Goodman Games

Here's a suggested solution to the weird dice dilemma given by Neuronphaser on
rpg.net:

"this game -- should it require funky dice -- screams for 1 of 2 possibilities:

1. Box set. Blam! Done. Include the funky dice and some bits (minis, tokens, a mood ring, whatever) and you sell a bunch.

2. Smart layout/graphic design folks that have a random number generator included in the book(s). I can't recall the game (I believe it was a pretty indy game, but I could be way off base on that one), but it had a random number on every page of the book that fell within the range of the dice used for the game. You could literally not use dice, and just close your eyes, flip around the book, and generate an appropriate number. Not exactly ideal, but it IS one solution. Other ideas might be a random chart for each funky die in the book, and you could use playing cards or some other thing to generate the funky numbers so that the percentages aren't all messed up (i.e. a 1d7 actually has a 1-in-7 chance of "rolling" each number)."

I like idea two a lot. If a GM could simply flip to a page and see results (maybe as a footer) for most of the (really) weird dice I think that would help overcome the weird dice argument.

Kruvil wrote:Box set. Blam! Done. Include the funky dice and some bits (minis, tokens, a mood ring, whatever) and you sell a bunch.

This has been suggested before and I believe that Joseph is considering it but is concerned about a few issues.

I think that the primary problem may be one of cost. A $40 rulebook and $25 set of dice puts the price into the $65 range before even counting in the cost of the box itself. Then you throw in some extras like a module and GM screen and the price gets keeps creeping higher and higher. I think that the hope was to keep the entry price low.

On the other hand, I know I'd buy one!

Kruvil wrote:I can't recall the game (I believe it was a pretty indy game, but I could be way off base on that one), but it had a random number on every page of the book that fell within the range of the dice used for the game.

Wraeththu (Seek it out at your own risk..)
http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/14/14347.phtml

Let me start with the one thing that the book does right: On the upper-right corner of every page, there’s a picture of six dice, each with a different number on them, each with a different range – so you’ve got a d4, a d6, a d10 and so forth. The way that it works is that if you don’t happen to have dice on you, you can use the book to generate a dice roll just by fanning the pages and stopping it on a particular page. It’s not a perfect solution, but it sure isn’t a bad stopgap, and it’s also considerate to those who can’t get dice. Kudos on that.

Let me start with the one thing that the book does right: On the upper-right corner of every page, there’s a picture of six dice, each with a different number on them, each with a different range – so you’ve got a d4, a d6, a d10 and so forth. The way that it works is that if you don’t happen to have dice on you, you can use the book to generate a dice roll just by fanning the pages and stopping it on a particular page. It’s not a perfect solution, but it sure isn’t a bad stopgap, and it’s also considerate to those who can’t get dice. Kudos on that.

Not sure how good this idea is.... But facing pages should be the same number so you don't have to decide if it is the left or right page that is "official". Also, if the numbers are not in order, I don't know. It just seems like a good idea that I can't explain at the moment why it's a good idea.

in my experience with solo rpg-books (i don't know what's the name in English, in italian they translated roughly as GameBooks... sometime around the '80-'90s i think), after some time you alter the odds, because there are pages you use more than others, and there's a bigger chance that your "leafing-roll" ends on those pages. Do you get my point?

That problem could be solved by putting some random numbers on each page (more than one, so each time you can say "i'll use the 7th number" rather than "the 2nd number"), then you also roll 1d6. At the end of the book, write some tables where combining the number and the roll you get a random d3, d5, d7 etc result.

finarvyn wrote:I think that the primary problem may be one of cost. A $40 rulebook and $25 set of dice puts the price into the $65 range before even counting in the cost of the box itself.

But that's what it's going to cost 99.9% of us anyway. Nobody in my local group has any of those funky dice (well, I have some on order). Nobody at the local gamestore has them. I've asked almost 50 people now and three people had a d3 (1d6 with 1-3 repeated) and two had a d30 (from back in The Armory days). That's it. The vast majority of us will be forking up the extra $$ anyway.

abk108 wrote:I like idea two a lot. If a GM could simply flip to a page and see results (maybe as a footer) for most of the (really) weird dice I think that would help overcome the weird dice argument.

There is something exhilarating about the tactile response when rolling dice. Flipping pages, electronic randomizers, etc. can't match it. At least not for me.

--
Dave Bernazzani
@rpggeek
http://www.rpggeek.com

wavemotion wrote:

finarvyn wrote:I think that the primary problem may be one of cost. A $40 rulebook and $25 set of dice puts the price into the $65 range before even counting in the cost of the box itself.

But that's what it's going to cost 99.9% of us anyway. Nobody in my local group has any of those funky dice (well, I have some on order). Nobody at the local gamestore has them. I've asked almost 50 people now and three people had a d3 (1d6 with 1-3 repeated) and two had a d30 (from back in The Armory days). That's it. The vast majority of us will be forking up the extra $$ anyway.

Oh, I agree. I'm just trying to articulate what Joseph said on a thread long ago. On the other hand, if enough people ask for it, maybe we'll get it!

I'd certainly be in for a boxed set with the Rulebook, dice, GM screen, etc. Throw in a special edition adventure and you're golden

My group paid $100 for the WFRP 3e boxed set without a second thought. If you're giving us value for the cost then the actual cost really doesn't matter to us, especially considering the hours of enjoyment that we'll get out of it.

muherd wrote:I'd certainly be in for a boxed set with the Rulebook, dice, GM screen, etc. Throw in a special edition adventure and you're golden

My group paid $100 for the WFRP 3e boxed set without a second thought. If you're giving us value for the cost then the actual cost really doesn't matter to us, especially considering the hours of enjoyment that we'll get out of it.

But i wouldn't like that boxed set to be the only option. I'd really like to buy just the core book, because i'm fine with rolling combination of classic dice rather than buying d7, d14 etc...
Besides, if it's around 30$ i can afford it, if it goes to 50+ $, I'm afraid i can't!

Sorry, I didn't mean for a boxed set to be the only version; more of a "Collector's Edition" version, which I would certainly be interested in.

muherd wrote:Sorry, I didn't mean for a boxed set to be the only version; more of a "Collector's Edition" version, which I would certainly be interested in.

Lol i figured that out, but i wanted to make it clear
by the way, i wish i was blessed with "fund-sharing" players... I'm always the one who buys the book!!