Post/Author/DateTime	Post
crumpton23 12-09-04, 09:44 AM	Some of you may have noticed that WotC has decided to change the name of Codex Anathema to Lords of Madness. Personally, I feel that this is a poor decision on their part. The original title is unique and in keeping with the other monster books (i.e. Draconomicon, Libris Mortis). The new title is generic, and it doesn't even describe aberrations very well. They are alien creatures, but they are not insane. If you feel the same way, please contact WotC here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=company/feedbackform) and let them know. Thanks.
Androlphas 12-09-04, 10:32 AM	Why, that's an aberration to the whole series! :P Wonder why they would change it? (sorry, morning coffee always puts me in a silly mood) :whatsthis
Kaya Kenobi 12-09-04, 11:12 AM	They are alien creatures, but they are not insane. Until you look at things like the Gibbering Mouther... However, depending on who you ask, one might call a Mind Flayer insane.
Lord Arkhaven 12-09-04, 11:22 AM	I agree with crumpton and have sent them a note of my own.
Charles Ryan 12-09-04, 12:03 PM	Thanks for the feedback. The name has indeed changed. Occassionally we have to make a name change for any of a variety of reasons, even when the original name was pretty cool. In this case, the response we got from the majority of distributors and retailers in the hobby and book channels was a resounding "huh?" Most people, sadly, don't have any idea what a "codex" is or what an "anathema" is, and when you put those words together, you get a name that is totally meaningless to them. Add to that the fact that although aberrations are (in my mind, at least) one of the coolest creature types in D&D, most people don't see them as iconic in the way that dragons and undead are, and it's virtually impossible to convince the channels that this is a book worth carrying in any quantity. Faced with a 2/3 drop in sales (and limited availability for you), we figured that a name change was a pretty small price to pay to make sure this book got the attention it deserved.
Arquinsiel 12-09-04, 12:50 PM	That and GW might raise issue with the title. It's possible since there seems to be quite a bit of petty bickering between companies.
Mister Mayhem 12-09-04, 12:52 PM	Another good reason for change is that "Codex insert name here" is what GW use for their seeming endless supply of army lists. If you have a supplier that stocks both GW and WOTC products - ie, a large number of independent stockists - a new product labeled Codex X is probably going to cause some confusion, both to retailers and shoppers.
Ph0eNiX 12-09-04, 01:33 PM	I don't see how they would be confusing, seeing as GW's Codex products have a very ditinct cover design (at least the ones I've seen - Don't play their games myself). Given the response of Charlers, I suppose I will have to just accept the name change, and lament the rampant ignorance of the 2/3 majority who should have payed more attention in school or should be reading more books... Then again, if we go changing the names of things, then how will people learn things they did not know before? Think of the redeeming social value of educating the people by expanding their vocabulary. Just those two words alone could lead to someone uncovering a whole range of words they never knew!
crumpton23 12-09-04, 01:35 PM	Thanks for the quick response from Wizards. Obviously when it comes down to sales versus "cool title", the sales will win. I would have hoped that the WotC label would have been enough to ensure a proper distribution. I will get the book regardless of the title, but it is a disappointing change.
The White Sorcerer 12-09-04, 02:13 PM	Aww, phooie. I think I'm going to call it Codex Anathema, no matter what the cover says.
anshar 12-09-04, 02:19 PM	Aww, phooie. I think I'm going to call it Codex Anathema, no matter what the cover says. What the heck... making my own book cover isn't that difficult. ;) Charles: Any chance of getting a high-res copy of the old title art?
treehouse916 12-09-04, 02:48 PM	To me it is strange that people don't think aberrations are iconic creatures...come on! Mind Flayers? Beholders? Geez... Codex Anathema is a cool title, and I will miss it, especially with the bland 'Lords of Madness' title replacing it. However, the content is what counts; they can call it Pretty Pink Flowers and I won't care as long as it has plenty of brain-eating, eye-ray blasting, mind-corrupting goodness to horrify my players with.
anshar 12-09-04, 02:56 PM	To me it is strange that people don't think aberrations are iconic creatures...come on! Mind Flayers? Beholders? Geez... I have to agree. Let's face it, dragons and undead are cool but they do appear in a lot of other settings. But where else can you find a huge floating ball with a huge eye, big mouth full of sharp teeth and a host of tiny little eyes that shoot nasty beams at you?
ssampier 12-09-04, 02:58 PM	Beholders are neat and never get much play (at least in our games). Mind flayers on the other hand.... :88E: Sounds like a neat book, even though the title "Lords of Madness" is fairly generic (it reminds me too much of Lords of Darkness).
