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    Canonfire :: View topic - New AD&D Module: The Last Slave Lord
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    New AD&D Module: The Last Slave Lord
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    Forum Moderator

    Joined: Feb 26, 2004
    Posts: 2590
    From: Ullinois

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    Sat Jun 29, 2013 2:13 pm  
    New AD&D Module: The Last Slave Lord

    You heard that right. Wizards has put out a new AD&D rules adventure that fits in with the Slave Lords series.

    http://greyhawkery.blogspot.com/2013/06/dungeon-215-last-slave-lord.html
    GreySage

    Joined: Sep 09, 2009
    Posts: 2470
    From: SW WA state (Highvale)

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    Sat Jun 29, 2013 2:34 pm  

    I've always loved the A series, and count it as among my favorite module saga of all time. I've been both a player and a DM through them all, and have the subsequent The Slavers supplementary module that takes place after 'the fall' of the original Lords of Nine. I also know there is a Supermodule, too. Finally, I just recently noticed the reprint of all the A series bound together in a hardback, along with an additional featured module, AO: Danger at Darkshelf Quarry, that, supposedly, is the prelude module for levels 1-3.

    Sadly for me, I don't have a subscription to this magazine, so unless I stumble upon it at a store, I don't think I'll be able to peruse the adventure contents... Confused

    Intrigued,

    Lanthorn
    Forum Moderator

    Joined: Feb 26, 2004
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    From: Ullinois

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    Sat Jun 29, 2013 2:44 pm  

    Dungeon and Dragon are only in digital format now Lanthorn. So yeah. The reprint module is in hardcopy though and the prelude should make it worthwhile for a GH collector.
    GreySage

    Joined: Sep 09, 2009
    Posts: 2470
    From: SW WA state (Highvale)

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    Sat Jun 29, 2013 10:19 pm  

    mortellan wrote:
    Dungeon and Dragon are only in digital format now Lanthorn.


    Shocked

    What?! No more books?!?!?! What is this world coming to?! Question

    feelin' the years,

    -Lanthorn
    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: May 30, 2004
    Posts: 107


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    Sun Jun 30, 2013 6:11 am  

    It happened right after WotC cancelled Paizo's publishing license for Dragon and Dungeon magazines. They switched to online-only digital magazines.

    Kind of like when they cancelled Code Monkey's license for the E-Tools software and replaced it with their own online-only character creator.
    GreySage

    Joined: Sep 09, 2009
    Posts: 2470
    From: SW WA state (Highvale)

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    Sun Jun 30, 2013 8:09 am  

    Cry (sidenote: although I can appreciate the trees saved by going digital, I feel a lot is lost when a reader cannot hold a book in hand)

    Curious that they didn't come out with a module instead of an article in a magazine...

    -Lanthorn
    Forum Moderator

    Joined: Feb 26, 2004
    Posts: 2590
    From: Ullinois

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    Sun Jun 30, 2013 8:33 am  

    Well dungeon articles are already paid for. A module this length for ad&d would notsell well. Then again that hasnt stopped them from doing reprints. Tsk.
    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Dec 05, 2007
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    Sun Jun 30, 2013 1:24 pm  

    I wonder how many GH reprints they're planning. Think the new stuff like the last slavelord and anything else they come up with will keep the events of LG campains in mind so as not to trip up over storylines?
    Grandmaster Greytalker

    Joined: Nov 07, 2004
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    From: Mt. Smolderac

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    Mon Jul 01, 2013 6:07 am  

    mortellan wrote:
    Well dungeon articles are already paid for. A module this length for ad&d would notsell well. Then again that hasnt stopped them from doing reprints. Tsk.


    I'm wondering if the success of sales of the reprints is what might be driving this. That, or someone has finally woken up and realized there are still plenty of folks out there playing AD&D, and they might want to start dipping their toes in to see if they can make some money off those people.
    CF Admin

    Joined: Jun 29, 2001
    Posts: 1477
    From: Wichita, KS, USA

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    Mon Jul 01, 2013 8:17 am  

    smillan_31 wrote:
    I'm wondering if the success of sales of the reprints is what might be driving this. That, or someone has finally woken up and realized there are still plenty of folks out there playing AD&D, and they might want to start dipping their toes in to see if they can make some money off those people.


    That seems most-likely to me: WotC's trying to fill a product gap between 4e and 5e with reprints from earlier editions.
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    Allan Grohe (grodog@gmail.com)
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    Paladin

    Joined: Sep 07, 2011
    Posts: 833
    From: Houston Texas

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    Tue Jul 02, 2013 9:27 am  

    @ Grodog....
    Agreed..... it seems to be their business model ... get ready for another 5 years of regurgitations Evil
    I get they make money on selling books, but REALLY..... it would seem a better marketing strategy to develop more spells, more maps , more adventure areas, more figures (if old school like me) more techno support stuff, etc, then pulling a hollywood and polishing up something old and selling it for something "new".
    Apprentice Greytalker

    Joined: Oct 13, 2004
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    From: St.Louis, Missouri USA

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    Mon Jul 08, 2013 8:04 am  

    Dark_Lord_Galen wrote:
    @ Grodog....
    Agreed..... it seems to be their business model ... get ready for another 5 years of regurgitations Evil
    I get they make money on selling books, but REALLY..... it would seem a better marketing strategy to develop more spells, more maps , more adventure areas, more figures (if old school like me) more techno support stuff, etc, then pulling a hollywood and polishing up something old and selling it for something "new".


