#34: Crisis of Faith 3.0: Dragonslaying and D&D Theory

[RPGnet Columns]

http://www.rpg.net/columns/brave/brave34.phtml

Summary:

The death of a dragon, and D&D theory.

Go to the column (http://www.rpg.net/columns/brave/brave34.phtml) for more information.

[Old Geezer]

D&D is fun.

Boo yeah. I've been saying that for 36 years..

[capnzapp]

The most interesting claim I took away from this article isn't related to Paizo.

It is when it claims WotC quality got lower and lower until around 2005, when they released stuff that the author seems to like very much.

I definitely agree to the first part (as I stopped buying D&D stuff around 2005), so I'm wondering:

Do you agree to the claim that D&D supplement quality is much better now than around 2003-2005? :)

[Kravell]

Well, I'm the author of the column so of course I agree with him. After all he is both articulate and intelligent!

Let me back up my opinion with a fact. Whether you like the content of Wizard's recent stuff, let's just look at editing and writing objectively.

Open a copy of Complete Divine (published 2004). See the spells refering to the Ocean domain? Okay, now find the Ocean domain (hint, look in another book).

Check out the weapons for the gods which include a cryptic reference to the Temple of Elemental Evil adventure.

Two examples of piss poor editing and sloppy copy and pasting. Whether you like the content or not, the fact that the editing sucked cannot be disputed.

Now open the Magic Item Compendium. Browse the entries. Check gold costs on the tables versus those in the descriptions. I'm sure you find a few errors.

I haven't found, though, a magic item on a table that isn't in the book anywhere. I haven't stumbled across any gold costs that are radically off. I have not been tripped up by any glaring errors and I've been using the book a lot.

Minor errors? Doubtless, the book is huge and written by multiple people. Huge editing problems that leap out at you and critical you with a natural 20? Not that I have found.

So even if you don't like the content (opinion) I would challenge anyone to show me a book published by Wizards this year with worse editing than Complete Divine (and yes I'm including the horrible cambion from Expedition to the Demonweb Pits in that list).

Charlie

[Azeari]

I will continue to act as if I know what I’m doing until I succeed in getting a campaign to Epic levels.

Man, that is an awesome statement. I'm right there with you, buddy.