Are Dragon & Dungeon magzines official? if they are why there isn't any WotC banner [Archive] - Wizards Community

Are Dragon & Dungeon magzines official? if they are why there isn't any WotC banner [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Kishpa
10-18-05, 04:56 AM Are Dragon & Dungeon magzines official? if they are why there isn't any WotC banner on them??
RavinRay
10-18-05, 05:04 AM Yes, they are. Maybe the banner's not on the website, but the copyright is WotC, which is printed in the staff sidebar next to the ToC of each issue.
Escef
10-18-05, 10:33 AM I just got Dragon #337 in the mail the other day. In the upper left corner it says "100% Official Content". They couldn't say that lest WotC said it was ok. You often won't find the WotC banner on the magazine these days because WotC spun off their periodicals department a few years ago (they are now called Paizo) and licensed Dragon and Dungeon to them (possibly weird rights to their defunct or rarer publications too, though I'm not sure). WotC still owns the rights to the magazines and their content.
Sulaco
10-18-05, 11:38 AM They are official.

They do not bear a WotC banner cos they are not published by WotC.
Kishpa
10-18-05, 02:00 PM They are official.

They do not bear a WotC banner cos they are not published by WotC.

Well, I meant if they are official WotC magazines.
Zherog
10-18-05, 02:05 PM They are published by Paizo publishing, under license from WotC. Everything published within the magazines is owned by WotC - at least according to the contracts I've been signing, anyway.
Escef
10-18-05, 02:08 PM Well, I meant if they are official WotC magazines.

WotC owns the copyrights to the magazines and considers them official content. Much of what is printed in them is cleared by WotC staff, and even gets reprinted in later supplements.

There are many DMs, however, who refuse to use Dragon's material. Some consider it outright broken (I agree some of it hasn't been playtested enough, but I wouldn't call any of it blatently broken), and others just refuse to use it on the grounds that one cannot just go to their FLGS and pick up an issue from 6+ months ago to reference that PrC you want to use.
Encard
10-18-05, 02:20 PM It's an official magazine, yes. However, a decent portion of the material that hasn't been given quite as thorough a look-over as it should have been, so beware of trusting the official label too much.
weasel fierce
10-18-05, 03:48 PM Why does it matter ?
Ranger REG
10-18-05, 08:55 PM Are Dragon & Dungeon magzines official? if they are why there isn't any WotC banner on them??
Because the trademarked Dungeons & Dragons banner (owned exclusively by WotC) is more important to D&D fans.
Zherog
10-18-05, 09:15 PM Much of what is printed in them is cleared by WotC staff, and even gets reprinted in later supplements.

It's my understanding, actually, that everything in both magazines gets reviewed by WotC before it gets published in the magazine.
Escef
10-19-05, 12:28 AM It's my understanding, actually, that everything in both magazines gets reviewed by WotC before it gets published in the magazine.

That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure, so I chose a more conservative wording. :)
Ranger REG
10-20-05, 04:34 AM That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure, so I chose a more conservative wording. :)
With all due respect, I don't think WotC have the time and human resource to review magazine articles. If they had, they would not have sold/outsource Dragon and Dungeon magazine. You have to rely on Paizo's editors to make the new material as compatible to the core rules as possible.
Escef
10-20-05, 07:53 AM With all due respect, I don't think WotC have the time and human resource to review magazine articles. If they had, they would not have sold/outsource Dragon and Dungeon magazine. You have to rely on Paizo's editors to make the new material as compatible to the core rules as possible.

The explanation I heard was that it was a corporate decision. Neither Hasbro nor WotC are in the magazine buisness, so rather than use their own staff and budget on something the company does not want to do, they spun off their periodicals dept into a seperate entity. The fact remains that the Dragon and Dunfeon editors work hand in hand with WotC personal, so the difference almost is not made. I do not think it was a great decision, but I am also not in a position to say or do much about about it (other than disapprove).
Morris_The_Grey
10-20-05, 09:22 PM With all due respect, I don't think WotC have the time and human resource to review magazine articles. If they had, they would not have sold/outsource Dragon and Dungeon magazine. You have to rely on Paizo's editors to make the new material as compatible to the core rules as possible.

Yeah, WotC focuses their attention on the PSIONICS HANDBOOK!!! while 3rd parties get away with murder printing their own awful material.
weasel fierce
10-21-05, 12:37 AM If you think all 3rd party material is awful, you need to check out Blue Rose and Iron Heroes
amethal
10-21-05, 08:19 AM If you think all 3rd party material is awful, you need to check out Blue Rose and Iron HeroesOr count the errors in Monster Manual 3 .....
Morris_The_Grey
10-21-05, 09:42 AM Or count the errors in Monster Manual 3 .....

HEYO!!! :D
Ranger REG
10-21-05, 08:29 PM Yeah, WotC focuses their attention on the PSIONICS HANDBOOK!!! while 3rd parties get away with murder printing their own awful material.
I beg to differ. I dislike WotC's model for psionic rules. That is why I prefer The Psychic's Handbook.

I also prefer Field of Blood: The Book of War (from Eden Studios) because it has a "Birthright" feel of realm management and political system as well as its mass combat rules.