Someone 12-09-04, 03:06 PM	Why not just make it "Codex Ananthema: Lords of Madness"? Sort of like "Liber Mortis: The Book of Undeath". As for ght GW/ WotC thing, I think its kinda funny that the rumored next army will be Codex: Alienhunters, who specificly go around killing things like aberations... Either that or the next is a re-release of Codex: 'nids, which ARE aberations... But I digress. I thought the name was from some old earlier edition artifact (like the books of vile darkness/ exalted deeds).
Lucio Havelock 12-09-04, 03:18 PM	Faced with a 2/3 drop in sales (and limited availability for you), we figured that a name change was a pretty small price to pay to make sure this book got the attention it deserved. Woah! That much of a drop purely down to the name? I guess roleplaying distributers are a tough bunch to please! Whilst I'm sure gamers prefer the former title, they don't buy games because of the title so our opinions don't matter that much to WoTC. Anyhow, understandable but a shame because the original title was really really evocative whilst the latter one is kinda bland and easily confused with a product such as Lords of Darkness in the Forgotten Realms setting.
Arquinsiel 12-09-04, 03:41 PM	The next codex will morre likely be orks or eldar. Although based on GW's recent decision not to re-visit the wood elf army in favour of "ogre kindoms" anything might happen. Ah well, what can you do?
SFNosferatu 12-09-04, 05:20 PM	getting off topic here but.... next 40k codex will be the tyranids then romours have it that the Black Templar will be after them (an alien/SM/alien/SM pattern) after ogre kingdoms they are realesing the Rise of Sotek, a historic campagin. After sotek it should by wood elves
Felonious Monk 12-10-04, 04:53 AM	Why is 'Libris Mortis' acceptable and 'Codex Anathema' weird and scary?
SnowbearK 12-10-04, 05:32 AM	It's all about mnemonics: Libris shares a phonic relation (and root) to Library. Library = books. Libris must therefore have to do with a book. Mortis shares a phonic relation to rigormortis, a state that occurs in dead people. Mortis must therefore have to do with the dead. Libris Mortis must then relate to a book about dead things. How it does so can only be found by reading the book. This isn't something people do consciously (usually), but occurs in the background processes of the brain. (for Codex Anathema: Codex relates mnemonically to code, which is a cipher and usually takes some hard work to figure out - not something you want associated with RPG books. Outside of folks who've heard of/played GW games, few immediately associate Codex with book. Outside of religious and well-read folks (as well as fans of the band), Anathema might as well be something in Venusian.)
EvilDuck 12-10-04, 08:01 AM	Meh, I'll still get the book, but I think some masking tape with Codex Anathema written on it put over the title on the front cover would be appropriate.
anshar 12-10-04, 08:36 AM	Ok... here's a question: Given what we've been told about the original title being too cryptic to sell well, and given that we seem to have reached a consensus that "Lords of Madness" is too generic, what would YOU call the book? For starters, in keeping with the insanity theme how about "Tome of Lunacy". Let's hear some more suggestions!
Azri 12-10-04, 09:52 AM	To further help the littlebrains, I suggest renaming "Lords of Madness" to "Book o' Monsters." "Book" clearly denotes an object intended to be read, although, now that I think of it, some consumers and retailers might confuse it with a "powerbook" (a computer) and a "matchbook" (a folded wad of firesticks used to ignite other objects). "Monsters," also in my suggested title, unambiguously indicates that the "Book" contains descriptions of imaginary creatures (not computer parts or firesticks).
nyysjan 12-10-04, 10:17 AM	why not call it "The Big Book of Weird Things" :P
eclipticavatar 12-10-04, 10:37 AM	How about something like Tome of Madness? Keep with the theme at the very least.
