Post/Author/DateTime	Post
WotC_Andy 09-21-07, 08:35 PM	Which title is more likely to get you to check out a book? Arms & Equipment Guide OR Magic Item Compendium Obviously, we've released books with both of those titles...but I'm curious which title grabs you more.
Tuhljin 09-21-07, 08:56 PM	As an owner of Magic Item Compendium who heard good things about but still didn't purchase the Arms & Equipment Guide, I'd say that as a DM wanting to diversify the item selection for my campaign, MIC would draw me in more because that's exactly what I'm looking for. I'm a sucker for cool magic tricks more than shiny swords, I guess. (Yes, I know A&EG has more than just some new weapons.) MIC simply fit the description of what I was looking for at the time - but even generally speaking, yes, it's more appealing to me.
ainatan 09-21-07, 08:56 PM	Other: World Builder's Guide
StevenO 09-21-07, 09:03 PM	Which grabs your attention most depends on what you're looking for. Arms & Equipment Guide implies giving ideas on how to "dress" your character and perhaps some new things to do that. This sounds like a players book. MIC implies tried and tested ideas compiled into one area. This sound more like something a DM would want as a reference.
FitzTheRuke 09-21-07, 09:18 PM	I think it might be a good idea to combine them. Perhaps a book like Mundane, Masterwork, and Magic Items & Equipment Compendium with sections on each. (Okay, a more concise name might be better, but you get the idea!) Fitz
Salla 09-21-07, 09:27 PM	Magic Item Compendium. One, it uses a vocabulary word. :) Two, it has 'magic item' in the title, which inherently gets my attention more than something that does not imply the presence of magic items in its pages (I know the previous A&EG had them, but the title didn't grab me).
Gryllmyre 09-21-07, 09:27 PM	MIC because, well, arms and equipment are covered in a lot of detail in the PHB, and I don't think I need another book for that!
Jer 09-21-07, 09:34 PM	Neither one really "grabs" me - they both sound like textbooks or encyclopedias. But "Magic Item Compendium" grabs me more because it sounds like it will be full of magic items, while Arms and Equipment Guide sounds like something full of information I could find on the internet. My favorite name for a D&D Magic Item supplement is probably "The Book of Wondrous Inventions" from the B/X D&D line.
Stoneson 09-21-07, 09:37 PM	"Campaigner's Catalog"
bholdr_mage 09-21-07, 09:40 PM	I think it might be a good idea to combine them. Perhaps a book like Mundane, Masterwork, and Magic Items & Equipment Compendium with sections on each. (Okay, a more concise name might be better, but you get the idea!) Fitz Agreed. It really depends on what you are looking for, quite honestly. The MIC grabs my attention more, if that's what you are looking for as a title of a book. It also depends on how well written it is. The MIC was very recent and full of new exciting, fresh items that were relatively cheap that did cool things. I think everyone in my group wanted a healing belt, or whatever it was called as soon as they saw it. That specific book uses more rules such as swift actions and immediate actions. These were a great concept (Kudos for keeping them in 4.0) and this book finally uses those concepts in droves. The AaEG was a 3.0 book. I remember getting it late and then selling it, seeing as how it just sat on my shelf collecting dust. It was an ok book and all, it just wasn't exciting.
KillerGM 09-21-07, 09:45 PM	Magic Item Compendium. One, it uses a vocabulary word. :) Two, it has 'magic item' in the title, which inherently gets my attention more than something that does not imply the presence of magic items in its pages (I know the previous A&EG had them, but the title didn't grab me). Ditto. :D
Radazim 09-21-07, 09:50 PM	Magic Item Compendium sounds like more ornaments for the Christmas Tree, which concerns me. Arms & Equipment Guide sounds like only mundane, non-magical gear, which also concerns me. I'd prefer a title that sounds inclusive of both. How about: Tools of the Trade: Mundane and Magical Equipment for Adventurers The Seer's Catalog: Adventuring Gear for the Discerning Hero Abercrombie, Murlynd, and Fytch: Outfitting Adventurers Since the Second Age ph4t L3w+z0rz: Ub3r g34r 4 teh l33t h3r0 ;)
Joshbuckler 09-21-07, 09:56 PM	How about Lidda's Large Library of Loot
drothgery 09-21-07, 10:06 PM	Even though the Christmas Tree effect gets pretty overwhelming at high levels, it's still Magic Item Compendium by a country mile. I've rarely had a D&D PC use mundane equipment that wasn't in the Player's Handbook (any ediiton). It's quite common for me to have a PC that uses magic equipment that isn't in the Dungeon Master's Guide. So I'd have to say I'd get more use out of a magic items book.
Amaril 09-21-07, 10:12 PM	Arms & Equipment Guide implies a wide array of content including magic and mundane. Magic Item Compendium implies a collection of magic items already published. Personally, I like A&EG. I find a book with a wide array of tools to be much more interesting in that cool mundane tools can make an interesting character. In contrast, a book of nothing but magic items seems to cheapen the effects of such items. They are usually items that help to break the rules rather than facilitate working within them. Make a high quality Arms & Equipment Guide and I'll buy a copy. In addition, there is no reason why Arms & Equipment Guide can also contain the same type of content as MIC as well.
Longroad 09-21-07, 10:15 PM	I voted Arms & Equipment because it would seem more likely to contain a mix of magic and mundane equipment.
MeinVT 09-21-07, 10:26 PM	_X_ Guide has never grabbed me as a title. It just doesn't sound that exotic. Compendiums on the other hand gives the impression that numerous sources have been vetted for their best ideas. Of course it is disappointing when that isn't the case... In terms of titles, I've loved the Races of _x_ series as having both catchy, evocative and inclusive titles. I also have a soft spot for the possibility of various _X_onomicon titles. I don't have a need for alliterative titles. I actually think their time may have come and gone. What is great are titles that evoke a sense of the overall theme of the game. Some of my favorite titles from games in the past would be Zebulon's Guide to Frontier Space (yeah, I know it says guide, but with Zebulon how can you go wrong?!, and the various Uncle Al's titles in the Car Wars series.
VrecknidjX 09-21-07, 10:29 PM	As a long-time DM, I've seen enough Arms & Equipment Guide books, and enough PHBs and enough here-are-some-more-things books that I can wing it. Throw a new system at me? No problem. The system is still D&D. A few days after the 4e PHB is released and I've had at least a first digestion (never mind the cud references at this point), I'll be able to come up with rules on the fly for questions from my players like "Can I use the blunt end of my spear like a quarterstaff?" and "If I break off a limb from a tree, what's the damage?" There may be nifty new suggestions for things, but, honestly, with all the 2e and 3e alternative texts out there already, a new Arms and Equipment Guide serves me as a handy place to put all the newly converted material in one spot. Hopefully, it contains a TON of such material. A Magic Item Compendium, it's true, will fall somewhat into a similar place. However, I'm expecting things to have changed with respect to magic enough that I'd like to have a nice compliation of items. Sure, I'll be able to pass off a Ring of Protection or Cloak of Resistance (or whatever they'll be in the next generation of the game). But, if there's a new magic system in place, a compendium of items helps pull things together for me. And, finally, magic is cool. So I pull it off the shelf first anyway. Dave
Kensan_Oni 09-21-07, 10:41 PM	From previous editions, I have found that Arms And Equipment guides are filled of the weirdest things that people insist on bringing into your games, which are questionably balanced and just plain hard to justify magical version of, due to how rare the items players tend to use are. Now, that isn't to say there isn't a lot of weird and bizzare magic items, but it's much more acceptable to have weird and bizzare magic items, and in general, it's easier to say no to introducing a magic item into the game, as opposed to mundane equipment. Besides, I like magic stuff. One can never have enough random magic stuff for plot hooks and rewards.
