The Economics of the D&D World
Dante over at stupidranger.com raises some interesting questions today.
Dante’s point, which he makes so well, is that the economics of the D&D world are completely screwed up, primarily by magic items.
Let’s think about it: in our world, if there were wands that could cure diseases instantly, or if there were rings that could make you invisible, they would be the “gold standard” of the economy. Magic, rather than precious metals, would be at the heart of the stock market.
D&D has none of that. Hell, magic items are a regular commodity, as available as leather or wine.
There is another factor to think about in terms of D&D and economics. Just how much gold is there buried in all of those lost dungeons? And how much has been found? Wouldn’t the single dragon’s horde, discovered outside of a small town or village, completely decimate that town’s economy with the influx of all of that cash? Gold in the cities surrounding Myth Drannor would be so devalued as to be almost worthless, considering the thousands of lairs that have been raided.
These aren’t unique questions to D&D, either. The MMORPGs have the same problem, arguably on a much larger scale.
Having said all of that, there is still one question: does it even matter?
I say yes. We strive, as DMs, to provide players with a “realistic” fantasy world: a world that resembles our own in most ways, but has these supernatural, monstrous, and heroic elements. Those are what makes Dungeons and Dragons a fantasy role-playing game. Suspended disbelief.
But, economics? Having a completely unrealistic economic system doesn’t add to the fantasy element any more than having completely unrealistic geographic features adds to it (deserts and tundra can’t co-exist).
What’s the answer, then? Hell if I know. I was a philosophy major in college. But, I do think that there may be something on the horizon that helps: in 4E D&D, they’re talking about fewer magic items. That may be a step in the right direction.
Any professional economists out there who’d like to give it a go? That might even make a decent product for a 3rd-party designer: Economics of the Fantasy World.
City Damage
(Before I start, a follow-up from yesterday: go check out the polls on my squidoo lens. I cracked myself up writing them. Of course, I crack myself up eating cheese, so take it for what it’s worth.)
So, there’s an interesting post over at Pens & Swords from Monday. I am intrigued by his take on things. I disagree, almost entirely, but I am intrigued. Let me, then, answer the questions that he poses:
How many of us have started campaigns, as a DM or player, in the tavern of some small village, waiting for the hook that will send the adventurers to the nearby ruins/caves/catacombs?
You bet. Too many times as a DM. Still, it worked for Temple of Elemental Evil, right?
But what about those who prefer urban adventures, or a more cosmopolitan setting?
That’s something that my group has grown into. A decade ago? No way. These days? Cities are the place to be.
Do they have to wait until their characters are higher level, as the article seems to imply.
Hope not. I’m not sure that the “Points of Light” can’t exist as small parts (neighborhoods) in larger settings. I bet we see some of that, even in the “heroic” level modules. Beyond that, a large city that is in tatters (like Waterdeep after the Spellplague) could also be considered a Point of Light beseiged. From the realms article:
“In Waterdeep the great walking statues hidden within the city arose for a single day and wrecked several wards, only to suddenly halt where they stood when the Spellplague’s influence retreated again. To this day the towering colossi remain standing where they were at that moment, while the city has been rebuilt around their stony waists. Waterdeep is still governed by its Lords, advised by the Blackstaff—the most powerful mage of Blackstaff Tower, heir to the lore of the mighty Khelben. The city remains a hub of trade and commerce; all roads lead to Waterdeep, or so it is said. ”
Sure, DMs still have the power to create whatever they can imagine, but does this new design directive mean that official support–in the form of products and articles–will focus on the solitary settlement besieged by the forces of darkness?
Doubt it highly. Variety has always been the spice of life over at WotC. And you’ve got quite a mix of designers and writers over there as well.
Is the urban adventure market small enough that it doesn’t matter to the bottom line?
I don’t know that it’s a market in and of itself; in context, it’s a part of the bigger market. But if urban adventures weren’t an integral part of that market, would there have been a Cityscape, or a City of Peril? Or City of Splendors for the old timers?
Or (last question, I promise) does the Points of Light philosophy not necessarily exclude an urban-based campaign?
Nope. See above. I think to assume POL is incompatible with an urban campaign is to connect dots that just aren’t there. I think the Points of Light directive is, ultimately, all about a darker world -not necessarily a rural one.
What the bloody hell is this?
Today’s post is short and sweet.
I blew off my writing time this morning to work on a new project. Apparently Squidoo is the latest and greatest thing since MySpace, and I’ve done made me a page on 4E.
Don’t worry. My regular rant will return tomorrow.
Assets or liabilities?
So, I’ve noticed something as of late…
My single friends (and I’ve got quite a few) are all, as am I, gamer geeks. Get any two of us together for more than five minutes, and we’re going to be talking D&D, Gencon, or, maybe, Lord of the Rings. We eat, breathe, and live this stuff. It’s even more intense for us than it is for, let’s say, the football fan; there’s no season to what we do.