Lord Arkhaven 12-10-04, 10:59 AM	I think it's a shame that WOTC has to settle with the mundane for fear of losing market share. Lords of Darkness Lords of Madness What could they use next? Lords of Banality? Lords of Feebleness? Lords of Mediocrity? OOH LOOK AT ME! I'M A D&D WRITER!
anshar 12-10-04, 11:28 AM	Well, without bashing a title that probably: a) needed to be changed at the last minute and b) had to please management and marketing... how about simply The Grimoire Anolmalous? ** Still hoping for a high-res copy of the Codex Anathema title art from Charles** :bigeyes:
Zherog 12-10-04, 12:34 PM	how about simply The Grimoire Anolmalous? Codex Anathema confused the hell out of the distributors, and you wanna use that? ;)
taltamir 12-10-04, 03:33 PM	Make alittle note on the back cover which includes the dictionary definitions of Codex and Anathema ;p.
ssampier 12-10-04, 06:48 PM	why not call it "The Big Book of Weird Things" :P how about Small Book of Horrors** :rimshot: **it, of course, must feature a illithid named Seymor
taltamir 12-10-04, 07:31 PM	I say "Horrors from beyond". And put a picture of a tentacled monster on the cover. Anyone would instantly recognize that. AND it will fit the theme. I mean, anathema actually doesnt fit considering those are horrors. As for the "from beyond", well, some are from beyond their world, beyond our comprehension, beyond many things. And the name doesnt sound stupid like "lords of chaos".
SnowbearK 12-10-04, 10:36 PM	Unless of course, they're actively trying to stay away from the Cthulu mythos... :rolleyes: Face facts folks, it's called Lords of Madness. That's not going to change. At this point it would cost much more than it's worth.
Mordmorgan the Mad 12-11-04, 12:02 AM	The name has indeed changed. In this case, the response we got from the majority of distributors and retailers in the hobby and book channels was a resounding "huh?" Most people, sadly, don't have any idea what a "codex" is or what an "anathema" is, and when you put those words together, you get a name that is totally meaningless to them. Wait. These people you sell to...don't they sell, um...books? Do they read said books? Maybe they're more used to coloring books :nonono: . It's amazing to me that anyone who graduated 8th grade wouldn't have at least an idea of what Codex Anathema is supposed to be about. I guess it says a lot about the quality (or lack thereof) of education in America.
Luminosity 12-11-04, 03:56 AM	Of course they know what a Codex is. Most of them probably know whan an anathema is. They might choose not to carry it becuase Joe Average is a retard. If they can't sell their books to Joe Average, they won't stock them.
SnowbearK 12-11-04, 04:30 AM	Sadly, Luminosity is correct. The average person these days is an idiot. Which always amazes me, because it means that Darwin clearly didn't live long enough to realize that his theory of evolution is fully applicable only to non-human lifeforms. If it could be fully applied to humans it'd mean about 70% of the population should have died before reproducing. If only... :nonono:
EvilDuck 12-11-04, 12:00 PM	Wait. These people you sell to...don't they sell, um...books? Do they read said books? Maybe they're more used to coloring books :nonono: . It's amazing to me that anyone who graduated 8th grade wouldn't have at least an idea of what Codex Anathema is supposed to be about. I guess it says a lot about the quality (or lack thereof) of education in America. Uh, okay, I didn't know what a codex was until I read about it in a D&D book, and I first heard 'anathema' in an AFI song, so I looked it up at merriamwebster.com. Quality, quality website. Those two words are actually pretty obscure by today's standards, hate to tell ya.
Mordmorgan the Mad 12-11-04, 12:10 PM	Sadly, Luminosity is correct. The average person these days is an idiot. Which always amazes me, because it means that Darwin clearly didn't live long enough to realize that his theory of evolution is fully applicable only to non-human lifeforms. If it could be fully applied to humans it'd mean about 70% of the population should have died before reproducing. If only... :nonono: Darwin's theory would still hold up with humans if we would stop putting warnings on things (i.e. "Do not use toaster in bathtub", or "do not insert any part of your body into the blender during opperation").
