Just modules?

[skathros]

My game group and I were talking after yesterday's game and the talk turned to DCC. Something we began discussing/debating was if just releasing modules for a game can sustain said game (in this case DCC RPG). Do you need/want additional stuff from a RPG? Supplements or setting or the like? I know that when I find an RPG I really like, I enjoy buying stuff that comes out supporting the game. Do I use everything I buy for the game? No! Do I enjoy reading it? Oh, yes! I know I would definitely like to see stuff other than modules come out for DCC. Am I alone in this?

[GnomeBoy]

Do you mean, like a monster book?

http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/jeff-rho ... 34809.html

http://shop.d20pfsrd.com/products/critt ... d-denizens


Or like settings?

http://landofphantoms.blogspot.com/


Stuff like that?

[Colin]

Or like MORE SETTINGS?

Or like BOOKS OF PATRONS, ready to use?

Or like REGULAR AWESOME FANZINES COVERING LOADS OF STUFF FROM NEW WEAPONS TO MONSTERS, CLASSES, TO ALTERNATIVE RULES?

Or like EXPANDED RULES STUFF?

And all of it has to go through Joseph's approval too.

Colin

[Ogrepuppy]

Yeah, too bad that stuff isn't more readily available....

[RevTurkey]

and...

There was talk of an annual of official 'stuff' from Goodman Games too!

I think the balance is spot on, great work from third parties here. Did anyone mention that we have the x-plorers sci-fi conversion coming too in those links?

Me personally, I loves me those modules, bought every one so far.

[Aplus]

I have a standing order at my game store for all DCC modules. If you are interested in supporting Goodman, I'd recommend doing something similar. One thing you may not be aware of is that the modules often have new game content in them in the form of new spells, patrons, and other doo-dads.

There are threads where Mr. Goodman states his desire to avoid bastardizing DCC with an endless slew of expansions and modifications to the core game. I've come to agree with him on this point. I've been playing since it was released, and feel that I've barely even scratched the surface of the content that is available in the core book. I can't be arsed to round up those threads at the moment, but if you go back a page or three in this section, or in the archived beta testing section, they should be easy to find.

[Rick]

There are threads where Mr. Goodman states his desire to avoid bastardizing DCC with an endless slew of expansions and modifications to the core game. I've come to agree with him on this point. I've been playing since it was released, and feel that I've barely even scratched the surface of the content that is available in the core book. I can't be arsed to round up those threads at the moment, but if you go back a page or three in this section, or in the archived beta testing section, they should be easy to find.

Here's a few:

December 2012
http://www.goodman-games.com/forums/vie ... 218#p95218

I thought it was self-evident that DCC RPG is perfect and does not need any further expansions.

July 2012
http://www.goodman-games.com/forums/vie ... 183#p88183

No plans for additional rules supplements. I would like the same "easy of entry" 5 years from now as exists now: 1 rulebook, 1 easy choice, no "catching up" to pre-existing players. One additional Annual each year, with optional material, based on learnings and inspirations from that previous year's play. And a boatload of modules!

June 2012
http://www.goodman-games.com/forums/vie ... 140#p82140

No plans for additional rule books. Core book, one annual a year, and a lot of adventures. Each adventure is almost all new monsters, and they occasionally include new spells where appropriate (as seen in People of the Pit). Given the volume of requests for new patrons, deities, and spells, I believe those are natural topics to include in the first annual. Not sure on including monsters...I am more inclined to include tools to help the judge create his own monsters, rather than statted-out creatures.

June 2011
http://www.goodman-games.com/forums/vie ... 518#p41518

(1) DCC RPG is cheaper than almost all competitors, even with the dice, once you understand its product structure. DCC RPG will consist of one core rulebook, a lot of modules, and an annual supplement of some kind. Playing most other games on the market right now requires an initial layout for the core rulebook, often a separate expenditure for various DM or monster books, and then regular investment in the official sourcebooks that release every few months. Not so for DCC RPG. I will ask you to spend $35 for the core rulebook, which is already cheaper than almost every other quality hardback on the market right now. (Not to "name names" but go look at what other companies are asking for core rulebooks these days: with the exception of the Troll Lord low-priced C&C intro strategy which I greatly admire, almost every other hardback readily available in a game store is in the $50-$60 range.) I will then ask you to spend about $25 on dice. And then you don't have to spend anything else, ever. There will not be iterative sourcebooks that offer constantly expanding "official" rules. There will not be monster books, character books, rule books, campaign books, adventure paths, blah blah blah. What will there be? Well, there will be no shortage of DCC modules, and one annual supplement featuring some adventures and any cool rule ideas that came up in the prior year. DCC RPG is one of the most affordable games on the market, even with the dice.

February 2011
http://www.goodman-games.com/forums/vie ... 002#p31002

To avoid rulebook bloat in general, I'm leaning toward only doing one additional rulebook a year after the core book. The additional one would be called the "DCC Annual" (for 2012, 2013, etc.) and would include any new rules, errata, clarifications, and generally cool ideas that came up in the last year. That would be on top of lots of modules, of course, and the basics like a DM screen. That ought to keep it simple.

