zorbo's page

Will do! Thanks again James. Once again, you guys know how to manage a product. - D

Hey Guys,

Thank you for producing such a quality product over the past several years. I got back into it after seeing WarDuke on a cover while trying to find something to do in Plano (being from out of town - no disrespect to TX). I got back into it at that point on. I'm sorry that the executives at WoTC are being so cutthroat. I'm not a product marketing guy, but now would be a great time for you two to create your own product line based on your rules (for both of you, it's achievable and plausible). Look at Rackham in France, they've basically done just that. Because the way I see things, revoking the OGL is the next step in bringing everything inhouse.

Knowing what I know about strategic planning being a management consultant myself, this is exactly what some other jackass consultant would recommend, "Hey to really control the market, keep control of the intellectual capital and go with a new paradigm shift, go web!! Well... can you feel it!?!" - For my part, no, not really. Its a sobering thought, but that would be the next "logical" step. Look at what they did with Greyhawk. They've got that thing under lock and key.
Bottom line is that you guys are the intellectual capital and you drive the bottom line numbers.

You have built a community here unlike anything else I've seen online. You've been innovative in creating story-rich adventure lines. The Demonicon for one is unbelievable. I doubt that WoTC would've done anything like statting the Abyss, in their minds... why give em [e.g. the customer] everything, when you can simply provide cryptic hints for about 20 yrs, etc. - You two did the exact opposite, you statted them and said "ok what's next". You've basically put your customers ahead of the business and that's why you guys deserve the recognition.
D&D isn't a 30 minute game. It develops over years like a nice burgandy (or in your case, about a decade, thanks to the fire in your belly). Unfortunately, with WoTC maintaining the bottles, I fear it'll go to rot soon enough.

Thank you again,
David

PS. Why not stat Iggwilv, just to put the final page in the final chapter of that book! Cmon! It would steal money out of WoTC coffers for sure!

Hi,
I remember reading in Iuz the Evil that there was a very powerful fighter going by the unlikely name, Neb Retnar, that aided in sending Iuz on his way after Robilar freed him. It was said that this fighter became evil due to the powerful magic that was released during this fight. When I think about Warduke and how he used to be close with "Strongheart" (I think I got the name right... a Paladin of all things), I can't help but wonder whether this fighter, Neb Retnar, became the Warduke we have all come to love and adore...

How about an adventure or adventure path that involved Iuz and the World of Greyhawk... like a trip to the Soulhusks to try and strip away Iuz's powers. It could involve Iggwilv, Grazzt, General Sindol. Maybe discover a legacy weapon that grows more powerful as the PCs progress... like the Torch of Anazander...

Speaking of Planescape... any chance that we could see a stat write-up on the Lady of Pain? I noticed she was on the latest cover of Dragon Magazine so...??? Erik ??? James ??? Anyone ???

Hi Erik,
Has WoTC entered into any serious discussion with Paizo about selling the Greyhawk product line? or at least enter into a more extensive licensing arrangement with Paizo to give them more creative license to develop and sell it more than just through the magazine subscriptions?

how about abraxus? isn't he the the uber-demon?

It seems like some people are pretty hot on:
1. Not enough focused Greyhawk content that is consistent with the historical events pre 3rd ed.;
2. The absence of Critical Threats;
3. The debate over the push of Eberron over Greyhawk or other campaign settings given the limit on monthly content;

I used to thumb through Dungeon, but mostly bought any Greyhawk module b/c of the evolution & continuous definition of the campaign up until the Gazetteer that was never published in hard-copy, "Ivid the Undying".

I recently became a subscriber b/c of:
1. Critical Threats;
2. The Greyhawk section;
3. The revamp of "Maure Castle".

I don't play b/c I don't really have time to focus on it, what with career, marriage, kids, and all that brings to the table. For me, the things I listed makes it all worth-while to read Dungeon. They are themes that grab the reader's attention. I don't think its too late to cycle these themes back into the Dungeon playbook, and I think that Erik and co. have been pretty good to address these customer feedback forums.

I think balance and strategy are the key:
1. Create themes, run them, let them peak, phase them out, then bring them back in as other themes are developed;
2. Don't overpower the magazine like it was before - good God, for a while, all I saw was Forgotten Realms - it made me sick. Too much of any one theme really isolates the demographic and ultimately puts the whole business at risk.

Hey, on a side note:
Specific to Greyhawk, can you do a write-up on "Neb Retnar". He's one of the adventurers who fought Iuz on Robilar's ill-fated expedition to Castle Greyhawk when he released him by "accident". - Just a wish, thanks

That would be a really cool article. We will be doing a series on the core pantheon, and I would like to extend the series to include members of the "extended" pantheon with strong pedigree (Tharizdun, Iuz, Rao, Pholtus, and perhaps Stern Alia and Stratis), --Erik Mona

I read an article from a few years ago that detailed Tharizdun. It was great that someone had the BRASS and went down to the black cyst to ask him for his stats... however, I think Tharizdun was being modest. Will you publish more gods and EPIC heroes, say Vainamoinen & the Finnish pantheon or even the Celts (pls don't water them down, I mean if people can believe the FR mortal character levels). I don't want to make it an arms race, but those guys must be on the D&D juice! - btw, thanks Erik for the great work! ;)

We can use personages from Greyhawk as critical threats (or personages from Forgotten Realms, or Eberron, or Maztica, or any other WotC setting). Already done: Evard, Warduke, the Lord of Blades, Lassiverin, and some other thugs.

So Iggwilv is certainly a contender for a critical threat. And there's certainly something Iggwilv-related happening in the magazine later this year. And that's certainly all I'll say about it, for now...

Thanks again James! Sounds cool! I look for the issue! And a shout-out to Zherog, I feel & relish your pain! lol

"There's only one thing a devil fears worse than me... an audit for SOX compliance!" - Asmodeus, ruler of the Nine Hells of Baator

That WOULD be a nifty critical threat, wouldn't it? Not sure how we'd fit an epic NPC stat block on two pages of text though.

Good point James. How does the publication work with respect to personages from Greyhawk? Can Dungeon Magazine publish stats for characters owned by WoTC? Thanks for your input, btw, I think your magazine has really taken off, congrats!

It is indeed Graz'zt and Iggwilv on the cover. And Iggwilv's got some high level spells at her disposal; she can pretty much look however she wants. ;-)

Talk about a Critical Threat, Iggwilv probably has a higher CR than Graz'zt. Any change of the Arch-Mage appearing with stats in all her glory?