Granted, there are bad ones, but the good ones are treasures to find.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Kishpa 10-18-05, 04:56 AM	Are Dragon & Dungeon magzines official? if they are why there isn't any WotC banner on them??
RavinRay 10-18-05, 05:04 AM	Yes, they are. Maybe the banner's not on the website, but the copyright is WotC, which is printed in the staff sidebar next to the ToC of each issue.
Escef 10-18-05, 10:33 AM	I just got Dragon #337 in the mail the other day. In the upper left corner it says "100% Official Content". They couldn't say that lest WotC said it was ok. You often won't find the WotC banner on the magazine these days because WotC spun off their periodicals department a few years ago (they are now called Paizo) and licensed Dragon and Dungeon to them (possibly weird rights to their defunct or rarer publications too, though I'm not sure). WotC still owns the rights to the magazines and their content.
Sulaco 10-18-05, 11:38 AM	They are official. They do not bear a WotC banner cos they are not published by WotC.
Kishpa 10-18-05, 02:00 PM	They are official. They do not bear a WotC banner cos they are not published by WotC. Well, I meant if they are official WotC magazines.
Zherog 10-18-05, 02:05 PM	They are published by Paizo publishing, under license from WotC. Everything published within the magazines is owned by WotC - at least according to the contracts I've been signing, anyway.
Escef 10-18-05, 02:08 PM	Well, I meant if they are official WotC magazines. WotC owns the copyrights to the magazines and considers them official content. Much of what is printed in them is cleared by WotC staff, and even gets reprinted in later supplements. There are many DMs, however, who refuse to use Dragon's material. Some consider it outright broken (I agree some of it hasn't been playtested enough, but I wouldn't call any of it blatently broken), and others just refuse to use it on the grounds that one cannot just go to their FLGS and pick up an issue from 6+ months ago to reference that PrC you want to use.
Encard 10-18-05, 02:20 PM	It's an official magazine, yes. However, a decent portion of the material that hasn't been given quite as thorough a look-over as it should have been, so beware of trusting the official label too much.
weasel fierce 10-18-05, 03:48 PM	Why does it matter ?
Ranger REG 10-18-05, 08:55 PM	Are Dragon & Dungeon magzines official? if they are why there isn't any WotC banner on them?? Because the trademarked Dungeons & Dragons banner (owned exclusively by WotC) is more important to D&D fans.
Zherog 10-18-05, 09:15 PM	Much of what is printed in them is cleared by WotC staff, and even gets reprinted in later supplements. It's my understanding, actually, that everything in both magazines gets reviewed by WotC before it gets published in the magazine.
Escef 10-19-05, 12:28 AM	It's my understanding, actually, that everything in both magazines gets reviewed by WotC before it gets published in the magazine. That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure, so I chose a more conservative wording. :)
Ranger REG 10-20-05, 04:34 AM	That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure, so I chose a more conservative wording. :) With all due respect, I don't think WotC have the time and human resource to review magazine articles. If they had, they would not have sold/outsource Dragon and Dungeon magazine. You have to rely on Paizo's editors to make the new material as compatible to the core rules as possible.
Escef 10-20-05, 07:53 AM	With all due respect, I don't think WotC have the time and human resource to review magazine articles. If they had, they would not have sold/outsource Dragon and Dungeon magazine. You have to rely on Paizo's editors to make the new material as compatible to the core rules as possible. The explanation I heard was that it was a corporate decision. Neither Hasbro nor WotC are in the magazine buisness, so rather than use their own staff and budget on something the company does not want to do, they spun off their periodicals dept into a seperate entity. The fact remains that the Dragon and Dunfeon editors work hand in hand with WotC personal, so the difference almost is not made. I do not think it was a great decision, but I am also not in a position to say or do much about about it (other than disapprove).
Morris_The_Grey 10-20-05, 09:22 PM	With all due respect, I don't think WotC have the time and human resource to review magazine articles. If they had, they would not have sold/outsource Dragon and Dungeon magazine. You have to rely on Paizo's editors to make the new material as compatible to the core rules as possible. Yeah, WotC focuses their attention on the PSIONICS HANDBOOK!!! while 3rd parties get away with murder printing their own awful material.
weasel fierce 10-21-05, 12:37 AM	If you think all 3rd party material is awful, you need to check out Blue Rose and Iron Heroes
amethal 10-21-05, 08:19 AM	If you think all 3rd party material is awful, you need to check out Blue Rose and Iron HeroesOr count the errors in Monster Manual 3 .....
Morris_The_Grey 10-21-05, 09:42 AM	Or count the errors in Monster Manual 3 ..... HEYO!!! :D
Ranger REG 10-21-05, 08:29 PM	Yeah, WotC focuses their attention on the PSIONICS HANDBOOK!!! while 3rd parties get away with murder printing their own awful material. I beg to differ. I dislike WotC's model for psionic rules. That is why I prefer The Psychic's Handbook. I also prefer Field of Blood: The Book of War (from Eden Studios) because it has a "Birthright" feel of realm management and political system as well as its mass combat rules. Granted, there are bad ones, but the good ones are treasures to find.