January 2011
http://www.goodman-games.com/forums/vie ... 732#p28732

Is this book the equivalent to a PHB? Or will it have everything the DMG and MM would have? I am quite willing to fork over the 40.00 to pre-order it, I just want to know what to expect. Thanks!

It's PHB + DMG + MM.

The modern RPG industry sustains itself by publishing splatbooks. In some ways, I think this detracts from the game. After a few years, the "point of entry" is lost in "rule book bloat" -- new players feel overwhelmed by having so many options and so much complexity to grasp before they're on par with the existing players. And the rules complexity just expands exponentially as all these loopholes and special rules interact with each other.

I read an interesting statistic a couple years ago, where at a certain point (I think it was in late 2008 or early 2009) somebody calculated that the OD&D movement had now published more written words than everything TSR ever published for AD&D. I need to dig up that link. It was interesting not only in that so many fans had created so much material online (in between OSRIC and Swords & Wizardry and Labyrinth Lord and the many other retro clones, plus all the old-school style modules, plus the myriad blog posts, and so on)...but also the contrast between early AD&D and the modern WotC publishing schedule. You didn't have to keep up with much from TSR in the early days -- maybe one hardback a year, and of course lots of modules from which you could pick and choose. Well, I like that model. It keeps it simple. DCC RPG will be supported by a lot of adventure modules. And maybe one rules expansion a year, if that. Think of it as an "annual," that will contain whatever cool rules ideas came up in the prior year. There's room for OGL/licensed support, and I'm sure some of the licensed products will contain lots of good ideas as well. But I'd like to sustain a model where the point of entry is simple, the complexity never becomes overwhelming, and the game is supported by tons of evocative adventures that encourage campaigns founded in the roots of swords & sorcery.

December 2010
http://www.goodman-games.com/forums/vie ... 367#p28367

* I am continually impressed that every pre-1980 edition of D&D managed to pack the entire rules set into 64 pages, give or take. I believe that modern rules "bloat" is one entry barrier for the hobby. Plus I know that many of us are grown-ups now, without an entire summer to blow learning a new game, and I'd really like to publish a game that is actually playable by a significant chunk of the gaming population - which means easy to grasp, easy to learn, and not a massive tome. As such, I am focused on a relatively short rulebook as the primarily (and probably only) rules product. There won't be a PHB, DMG, MM, etc. There will be one book. Maybe a rules supplement once a year or something to support any evolution of the game, but not much more than that.

[finarvyn]

Rick, I wish you would back up your statements with actual proof.

I'd still love to see a few key add-ons:
* GM Screen with Kovacs art (I made my own, but it's just not the same....)
* Set of funky dice designed to match the colors of one of the rulebooks (red on light blue or red on yellow for the core book, gold on black for the special edition, something like that...).
* T-shirt with the original rulebook image (the deluxe one is cool, but I like the original better...)

[skathros]

Thank you for those links GnomeBoy and Colin! I find the site a little hard to navigate so I don't know where these things are mentioned.

[GnomeBoy]

Here's another good place to check for cool stuff: http://www.goodman-games.com/forums/vie ... 60&t=14791

[ctaylor]

I'd still love to see a few key add-ons:
* GM Screen with Kovacs art (I made my own, but it's just not the same....)
* Set of funky dice designed to match the colors of one of the rulebooks (red on light blue or red on yellow for the core book, gold on black for the special edition, something like that...).
* T-shirt with the original rulebook image (the deluxe one is cool, but I like the original better...)

Completely agreed. Those should all be available directly from Goodman Games. One stop shop for everything a GM and player needs to get a game going.

Well, except for maybe the t-shirt. That would be _mostly_ optional.

[Vanguard]

The modules are great. Even if you don't run them, pretty much every single one of them comes with new spells, new magic items, and the occasional patron. Given the low cost of entry, I'd rather just grab a module once a month than a hardback.

[Thorynn]

I too have a standing order with my FLGS for all modules as they become available. I'm currently reading thru The Sea Queen Escapes, and I think it is my favorite so far. Its hard to choose as they're all really awesome.

[The Venomous Pao]

One of the selling points of DCC for me is the lack of continual "core" releases. I'm happy to support the line with core book (print & pdf) and module purchases (and one of these days there's going to be another special edition cover that's going to yank my wallet out of my pocket and rifle through it), but it's nice not having to worry about the next book of classes or spells or whatever. Oh, and my players have all ponied up for the book as well (print, pdf, or both). So hopefully that all contributes to a happy, successful game line.

Grabbing other things from 3rd party publishers is a minor obsession of mine as well, but those dollars don't go into the Goodman Games coffers, so that's a different story.

[Gameogre]

While I wouldn't want to see DCC go the way of Pathfinder,I would like to see more stuff in the way of hardback supplements that have nothing to do with even optional rules but instead a official updated setting. More setting specific patrons,a book of Monstrous Evil(loaded with appropriate monsters from the appendix n,think less orcs and more Creature from the black lagoon) a book of foul magics(magic items that bite),Hardback DCC art,DCC official dice(look like made of bone)DCC bumper sticker(Honk if Cthulhu is your patron!)DCC line of miniatures for 0 level characters(complete with chicken/pig/sheep/ect,DCC battlemap(no grid and looking like papyrus)DCCRPG Mini character gravestones(chalk friendly).