Balthanon 09-21-07, 10:57 PM	While I voted Magic Item Compendium, I did like the fact that the Arms and Equipment Guide had new equipment, rather than simply adding new magic items. I suppose ultimately, part of it was just the final word in the title-- a "Compendium" seems less likely to be disposable advice than a "Guide". That may or may not be true-- and the amount of useable content within each book is probably equivalent for most campaigns (taking into account the disparate sizes), however, that is what I take from the title. Compendium also evokes more of a feeling of depth than Guide does in my opinion, when I think of a Guide, it is more along the lines of instructions or process, rather than knowledge or consolidated information.
JoAT 09-21-07, 10:59 PM	Other: The Everyman's Guide to Adventure; or why you need a10 foot pole, a bird whistle and a bundle of chalk Combo of both A&E and MIC, but listing reasons to bring various bits of gear, and the uses thereof. Also includes several grab bag lists for characters of various classes and levels.
bonethug0108 09-21-07, 11:02 PM	Arms and equipment guide was one of the first books I picked up outside of the core books, though admittedly the mic was far off into the future. I would still pick up the a&e guide first, though. :)
mountc 09-21-07, 11:04 PM	I said other because they sound mutually exclusive. As others mentioned, the AEG sounds like a mundane guide while Magic Item Compendium lends itself to magic. That said, the AEG also sounds like it will be organized around a task. Weapons grouped by Piercing, Blunt, etc. Equipment listed by task like Climbing Gear, Ropes, crampons, etc and pack saddle, saddlebags, pack saddle. Magic Item Compendium sounds to me that it will organized like the Spell Compendium, that is alphabetically, which is great for reference (ie you know the damage die for a khopesh but you want to verify damage type) but not for using in character creation (ie I need a good weapon for an 8th level character).
LordofNightmares 09-21-07, 11:08 PM	I would like to see an adventurer's survival guide. But if I had too pick of the two offered, it would be the Magic Items Compendium.
mmarandaBissel 09-21-07, 11:43 PM	Arms and Equipment indicates to me it will contain new things. Magic Item Compendium indicates a lot fo the material will be reprinted/rehashed and given I ahve so many of the 3.5 resources it came from I want new things. (As an aside I like a lot of the new items and changes to price/utility in the MIC I just hate buying things that are reprinted from other sources I've already bought it feel like eratta I am purchasing ratehr than receiving)
Bleeding_Eyes 09-22-07, 12:07 AM	MIC grabs my attention instantly, bieng a huge fan of magical trinkets over strange weapons and equipment
JefferyD 09-22-07, 12:25 AM	An equipment guide gets a lot more mileage. Mundane equipment is potentially useful from first level, and any of it can be enchanted. The thing is, I've had my 50' of rope for decades now, don't really need another book to describe it, do I? The WOTC title that would most grab my interest? Book of Summoning, by Gary Gygax A white pentagram on a black cover will suffice, thanks. .
Wizardmon 09-22-07, 01:09 AM	Magic Item Compendium Not just because it is newer, but because the vowel sounds flow well, making it easy to say and remember. Plus, its only 3 words, as opposed to 3 1/2.
caeruleus 09-22-07, 01:21 AM	I'd go with the Arms and Equipment Guide. This title suggests to me that I'll be getting more than just magic items, but also a wider variety of weapons and mundane equipment, which can greatly spice up a game. If 4e won't be assuming that every PC must have a certain amount of magic items (which I'm really looking forward to), then I'd like to option of characters being able to have interesting equipment without it necessarily being magical.
TempusELoT 09-22-07, 01:21 AM	I voted MIC, due to the fact that I A) like the word Compendium and B) as a DM, I always have a use for another magic item to throw into the hands of a discerning evil villain.
JoshR 09-22-07, 01:35 AM	The term "Compendium" suggests more crunch to me, while "Guide" suggests more fluff. I buy books more for crunch, so the Compendium works better for me.
Neutronium_Dragon 09-22-07, 01:40 AM	I voted for the MIC To me, the problem with an "Arms and Equipment Guide" is that it implies nonmagical stuff. Nonmagical stuff in every edition of D&D so far has has one severe problem - almost total lack of scaling. When you're 1st level and the wizard zaps for 1d6, alchemist's fire does 1d6. When you're 20th level and the wizard zaps for 20d6 (or more), alchemist's fire does... 1d6. Now, granted, it's harder to justify a 20d6 version of alchemist's fire, and even if you could the price scaling methodology would probably put it at 100,000 GP per flask and therefore not worth the cost... But whether it does damage or does something else, mundane gear quickly becomes obsolete as the levels go up - either PC abilities or magic (or magic items) simply do the job far better. And that leaves aside the many things which it's very hard to justify mundane gear being able to do at all. Hence, a MIC ends up being far more useful.
objectsession 09-22-07, 02:06 AM	i chose a&eg because mic sounds like it'd have old stuff i might already have and because a&eg sound more focused. also, as ae&g would probably contain mundane items, it could be useful for using as a basis for designing my character. but i'd probably get neither, since they both sound more dm-focused than player-focused, although a&eg less so.
devlin1 09-22-07, 02:20 AM	Don't forget that John Hodgman is also the CEO of Armstrong Greeting Cards.
