule; it's about fear effects. Not sure of the specifics; I think it'll be a little harder to make creatures actually run, instead they'll just cower, which is less inconvenient.

PnP Fan
2007-04-19, 12:04 AM
Actually, the Magic Items Compendium has plenty of new content in the form of new items (about forty percent of the entries, similar to the ratio in the spell compendium, I believe). Of the older items in the book, many have been given new prices, including items from the DMG. Indeed, there were a number of changes made when putting items in the MIC. As well, it includes new tables both for finding magic items and for generating random treasure, which, combined with the fact that it actually gathers all of the newer items together, gives it utility.

Magic items are another thing that often has to be done "on the fly," just like spells. Now, perhaps you never use any items outside of the DMG, or else so few that you never need to look them up, but for others, such a resource can be useful. I can see where it would be annoying if there was no new content or utility added, but I don't see how you can argue that this is a case with the Magic Item Compendium.

I'll admit that I didn't spend a LOT of time looking through the MIC, I scanned it, didn't see anything that really jumped out at me as being interesting, so perhaps my impressions of the MIC were less than accurate.
I don't usually do magic items OTF, simply because I like to have my villains use them against the PCs, whenever practical. (Example: hmmm. . .the dragon has to wait 3 rounds before he can breath again? Guess it's time to whip out the wand of fireballs. . . the teeny tiny wand of fireballs, but a wand of fireballs none the less.) But, I can understand that some folks do, so I think I am beginning to see the utility of the MIC. I might have to take a closer look at it next time I'm in the shop.

Jack Mann
2007-04-19, 12:19 AM
Agreed, it's much better to give bad guys items they can use. However, for general mooks, I'll often do random items, and then alter them to be a bit more useful (with the rest written off as having been taken off of someone else, if plausible). It's a bit faster than designing each one carefully, and keeps them from being cookie-cutter. Often, it'll suggest strategies you wouldn't have thought of.

And then, for customizing a BBEG (or PC), you'll want to be able to look at the items as quickly as possible. Being able to locate them by price helps to figure out how much that character can afford, and having them organized by how they're used (and in the tables, by body slot) speeds things up as well.

Don't get me wrong, it's still not for everyone. Not everyone cares that much about magic items, and wouldn't want to shell out thirty-five bucks for it. But it does add a fair amount of utility and content. I thought it was worth the price I paid.

Inyssius Tor
2007-04-19, 01:43 AM
Feats. There are what, five thousand feats now? A lot of them are broken or dreck, too, so it would be nice to see the best ones in one book. As it is, I have to comb through every book ever published in order to find useful feats for my characters. The online database is useless unless you know what you're looking for (the exact name-- things like "ranged combat" or "add adjacent allies' AC to yours" won't fly).

Also, the so-called Rules Compendium is complete thungas. Seriously, if they want to fix their mistakes they should just do it.

Bears With Lasers
2007-04-19, 02:01 AM
Maybe you misunderstand. The Rules Compendium contains next to no errata. It's a gathering-of-stuff-for-ease-of-use book. It's like having a print SRD, since not everyone games with laptops there.

Renegade Paladin
2007-04-19, 02:35 AM
The Compendiums thus far have been fully errataed and in the meantime there's been no errata released on the WotC site since Monster Manual III. I find that just a tad bit suspicious on the timing.

Aquillion
2007-04-19, 09:40 AM
It isn't a compendium, but what I'd like to see is an entire book devoted to polymorph-type spells and effects, as well as related creatures and races like Doppelgangers. If they devoted an entire book to it they'd be able to come up with some non-broken rules... wouldn't they?

Kayeich
2007-04-19, 11:17 AM
The Underdog Compendium, a book dedicated to the classes that just need a little love to not suck so much. :wink:

I suppose what I'd -really- like to see is The Manuever Compendium, a book covering new disciplines and manuevers, variants on existing base classes that trade some class abilities for a class appropriate manuevers learning/using/refreshing mechanism, and maybe a list of related feat/weapons to these new disciplines. Mostly just new disciplines would interest me, though.

