Confused [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Confused [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Th3Cart3r
03-22-07, 02:46 PM Okay, as my previous post said, I am considering playing D&D.

One kick ass source I saw was Ptolus, which I -assumed- was for D&D. And yet, upon closer looking, do not see the D&D name branded on the product. But it talks about d20. And being set in the Forgotten Realms.

Wait a second, I thought those all were the same thing!?

So, the point is this. Is D&D set in the Forgotten Realms, and played with d20 system. If so, why is D&D not under the same category as d20 or Forgotten Realms?

Clarification is greatly appreciated.
docjack
03-22-07, 03:15 PM O.k., let's see if I can explain this without confusing you further.

D&D uses the d20 rules. d20 is also under the open game license which means ANYBODY can make a game or suppliment using the rules for d20. Hence, why Ptolus is able to be d20. While Ptolus is part of the D&D genre, let's say, it is not "officially" from D&D and/ or WOTC.

Forgotten Realms is a D&D world officially supported by D&D. However, when they (WOTC) put out a book for Forgotten Realms it is specific to that game world. The stuff in those books might not fly in other D&D worlds WOTC has made or homebrews you might have made. SO WOTC stamps it Forgotten Realms.

D&D stamps the books D&D only when those books can be used across the board for ANY setting, be it a offical world, homebrew, or if you want, depending on the book, another unoffical setting like Ptolus.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you're still confused and I'll try to clarify better.
Jack
Khael
03-22-07, 03:23 PM Also out of the 'official' WOTC published camapign settings, there are three main ones in circulation: Ebberon, Forgotten Realms, and greyhawk.
However you won't find any books saying greyhawk, because this is the generic setting. Any book not marked 'forgotten realms' or 'Ebberon' is written for this generic setting (Which you can look on as a WOTC published setting, or a world you're using and making up yourself.)
Azezel
03-22-07, 03:39 PM To Clarify - I have a Rover 218 car - which uses a Peugeot XUD engine. The Citroen ZX and the Peugeot 205 also use the XUD engine.

Same with d20. D&D uses the d20 system, but so does Ptolus, Star Wars d20 and the new version of Call of Cthulu. They are all different games, but they have the same basic ruleset (d20 in a sentence= The outcome of any action which has the possibility of failure is decided by rolling a d20, adding modifiers and comparing the result to a target number).

The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting. A world in which one may choose to set a D&D story. This world has a map, a history, a set of gods and mortals all described in one book, along with a number of nations and locales.

To the best of my knowledge, Ptolus is not in the Forgotten Relams, but is a campaign setting in its own right.
Th3Cart3r
03-22-07, 04:01 PM To the best of my knowledge, Ptolus is not in the Forgotten Relams, but is a campaign setting in its own right.

Sometimes my mind makes things up and sees things that really are not there.

I guess this is one of those situations.

EDIT: Thanks for the answers. From them, I was enlightened.
Nom
03-22-07, 10:49 PM My understanding is that Ptolus is more than just another game system based on the d20 engine. d20 can mean either "uses the same basic ruleset as D&D" or "is D&D compatible". I thought Ptolus was the latter: a campaign world and adventures for a D&D game.

Clarification: what's the difference between "using the same basic ruleset" and "compatible"? d20 Modern uses the same basic ruleset (ability scores, levels, d20 task resolution, the idea of skills and feats), but its implementation of classes, skills and feats is quite different to D&D's. In contrast, quite a lot of 3rd party material is designed to seamlessly integrate with everything in the player's handbook ("D&D compatible"), not just the minimal rules.
razorboy
03-22-07, 11:50 PM Ptolus is another setting for D&D. D&D at its core is a set of rules, then there are settings (worlds) that use these rules: Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, etc.