Tur_Budda 09-22-07, 03:27 AM	I voted "other". The titles doesn't move my sick brain, they imply lack of imagination and a surgial mechanical approach which is not in line with how I catch the spirit of 4ed so far. I see the core books as the base and would like to add a deeper touch of different environments instead. I'd love to see "The castle siege of Dom-Duragh" or something like it, with a complete rundown of a castle including near surrounding, defences, mundane areas and dungeon. Add all weapons, equipment, and items used in the siege/defence including siegeweapons etc. That would be an inspiring book not only listing stuff, but also inspire the dnd mindset into new lvls. The follow up books "Defending Glibdenhome" where deepgnomes try to fend off threats in underdark, "The Seabattle in Wyverns water" could describe things encountered in a piratelike campain , "Rise and fall of clan Two Hammer" give you the battlegrounds and stuff from a war campain by Barbarians, Goblins or the like. I think you get the idea. Throw in a few adventure proposals and timelines before, during and after. That will make it will something all rpgers would like to be inspired of. Say half of the book items, a third locations and descriptions and story for the rest. As I see it there'd be lot's of story and some maps in the AEG and MIC books anyway, so why not serve em as a nice dish instead of some semi-manufactured article? Now when that is said, I'd like to add that of the two books I'd take AEG. But I would not di it unless it promised me to serve ALL non magic weapons and armour likely to ever appear in 4ed. That's the only advantage with such a book keeping it all in one place. The same would go for any book with such a title. ALL feats, ALL skills, ALL whatever... But I see it almost impossible in all cases but arms, weapons and mundane items, so I stay there. If it would be as complete as could be, then I pick AEG, else I'd go for my suggestion above. So say I, Tur_Budda, your Swede in the RPG discussion! :cool: (You may complain about my English if you do it in a proper Swedish, so I can read and understand it nicely)
shadzar 09-22-07, 03:42 AM	i have abstained with reservation to change my vote after clearification. (if the poll lasts that long) are we being asked from the standpoint of two books that we know nothing about? are we being asked which name for a book sounds beter and more attractive if they would both hold the same content? and for other how are we limited to defining the name of the book within the other two questions above? as in... are we being asked which would sound most interesting to have new for 4th edition? or just which book that currently exists? :confused: i could think of many interesting names for books, but they all depend on what we are being asked if i might prefer one of the two existing choices over something off the top of my head.
Nom 09-22-07, 09:17 AM	X Compendium - based on precedent of Spell Compendium, a whole lot of splatbook instances collected into one place (yawn). I realise the MIC was actually more than that, but that's what "Compendium" suggests to me. AE&G suggests not just instances, but examples, discussion, commentary and a bunch of assistance in doing this stuff yourself. DMG2 had some use as a splatbook, but was a lot more than just a splatbook. That's what "guide" implies for me.
Xiuhcoatl 09-22-07, 09:23 AM	Which title is more likely to get you to check out a book? Arms and Equipment Guide, because it implies there is more than just magic items in it. Of course, if it has the WoTC name on the cover, I wouldn't buy it anyway. Subpar quality + poorly thought out formats when better solutions are offered = no thanks.
master0fdungeons 09-22-07, 10:40 AM	Neither one grabs me. Definitely a 'guide' sounds too sterile. Compendium doesn't grab me much either. Register of Magical Items maybe. Magic items definitely grabs me more than arms and equipment.
coliver74 09-22-07, 11:40 AM	Magic Item Compendium. Although, I would like to see an Arms and Equipment Guide too.
EvilVegan 09-22-07, 12:12 PM	Magic Item Compendium & A :censored: INDEX
Green_eyes 09-22-07, 12:27 PM	Arms & Equipment Guide - It makes the world more real. I loved reading it in 2ed, I lioked it on 3rd. And I didn't see much use for the Magic Item Compendium.
ff6shadow 09-22-07, 12:34 PM	Hell yes to the Index. And Magic Item Compendium catches me more. Its more likely to have something I'll use.
Bold_or_Stupid 09-22-07, 02:02 PM	I voted MIC, it just sounds coooler. But the more I like "The Young Adventure's Bumper Book o' Stuff"
Tur_Budda 09-22-07, 02:14 PM	Maybe some1 already said this... if so I agree. ;) It's better to collect items of all kinds sorting on what lvl of players are likely to use them. Cheap items, arms,equipment magic etc. in a book for lower lvls, expensive stuff for advanced lvls of play and priceless/artifacts/outrageous stuff for epic lvls. :cool:
Edymnion 09-22-07, 02:32 PM	Andy, I think you're trying to compare apples and oranges here, because even the names of the books clearly put them into two very differant categories. Arms & Equipment Guide - Obviously its a book about weapons and gear. And while gear isn't very "sexy" (oops, my bad everybody, I just said gear wasn't sexy, so it won't be in 4e!), it is important. It doesn't sound like a book you would pick up and just look through for fun, it sounds like what it is, a hardcore rules book with lots of nitty gritty stuff in it. Magic Item Compendium - This one sounds sexier, as everybody wants magic items, its just the name of the game. So already we're in a totally differant world than the Arms & Equipment Guide. However, the word "Compendium" on there carries it's own connotations, both good and bad. On the good side, you know going in that its going to have all of "the good stuff" in one easy to pick up book that you can just sit down and flip through for fun. The bad side is that Compendium also implies that its nothing but a big book of reprints, and for those of us that have been through more than one edition, its a death knell. The compendium books *ALWAYS* get printed just before the change of editions as a last gasp "quick, get the last few bucks we can out of this system!" book. For some, its a really good buy because they didn't buy everything else. For others, not so much. But in the end, I think most people will say Magic Item Compendium simply because the idea of a book full of magic items is sexier to a player than a book full of mundane gear is. The book of mundane gear is actually more useful in the long run, but it doesn't have the glammer and the glitz of something with "Magic Item" written right on the cover. Its like "Dragon" or "Drow" on the cover. It immediantly catches the fanboy's eye, and you'll have droves of people buying it just because it has a picture of a drow or a dragon or a big glowing sword on the cover than because of the quality or usefulness of the material in it. But hey, thats the direction we're going now, right? Sexy flashy stuff over reliability? Shoving innappropriate material in setting books just so you can put a drow on the cover to get the fanboys to buy it? Dumping skills things that, while not attractive, actually make the system work in a semi-believable fashion? So honestly, why even ask when I'm pretty sure you guys already know the buzz words to stick on a book cover to make stupid people buy the book without ever actually reading it first? Yes folks, I just said that. If you buy a D&D book without actually opening the damn cover and reading whats in it first, you're an idiot. And honestly, I think thats what this entire thread is about, "Which kind of title is more likely to make you buy the book without knowing whats in it?" Because, frankly, if people would be intelligent consumers and actually read the material in the books before they bought them (even if its just standing at the book shelf and flipping through it and spot reading), then it wouldn't matter what a book is called, it would be bought or not bought based on the contents. But so many just judge a book by its cover that WotC knows it could just put page after page of "Oh my god, I can't believe you idiots are paying $40 for this!" and people would freaking buy it. They'd be mad when they got it home to read it and demand their money back, but they'd still buy it.
Smerg 09-22-07, 02:53 PM	'The Bazzaar of the Bizare' or '1001 more things to spend gold on'.