We have a Spell Compendium after all, let's see something for those who don't use magic. :tongue:

Closet_Skeleton
2007-04-19, 04:28 PM
We have a Spell Compendium after all, let's see something for those who don't use magic. :tongue:

The problem with this is that maneuvers have a more limited aspect than magic. Magic is supposed to do more things than non-magic, it just shouldn't overpower people who choose to specialise in things that can be done with magic. Expecting fighters to travel to alternate dimensions and turn rocks into sentient creatures is wrong and if you tried making another Tome of Battle then you'd eventually start doing nonsense like that.

I'd like to actually see evidence that this "Rules Compendium" exists. Merely because it wasn't on the previews on the official WotC site.

brian c
2007-04-19, 04:53 PM
It isn't a compendium, but what I'd like to see is an entire book devoted to polymorph-type spells and effects, as well as related creatures and races like Doppelgangers. If they devoted an entire book to it they'd be able to come up with some non-broken rules... wouldn't they?

That's what you'd think about the spell compendium, complete arcane and complete mage, but wizards are still horrendously overpowered. I mean, the most referenced part of the Spell Compendium are the Orb spells; that was just WotC saying "oh, is there a monster with spell resistance that your wizard can't hurt? Here, have an orb spell Mr. Batman"

Fat Daddy
2007-04-19, 08:20 PM
I'd like to actually see evidence that this "Rules Compendium" exists. Merely because it wasn't on the previews on the official WotC site.

Rules Compendium on Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/D-Rules-Compendium-Chris-Sims/dp/078694725X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-1490128-9725554?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177032146&sr=8-1)

Rules Compendium on Wizards Product Page (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/215397200)

TSGames
2007-04-19, 09:17 PM
Well I can understand your frustration but at the same time, if I make a mistake at work, I don't put in my time for free until it is corrected. They pay me the whole time I'm there mistake or no.

Just sayin' :smallamused:
Difference being(I am assuming) that you don't present your work to them call it complete, publish it, and then try to fix your mistakes after it's been bought.
Fixed a typo
That'll be $1Cash only.

daggaz
2007-04-19, 09:40 PM
I'm still holding out for Complete Bastard. It's going to see the light of day eventually. It's just too good of a title not to. :smallamused:

Ahahhaha! ahahahahahhahaha! AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHHWAHHAHAHAH!


OMG STILL AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Omg I love this quote. It is so sigged.

Umbral_Arcanist
2007-04-19, 09:48 PM
A feat conpendium would be ideal i suppose, especially if WotC took the oppurtunity to update 3.0 feats and tweak others. Since I haven't yet picked up the Spell or magic item conpendium, despite my desire to do so, i don't know if that's what they have been doing or if they are just compiling the stuff from all (or most, or a bunch) of the supplements.

A class/PrC one would be nice but they'd have to weed out the bad PrCs from the gems

storybookknight
2007-04-19, 09:56 PM
If you made a compendium of all compendiums, would it contain itself?

Fat Daddy
2007-04-19, 10:07 PM
Difference being(I am assuming) that you don't present your work to them call it complete, publish it, and then try to fix your mistakes after it's been bought.

This may be a subliminal message that you can't read:
godless capitalism is inexcusable.

I won't respond to your subliminal message :smallsigh: but no, I don't publish anything. I do perform testing though and (while rare :smallamused: ) sometimes I make a mistake. If the test is to be re-run, I still get paid for re-running it (even though I originally stated the results were good).

I understand what you are saying. I think the errata should be available electronically at no charge. However with the compendiums, I am really paying for ease of use more than anything. I like the idea of only carrying a couple books to a session versus the veritable library I have to currently drag around.

knightsaline
2007-04-19, 10:10 PM
I would want to see a Weapons compendium with rules for futuristic weapons like lasers, energy swords and railguns. a compendium for fighters and their less feat heavy bretheren would be nice.

I support the tome of battle 2: the eight arrows of the eternal archer. include rules for creating your own path of The Sublime Way (with ideas that the creators thought up, but couldn't think of ways to implement them)

Innis Cabal
2007-04-19, 10:13 PM
knightsaline........you just won yourself a point

brian c
2007-04-20, 01:05 AM
If you made a compendium of all compendiums, would it contain itself?