anshar 12-11-04, 01:29 PM	Uh, okay, I didn't know what a codex was until I read about it in a D&D book, and I first heard 'anathema' in an AFI song, so I looked it up at merriamwebster.com. Quality, quality website. Those two words are actually pretty obscure by today's standards, hate to tell ya. And in spite of that, you knew what they were because you had seen them before (and can even cite your sources) and took 10 seconds out of your life to find out what they meant. More people need to do that. By the way, I'd just like to point out that the book was not called "Codex Anathema". It was called "Codex Anathema: The Book of Aberrations". In my opinion, the subtitle should have been enough to give away the meaning of the main title to those who didn't already know what the words meant. I just feel that we are being robbed of a good title for the sake of people who are either too dense to put two and two together and figure out the title based on the subtitle or who are too lazy to look up a word they don't know in the dictionary. Do I blame WotC? Under the circumstances no, not at all. They have to make money and if their distributors wouldn't buy the book because of the title, then I agree with their decision to change it. I do feel that it makes a statement about the sad state of education among North American consumers or at least among North American game distributors, or both. Anyhow, time to get back to paintshop pro and continue working on my custom book jacket. ;)
taltamir 12-11-04, 05:44 PM	Darwins theory DOES apply to humans. And it works perfectly. Evolution means that those that adapt to different environments survive. With the advances of medice humans DONT need to adapt to ward of disease, with all the social works and safe environment people dont have to adapt to avoiding danger. Humans DO have to adapt to looking a certain way, and to living sedetary lifestyles. Humans are "evolving" into dumber creatures who are more resilient to harmful chemicals and overabundance of cholesterol and fat, with outer appearance more appealing to us. Humans need to adapt to lack of stimuli (doing repetative jobs), to be more conniving etc. Humans just go around changing the environment as they please, instead of adapting to it. (and how people want things done isnt always whats GOOD for them) Take the peacock for example, their tail is a huge disadvantage on many different levels, but it attracts females.
EvilDuck 12-11-04, 06:45 PM	And in spite of that, you knew what they were because you had seen them before (and can even cite your sources) and took 10 seconds out of your life to find out what they meant. More people need to do that. By the way, I'd just like to point out that the book was not called "Codex Anathema". It was called "Codex Anathema: The Book of Aberrations". In my opinion, the subtitle should have been enough to give away the meaning of the main title to those who didn't already know what the words meant. I just feel that we are being robbed of a good title for the sake of people who are either too dense to put two and two together and figure out the title based on the subtitle or who are too lazy to look up a word they don't know in the dictionary. Do I blame WotC? Under the circumstances no, not at all. They have to make money and if their distributors wouldn't buy the book because of the title, then I agree with their decision to change it. I do feel that it makes a statement about the sad state of education among North American consumers or at least among North American game distributors, or both. Anyhow, time to get back to paintshop pro and continue working on my custom book jacket. ;) I was just mentioning the obscurity of the words, but you are right about the standards of education in America. Today's high schools are just government-subsizised daycares for louder, hairer and/or curvier children. Oh, hey, could you send me the file for that cover when you're done :D ?
Roboradish 12-27-04, 10:23 PM	Thanks to the magic of google and an English to Latin dictionary, I have brought you these names. Libris Externus Libris Inasnum Libris Extrarius English to Japanese: Aidokusho nekkyou Alright, no Japanese. Norweigan: Bok Fra Sinnsyk Bok Fra Galskap Well...it could work if you went with the primitive aspect. Writing on stone tablets, cover with bones tied to it with strips of rawhide, crude runes, ect. Edit: that came out wrong. I don't wan to insult any Norweigans. Sorry. Anyway, if you screwed around with any of these a bit, they would make passable titles. I used the famous add a couple random letters, then delete a few others method. Libris Insensdium or Bok Fra Inek'naseum
SnowbearK 12-27-04, 11:04 PM	Evolution means that those that adapt to different environments survive. Agreed, at it's root. Humans are "evolving" into dumber creatures who are more resilient to harmful chemicals and overabundance of cholesterol and fat... Again, agreed. Humans just go around changing the environment as they please, instead of adapting to it. (and how people want things done isnt always whats GOOD for them) And that's where Darwin's theory breaks down. We no longer adapt to an environment, we force it to adapt to us. Take the peacock for example, their tail is a huge disadvantage on many different levels, but it attracts females. Good analogy. Except the peacock is designed to propagate it's species in such a manner. While it's too early to be sure, I'm fairly certain humans were not designed to propagate our species in the way that we do. As someone else said, if we stopped putting warning labels on things, the wonder of evolution would take place. If we just let all the idiots kill themselves off before they could breed, we'd have a nice, orderly, Darwinian evolution... ;) Though I suppose that might ruin the joke for whatever cosmic powers are out there. [edit: TERRIBLY SORRY for hijacking the thread! :( ]