EvilVegan 09-22-07, 02:56 PM	Andy, I think you're trying to compare apples and oranges here, because even the names of the books clearly put them into two very differant categories. Arms & Equipment Guide - Obviously its a book about weapons and gear. And while gear isn't very "sexy" (oops, my bad everybody, I just said gear wasn't sexy, so it won't be in 4e!), it is important. It doesn't sound like a book you would pick up and just look through for fun, it sounds like what it is, a hardcore rules book with lots of nitty gritty stuff in it. Magic Item Compendium - This one sounds sexier, as everybody wants magic items, its just the name of the game. So already we're in a totally differant world than the Arms & Equipment Guide. However, the word "Compendium" on there carries it's own connotations, both good and bad. On the good side, you know going in that its going to have all of "the good stuff" in one easy to pick up book that you can just sit down and flip through for fun. The bad side is that Compendium also implies that its nothing but a big book of reprints, and for those of us that have been through more than one edition, its a death knell. The compendium books *ALWAYS* get printed just before the change of editions as a last gasp "quick, get the last few bucks we can out of this system!" book. For some, its a really good buy because they didn't buy everything else. For others, not so much. But in the end, I think most people will say Magic Item Compendium simply because the idea of a book full of magic items is sexier to a player than a book full of mundane gear is. The book of mundane gear is actually more useful in the long run, but it doesn't have the glammer and the glitz of something with "Magic Item" written right on the cover. Its like "Dragon" or "Drow" on the cover. It immediantly catches the fanboy's eye, and you'll have droves of people buying it just because it has a picture of a drow or a dragon or a big glowing sword on the cover than because of the quality or usefulness of the material in it. But hey, thats the direction we're going now, right? Sexy flashy stuff over reliability? Shoving innappropriate material in setting books just so you can put a drow on the cover to get the fanboys to buy it? Dumping skills things that, while not attractive, actually make the system work in a semi-believable fashion? So honestly, why even ask when I'm pretty sure you guys already know the buzz words to stick on a book cover to make stupid people buy the book without ever actually reading it first? Yes folks, I just said that. If you buy a D&D book without actually opening the damn cover and reading whats in it first, you're an idiot. And honestly, I think thats what this entire thread is about, "Which kind of title is more likely to make you buy the book without knowing whats in it?" Because, frankly, if people would be intelligent consumers and actually read the material in the books before they bought them (even if its just standing at the book shelf and flipping through it and spot reading), then it wouldn't matter what a book is called, it would be bought or not bought based on the contents. But so many just judge a book by its cover that WotC knows it could just put page after page of "Oh my god, I can't believe you idiots are paying $40 for this!" and people would freaking buy it. They'd be mad when they got it home to read it and demand their money back, but they'd still buy it./bitter Sorry man, get over it. I like what you post most of the time, but you've been crying for like a month now. It's not healthy. I know, it sucks when things change and there's a chance they're going to completely tank in the effort. But you know what? You don't KNOW what's going to happen. Just like you said "if you don't read it before you buy it, you're an idiot" (100% true). What does it mean when you do the exact opposite "you don't read it before you boycott it"? This might be the best thing that happened to the hobby since Mountain Dew came in a 24 pack. Or it might tank and destory the future of D&D, meaning everyone (the 3rd party people) will start releasing good 3.x material to furnish the remaining fan base. Win/win. Much love, I hope you get over it and bring back the useful/interesting posting Edymnion soon. -EV
Slowshadows 09-22-07, 03:04 PM	I voted MIC, I think it has a better flow and is more to the point about the contents of the book, plus "guide" sounds too modern. However, I think both titles reflect the contents of the books, so it probably depends on what the reader is looking for in the content. When you read the title of the MIC you know you are getting magic items, while the arms and equipment guide could be anything from the mundane to the magical. The guess work takes a little away from the appeal; "How much of this is magical items?" MIC is organized very well and is very specific(magic items), while the A&EG has a very broad and covers many many types of equipment. I think it is crucial for the title of the book to fit the contents, not for the obvious reasons, but for the purpose of attracting the correct audience. Depending on the individual, I could see both titles being equally appealing, but they will attract different types of readers.
Galphanore 09-22-07, 03:21 PM	Which title is more likely to get you to check out a book? Arms & Equipment Guide OR Magic Item Compendium Obviously, we've released books with both of those titles...but I'm curious which title grabs you more.Since I grabbed both those off the shelf and walked straight to the check-out counter it's not really a fair comparison. They're both great books, and both great names.
servetus 09-22-07, 03:46 PM	I'm answering the question in terms of "based on these existing books that are highly edition-specific, which one is more important to you to have available in 4th edition"? Given that these titles refer to books I have experience with, I'll be guided a lot by my interest in the CURRENT books by those titles. My brother bought the A&E guide and didn't find it at all useful. I've flipped through it in stores and found nothing that I thought I'd use, although that was quite a while ago. The only gear I use from outside the PHB is the desert gear from Sandstorm, for one character. The MIC, on the other hand, has fast become absolutely vital to my campaign. Partly, this is because it added a lot of value ot the existing items in the DMG, by repricing them more sensibly and providing better indices to them. A lot of it was from giving me a lot of neat magical tools, especially at low-level, to pick from. But in actual practice, the biggest impact has been all the new +1/+2-equivalent powers for weapons and armor. I run an Eberron campaign, and artificers gain a tremendous boost in the options for the Weapon Augmentation or Armor Enhancement infusions. I've been showing the party a very nasty time with enemy artificers who are creatively using the new stuff. I recently managed to take the party's tank completely out of the fight by having the bad guys nail him with a Dislocator weapon, and teleporting him to the other side of the huge iron grate he was standing next to. So there's no question I'll be buying a 4th edition MIC, especially if Andy heads up the team to do it.
Eater_Of_Souls 09-22-07, 04:14 PM	I'd pick arms & equipment guide any day over MIC. Just because it has lots of shiny things doesn't make MIC woth it in my books. I also liked how A&EG had rules for naval combat & vehicles which can't be sayed about the book of random magic junk.
szilard 09-22-07, 04:59 PM	I voted MIC - because, well... I own a copy of it and don't own a copy of the A&EG. Honestly, though, it depends upon what is included. If I saw a book titled"Arms and Equipment Guide," I wouldn't expect it to be filled with magic items. Sure, it might have some... but, really, I'd expect it to be a guide to arms and equipment. To me, this means a bunch of mundane (and probably alchemical) items, with maybe a few magic things thrown in to the mix. -Stuart
Yobgod 09-22-07, 05:24 PM	Unquestionably the A&EG. The name "Compendium" implies that it's a collection of existing elements I probably already know or own into a single book, probably presented as condensed lists. Yawn. The "Guide" on the other hand, implies new items and perhaps a few guides on new ways to use existing arms and equipment. A Guide is just going to be more interesting than a Compendium any day of the week, no matter how cool magic items are.
Yaeri 09-22-07, 06:04 PM	I voted magic item compendium. It sounds like it has lots of magic stuff inside, and it sounds like it's complete. Arms and equipment guide sounds mundane. While in itself that's not bad, a book full of that stuff is of less interest to me than the first. I see mundane gear as something you buy the first three levels or so. And beyond that, nearly the whole pie is going to be magic items. I may be biased because I know the contents of both the existing books.