The Compendium Compendium wouldn't be well-defined.

kamikasei
2007-04-20, 06:24 AM
If you made a compendium of all compendiums, would it contain itself?

Pfft, that's mere recursion. What if you made a compendium of all compendiums that do not contain themselves?

Iron_Mouse
2007-04-20, 01:00 PM
I would want to see a Weapons compendium with rules for futuristic weapons like lasers, energy swords and railguns. a compendium for fighters and their less feat heavy bretheren would be nice.

Maybe not only weapons but also armors, mundane equipment, vehicles, mounts, hirelings and the like (similar to the first part of the A&EG, but 3.5 and more :smalltongue: ). Normal, special, exotic, futuristic. That would be nice.

Call it the Stuff Compendium.

Dant
2007-04-20, 08:55 PM
Well, compendiums are nice and all, but you know what I'd like to see? A Complete book that was, you know, complete. It'd be nice to have a book that, for instance, gave me all the main material I need to play a divine caster. Obviously you couldn't include everything you might possibly someday want, but at least you could compile all the divine spells and relevant classes, feats and skills into one book.

clericwithnogod
2007-04-20, 09:03 PM
I'd really like a Prestige Class Compendium that came out after the Feat Compendium and took into account all of the feats and feat trees when assigning prerequisite feats and feats gained as part of the progression. Some prestige classes could use some errata as well.

knightsaline
2007-04-20, 10:25 PM
what about a Compete Compendium? that would allow you to have all of the Compete series in one book. the Complete compendium would have in it the unreleased (and most wanted) Compete Elderitch, with more items and love for the warlock, including variants for non-demonic heritige (dispersing into a swarm of blue motes instead of bats, variant invocations for non-evils)

Falconsflight
2007-04-20, 10:36 PM
The alignment Compendium

-This si what we meant when we said "Chaotic" "Lawful" "good" Evil"

Maybe have a lot of insider comments on it or different views that you can choose from.

brian c
2007-04-20, 10:37 PM
what about a Compete Compendium? that would allow you to have all of the Compete series in one book. the Complete compendium would have in it the unreleased (and most wanted) Compete Elderitch, with more items and love for the warlock, including variants for non-demonic heritige (dispersing into a swarm of blue motes instead of bats, variant invocations for non-evils)

Yeah... there are 7 Complete books now, plus Complete Champion is about to come out, plus the somtimes-clamored-for Complete Eldritch makes 9 books in that Compendium. The books so far have: 194, 194, 204, 159, 159, 159, 162 pages (total in the pdfs, including covers and such so it's really less than that. My list is in alphabetical order from Adventurer to Warrior). Assuming Champion is also about 150 and Eldrtich would probably be shorter... you're looking at around 1400-1500 pages.

Talya
2007-04-20, 11:52 PM
Personally, I wantNEED a Feat Compendium. I hate flipping through 20 odd books trying to find a feat I vaguely remember seeing somewhere. Make mine a Feat Compendium please?


For your convenience, while waiting for a new compendium:

http://www.crystalkeep.com/d20/index.php

And more specifically:
http://www.crystalkeep.com/d20/rules/DnD3.5Index-Feats.pdf


And nicely, these get updated every time WotC releases new material.

Grim Greyscale
2007-04-21, 12:48 AM
What's with all these people who want a copy of Complete Bastard? It's totally lame. Why don't you get a PROPER book, like the Complete Ripoff?

>_>

Machete
2007-04-21, 09:20 AM
Complete Craftsman
So I can finally make a viable character with 15 ranks in Craft: Tailoring who can use it well. So we can get a comprehensive list of every viable (and a few nonviable) Craft skills and their uses. Like farming. Farming brown moss and air plants and muahahaha.

ocato
2007-04-21, 06:34 PM
I kind of like the idea of a feat compendium. Organize the feats so you can go "I'm going to make a Paladin. Let's look at all of the neat divine feats. Okay good, now I want the generic defense feats. Good, good..." etc.

Granted they'd probably organize it much clearer than that, I'd just find such a book very useful.