taltamir 12-28-04, 04:32 AM	A peacock was not DESIGNED that way.. it just HAPPENED this way. When humans force the environment to conform to them they dont brake evolution, they now adapt to the environment which they created, if the environment their created is TOO comfortable, they loose traits, if its just right, they remain unchanged, if it has certain new things they will develop to accomodate those. And that's where Darwin's theory breaks down. We no longer adapt to an environment, we force it to adapt to us. See, BOTH occur, we change the environment, and then we change to suit the new environment we created (for example, consumption of an abundance of unhealthy foods and preservatives and weird chemicals and food dyes...) This is more of a semantics thing though.. we seem to agree on the actual concepts ;p.... No warning labels = good and funny :)
Shadowfoot 12-30-04, 02:15 PM	Some of you may have noticed that WotC has decided to change the name of Codex Anathema to Lords of Madness. Personally, I feel that this is a poor decision on their part. The original title is unique and in keeping with the other monster books (i.e. Draconomicon, Libris Mortis). The new title is generic, and it doesn't even describe aberrations very well. They are alien creatures, but they are not insane. If you feel the same way, please contact WotC here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=company/feedbackform) and let them know. Thanks. Wow. Lords of Madness? What a horrible title. I'd hoped with Libris Mortis and Codex Anathema that WotC had finally decided to stop giving their books the lamest, blandest, most dumbed-down titles they could find (Complete Divine? That doesn't even make sense). These titles were as flavorful as the contents, and Codex Anathema was beautiful - it gave me hope that the contents would be as unique, flavorful, and interesting as that title. It's the best name of any D&D I can think of. But Lords of Madness? Lame Lame Lame My enthusiasm for this book just plummeted.
Ath'kethin 12-31-04, 12:10 AM	Sadly, Luminosity is correct. The average person these days is an idiot. Which always amazes me, because it means that Darwin clearly didn't live long enough to realize that his theory of evolution is fully applicable only to non-human lifeforms. If it could be fully applied to humans it'd mean about 70% of the population should have died before reproducing. The reason the weak and stupid among humans do not simply die is because due to some fabricated "morality," we work hard to keep them alive. In essence, any train of thought that attaches value to a specimen based not on the specimen's ability to contribute to its or others' wellbeing, but rather on the fact that it falls into a specific type of creature, is directly attempting to work against Darwin's theories. Left on their own, many people would die; with the idea that because they are biologically human they somehow intrinsically deserve life and thus should be kept alive at all costs, they survive and make more little ones just like themselves. Isn't it beautiful?
AdvntrGuy 12-31-04, 05:17 PM	Faced with a 2/3 drop in sales (and limited availability for you), we figured that a name change was a pretty small price to pay to make sure this book got the attention it deserved. I get what your saying. But what I don't get is why you chose to break the "Book of" naming scheme. Surely there was another name the creative types could have come up with that would have remained true to the series naming convention. You started down the path with a great idea that got consumers (me) hooked on owning a SERIES of books. Now the continuity is broken and I'm less likely to buy this one, and future books unless you return to the SERIES naming convention! The distributors will get the message once they're back ordered. Believe in the better idea next time and fight for the right name!
Gellion 12-31-04, 07:18 PM	Hey, stop bashing people!!! :mad: I have realized that most people are smarter than some individuals give them credit for. I may not be the smartest person myself, but I know an intelligent person when I see one. :)
Guroth the Forsaken 01-05-05, 12:49 PM	How about the Anethomicon? or Abberanomicon? :D
11d7 01-05-05, 02:07 PM	WotC needs to stop catoring for the lowest common denominator when it comes to things like this becuase guess what: JOE IDIOT IS NOT GOING TO BE BUYING THE DAMN THING ANYWAY!!!! In my experence stupid people dont play D&D, even if they act stupid i dont know one person without above average mental abilites who plays D&D. I don't know more that 2 people who play D&D who arn't very learned either. Cant the people at WotC explain to the marketing people or the people to be selling their products that this is a specialty product and the averge person isnt likly to buy it becuase they think its geeky and dont want to be veiwed as one and that anyone interested in the game will like the title, people who dont like it arn't going to buy it in the first place!