TheMagus 09-22-07, 06:22 PM	I clicked 'other' because I own both these books and at the time of their release I thought they generated about the same level of interest for me. Today Magic Item Compendium is the better name. Thanks to the spell compendium compiling many spell's from various sources, the magic item compendium promised a compilation of items from many sources something fairly valuable near the end of the 3.5 product cycle with a truly bewildering number of books and options to choose from. The Arms and Equipment Guide on the other hand promised an expansion to the equipment listed in the PHB and is highly useful for that, and for ships and vehicles, and even has an interesting selection of magic items. It even promised to be "compatible with 3.5" though it didn't quite manage it. (Conversion is easy at least) Both were good concepts at the time they were released. Ask me next year which is a better name under 4.0 and you'd probably get a different answer.
khaalis 09-22-07, 07:10 PM	Personally I would love to see a WELL written Arms & Equipment guide for 4E. The 3E PHB equipment list is lacking to say the least. Additionally, in a system that is purporting to be less about magic items and more about the player's talents, I would expect that a highly robust expansion of equipment would be more highly desired than yet another list of magic items. One of my favorite 2nd edition products was "Aurora's Whole Realms Catalog". Overall, I'd rather not see 4E with a glut of magic items like we have in 3E.
Solik 09-22-07, 07:42 PM	A&EG. I really despise the term "magic item." I mean, I use it, and it's effective, but I don't like it. Why? I dunno. It sounds... technical? Like calling a "race" a "species." I know, "item" is far from a technical word, but it's not something you use to classify your stuff. You use words like equipment, gear, stuff, junk, things, tools. Nobody talks about buying new computing items or new engineering items or new clothing it... wait. Okay, yeah, the last one flies. Maybe that's it. "Item" sounds like a department store. I'd rather we ditched the term "magic item" and replaced it with something else. Why not let artifact, relic, or a similar word simply mean "magic item" in this revision? "Enchanted gear" is a little lengthy, but it's still an improvement. [/rant]
Qwicksilver 09-23-07, 01:38 AM	MIC hands down. I love all the new low-income items, the tables are a godsend... MIC all the way.
RogueTom 09-23-07, 01:43 AM	I voted Magic Item Compendium because that's the title of the two the "grabs" me, however, if you are fishing for title suggestions for an equipment book title I'd think about something like: Adventurers' Equipment Catalog Chapters/Sections: Arms Catalog Armor Catalog Clothing Catolog Live Stock ... traval ... etc... The Price of Things
Genevieve_Evernight 09-23-07, 01:47 AM	I voted MIC, but my group shares books and we own both MIC and A&EG. I like MIC mostly b/c I tend to play spellcasters and magic items are helpful. However, some of my friends play fighters more so they use A&EG a lot more than I do. They're both awesome books and good titles, but I think preference sort of boils down to which one is more useful to you as a book. Title has little effect on usefulness. :D
Archangel_James 09-23-07, 04:12 AM	I'm sorry. I mis-voted. I though the question was which book sounded more interesting to me, instead of which book title sounded more interesting. Despite what my vote may indicate, I think "Arms & Equipment Guide" sounds better for a book. Although I love the Compendium series and I feel that that word is an indicator of quality and usefulness, I honestly hate calling them "magic items." What a bland word for such a profoundly interesting classification of devices. Calling them "magic items" makes me think of a player saying to me, "After breakfast, I go down to the Magic Item Shop and buy a +2 Longsword and a waterskin."
nobodez 09-23-07, 09:04 AM	I'm a magic item compendium guy, but it's for a good reason. Any book that's a "guide" tells me, whether true or not, that it's got fluff, and probably a lot of tables, but maybe not something new. Guides help form opinions (per the Mac OS X dictionary). Any book that's a "compendium" tell me, whether true or not, that it's got a lot of stuff in it, and that I'll probably find some stuff that's either new, or at least new to me. Compendiums are collections of concise but detailed information about things (also according to the Mac OS X dictionary, I think it's an Oxford).
SoulCatcher78 09-23-07, 09:18 AM	World/Campaign Builder Handbook. As an added bonus you could reprint some common material from the Stormwrack/Sandstorm/Frostburn/Cityscape books so that it wouldn't take so long to see print. Reasons to not choose the other two (other than the obvious reason of all those new players who don't have the old ones)? Well, they've already been done for one thing (yeah, I know, not the 4e version rules but unless you're making changes that affect how armor functions, why do it again). While magic items might work differently under the new rules, why do we need an entire book dedicated to sparkly widgets of doomish doom? If you want to do something like that, make them Artifacts (or co-op the existing artifacts (Tome of Artifacts from Necromancer Games) book which rocks). Leave the everyday items in the DMG and let the DM build from there.
Iswald 09-23-07, 11:06 AM	If I saw them on the shelf together, I'd grab the Magic Item Compendium first. Then, I'd put it back and look at the Arms & Equipment Guide. Finally, after looking at both books, I'd wonder why they were in the library. If I could, I'd check them both out.
Acear 09-23-07, 12:40 PM	Personally I want a Arms and Equipment guide so when I get a new player to the table they can have a book to look up what a Morningstar is or a Pick.
JefferyD 09-23-07, 01:01 PM	The Encyclopedia of Equipment Subtitle: A to Z, 1973 to 2008 Each unique equipment concept published in the D&D canon (over which WOTC has copyright). All cultures, all settings. Thoroughly categorized and cross-referenced. Definitive. Comprehensive. Authoritative. Weighty. Anything less is just More. Damn. Noise. :rolleyes: .
fodigg 09-23-07, 01:42 PM	I would love to get both, but the arms and equipment is more important to me. I'd like 4E to have less emphasis on magical items. Unless these are really unique items and not a fancy name for a +3 Vampiric longsword.
Lord_rock 09-23-07, 05:13 PM	Simply adding the term "magic" to any title in a game so dependent on magic items (3.0 and 3.5 were very magic item dependent, something I hope gets changed) adds to its grabbiness!
tapelib3 09-23-07, 06:23 PM	Magic Item Compendium. Magic iems, especially in 3e, are more interesting and useful over longer parts of a PC's career than mundane items. Ed Tostanoski 841191
Lalato 09-23-07, 06:26 PM	I don't why, but there is something about the word Compendium that makes me think... That is an authoritative text on the subject. Guide sounds namby pamby by comparison. If you had said... Arms & Equipment Compendium, I would have voted for that instead. --sam
TraverseTravis 09-23-07, 07:11 PM	The Dominion Ruler's Companion, being a 4E combination of 3E's Stronghold Builder's Guidebook and OD&D's dominion rules from the "green box" Companion Set (http://paizo.com/store/downloads/wizardsOfTheCoast/classicDAndD/rulebooks/v5748btpy7mvn&source=search). Contains rules for Dominion-scale encounters, using an 8-mile hex as the equivalent of Tactical-scale's 5-foot square. Travis
Cyraneth 09-23-07, 07:33 PM	I cast my vote at Arms & Equipment Guide, but mostly because "Magic Item Compendium" strikes me as being too magic-oriented, and part of what I like about 4E is that some of the "Christmas Tree Effect" will supposedly go away. While I'm not saying magic items are a bad thing - they certainly aren't - I'd rather like a book that can have new weapons and curious pieces of equipment (such as flash powder or custom scroll cases) in addition to magic items rather than one that focuses solely on magic items.