So, back to these friends. They’re single, right? They’re all about the Internet dating scene, too. I just had one of them leave here after working on his profile for a dating web site. But, without exception, these guys somehow leave off gaming when they list their hobbies and interests. Their profiles never show gaming. Yet, if they filled out an anonymous survey, I guarantee gaming would be at the top of the list. Why is that?
One of my friends tried to explain it to me. He said he didn’t want to scare anyone off. He said that, by including gaming on his dating profile, anyone who read that profile might think he was a gamer geek. Yet hunting and “conservative” political views aren’t going to turn anyone off of the profile?
The more I talk with the handful of non-gamers that I know, the more I realize: there isn’t widespread prejudice against gamers or gaming. Pat Pulling is dead, and no one picked up her mantle on the religious side of things; fantasy movies have hit it so big that it would be hard to say the genre isn’t mainstream, even if the Academy is slow to approve. Name a football movie that has done as well as LOTR?
My point is this: D&D isn’t anymore outside of the mainstream than, let’s say, karate. You’re a black belt, and you participate in a karate class twice a week? You’d put it in your profile, and anyone reading it wouldn’t think twice.
That is, of course, unless they’re actually into karate. Same goes for gaming. There are more gamers out there than we realize (over a million D&D players in the U.S.) and some of them are actually women. As for the millions who aren’t gamers, they see the interest in gaming the same way they might see an interest in woodworking: it’s not something they’re into, but it doesn’t mean they don’t like you.
Just $.02 from an old married gamer, who gave up giving a shit what people thought of gaming a decade ago.
I can has D&D?
I want you to look at something that’s not D&D related, but funny and geeky anyways.
I’ve said before, my humor is an acquired taste.
Anyways, if you get a minute, take a look at the redesigned D&D reviews site. I’m pretty happy with it so far. Only problem is I haven’t figured out a good way to link to older content yet.
Oh, and Planescape fans will appreciate this thread over at the WotC forums. There are a couple of interesting posts there from Michele Carter worth noticing!
The Gamer Lifestyle.
D&D: It’s not a game, it’s a way of life.
If you don’t believe me, go to Gencon. A strong plurality, perhaps even a majority, of the attendees at Gencon are, in many ways, very much alike. Some of the most common characteristics:
- Hairy. Mostly goateed. (Is goateed a word?)
- Loud.
- A bit socially awkward.
- Fat.
Now, I’m not insulting gamers, mind you. In fact, I exemplify the characteristics above. I realize that. I also realize there are some things I can help, and some things I can’t.
For example, I’m hairy. I’m always going to be. But I don’t know if I need the goatee forever. Right now, being a fat man, it helps to define my face. So, I think I’ll keep that one.
Can I be less loud? Doubtful. I mean, I’ve mellowed some since I was younger, but the fact remains that I get animated when I’m talking about something that I’m passionate about, like D&D. Don’t think that one’s going to change too much.
On the social side of things, it is a bit ironic. See, when we gamers want to tell people about how cool D&D is, and how kids should play it and all of that, we talk about it being a “social” game, and talk about how it helps with social skills. The fact is that the football player probably has a lot more social skills that any of us. Still, I’d rather hang out with gamers than the football players. Even if we’re a bit rough around the edges, I think we’re more interesting. I’ll never be anything but socially awkward, but I can certainly try. I can try to listen more and talk less; I can learn to watch for social cues, such as when I’m boring the hell out of someone. But, at the end of the day, I’m guessing this isn’t going to change too much. (I must not be too bad, I’m married to a hot gamer babe, after all!)
As far as being fat, I’m working on it. I’ve lost 45 pounds since December 1, and I’ve decided that, no matter what it takes, I’m going to get down to a reasonable weight and stay there for the rest of my life. I want to be able to play D&D with my grandkids, after all. (I wonder what edition it will be by then? 10th? 30th?) Is it a challenge? Heck yeah. But it’s a new lifestyle for me.
Dungeons and Dragons Online
So, I’ve been thinking about it quite a bit lately…
When I was 13, I would have died to be able to play Dungeons and Dragons Online. Heck, I remember even trying to write my own Dungeons and Dragons text-based computer games in BASIC. This was back in the days when only college students were playing MUDs, and even before Ultima Online took the gaming world by storm. But, at any rate, I would have been totally immersed.
Now, I’ve little or no interest in playing Dungeons and Dragons Online. Why is that?
I mean, I really ought to find an MMORPG and play it. My good friend Greg has been playing Everquest for the better part of a decade. I’ve got other friends, too, who aren’t in the area anymore, who play Everquest or World of Warcraft or even Dungeons and Dragons Online. Heck, I could go back to Ultima Online, I suppose. But, even thought I’ve tried every one of these games at one point or another, I just can’t seem to get hooked.
Before Dungeons and Dragons Online came out, I was hopeful. I teased Greg that D&D Online would be the EQ killer. But sadly, Dungeons and Dragons Online was released, and I still had no interest. Was it because it was set in Eberron? I thought so, at first. I’ve never made it a secret, I’m not a fan of Eberron. But I don’t think that was all. After all, I love the Warcraft setting, and even ran a couple of Warcraft d20 campaigns back before World of Warcraft was even released. So, I don’t think it’s the setting.