crazysamaritan 01-05-05, 02:27 PM	Sadly, 11d7, I do know one person who behaves like he has below average intelligence. He does play DnD. He's a sorcerer, and took toughness at first level.... To be fair, the +3 hit points kept him alive.... I'd still prefer Codex Athemea, But I'll admit I never planned on buiying the thing in the first place, just Libris mortis! :dancin:
WotC_Andy 01-05-05, 02:48 PM	WotC needs to stop catoring for the lowest common denominator when it comes to things like this becuase guess what: JOE IDIOT IS NOT GOING TO BE BUYING THE DAMN THING ANYWAY!!!! In my experence stupid people dont play D&D, even if they act stupid i dont know one person without above average mental abilites who plays D&D. I don't know more that 2 people who play D&D who arn't very learned either. Cant the people at WotC explain to the marketing people or the people to be selling their products that this is a specialty product and the averge person isnt likly to buy it becuase they think its geeky and dont want to be veiwed as one and that anyone interested in the game will like the title, people who dont like it arn't going to buy it in the first place! I think you may have missed the point of Mr. Ryan's statement. The first person Wizards has to "sell" a book to isn't the end consumer--who we have every expectation is an intelligent, eager gamer who will "get" and appreciate cool titles--but the distributor or retailer, who may have little knowledge of gaming beyond the fact that it uses books and dice. Sure, your FLGS may be run by a diehard gamer, but the distributor he buys books from probably isn't, and I can pretty much guarantee you that the people ordering books for sale at Borders, B&N, Amazon, etc., aren't. If these people don't "get" a book's concept *instantly* Wizards has lost a sale that we'll almost certainly never get back. Recent experiences suggest that this can have a dramatic impact on a book's success, particularly in the book trade (where we can't rely on the various buyers & sellers to have much innate knowledge of the hobby). Rant all you'd like about how unfair, crazy, or depressing this is (and believe me, we've done plenty of that inside these walls as well), but we can't change this reality. We just have to adapt to it as best we can. Keep in mind also that changing a book's title (particularly at this late a date) has ZERO impact on what's between the covers. It's still just as chock-full of aberrant goodies as it ever was.
Charles Ryan 01-05-05, 02:58 PM	It's easy to blame problems with a name like Codex Anathema on other people's stupidiy or limited vocabulary. If only it were that simple--but it's not. For a moment, pretend that you're the buyer for a major book chain. You're not stupid. You don't have a limited vocabulary. In fact, you probably took this job because you like to read and you like books. Let's even say that you're pretty familiar with D&D, despite the fact that you also have to keep up with cookbooks, self-help books, young adult fiction, and about 40 other categories. Every week, you have to look at a list of hundreds--maybe thousands--of new books that are coming out in six months. In a limited amount of time, with a limited amount of buying money, you have to decide how much of each book to order. A few months ago, you saw a book for D&D entitled Complete Warrior. "Wow," you thought, "That really screams D&D. The D&D players will probably really love that. I'll order X many." Now you see a book entitled Codex Anathema. "Huh," you say. "I wonder what that's about. I guess the D&D players will probably get it. But I need to make sure I have enough budget to cover that huge order for The Da Vinci Code II, so I'll just order Y many." In a perfect world, you'd spend 10 minutes researching this title. You'd see that it's about aberrations, and that even though aberrations aren't as culturally iconic as, say, dragons, they're very important to D&D. You'd get a good sense of how this book handles the topic, and you'd place an appropriate order. But in the real world, you've only got 2 hours to finish your buying, and you still have 473 titles to make decisions on. There's a crisis going on with co-op displays and your boss is breathing down your neck about a presentation you have to give to corporate next week. The bottom line is this: The difference between the initial "Wow!" response (X copies ordered) and "Hmm" response (Y copies ordered) is a substantial hit--not only to the money that WotC makes, but to the widespread availability of the product to you, the gamer. When you take into account how many people in the distribution chain aren't well educated about D&D (or aren't as smart as you and I), you can see how it only gets worse. What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Nobody's dumbing down D&D--we're only making sure that every product gets a fair chance to get into your hands; that no product is hobbled by bad decisions in the distribution chain. I like the name Codex Anathema--in fact, I was one of the people who came up with it. But it simply isn't a very good choice. Don't lose any sleep over it; check out the book, I'm sure you'll love it.
crazysamaritan 01-05-05, 03:11 PM	I think some people still want that origional copy of the cover, probably to use as a booksleeve. I know I would if Libris Mortis had been renamed Prince of Death :yuck:
primemover003 01-05-05, 03:24 PM	If the case is that bad Charles those of us who want it will pre-order it... that way the Distributers will get the hint from the opposite end of the line that Codex Anathema is going to sell... There's always Amazon.