Mentar 09-23-07, 11:36 PM	I might buy either, though more likely the magic item compendium. If you made a book called Miscellaneous Magics and Merchandise I would have to buy it. I am always looking for the little magical and non-magical oddball tools and devices to spice up a campaign world. In the Campaign I run the characters just hired a wizard to begin research on magical candies. The idea is having the candies individually wrapped with something that grants prestidigitation in order to make the candy taste like whatever the consumer thinks of when the candy is unwrapped. It's the little things like that, with little "use" in the game, that make campaign worlds come to life. A book full of little ideas like that would be worth my money. I can always make things up, but for quick reference of items of little value the arms and equipment guide has been more useful to me. For lower magic worlds I am always on the lookout for general equipment that can replace magical items, which is why I bought and carefully examined the A&EG. On the other hand I have not purchased the Magic items compendium.
Ryngard 09-24-07, 11:02 AM	I would have it named Arms & Equipment Guide and have a mixture of mundane and magical weapons, armor, and misc items in it. I REALLY liked the Magic Item Compendium. I LOVED 2e's A&EG. I didn't like 3e's A&EG. I really like 2's take on the mundane and 3's on Magic Items.
nobodez 09-24-07, 11:04 AM	I find it interesting that people are talking about content. The question wasn't about content, it was purely about the name. If the choice was between "Arms & Equipment Compendium" and "Magic Item Guide", would the poll be as heavy on the Compendium vs. the Guide? Of course, I've always been a fan of mundane equipment. I've had 4th level characters where their only magic items were potions and oils, the rest of their funds were sunk into mundane items (predominantly from the A&EG actually). I'd love the mundane equipment chapters from A&EG, the Builder Books (T&B, S&S, DotF, and MotW), the Completes, the Races, the Campaign Settings, Planar Handbook, the Environment Series, and Aurora's Whole Realms Catalog to be in one book, the Heroic Equipment Compendium. The we could put the magic items from the above books, MIC, and any other source, and compile them into the Paragon Equipment Compendium. Then, we can finish it up with the Epic Equipment Compendium, which has all the items from the Epic Handbook, as well as trans-temporal equipment that might become available to the high-level adventurer (since any significantly advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, we could go all the way up to PL 9). So, the HEC, PEC, and EEC, coming in 2009, 2010, and 2011 to a FLGS near you!
Shaydlady 09-24-07, 11:44 AM	When Arms & equipment Guide came out I bought right away. Though for the past few years it has collected dust on the shelves. The title was cool. But Magic Item Compendium has been used more in these past few months than the Arms & Equipment Guide. If I had to choose now between just the title I would go MIC.
mark_of_bane 09-24-07, 11:51 AM	I voted for Arms & Equipment Guide. Based on what has been shared so far about 4E, I am hopeful that the emphasis will indeed be backed off of magic items to make characters competitive (or even able to survive) at higher levels. A guide of more mundane arms and equipment could add options at all levels, and create an even greater variety when it comes to playing classes like fighters and rogues. But that having been said, I also hope this is not an either/or proposition. I am hoping this poll is simply to help determine the order that these will be worked on and released. That, and to pick up some catchier titles from this endlessly creative group we have here on the boards. :D
eleran 09-24-07, 11:52 AM	How about Lidda's Large Library of Loot You can't go wrong with alliteration
Jexil 09-24-07, 11:58 AM	Both books were interesting enough to not only catch my interest but to get me to buy them. However, the Arms & Equipment Guide intrigued me more. From the title, I expected it to have an interesting array of new equipment (mundane & magical) not featured in other books (it did). The Magic Item Compendium I expected to be mainly a collection of magical goodies featured in other books--a valuable time saver, but with little I hadn't already seen (it was).
hawkinsthedm 09-24-07, 12:02 PM	To be honest, I would like something that included both, but the MIC title definitely grabs my mind. If it is well done, has some new material, and is reasonably priced, I do not mind buying reprinted material. The last qualification is why I am waiting to buy a copy of the MIC used.
OmegaRSX 09-24-07, 12:37 PM	I would be more apt to buy a book entitled the "Arms & Equipment Guide." The game is already flooded with magic items my party will never use. Besides, I would expect an arms & equipment guide to have at least a chapter of magic items, so I'll be getting the best of both worlds. By providing mundane items, I can add powers to those items that my players would be interested in myself.
gomeztoo 09-24-07, 12:46 PM	"Tools and Trades" A book, not only on gear (mundane of magical), but also on NPC services, crafts (real or fantasy), animals, and the ways to incorporate them in your game.
Edymnion 09-24-07, 12:50 PM	/bitterIts not necissary to quote an entire long post if you aren't going ot use it.Sorry man, get over it. I like what you post most of the time, but you've been crying for like a month now. It's not healthy. I know, it sucks when things change and there's a chance they're going to completely tank in the effort. But you know what? You don't KNOW what's going to happen.Okay, for starters, most of this has nothing to do with 4e. Thats obviously why the thread was made, but the issues I brought up have been here through most of 3.5 as well. Races of Eberron was printed with a Drow on the cover, and had as much if not more book space and material dedicated to them as any of the other PHB core races, despite the fact that they are specifically stated to not be appropriate as a PC race in that setting. Four new races which 80% of the book was focused on, and what got the place of honor on the cover? A drow, because they knew it would sell more copies that way. So, again, this has little to do with 4e (other than a couple pokes I took), and WotC's overall mindeset over the past few years. This might be the best thing that happened to the hobby since Mountain Dew came in a 24 pack. Or it might tank and destory the future of D&D, meaning everyone (the 3rd party people) will start releasing good 3.x material to furnish the remaining fan base.Again, this has nothing to do with 4e itself and more to do with my opinion on WotC trying to sell books based on what name is on the freaking cover than on what is INSIDE the covers. Win/win.No, people buying books based on the title = lose/lose. You will notice that this thread isn't "Which kind of book do you think is more catching", its "What name is more catching". Not "what kind of material do you want for your game", but "What magic words can we put on the cover to make you pick the book up, because we know you're X% more likely to buy it after you pick it up." And I'd bet you a dollar that, beyond the obvious bit above, that this will get used somewhere along the line as justification for the new "Sexy > Practical" stance WotC has been in the last few years. "Well, we did a user preference poll, and 67% of the replies indicated that the userbase prefers magical items to mundane ones", etc etc etc. Honestly, I'm going to shut up now. Its one of those "You either see it, or you don't" things, and no amount of discussion back and forth is going to change anyone's minds once they've been made up. I just felt the need to point out that this entire thread is basically "Which title will make you buy a book without reading it first?".