    FYI, marketing strategy is not equal to an overall business plan. Marketing is a result of the business plan. It takes money for the R&D of new products. It takes much less money to retread old products. Retreads therefore equal more profit. (Especially if there are also little to no printer and distribution costs. Thus the .pdf sales of old product via dndclassics.com.) Remember, the D&D brand still has to justify its existence via profit margins not necessarily units sold. The "new" stuff, if it comes at all, will come with the "new" edition.
    Paladin

    Joined: Sep 07, 2011
    Posts: 833
    From: Houston Texas

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    Mon Jul 08, 2013 7:07 pm  

    Garnak wrote:

    FYI, marketing strategy..... retread old products.

    FYI
    5 years of regurgitation's = Retreads

    re•gur•gi•tate (rɪˈgɜr dʒɪˌteɪt)
    v. -tat•ed, -tat•ing. v.i.
    1. to surge or rush back, as liquids, gases, or undigested food.
    v.t.
    2. to vomit.
    3. to give back or repeat, esp. something not fully understood or assimilated.
    FYI
    Garnak wrote:
    Marketing is a result of the business plan.

    Not always....
    SEE HERE
    Point being in some cases it IS prudent to determine a Marketing Strategy BEFORE Development of your business model and economic plan to determine if there is a demand.

    But since this not the place for an economics debate, I would happily educate you via PM or Email. Cool

    Lastly, to divert the thread back on track, I am not opposed to some retreading as i have thoroughly worn some of the classics and would want good replacements. My point is this,,, that WOC (and indirectly Hasbro) have sufficient resources to produce not only those "retreads" but COULD add to them (since they hold us hostage on GH Open License) That would not require MOUNTAINS of effort on their part, nor have to wait for the FIX all of D&D Next (2 plus years away or more).

    They used the old excuse of hiding behind it costs too much to send to the print publisher for the net profit at the end... to this I would point to the moves they have made around Dragon & Dungeon Magazines..... where the cost of the printed copy is deferred to the consumer via PDF. Making the only incurred cost that of the creation team.

    Are PDFs better.. No, I'm old school and prefer hard copy, but it would beat NOTHING, which seems the choice they prefer to make. But instead we the end product user are made to wait yet again on the "promises" of a company that doesn't seem to understand their own markets longevity, but instead takes the "lame to slaughter" yet again to sell more books, more sub-books, more....... How about MORE GH????
    Master Greytalker

    Joined: Dec 07, 2003
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    Tue Jul 16, 2013 2:09 pm  

    Well I've converted the bestiary to DDN and I'm going to run this as a playtest module at the weekend. It's quite old school and my preliminary scan of the monsters is that they hit quite hard but not as hard as the players. It should be interesting.
    Master Greytalker

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    Thu Jul 18, 2013 7:44 am  

    All economics aside, could somebody in the know give a bit of a summary of the adventure?
    Grandmaster Greytalker

    Joined: Nov 07, 2004
    Posts: 1846
    From: Mt. Smolderac

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    Thu Jul 18, 2013 7:56 am  

    Reading the copy of a friend who has a subscription. Looks good so far, although it does partake of a familiar deus ex machina for avoiding death that I can't stand, and even if I could, would still think is a bit overused. How's that for not giving out spoilers? Razz

    I also glanced through the high level adventure, "The Rolling Tomb" in the same issue, and this time I will give away spoilers, so

    **SPOILER ALERT**

    The following encounter description from that adventure is unintentionally hilarious, and epitomizes everything I hate in a D&D adventure. It's like the writer got in a contest with Jerry Bruckheimer and Roland Emmerich to see who could come up with the most ridiculous movie scenario.

    "The wizards who built the Rolling Tomb rigged a devastating weapon to the heart of the pyramid, set to explode if anyone destroyed Aegis. The adventurers must disarm the bomb while sky-diving up the bottomless pit and fighting sphinxes."

    Maybe I'm just too uptight... Embarassed
    Grandmaster Greytalker

    Joined: Jul 09, 2003
    Posts: 1358
    From: Tennessee, between Ft. Campbell & APSU

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    Thu Jul 18, 2013 11:05 am  

    smillan_31 wrote:
    ...**SPOILER ALERT**"The wizards who built the Rolling Tomb rigged a devastating weapon to the heart of the pyramid, set to explode if anyone destroyed Aegis. The adventurers must disarm the bomb while sky-diving up the bottomless pit and fighting sphinxes."


    -That's not ridiculous. Sky-diving up the bottomless pit while upside down while fighting sphinxes, armed only with a spork, is ridiculous. Wink
    GreySage

    Joined: Aug 03, 2001
    Posts: 3310
    From: Michigan

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    Thu Jul 18, 2013 8:32 pm  

    Dark_Lord_Galen wrote:
    How about MORE GH????


    Hang in there! To be a Greyhawk fan is to have hope.

    Relevant Youtube link.
    Master Greytalker

    Joined: Dec 07, 2003
    Posts: 636


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    Thu Jul 25, 2013 11:36 am  

    PaulN6 wrote:
    Well I've converted the bestiary to DDN and I'm going to run this as a playtest module at the weekend. It's quite old school and my preliminary scan of the monsters is that they hit quite hard but not as hard as the players. It should be interesting.


    It was a fun weekend session, although it took me longer to get into the spirit of improvising monster actions than I would have liked. The new playtest packet is die out next month so I'll have another crack then but DDN looks like it should be a fast and fun edition.

    And the fiendish slave lord escaped!
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