Ogre4Hire 01-05-05, 03:35 PM	Sadly, 11d7, I do know one person who behaves like he has below average intelligence. He does play DnD. He's a sorcerer, and took toughness at first level.... To be fair, the +3 hit points kept him alive.... Getting off topic, but why does a Wizard or Sorcerer taking Toughness at first level indicate stupidity? Almost every person I've encountered who played a first level Wiz/Sor chose toughness unless they had a phenomenal Con score, and that feat choice kept them alive a lot longer than any other feat they could have taken would have. The only time I thought someone was an idiot because of their feat selection was a guy who was playing a barbarian who took Skill Focus (Profession) instead of a combat oriented feat because he thought he was "role-playing." (And, to be honest, I thought he was an idiot far before that happened).
anshar 01-05-05, 03:35 PM	I fully understand the necessity of the name change... doesn't mean I have to like it. ;) That said... I would still like to hear about the possibility of getting some high-res copies of the original title art for the front / back covers and the spine. Note: I'm not looking for the cover art, just the actual title. I'm sure someone at WotC has got it floating around their hard drive someplace. :) Pretty please? With sugar on top?
taltamir 01-05-05, 09:51 PM	WotC needs to stop catoring for the lowest common denominator when it comes to things like this becuase guess what: JOE IDIOT IS NOT GOING TO BE BUYING THE DAMN THING ANYWAY!!!! In my experence stupid people dont play D&D, even if they act stupid i dont know one person without above average mental abilites who plays D&D. I don't know more that 2 people who play D&D who arn't very learned either. Cant the people at WotC explain to the marketing people or the people to be selling their products that this is a specialty product and the averge person isnt likly to buy it becuase they think its geeky and dont want to be veiwed as one and that anyone interested in the game will like the title, people who dont like it arn't going to buy it in the first place! I beleive the term for this is "target audience"
Levis 01-06-05, 10:34 AM	I quite like Lords of Madness, sounds like the name an 80's heavy metal band we would have been listening to back when I started playing. Thats nostalgia for you.
olfactatron 01-08-05, 03:23 AM	well, crap. I wish I had seen this before I got all ****** off. Thanks for the replies, guys. And yes, Lords of Madness is a cool name for a band. Much like Cosmic Groin Pull or Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum.
DarthRandal 01-09-05, 01:55 AM	Or my personal favorite, Tainted Burrito Meat. :D
Tenzhi 01-09-05, 02:07 AM	They might choose not to carry it becuase Joe Average is a retard. If they can't sell their books to Joe Average, they won't stock them. Yar, but Joe Average isn't Average Gamer and Average Gamer is the target market for this book whereas Joe Average rarely buys books (much less game books) in the first place.
Frieza-Prexus 01-09-05, 02:31 AM	I think someone asked for this earlier, but would it be possible to get a decent quality pic of the cover that we could print out and put on the book ourselves?? Sorry if this already got a response and I missed it!
creepy drifter 01-09-05, 02:43 AM	its like with movies these days. if they dont title it with a simple monosyllabic word, it wont stay on the tongues of the mindless masses. Codex Anathema does not adhere to the K.I.S.S. concept
olfactatron 01-09-05, 05:10 AM	man I AM So Drunk riight now. dHolly crap. How muach did I have. ?? I think at last count it was on our 6th pitcher of beer and my 8th shot., I think I waked home but I'm not tooooooo sure. horray for fruitlesss attempts at l;ove that one meets in a sculpture class. what a loser i am. goodnight everypeople.
Minister_for_Moral_Truth 01-09-05, 10:54 PM	Yeeers... Moving swiftly on, if Codex Anathema is being scrapped because it's not descriptive enough to the retailers and distributers, why is Lords of Madness any better? How is this in any way descriptive of the content? Fiend Folio (known by my flat as of today as the Bumper Book of Gribble); the Draconomicon, Liebier Mortis etc. all clearly indicate the content, but I would expect from this title an adventure module involving the Far Realm (or at least an adventure module) rather than a specialised monster book. Texts of the Abhorent?