Aberlonian 09-24-07, 12:58 PM	Magic Item Compedium. Arms & Equipment Guide gives the impression that there are a lot of mundane equipment. I'd rather have a book of magical trinkets.
lastknightleft 09-24-07, 01:39 PM	A) I agree with Endymion on this point (although we have argued till we were blue in the face before:D ) B) I agree that a lot of people seem to be aiming towards compendium, so if it's the arms and equipment compendium does that mean they'll buy it first. C) I think wanting a book because the word magic is on the cover is rediculous, a lasso can do the same thing as an animated rope, but those people would take the animated rope because magic is cool. Magic is cool when it is special Magic as Mundane life neccesities is lame.
goawayugh 09-24-07, 01:56 PM	I voted for "other". As others have said, some combination of the two. A&EG sounds like more mundane stuff. MIC sounds like it only contains odd things that you would not normally find. It DEFINITELY needs the word "magic" in its title. (even if it just a subtitle). I like what someone else said: Tools of the Trade: Mundane & Magical Equipment for the Adventurer
MindWandererB 09-24-07, 05:57 PM	It depends. The 2e A&E was a great book--if you were looking for mundane weapons and armor. (And it was the most historically relevant D&D book ever made, IMO.) It had a few very handy mundane pieces of equipment, as well. The 3e A&E was not such a great book. It had mundane gear, magic gear, special materials, and even creatures, and a whole lot of it was bizarre, and much just not very tempting. MIC was a great book all around, but it did of course focus on only magic stuff. So: A&E is probably not a good name because of the bad rep of the 3e book. MIC is a better name, but 1) it precludes the option of including mundane gear, and 2) the 3.5 MIC was a fairly recent release, and two in short succession could be confusing. My practical options: - Skip the mundane gear (put in in a later PHB) and call it MIC. (Sidenote: I hope the new PHB(s) include some magic items for PCs to purchase. I get annoyed when they have to borrow the DMG to outfit their level>1 characters--the DMG should be a DM resource.) - Skip the book entirely, put the mundane gear in a later PHB and the magic gear in later DMGs. - Give it a new name entirely that evokes the best of both. "Tome of Items," "Adventuring Gear and Magic Items", "Equipment Catalog," or something to those effects might do it.
Edymnion 09-24-07, 07:37 PM	Ooh, I know. "Dragon Magic of the Drow". It'll sell a million copies, you just put a scantily clad drow woman with glossy black scales on the cover while she's got glowy magic stuff shooting out of her hand. You get the drow fanboys, the dragon fanboys, the horny 15 year old fanboys, and the "anything magic is automatically the greatest thing evah!" fanboys, all in one fell swoop! ;)
RichardAwesome 09-24-07, 08:45 PM	How about both?
lantern314 09-25-07, 02:01 PM	magical or sorcerous implements
Knitsuge 09-25-07, 07:07 PM	Well, I honestly think it is much easier to create your own magic items, and I think there are plenty of ideas in the DMG. I felt that the PH could really use more equipment, so at first glance I might be more inclined toward the A&EG. However, magic items are always cooler, and a single entry in that book could give me loads of new ideas. However, since both books exist, I can guarantee one thing: I will NEVER pay the price that is asked for the A&EG for a book that is much shorter than most D&D books, and is printed in black & white!!! Honestly, that should have been a paperback for $10.
hawkinsthedm 09-25-07, 07:21 PM	Well, I honestly think it is much easier to create your own magic items, and I think there are plenty of ideas in the DMG. I felt that the PH could really use more equipment, so at first glance I might be more inclined toward the A&EG. I agree on the making of your own magic items, I think that a guide for naming magic items would be pretty cool though.
Altar_Boy 09-25-07, 07:26 PM	Arms and Equipment Guide. The Compendium implies a whole lotta stuff that, if you have an hour, might give you three relevant things to equip your character with. The Guide gives you, well, a guide to items that most every class and race could use.
everdawn7 09-26-07, 11:53 AM	Arms & Equipment--if done right. It seems like 4e is going to recognize that mundane equipment can still be useful at higher levels; if that's the case, PLEASE DO give us that! It's nice to see WotC recognizing that different weapons serve different purposes on the battlefield, rather than just being your flavor of choice for grabbing a d6 or d8. It would also be nice to see meaningful (+2 to +5 bonus) alchemical items all in one place, or more magical materials. I don't like to see mass proliferations of magic items (a la MMC) that effectively function as useful machines (AB, skill, and action bonuses). Fill that function with mundane, masterwork, and alchemical items!!! Let low level and higher level characters buy great, finely crafted or rare non-magical items or rare magical materials that fill the role of giving +1 to +5 bonuses (or at least +3) to most things and let magical items be more unique and amazing--like the magic item sets or multiple power items similar to minor artifacts. I'd rather have each character with just a few really cool magical items than be walking hoards with too many options to use everything, much less expend 50 charges (btw, this also prevents NPC's from being huge magic targets and lets thieves have quite a wide set of marketable, cool mundane items to fence).
lulzapalooza 09-26-07, 03:30 PM	"Campaigner's Catalog" That's a really good one.
zzo38 09-27-07, 11:08 PM	Arms & Equipment guide is much better. I have seen both, and I prefer Arms & Equipment Guide. Mundane equipment is much better than magical ones. Even the magical equipments is better in Arms & Equipment Guide (such as the amulet of ooze riding and similar things).
LoneStranger 09-28-07, 03:08 AM	Magic Equipment Guide. To answer the original question, yes. Seriously I like both books (yes I did buy both) and having magic items is worthwhile, but so is mundane equipment. Having a high level Dwarf Fighter with a Ring of Avoidance is fantastic, but having a low level rogue with Finger Blades isn't a bad thing either.
BloodDragon 09-28-07, 10:44 AM	Arms & Equipment Guide has for the majority has nothing interesting Magic Item Compendium for the majority has nothing but "Stat" items. Things that are useful for combat and nothing really nifty. Not that I don't use it, when ever I make a combat focused character this is the first place I look for gear. Also although it under the assumption that it's a collection of all the magic items from recent books... Its usaully only has the weapon and armor enchants. The Crystals are neat, I'll give it that. Not to say neither book doesn't have at lest three or four very fun and useful items but the same could be said for any other book out there.
Board_Rider 09-28-07, 07:22 PM	I voted Magic Item Compendium.
Sikyanakotik 09-30-07, 02:11 AM	"Guide" implies a general overview, while "Compendium" implies a complete compilation. Compendia are much sexier. :D
Nom 09-30-07, 09:52 AM	"Guide" implies a general overview, while "Compendium" implies a complete compilation. Compendia are much sexier. :DInteresting. To me, "compendium" implies an itemised collection, while a guide contains not only examples but explanations. Like the difference between "here's a bunch of fish" and "here's how to catch fish". In the case of fish I'd prefer the former, but that's only because I prefer eating fish to catching them. Game-rules? I'd rather understand how to do it myself.