Little FYI, Ptolus was a game launched back in the days of 2nd ed AD&D by Monte Cook and a number of other TSR/WOTC luminaries. It became a sort of a testing ground for rule changes that would eventually become 3rd edition D&D and D20 rule set. So in a sense, Ptolus is not just compatible with D20, in a way it IS D20.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Th3Cart3r 03-22-07, 02:46 PM	Okay, as my previous post said, I am considering playing D&D. One kick ass source I saw was Ptolus, which I -assumed- was for D&D. And yet, upon closer looking, do not see the D&D name branded on the product. But it talks about d20. And being set in the Forgotten Realms. Wait a second, I thought those all were the same thing!? So, the point is this. Is D&D set in the Forgotten Realms, and played with d20 system. If so, why is D&D not under the same category as d20 or Forgotten Realms? Clarification is greatly appreciated.
docjack 03-22-07, 03:15 PM	O.k., let's see if I can explain this without confusing you further. D&D uses the d20 rules. d20 is also under the open game license which means ANYBODY can make a game or suppliment using the rules for d20. Hence, why Ptolus is able to be d20. While Ptolus is part of the D&D genre, let's say, it is not "officially" from D&D and/ or WOTC. Forgotten Realms is a D&D world officially supported by D&D. However, when they (WOTC) put out a book for Forgotten Realms it is specific to that game world. The stuff in those books might not fly in other D&D worlds WOTC has made or homebrews you might have made. SO WOTC stamps it Forgotten Realms. D&D stamps the books D&D only when those books can be used across the board for ANY setting, be it a offical world, homebrew, or if you want, depending on the book, another unoffical setting like Ptolus. Hope this helps. Let me know if you're still confused and I'll try to clarify better. Jack
Khael 03-22-07, 03:23 PM	Also out of the 'official' WOTC published camapign settings, there are three main ones in circulation: Ebberon, Forgotten Realms, and greyhawk. However you won't find any books saying greyhawk, because this is the generic setting. Any book not marked 'forgotten realms' or 'Ebberon' is written for this generic setting (Which you can look on as a WOTC published setting, or a world you're using and making up yourself.)
Azezel 03-22-07, 03:39 PM	To Clarify - I have a Rover 218 car - which uses a Peugeot XUD engine. The Citroen ZX and the Peugeot 205 also use the XUD engine. Same with d20. D&D uses the d20 system, but so does Ptolus, Star Wars d20 and the new version of Call of Cthulu. They are all different games, but they have the same basic ruleset (d20 in a sentence= The outcome of any action which has the possibility of failure is decided by rolling a d20, adding modifiers and comparing the result to a target number). The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting. A world in which one may choose to set a D&D story. This world has a map, a history, a set of gods and mortals all described in one book, along with a number of nations and locales. To the best of my knowledge, Ptolus is not in the Forgotten Relams, but is a campaign setting in its own right.
Th3Cart3r 03-22-07, 04:01 PM	To the best of my knowledge, Ptolus is not in the Forgotten Relams, but is a campaign setting in its own right. Sometimes my mind makes things up and sees things that really are not there. I guess this is one of those situations. EDIT: Thanks for the answers. From them, I was enlightened.
Nom 03-22-07, 10:49 PM	My understanding is that Ptolus is more than just another game system based on the d20 engine. d20 can mean either "uses the same basic ruleset as D&D" or "is D&D compatible". I thought Ptolus was the latter: a campaign world and adventures for a D&D game. Clarification: what's the difference between "using the same basic ruleset" and "compatible"? d20 Modern uses the same basic ruleset (ability scores, levels, d20 task resolution, the idea of skills and feats), but its implementation of classes, skills and feats is quite different to D&D's. In contrast, quite a lot of 3rd party material is designed to seamlessly integrate with everything in the player's handbook ("D&D compatible"), not just the minimal rules.
razorboy 03-22-07, 11:50 PM	Ptolus is another setting for D&D. D&D at its core is a set of rules, then there are settings (worlds) that use these rules: Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, etc. Little FYI, Ptolus was a game launched back in the days of 2nd ed AD&D by Monte Cook and a number of other TSR/WOTC luminaries. It became a sort of a testing ground for rule changes that would eventually become 3rd edition D&D and D20 rule set. So in a sense, Ptolus is not just compatible with D20, in a way it IS D20.