Warning! Old Guy Ranting Ahead
Coming out in May 2010 is the D&D Player’s Strategy Guide and judging by the pre-release blurb, it is going to suck big time. Just read the blurb, just look at the cover art.
The D&D Player’s Strategy Guide is aimed at D&D players who crave the envy of their gamer peers. If you want a character that is jaw-droppingly cool, this book is for you. It provides tips and tricks for optimizing your D&D characters — to make them more awesome and fun to play at the game table.
Notice those words – “envy” “cool” “optimizing” “awesome” – does that make you think this will be a book that enhances your game? Or do you think it is the sort of thing 13 year olds will buy to make them better power gamers?
Hey Wizards! How about a player’s guide that stimulates player’s imagination? After after, D&D is a game of imagination not a board game where the person with the most powers wins.
Or how about a book that focuses on improving characterisation or how to enhance the experience of everyone in your table by using better descriptions and narrative to your play? How about ways of improving your problem solving skills or even better table manners and tactics for making your group work better together? What about a vocabulary guide so players can say something more intelligent than “cool” and “awesome”.
I appreciate that I may be judging this book by its cover and it would not be the first great book ruined by bad publicity blurb. If this is the case, I apologise to author James Wyatt and direct all my bile towards which ever editor at Wizards approved decided on the marketting strategy.
Just in case you think the book doesn’t look bad enough alreay. Here is the rest of the blurb:
In addition to character optimization tips and player advice, this book includes entertaining sidebar essays written by celebrity gamers and a distinctive comic art style unlike other books in the D&D game line.
The worst thing about the D&D Player’s Strategy Guide is that it is going to sell by the truckload.
Now excuse me, I’m off to cry over my mint copy of Chainmail.
The 6d6 RPG is available from 6d6RPG.com