RogerWilco 09-30-07, 11:56 AM	Magic Item Compendium sounds like more ornaments for the Christmas Tree, which concerns me. Arms & Equipment Guide sounds like only mundane, non-magical gear, which also concerns me. I'd prefer a title that sounds inclusive of both. How about: Tools of the Trade: Mundane and Magical Equipment for Adventurers The Seer's Catalog: Adventuring Gear for the Discerning Hero Abercrombie, Murlynd, and Fytch: Outfitting Adventurers Since the Second Age I totally agree with the above, I find both titles a bit unimaginative, and like the above suggestions a lot more. I do have both books and slightly prefer A&EG over MIC, but this is probably because A&EG tries to be new and original, while MIC only is a big list of things that went before it, without much relation to eachother. MIC is very usefull for the purpose it serves though, just like teh spell compendium.
Otto the Bugbear 09-30-07, 12:23 PM	Neither. They're both rather dry and bland. Descriptive of the contents, sure, but mostly meh. Other Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords is a good example of a title that catches attention. Others titles that I like are Unapproachable East and Secrets of Sarlona. Stuff like that.
nobodez 09-30-07, 04:26 PM	Magic Item Compendium for the majority has nothing but "Stat" items. Things that are useful for combat and nothing really nifty. Not that I don't use it, when ever I make a combat focused character this is the first place I look for gear. Well, a lot of it was still nifty, even if combat useful.
WotC_Andy 10-02-07, 10:02 PM	I realize the poll doesn't go down for a couple more days yet, but I wanted to thank everyone for their votes and feedback. I read every post in the thread, and I really appreciate all the ideas you shared. I acknowledge that the poll allowed for different ways to look at the question, but even so y'all have given us some very useful food for thought. We really do struggle with product titles--trying to find the right balance of evocative to the customer and decipherable to the distributor or retailer--and any time we can avoid complete guesswork...well, that's a good thing. Thanks again!
everdawn7 10-02-07, 11:27 PM	Thank you for soliciting feedback and reading the forums! It's great to know that you guys are listening and tapping into the creativity of your customer base. I just like the opportunity to hear from other gamers--I've learned more about enhancing my games from other people in WotC forums than just about anywhere else.
Suzu 10-02-07, 11:42 PM	Magic Item Compendium rocks. Arms and Equipment Guide has sucky pictures, and not nearly as much cool stuff.
Knitsuge 10-03-07, 02:13 AM	I realize the poll doesn't go down for a couple more days yet, but I wanted to thank everyone for their votes and feedback. I read every post in the thread, and I really appreciate all the ideas you shared. I acknowledge that the poll allowed for different ways to look at the question, but even so y'all have given us some very useful food for thought. We really do struggle with product titles--trying to find the right balance of evocative to the customer and decipherable to the distributor or retailer--and any time we can avoid complete guesswork...well, that's a good thing. Thanks again! Thank you for allowing us to give you our opinions and feedback! It is always good to know that someone values your opinion!
Tur_Budda 10-03-07, 03:35 AM	If the skills, feats, stuff etc. will be sorted out in the web tools, then I like to highlight my former suggestion on different theme books on intresting cultures, battles, places and the stuff, magic, feats, skills, optional rules etc. that would add cewlness to such a book.
Sebkha 10-03-07, 03:52 AM	Whether it's for mundane or magical equipment, I think "catalogue" is better. It evokes the idea of shopping, which is appropriate. The "Uncle Al" books for Car Wars and the "Chrome Books" for Cyberpunk 2020 spring to mind as particularly fun equipment books from other games, but the "in-setting" writing style probably wouldn't be appropriate for a game like D&D which isn't tied to a single setting. Thoughts about some of the 3rd Ed D&D books: Arms & Equipment Guide: Particularly for rogues, it's fun to be a gadgeteer studying your equipment list as intently as the casters study their spell lists. Races of Stone: Liked the introduction of dwarvencraft quality and forges that speed crafting. Finally gave some mechanical bite to the traditional role of dwarves as craftspeople. Magic Item Compendium: I really appreciated the stress on low-powered, clever and interesting items rather than merely powerful ones. Stronghold Builder's Guidebook: This book can change the game in ways I really like. Normally characters slowly lose touch with the commoners around them as their power level spirals ever upwards. Buying non-portable assets and hiring staff makes them part of the community again. I'd like to see mundane equipment's creation requirements made as clear as magic items were in 3rd Ed. Just note which Craft skill and DC are required, or whatever the new equivalent is.
shadowwalker117 10-09-07, 11:11 PM	"Campaigner's Catalog" Ditto this. I would definitely take a hard look at a book with this title. J2
hawkinsthedm 10-10-07, 01:52 PM	"Campaigner's Catalog" I also like this. It leaves it open for many different useful things.
Voran 11-05-07, 05:08 PM	I have both, just managed to get my hands on the MIC the other day, and have to say its pretty sweet. As for AEG, I have to say I was a bit underwhelmed. Probably because I've had other versions of the AEG in different editions, and it seemed roughly the same stuff. The MIC on the otherhand gave me exactly what I was looking for, new magical qualities/ideas for gear. I guess because while I like new magical effects, in terms of the base gear, I stick with the more 'generic' stuff you find in the PHB.
CCS 11-06-07, 10:40 AM	I'd have to say it's the Magic item Compendium. Why? Because this is Dungeons & Dragons. A game that's always had a heavy focus on magic. So it seems like a logical book to take a look at. So does a book on dungeons, a book on dragons, and a book of spells btw. Too bad we'll never see a big book-o-collected-feats though.... Arms and Equipment Guide? Eh. (IMO) The players handbook pretty well covers everything I really need on this subject. Sure, the A&E guide is on my shelf & sees some use. But we use the MIC alot more.
aotrscommander 11-06-07, 12:53 PM	MiC, though this is in part due to the fact I find most of the nonmagical gizmos scattered through the histroy of D&D - and a good few in others - to be laughable. I still have nightmares about the Tumbling Bolt...
herrdoktor 11-10-07, 04:37 AM	i'd go with the arms & equipment guide, since i find mundane equipment more interesting (possibly for realism reasons) than random magical items (plus guide over compendium for reasons listed by others). however, 'catalogue' would be excellent for title involving mundane equipment, since it really does make it seem like shopping, and that's how i'd want to go about obtaining it in-game (on a completely unrelated sidenote, using the dragon ampersand symbol for all the reply, quote, etc. buttons is really bland; the magic forums use different the colour symbols, which is really neat; when redesigning the site, maybe think about using other d&d-related symbols too, please?)
khyron1144 11-11-07, 01:19 AM	I'm too late for the official pll, but I'll post an answer: Arms & Equipment Guide. I'd prefer a blue softcover with the initials DMGR in one of the upper corners, but I'll settle for a brown hardcover without convenient series designation or number within said series. I respect books that get remade for different editions. It implies durability of concept.
celestialkin 11-12-07, 12:04 AM	I prefer Arms & Equipment Guide myself. I can't really explain it, but thinking back to when I bought the book it just seemed like it would have a lot of new and interesting things inside. The compendium in Magic Item Compendium made me feel like it is just a collection of things from other books, many of which I probably already owned. In hindsight it sort of turned out to be the case.
zvbxrpl 11-12-07, 05:16 PM	Magic Item Compendium. It's got the water whip, which may be one of the purest forms of awesome ever distilled into print.