I also used to think it was the time commitment required. After all, my friends who play Everquest spend several hours each week playing, and even have scheduled raids with their guilds several times a week. I can’t really commit to all of that, at least without ignoring my family. But, I’m told that you can play WoW or Dungeons and Dragons Online much more casually, so I don’t think the time commitment excuse is going to work anymore, either.
So, what is it? I think I’ve identified some possibilities:
- I like DMing. If I could write my own adventures for Dungeons and Dragons online, and run people through them, I might enjoy it.
- I like being face-to-face with people. It’s nice to have friends that I can go to the movies with if we don’t feel like playing D&D that night.
- Chips. With Dungeons and Dragons Online, I only have access to the chips that I’ve bought.
- I think that, in the last 23 years, my imagination has grown. Ironically, I can see the characters and the mosters clearer in my head in the paper game much more clearly than I can on the computer. MMORPGs are, at least in some ways, a bit cartoonish.
Still, It may be time to give it another shot. I think that the virtual tabletop in 4th edition, if it works, could be my own little Dungeons and Dragons Online. It would certainly allow me to play D&D with some old friends again.
Getting Geeked.
The new D&D Minis rules have been released.
Let me say, by way of disclosure, that I’m not a big player of the minis game. Don’t misunderstand me; I like it well enough. I think it’s solid, rules-wise, and has always captured the spirit of the D&D rules pretty well. And, I definitely like the look of the figures themselves. It’s just that I typically would rather play a larger battle scenario, such as in Warhammer, or play the D&D RPG game, than I would play Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures. My observations, then, come from a casual D&D minis player perspective, so keep that in mind.
Well, I’ve read through the booklet, and I’m intrigued. Mostly, I’m intrigued by the stat cards. For example, the phrase, “longsword, +11 vs. AC” is interesting. I’m interested in the “defense” stat (is this an extra AC number?), and the “Champion rating” (though this just may be the old “commander” stat). I like the “bloodied” concept, which has been given previously as a teaser about 4E rules. Same thing with the “shift” idea.
I’m intrigued by the “faction” concept, although I wonder if they’re not borrowing too much from Magic: The Gathering by using colors in their factions. I like the “1 square” rule. “Combat advantage” is interesting… I’m assuming that will be what allows the 4E rogue a sneak attack. The multiple saving throws worries me a bit… will this just add more time to the game?
WotC has provided a forum to discuss the new minis rules, as well. I’m going to have to go check them out!
Random Observations
It’s not Larry King’s People News and Views, but here are a few of my random thoughts on Dungeon Mastering, D&D, and the hobby in general:
- Sitting behind the DM screen is the best place at the table. And it’s not just because people will bring you food and drink. The DM is never bored during a game, regardless of how bored his players are.
- The best D&D games, the best campaigns I’ve run, have always been homespun tales in homebrewed worlds. That’s not just my opinion; my players agree. Not saying my stuff is better than the published stuff (because it’s not). Rather, I think it’s because I am more connected to the material, and therefore more animated about things.
- D&D is the best damn game there is, bar none. I’ve played more hours of D&D than any other hobby I’ve ever been involved in. And, just about the time things seem to get a bit stale, a new edition comes along to breathe some new life.
- Gencon is going to be a hoot this year.
- If the online D&D tools work the way that WotC is saying they will, I’ll get to game again with Cliff, Chris, Conrad, Jamie, and Robert again. Won’t that be the dog’s bollocks?
- It isn’t the time commitment that has kept me out of the MMORPGs. At least, I’m beginning to think that it isn’t. I think it’s because I can’t DM.
- I miss my wife playing D&D.
- I’m never happy with one of Kelly’s characters unless he’s a paladin; I’m never happy with one of Greg’s unless he’s a thief; and I don’t think I’ve ever seen Phil play anything other than an arcane caster. Scott, well, he does all right at whatever he’s playing.
- I like painting my figs. I wish I could get someone else into that part of the hobby.
- I think the reason that Randy is such a good DM is, simply put, that he immerses himself in his prep. I’m sure he easily spends 3 hours on prep for each hour of play.
Wait, What?
Spider-Man Splits With Mary Jane, Wife of 20 Years
Hell, I didn’t know they got married.
Actually, that’s not true. But I haven’t seriously followed Spider-Man (or any comic, really) since the early 1980s. When Pete and Mary Jane got marriedin 1987, I’d been out of the loop already for about four years.
It’s got me thinking, though. I really do enjoy comics, when I read them. I can’t budget to collect a bunch of titles monthly the way my good friend K-BOD does, but I wouldn’t mind following a couple of books. The big problem is that I get a bit anal about the condition of my comics, and my kids would want to read them. My problem isn’t that the kids would destroy them, but rather that I might not let them handle the comics.
Thinking about it, that doesn’t make sense, either. Right now they can’t read them because I don’t buy them. I guess maybe it’s worth a shot 
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